Make teleport snap to object

[sanderhalter]

Hi, I've been using eDrawings VR for a while now but wanted to try KeyVR, because it looks nicer. Hower, I find the teleport function not very intuitive, because it only snaps on groundplanes. Most of the times I want to view big technical installations with multiple floors and levels, when I use the teleport function, I can only move across the groundplane. I'd like to see an option that I can teleport and walk over multiple floors and take stairs, without having to use the 'fly' option.

[Jan Simon]

Hi sanderhalter,

thanks for the feedback! We also thought that being able to teleport to different ground levels was an important feature - so we implemented it in our current beta! I have described our solution (based on KeyShot cameras in your scene) in this update thread.

Give it a shot and definitely let me know if you have further suggestions or feedback.

[sanderhalter]

Hi Jan Simon,

Great to see that you are working on this topic. The option to change between static levels is great, but it's still not the same as being able to teleport onto every object you point at. For me it is really important that the VR experience is intuitive, in a way that I can let my clients (who are unexperienced with VR) walk easily trough an installation, just like a videogame.
I've attached a clip that I recorded from IrisVR (this was not with teleporting, because I didn't had my headset connected, but it still shows the point of walking through a building).
It would be great if it was possible to navigate to every place in your model with the teleport function, and go up and down stairs as you would in real life, without having to switch cameras to get on another level.

[Jan Simon]

Thanks for the clip. Your scene really does have a ton of verticality, so first and foremost: I can see how a walkthrough mode (essentially fly mode but without up/down movement, and following stairs, like in the clip) would be useful. How does IrisVR handle floor detail, I wonder? If you had, say, a stone floor or a metal grid, wouldn't the VR user shake up/or down while gliding over the floor? I can see a bunch of this jumping on the steps of the stairs for example.

Going back to teleporting: When we talk about teleporting in busy scenes and inexperienced VR users, don't you run into the issue of them accidentally teleporting on top of objects (tables, machinery, I can even see the cursor stick to the railing at some point in your clip)? That is the main reason why we went with 100% flat floors for teleporting in the new version of KeyVR. In your scene, you would simply add cameras in KeyShot to each floor, balcony and maybe the top/bottom of your ladders or stairs. Then, in KeyVR, I would suggest using the teleport tool in one hand to explore the current area and using the camera tool in the other, to switch between your floor levels. This way your users can't accidentally teleport on top of, say, a plant in the corner of the room, or on top of the chair backrest that they wanted to stand behind etc.

[sanderhalter]

When walking over a metal grid the user won't shake up and down (I think because the holes are too small). Currently I'm mainly using eDrawings VR, because it looks better than IrisVR (not as good as KeyVR) and is very easy to use because we model in SolidWorks. I'll try to provide you with some clips of the teleport function in eDrawings VR with the headset on, because for me that has been the most intuitive experience I've had so far.

I'll also try KeyVR again with the use of multiple cameras, but I think the real benefit of teleporting on objects is, is that you can go anywhere you want without restrictions. And yes, you are able to stand on the railing, but I don't really see that as a negative point. In this way I can easily get anywhere in the room, so I can also check things that I cannot in real life. With the current KeyVR I sould add cameras for every single layer that I want to be able to walk on, or I have to use fly mode.

I'll try to provide you with the clips this week. And thanks for your time improving this feature!

[sanderhalter]

Hi Jan Simon, I totally forgot about this (being a bit too busy). I've picked up VR again today, and remembered I would show you the teleportation function in eDrawings. So here is the video.

I think this way of teleportation is very nice, because you can't be floating in the air (what can cause anxiety for some people), and you can go anywhere you want.