Final beta before default push
Hi Everyone
I'm now preparing to release this latest version as the default build. Since the last build a couple of weeks ago I've been working on any bugs, testing on different headsets and adding a couple more features. I'll go through this in a little more detail.
Bugs and their solutions:
Cursor visibility
I've spent a long time trying to get the cursor to disappear correct in all circumstances. Each control mode has different was it works with the cursor. I've added hand tracking as well so there have been many configurations to consider. If you find that you are watching your media and the cursor is still there when you expect it to vanish let me know.
Passthrough:
To get passthrough working on Meta you have to installed the Meta Core SDK into Unity. It was being reported that Windows Mixed reality headsets were crashing when this was installed so I've converted the passthrough to use OpenXR and ARFoundation. This is the implementation that manufacturers are moving towards, however PC passthrough is the last thing to get the update. For this reason I'm using the ARFoundation implementation on the default release knowing that few if no headsets support it yet but also that Windows Mixed reality headset won't crash on startup and I'll be providing a Meta version of Whirligig for people with those headsets so they can get passthrough. Hopefully the manufacturers will eventually update all this so I don't have to build for different headsets.
Hand tracking (beta):
The hand tracking implementation was broken so I've fixed that. Hand tracking for PC is still not very well supported, which is why it's disabled as default. If you enable it and your headset doesn't support had tracking properly on PC yet you'll get a attempt as hand tracking but using the controllers to get finger positions. This isn't very good and it's advised to just turn off hand tracking.
New features - 3D Projector support:
I've been trying to add noneVR options that can take advantage of 3D and 360 degree content. Because of this I've included several updates to the 3D noneVR display. The latest addition is 3D project support.
As most, if not all 3D projectors will support side by side or over under footage I've added this to the player. So when enabled Whirligig UI will display sbs or ou and the stereo options will work correctly when set. The 3D will work with all the 3D content including 3D 360, allowing you to pan around using the mouse.
And Finally
Updating Whirligigs default release is nerve-racking as I don't want to break anyone's setup but I still want to continue to improve Whirligig. I've done a good amount of testing but if you find any issues please let me know.
Expect to see the Whirligig Steam page to change a lot over the coming weeks to highlight the new features and open up it's audience to a wider community of enthusiasts.
Thanks for your support and I hope you continue to enjoy using Whirligig long into the future :)
Happy watching
Phil
I'm now preparing to release this latest version as the default build. Since the last build a couple of weeks ago I've been working on any bugs, testing on different headsets and adding a couple more features. I'll go through this in a little more detail.
Bugs and their solutions:
Cursor visibility
I've spent a long time trying to get the cursor to disappear correct in all circumstances. Each control mode has different was it works with the cursor. I've added hand tracking as well so there have been many configurations to consider. If you find that you are watching your media and the cursor is still there when you expect it to vanish let me know.
Passthrough:
To get passthrough working on Meta you have to installed the Meta Core SDK into Unity. It was being reported that Windows Mixed reality headsets were crashing when this was installed so I've converted the passthrough to use OpenXR and ARFoundation. This is the implementation that manufacturers are moving towards, however PC passthrough is the last thing to get the update. For this reason I'm using the ARFoundation implementation on the default release knowing that few if no headsets support it yet but also that Windows Mixed reality headset won't crash on startup and I'll be providing a Meta version of Whirligig for people with those headsets so they can get passthrough. Hopefully the manufacturers will eventually update all this so I don't have to build for different headsets.
Hand tracking (beta):
The hand tracking implementation was broken so I've fixed that. Hand tracking for PC is still not very well supported, which is why it's disabled as default. If you enable it and your headset doesn't support had tracking properly on PC yet you'll get a attempt as hand tracking but using the controllers to get finger positions. This isn't very good and it's advised to just turn off hand tracking.
New features - 3D Projector support:
I've been trying to add noneVR options that can take advantage of 3D and 360 degree content. Because of this I've included several updates to the 3D noneVR display. The latest addition is 3D project support.
As most, if not all 3D projectors will support side by side or over under footage I've added this to the player. So when enabled Whirligig UI will display sbs or ou and the stereo options will work correctly when set. The 3D will work with all the 3D content including 3D 360, allowing you to pan around using the mouse.
And Finally
Updating Whirligigs default release is nerve-racking as I don't want to break anyone's setup but I still want to continue to improve Whirligig. I've done a good amount of testing but if you find any issues please let me know.
Expect to see the Whirligig Steam page to change a lot over the coming weeks to highlight the new features and open up it's audience to a wider community of enthusiasts.
Thanks for your support and I hope you continue to enjoy using Whirligig long into the future :)
Happy watching
Phil