MakeVR, HAWKEN and spiders in the RIFT

It has been quite the mad-house of late. It's like each month of each year gets progressively more frames per second (FPS), which then results in the amount of free time I have reducing dramatically. Turns out it wasn't that, it was just time gradually getting faster and faster. It's either that or I am consuming far too many caffinated and/or sugar based products ;). Over the last few months I have tried to keep posting here on a regular basis. Unfortunately, while I will try to keep it monthly from now on, it may slip from time to time. It looks like it will be a while before I am even able to start one or two of the larger VR experiences I have planned for the RIFT. Although just trying to keep up with the new experiences, game play mechanics and technologies emerging each day is an increasingly complicated task. It's already looking like both February and March are promising to be fairly busy too, with everything from a simple system build for a friend, to finalizing the plans for a new project that is currently under an active NDA (non-disclosure agreement).

CYMATIC BRUCE trying out the STEM prototype and MakeVR demo

MakeVR used to create 3D assets
(images from kickstarter page)

 
Since I started writing this months post, the Sixense crew have brought their MakeVR program to Kickstarter and from early reports of the demo's, it promises to be a very handy tool for the emerging VR world(s). While it seems aimed primarily at 3D printing, due to its exportable nature, assets in need of finer detail for other applications can still be manipulated in other 3D modeling programs. While it may seem to be a bit redundant having two 3D modelling tools at your disposal, being able to work within the VR world while utilising a tracking system such as the STEM for this task, promises to be truely epic. Sixense recently revised some of their reward tiers and now you can get beta-access to MakeVR, including a copy of the colaborate3D environment. This also contains all updates to both licenses until 2015 and also has a limited-edition avatar as a reward for becoming a backer. All for just $95. You can read more and/or back the project (here). EDIT: Sixense has recently cancelled funding on this and will re-launch once they have revised their kickstarter campaign. Read more about this <here> in the comments section of the project.

I have also spent a bit of time with Aldin Dynamic's Asunder (Earthbound). While a visually stunning VR experience, I also felt a little nauseous - much in the same way Museum of The Microstar (MoTM) did for me. Whether or not this is because of the control method (face-look) or whether or not it's latency or just this RIFTer's own experience remains uncertain. I also spent some more hours tweaking ini files and trying to optimise the Alpha-State RIFT support in HAWKEN. Since I did this however, the entire game-client has shifted to Steam. This means that I will not only need to reassess the RIFT support, I will also need to adjust many of my game-play tactics because the large number of sweeping changes introduced during the overhaul and new game client. This altered everything from TTK (time-to-kill) to ballance tweaks to even the in-game menus, music and animations. It even looks like the server stability has been improved, although this may just be because of Valve's platform, or it could be the increased amount the game client seems to be synchronizing after each match. Unplanned server outages aside, still expect continued PUBstomps and unexpectedly well ballanced matches on occasion. I have had two matches result in SUDDEN DEATH mode after we had traded kill for kill throughout the entire round. Our team emerged victorious on both ocasions, although I can still see how lag could have cost me (or the other team) at least one mortal blow. EDIT: HAWKEN has recently had a new patch that includes a new map *and* a new mech - plus, it looks like the Oceanic servers aren't totally broken anymore! This game is a totally different experience with a playable ping (averaging 100ms), and while it will take some time to rebuild the local community, it's going to take some work re-adjusting to a low latency server. Although, being able to dial in the mouse sensitivity seems to help mitigate at least some of these issues :)

HAWKEN in RIFT with interior textures (medium or better settings)

HAWKEN in RIFT without interior textures (low-res setting)

<Caution: Following these next few paragraphs, there *will* be spiders!>

While I have spent some game-time online in TDM with HAWKEN in RIFT mode, for the most part my experiments have been conducted in offline bot-mode or training. No one was playing Deathmatch mode last time I looked (prior to Steam release) and I didn't want to add kills to the total in Team Deathmatch while I derped across the battlefield trying to blind-trigger buttons. I rarely play with a controller, preferring the old keyboard and mouse combo and while I am spending more time in VR where knowing my way around a controller would be handy, I guess it's something I should start logging some serious amount of time with. There is nothing quite like loosing your spot on the keyboard mid-battle and being forced to peek out of your HMD in order to re-align your fingers with the correct keys. Drift can now also be corrected with the F2 or Scroll-Lock buttons which thankfully replaces the tedium of having to bring up console (F5) to reset it using the command line (resetmotioninput).

As a VR title? I can see why the dev's keep calling this alpha-state RIFT support. It is fun stomping around the battlefield in the RIFT and what little I have played in online team death matches while wearing it has been fantastic. Being able to boost around and have fun with friends while you explore HAWKEN in 3D is truely epic - The game was always intending to offer Oculus RIFT support upon launch (*cough* 12.12.12 *cough*) which means that the depth of field programmed into the game doesn't look as flat as say, something like Skyrim would. Unfortunately, due to the limited in-game FOV settings for VR (although it now has a menu option), I ended up feeling like I was more of a space marine wearing a jumpsuit. Albeit a two-story robotic death machine with rockets mind you, the scale just didn't feel like I was sitting in a cockpit of a giant MECHA. I must say though, the radar and health bar are now viewable and items are shown on monitors. Also, other issues like having your in-game HUD (heads up display) being tied to the same layer as your own UI make the whole experience fun, just not really playable in three dimensions at this stage . I didn't experience any real adverse nausea either, even when jumping or boosting from altitude, which is always nice.  I also haven't had the opportunity to test out HAWKEN in the RIFT since this latest platform shift, although early signs probably suggest that atleast some elements may be improved.

RIFT settings menu in HAWKEN

It is certainly likely I will be busy these next few months and it's not just all this testing left to do. The big project that is currently all under NDA is something I am obviously unable to talk about (at this stage anyway). This will be consuming the bulk of my time and attention now and for what looks like the immediate future. Because of this, all I have to offer you for a preview of next month's post is this rather funny reddit topic on r/Oculus. A developer (rogeressig) posted on the forums about how their brother played a practical joke on them with a rubber spider and the RIFT. It reminded me of an earlier post titled "An unpleasant experience". The post about family shenanigans by rogeressig is <HERE> while the original "spiders-in-the-RIFT" post is <HERE>. Also, Google "RIFT reaction spiders prank" and play the one featuring "Tomo" (posted by sloshworks) - skip to around the 2 minute mark <here>  (the entire video contains spoilers to "Dont let go", the Oculus RIFT demo).

"spiders in the RIFT... Nope."

RIFTing reality; demo'ing 101 for the Oculus RIFT

December has already flown by without me getting much of a chance to post a topic. With holiday madness and a week spent interstate, a self-imposed deadline for a functional tech-demo and other commitments, I haven't had much of a chance to keep things updated. I had planned on making a post about some of the more specific issues faced when developing for virtual reality, however, I shall save that for another time. Instead, I thought I would summarise some of the lessons that I have learnt so far while demo'ing the RIFT and the assorted digital constructs. It's pretty incredible when people first "gaze through the looking glass" and have their first real glimpse at virtual reality. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to setup a camera or record some of the more "enthusiastic" reactions this time around, as I had my hands full guiding demo's and doing my best to operate without a controller (something I had foolishly neglected to pack). It was either that or I was far too busy enjoying their responses (read: laughing my ass off) or providing support in some way (making sure they were enjoying themselves and/or handing out ginger as required). Never the less, I thought it might be a good idea to summarise some of the lessons I have learnt while demo'ing the RIFT and various virtual reality experiences to the public.

The first lesson is obvious - when traveling with your RIFT and other equipment (such as laptops, controllers and other gear) - ensure it is all well protected. While the Oculus RIFT itself comes in a very nice padded case with neat slots for all the parts, I have found it best stored in a padded backpack with some of the other equipment required for demos. Not only does this mean that you can take it on board as carry on luggage, it makes one less case to carry and will prevent any oportunistic thieves who may recognise either the Oculus logo or the PVC equipment case itself.  Secondly, carry a bottle of ginger concentrate or ginger pills with you. After working with the RIFT for a while, I have my "VR legs" and I consider myself aclimatised, yet nausea and motion sickness can strike even the most experienced of us and trust me when I say that ginger does indeed help. Also, limiting demo times to roughly fifteen minutes a turn for those not affected by motion sickness will help with aclimatisation and even if a person does not feel nausea during a demo, it can hit them *after* they take off the RIFT. Third, bring your own powerboard and any other cables and adaptors you think you will need for the demo. Never assume there will be enough power points, or atleast enough within reach. I have also invested in a USB-DC cable (you can buy premade or DIY) so that I can run the RIFT without taking up an extra plug for the power brick. This also allows you to run the whole lot off the gaming laptops battery should you need to either make it mobile or run without mains power.

USB to DC (Type M = 2.1mm ID) cable - USB 3.0 should be fine
<USB 2.0 *may* need twin USB connectors to provide adequate power>

Silicone Ninja strap - provides security for your RIFT

Along with the above lessons, also consider securing your RIFT control box with something so that if someone does accidentally drag the RIFT with them, your expensive equipment wont end up on the floor as well. Personally, I have an elastic ninja-strap that is looped around the control box. This way, I have a bit of give while preventing a potential catastrophy. Also, while demo'ing, it's best to use the Oculus calibration utility first to try and set it up optimally, thus providing a viewable experience. While in the rush of demo'ing and in cases where people's eyesight is either 20/20 or farsighted (longsighted) - it is often easier to just throw them in the demo. Personally, I try and avoid swapping lenses as the inside of the RIFT is a dust magnet and can be an absolute PITA to clean properly. I use the standard lenses with my glasses and I try and do this with others of shortsighted (nearsighted) vision. Of course, IPD calibration can make or break a users experience as well, so if possible this step should still be done. At this particular demo however, I was swamped with people wanting to try it out (which normally occurs at public demos), so it was straight into the RIFT with me asking a few questions to deturmine if their viewing was atleast within an acceptable range.


Some of the other lessons I have learnt when demo'ing...

Working with kids; Be prepared for things like getting sprayed in the face with buscuit crumbs. Especially when said biscuits are freely available and a kid pauses, mid chew, to ask a seemingly pertinant question. Lucky for me I wear corrective "safety glasses", so I avoided crumbs-to-the-eyeball, just consider this your fair warning. If possible, try to get the kids to hold the RIFT HMD too, as the size of the mask is ideally suited for big kids like myself (even if you have time to adjust the head straps for each child). Also, check to see if they are OK during their VR experience, silence and swaying can lead to dry heaves and possibly mess - this is one thing that affects both kids and adults though, so *always* be aware of the signs of motion sickness. It probably wont hurt to have a bucket on hand either, just in case. I am aware that there can be issues with children's exposure to 3D and how it is supposed to interefere with their depth perception development. However, small doses combined with plenty of breaks should be fine. I would probably advise against long-term use for children (like Nintendo has done with the 3DS), however, that's more my own $0.02 worth and not something I would consider a qualified opinion on the matter.

Working with seniors; Some are suprisingly accepting of virtual reality. I don't mean they have no problems with it, I have met some elderly users who flat out refuse to even try the RIFT. I am talking about how some seem unphased by how much of a "game changer" this new HMD is. I was able to setup a gallery for a family members birthday and loaded in some high-res scanned slides for them to look at. While they seemed impressed at being able to see their pictures inside a virtual gallery, the idea of being inside a digital world was almost a non-event for them. Whether or not this is because the digital age now ceases to suprise them as much or not is a discussion for another day. Personally, I still get a kick out of the size and capacity of USB flash drives from time to time, fondly recalling sneakernet and other limited storage solutions of the past (Zipdrive anyone?). Of course, not all seniors are like this and some of the best reactions have been from elderly users. One of my favorite reaction videos is this one <here>. However, my favorite "senior moment" with the RIFT thus far, is the grandma who was bedridden because of cancer. Oculus sent the developer a free dev-kit so that she could give gran a chance to "go outside and walk around" again. When the video of her doing this was posted on youtube, a comment led to the developer loading up the RIFT compatible version of Google maps street view. When the dev punched in gran's address, she was amazed to discover gran herself waving at the Google truck as it drove by the house. This means that this particular grandma is one of the lucky few who have been able to glimpse a virtual version of themselves through the RIFT!

gardening gran - read about it (and all the links) here on reddit

Finally, make sure the area around the user is clear and free of any obstacles and objects. If you thought a remote through your LCD or flatscreen was bad, be acutely aware that users are essentially blindfolded. They are usually unable to hear your proximity to them either (especially when wearing headphones) so make sure you approach with caution, especially if they are using tracking controllers like the Hydra/STEM. Even with just a RIFT and a controller in hand, users can still walk into things if you're not carefull and can even accidentally punch you or others when reacting suddenly to a perceived experience. Seated demo's can avoid some of these problems and when the Omni arrives next year, it will create a rather neat way of containing end-users range and scope that will prevent many of these very issues. The only other issues with demo'ing the RIFT I can think of would be one of minimising sweat buildup on the foam, something easily fixed with a bit of DIY thinking. Personally, I havent had much of an issue with this sort of problem, even with several demo's under my belt. There are plenty of solutions on the interwebs to account for this, from the rather simple "pack a headband" to lining the HMD with an aditional layer of removable foam that can be swapped out when one becomes particularly funky. Carefull use of sanitising spray and deodorisers can also help in this scenario. One more caution that I always make when discussing demo's and such, DO NOT  expose your RIFT to sunlight. While I have demo'd outside, it has always been done in the shade and I have never left the optics face up. I think I mentioned the sorry tale of a user who had bought a devkit off ebay once. They bought it in new condition, only to get it and find out the sellers act of photographing the HMD outside had caused the sun to burn two rather small but thorough damage points on the RIFTs display. The optics are focused at infinity after all!

Aldin Dynamics ASUNDER: EARTHBOUND

Darkfield ALPHA

HAWKEN with RIFT support ("borrowed" from IGN's website)

Next month I hope to cover the updated HAWKEN RIFT support as it would seem the reticule has been fixed in the latest patch, plus maybe more fixes and features. Also, Aldin Dynamics Asunder : Earthbound and the Darkfield Alpha build are next on my hitlist. While Darkfield is still in early Alpha 3 state, it promises to offer some rather neat galactic battles and with multiplayer on its way - gaining some early experience might prevent some of the more vicous PvP shenanigans I have witnessed (or experienced) in HAWKEN. Access to the current Alpha build starts at USD$15 and includes all future versions of the game (DRM free). Asunder : Earthbound is apparently more of a made-for-VR experience of its own rather than a game, but should be worth the USD$10 as Aldin Dynamics are the folks behind the rather excelent "Trial of the Rift Drifter" tech demo (still freely available on their website).

Broadband blues and the bleeding edge...

I have been running a combination of ADSL2+ and mobile interwebs for a while now. When I first entered the mobile broadband market, the reception was spotty, was plagued by random disconnects and would rarely even hint at the theoretical speeds available via HSDPA. Much of this remains the same today regardless of which ISP you choose, although some improvements have been made (eg. additional infrastructure/4G etc). While I have access to fixed line internet at some locations, I finally grew fed up with catastrophic failures in network signal, not to mention the vastly more expensive cost per gigabyte that mobile broadband seems to extort. Cost per gigabyte for fixed line bundles can reach as low as <$0.10 per Gig, while comparitively (avoiding peak/off peak restrictions) mobile broadband is *atleast* double that or more. Datablocks, pre-paid and other month to month contracts can make it even more expensive. Not to mention that all mobile broadband services I have experienced, offer no shaped usage after exceeding quotas. They either charge per MB, charge automatically in gigabyte blocks or charge per datablock - the so called "walled garden" is a poor substitute for shaped usage. An example is purchasing an additional data block with Optus under my current service... cost = $20 per gigabyte.

On top of this, a gigabyte is usually counted as 1000 Mb, which, as any geek will tell you is not really an actual gigabyte (1024Mb = 1Gb). Mind you, this "acceptable standard" type of definition of a gigabyte is also used by some other tech products and services as well.  Just about every company I have looked at in my quest for a suitable fixed line ISP has usually this listed somewhere in the fine print and most will happily count your upload traffic towards your monthly quota aswell. When choosing an ISP, especially anything on a fixed term contract, it is essential for you to do your homework. I have personally had companies offer me mobile broadband for locations that are in a confirmed blackspots - so make sure you check all facts and fine print and, should you opt for mobile broadband, be aware that you will most likely never get anywhere near the cost-per-gigabyte ratio of those on a fixed line. To get some independant reviews and a better idea of what the customer service and support is like, head over to the whirlpool forums broadband choice domain (bc.whirlpool.net.au), or visit whirlpool direct (whirlpool.net.au).
 

HAWKEN in VR mode with HUD enabled
(piloting the controversial technician class)

Free-look without turning the mech opens up some tactical possibilities

Clipping outside of the mech has been resolved,
however drift still needs a manual reset

 As mentioned previously, I spent some time recently with HAWKEN's RIFT mode. While this mode is definately early-alpha and many of the game options are designed with the HD-RIFT version in mind, as you can see by some of the screenshots above (all captured in low-res/DK1 mode), issues faced when forcing RIFT mode on via the config files are slowly being resolved/officially supported. If you'd like to learn more about this, I go into more a bit more detail in last months post.

Looking back, Kickstarter has made a regular appearances in many of my more recent posts. While I am not affiliated with the site in any way, I find that the main reason why it keeps popping up here in my topics is due to the large number of technical products that the KS community seems willing to support. Of course, it would be nice to have deep pockets so you could throw money at every project that catches your eye, however *most* of the bleeding edge technology that appears here on this site has originated from successfull kickstarter campaigns. More often than not though, people get this sort of financing model confused with something more akin to a pre-order. This is not what KS is all about. While various tiers and rewards are offered, more often than not, like in the recently launched Tactical Haptics Kickstarter, it is a way for a company to pay the large investment required for tooling moulds and other manufacturing setup costs. This paves the way for QoS and creates a way to mass-produce the controllers that will make their way to the early adopters. This is one of the reasons why Tactical Haptics lists their campaign as a dev-kit, it's a first-run production of a item they wish to bring to market, so naturally, costs of "buying" one of these first run devices will probably exceed expected RRP.

Tactical Haptics Reactive Grip (early prototype)

Tactical Haptics has done some incredible work, most recently, their reactive grip controller system (which will automatically cater to many tracking solutions (including the successfull Sixense STEM)) shows real promise. More than just another "rumble" feedback device, these hand-held controllers provide more haptic feedback that can be changed dynamically according to what the user is doing in-game. The feedback becomes more realistic using shear/pressure forces rather than just basic rumble packs - making the device far more suitable for a wide range of applications - not just gaming. While physically holding a controller is a long way off haptic gloves/suits, it promises to be an impressive step forward. considering any glove/suit haptics will come with their own unique issues and problems, it could be a while before we see anything resembling a realistic feedback device of this type. Head on over to the Reactive grip Kickstarter to learn more/become a backer.

Sixense STEM system - 3D concept

STEMs electromagnetic positional tracking generations
(prototyping still in progress)

So what exactly is the Sixense STEM? It is essentially a much improved Hydra, which will now come with a wireless/wired connection option. I jumped at the chance for the five point system as, even with improvements on tracking solutions for the Oculus RIFT and Virtuix's Omni on the way, you can never have too many tracking points for VR :) Heck, it might be fun to 3D print a sippy cup with a STEM slot (or just duct tape a module to your beverage) so that you could potentially drink from your virtual cup - I am looking at you soda drinker pro. There is even potential to use it to avoid accidentally bowling over cups of liquid around your precious computer/laptop/tech while RIFTing inside a virtual experience! Sixense originally developed the Hydra and chose to distribute through Razer and while the magnetic cores inside the Hydra were hand-wound, the ones inside the STEM system promise to be much improved over the originals (along with countless other improvements). 

Fortunately, the success of the Oculus RIFT thus far (even though it is probably atleast a year away from commercial release) tends to have a flow-on effect, as it has done here. Without the RIFT, Razer would probably still have Hydra's in stock, STEM would probably still be just a concept design until Sixense could either launch it via Razer (or another company), and Tactical Haptics Reactive grip may not have made it from the Haptics and Embedded Mechatronics Laboratory to VR enthusiasts and Kickstarters. Also - a host of software devs have already launched RIFT-based games and demos or added RIFT support as a stretch goal (such as Cyan's ambitious ($1.1m) Obduction).

In closing, an honorable mention has to go to Pushy Pixels "Proton Pulse" - which is one of the better made-for-VR games out there. It used face-look to bounce a ball off a translucent paddle back and forth between walls and blocks, even promising multiplayer in a future build so that you could go PvP against others. It may not sound like much, however, it was incredibly well built and designed and utilised the game mechanic it featured to maximum effect. Early demo's made available prior to the successfull Kickstarter campaign (raising over double the inital goal) are still around on the interwebs. As a backer of this project, I still have my latest beta-build, along with my refund from the creator. While Pushy pixels hates being forced into this position and is staying tight lipped about the real reasons behind the refund, speculation is that it had everything to do with heavy handed legal tactics from a major game studio laying claim to the IP. It is a sad day and age when indie game devs must choose to face a lengthy (and costly) legal process just because a major company has the pockets to effectively buy-out the game without ever spending any actual money. While this isnt a rant on the legal system so much and I do realise legal channels can help stamp out some blatant rip-offs, I can't help but presume it had something to do a team of lawyers, a cease and desist letter and a independant developer too scared to talk about the real reasons behind the projects cancelation because they are afraid of litigation. In memory of the game, I shall post this awesome 90's inspired television advert made for the original tech demo...