ABSTRACT

Building Virtual Reality with Unity and Steam VR takes a hands-on approach to getting up and running with virtual reality using the Unity game engine. By utilizing the free SteamVR 2.x libraries, this book and its example code are compatible with the main virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays currently available. This book also looks at some of the main issues surrounding virtual reality, such as motion sickness and performance issues, providing practical ways to reduce their impact to make better VR experiences.

Key Features:

  • Discusses some of the key issues facing virtual reality and provides helpful tips for making better VR experiences
  • Practical examples geared to work with any headset compatible with SteamVR, including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Valve Index
  • Uses the SteamVR Interaction system for interactions such as picking up and throwing objects, operating user interfaces and capturing input events for your own scripts
  • Explore advanced spatialized audio with Steam Audio.
  • Discover how to build user interfaces for virtual reality, as well as discussing some best practices for VR-based user interface design
  • Written by a games industry veteran with a proven track record, having worked for IBM Research in educational VR research projects and having made and launched VR experiences.

chapter Chapter 1|23 pages

A Brief Introduction to the Virtual World

chapter Chapter 2|7 pages

Healthy VR Experience

chapter Chapter 3|21 pages

Getting Set Up for Unity SteamVR Development

chapter Chapter 4|13 pages

The SteamVR Interaction System

chapter Chapter 5|51 pages

Building a Main Menu

chapter Chapter 6|20 pages

Advanced Interactions

chapter Chapter 7|34 pages

Making the Most of Virtual Reality with Audio

chapter Chapter 8|9 pages

Building Seated or Static VR Experiences

chapter Chapter 9|8 pages

Virtual Reality Sickness

chapter Chapter 11|28 pages

Unity Engine Polish and Optimization