Designing in VR feels like an entirely different experience, and the sense of scale assumes a greater importance. The impact of changes made to the model are more pronounced (compared to modelling on a screen) and give a better representation of the implications of changes. The nature of interaction with the modelling environment also demands a radically different approach.
Design workflow
The project aims to allow Rhino Modelling in VR using the Oculus Rift. Being able to develop models in VR can be a powerful tool for architects and designers, as they can visualize their creations on a real scale, giving accurate representation of scale for their work. The idea was to develop a tool which fits in with existing workflows of architects so there is minimal disruption to their practiced workflow.
Technical Details
We designed a plugin for Rhinoceros 3D which allows the user to view their model in the Oculus headset. The plugin transfers real-time images of the view-ports to the Unity server via a local TCP connection. You can see more details in the GitHub link below. The system environment we tested in are:
- Windows 10
- Rhinoceros 3D V5 SR12 64-bit
- Unity V5.3.4f1
- Oculus Runtime V0.8.0.0
Developers
Qiaozhi Wang, Amit Nambiar