3.1 - Comfort and Accessibility

3.2 - Optimization

3.3 - Lighting

3.4 - Building and Sharing

Challenge 3 - Training Simulation

Lab 3 - Personal Project Ergonomics & Optimization

Quiz 3 - VR Ergonomics & Optimization

Submission 3 - Share your Work

In this unit, you will focus on ergonomics and optimization

In this unit, you will focus on ergonomics and optimization for VR in order to make your app as accessible and comfortable as possible..In these tutorials, you will:

In the Challenge for this unit, you will apply your skills in an industrial training simulation prototype. Then, in the Lab, you'll implement the core functionality of your personal project. Finally, in the Quiz, you will test your new knowledge.This unit is part of the 

3 - VR Optimization and Lighting

VR Software Setup

1.1 - VR Project Setup

1.2 - VR Locomotion

1.3 - Grabbable Objects

1.4 - Sockets

Challenge 1 - Architecture Review

Lab 1 - VR Personal Project Basics

Submission 1 - Share your Work

2.1 - Audio and Haptics

2.2 - Activation Events

2.3 - Direct and Ray Interactors

2.4 - User Interface

Challenge 2 - 3D Painting

Lab 2 - Personal Project Events & Interactions

Submission 2 - Share your Work

VR Next Steps

Quiz 1 - VR Basics

Quiz 2 - VR Events & Interactions

In this unit, you will learn the basics of setting up a VR project and implementing simple interactivity

In this unit, you will learn the basics of setting up a VR project and implementing simple interactivity.In these tutorials, you will:

Set up a VR-ready project with the room of your choice

Implement locomotion so that users can move around the scene

Add grabbable objects users can pick up and throw around

Set up sockets that objects can snap into

In the Challenge for this unit, you will apply your skills in an architectural review prototype. Then, in the Lab, you'll fill out a design document to lay out a concept for your own project, and then begin working on it. Finally, in the Quiz, you will test your new knowledge.

1 - VR Basics

In this unit, you will implement more complex interactions in VR based to make the experience more immersive

In this unit, you will implement more complex interactions in VR based to make the experience more immersive.In these tutorials, you will:

Apply new functionality to specific objects

Allow the user to toggle between multiple types of interactors

In the Challenge for this unit, you will apply your skills in a 3D painting prototype. Then, in the Lab, you'll implement the core functionality of your personal project. Finally, in the Quiz, you will test your new knowledge.This unit is part of the 

2 - VR Events and Interactions

Create with VR Educator Materials

Educators who want to bring this curriculum into their classroom should refer to 

Designed for post-secondary and K-12 educators at accredited academic institutions teaching Unity in the classroom, the 

 provides you with free access to the same real-time 3D development tools used by professionals to support your students.

Included in this plan are Unity Pro, cloud-based collaboration, cloud build, free Unity assets, and much more!

This course assumes you have at least a basic understanding of the Unity Editor. If you have never used Unity before, we recommend that you complete the 

In addition, you’ll get the most out of this learning content if you have some previous basic experience using VR applications and hardware. But you do not need any experience developing for VR to use this learning content.

This course will help you learn to design and develop your own Virtual Reality (VR) applications in Unity through tutorials, challenges, quizzes, and the creation of your own unique VR project.

In this official course from Unity, you will learn to design and develop your own Virtual Reality (VR) applications. You will create prototypes, attempt challenges, and complete quizzes to build and solidify your skill set. At the same time, you will be guided through creating your own unique VR project from start to finish, beginning with a blank design document and ending with a fully functional project. Whether you want to create an interactive walkthrough of an ancient ruin, a product configurator for a car manufacturer, a simulator for operating dangerous machinery, or any other experience, this course will help you bring those ideas to life in VR.

 YouTube channel, for collaborating with us on this course. 

Create with VR

d3704459-6c40-40e2-b4c7-7c1885228f7a:300c1a01d463

Take stock of current fps

Minimize draw calls

Minimize polycount

Optimize textures

Optimize particles and post-processing

Enable anti-aliasing

Recap

Extension Activities

Comp-L3-Prog.VRp: Intermediate VR Development

Intermediate VR Development

aaron.sharp@unity3d.com bCXcG*RnEp9O!6@q

3_2_recap_v1.mp4

3_2_1_v2.mp4

3_2_5_v2.mp4

3_2_4_v2.mp4

3_2_3_v2.mp4

3_2_2_v2_edited.mp4

3_2_6_v2_edited.mp4

In this lesson, you will learn about each of the key performance metrics for VR (fps, polycount, and draw calls) and how to ensure these metrics are optimized. By the end of this lesson, your app will be more optimized for performance. 

This lesson is part of the Create with VR course. 

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

Recall the key metrics for performance, including fps, tris, and draw calls, in order to locate performance targets for your device.

Explain the importance of fps as it relates to comfort of a VR experience in order to prioritize it appropriately in development.

Identify key performance metrics in the Game Stats window in order to determine whether or not your app is currently hitting its targets.

Understand factors that contribute to high draw calls in your scene in order to locate potential areas for optimization (including static batching, sharing materials, etc).

Understand factors that contribute to high polycount in your scene in order to locate potential areas for optimization (including particles, high-poly meshes, etc).

Understand factors that contribute to the performance of textures in your scene in order to locate potential areas for optimization (including texture atlases, mip maps, anisotropic filtering, etc.).

Understand the impact of particle effects and post-processing on performance in order to avoid optimization issues. 

Set up anti-aliasing in your scene in order to improve the appearance of jagged curves or angles in the scene.

VR Developer Pathway Facilitator Kit.zip

VR Developer Pathway Facilitator Kit (Google Drive)

Unity Educator Hub

The VR Developer Pathway Facilitator Kit includes everything you need to successfully bring this Pathway into your learning context including a syllabus, complete lesson plans, standards alignment, teacher preparation guide, and more.  

Games

Film

Automotive

Skill-L3-Prog.VRp-4: Optimize the performance of an app in order to meet headset framerate requirements.

o-L3-Prog.VRp-4.1: Recall approximate frame rate performance targets for popular head-mounted displays.

o-L3-Prog.VRp-4.2: Demonstrate techniques for optimizing lighting for performance.

o-L3-Prog.VRp-4.3: Select appropriate profiling tools to identify the sources of performance problems in an app.

o-L3-Prog.VRp-4.4: Apply graphical optimization techniques within Unity to improve polycount and draw calls.

Optimize the performance of an app in order to meet headset framerate requirements.

VR Ergonomics & Optimization

Unit 4: VR Optimization and Lighting

Ergonomics and Optimization

Before you start optimizing your code, you will want to identify your performance goals and how to evaluate if your app is meeting them.

1.  Determine your device’s target frames per second (FPS):

Use the links below as reference and write down your target FPS.


2.  Determine the frames per second (fps) running on your device:

From the Course Library > Prefabs > Testing, drag the FPS Overlay UI into your Hierarchy.

Assign your Main Camera to the Render Camera property.

Note: If you are running the app through the Unity editor, this will not be an accurate prediction of the FPS.


3.  View the FPS in the Unity Stats window:

In Game View, in the top-right corner, enable the Stats window, and locate the FPS number.

From the top menu bar, select Window > Analysis > Profiler. 

Click the red circular record button in the Profiler window.


5.  To test the true frames per second running on a mobile headset: 

Build and run the app on your device with no connection to the computer.

You should now know where to find target metrics for your device and how to find the frames per second on your device.

The Game view Stats window with the FPS value highlighted.

In Scene view, the fps overlay interface is highlighted, which displays the fps and ms per frame. 

In order to render a single frame, Unity “draws” things to the screen in “batches” of objects. Every time Unity “calls” on the engine to “draw” something to the screen is called a “draw call”. If you can minimize draw calls, you can improve performance.

1.  Determine your device’s target draw calls (batches):

Consult your platform’s website to find your target “Draw Call” metric.


2.  Find the number of draw calls in your scene:

Open the Game Stats window and locate the “Batches” (draw call batches) value. 


3.  Visualize how batching and draw calls can affect frame rate:

In the top menu, select Window > Analysis > Frame Debugger.

Use the left/right arrows in the Frame Debugger window and watch in the Game view to see the step-by-step creation of a single frame.


4.  Make sure “Static Batching” is enabled:

From the top menu, select Edit > Project Settings > Player panel.

In the Other Settings foldout, make sure Static Batching is enabled.


5.  Improve batching by marking unmoving objects as “Static”:

Make sure your Hierarchy is organized so that all static objects can be selected easily. 

Select all static objects (including lighting objects like lamps and chandeliers).

At the top of the Inspector select the Static checkbox.

When prompted, choose “Yes, change children”.

Notice the effect this has on Batches when you click Play.  

6.  If your Batches number is still very high (over 175):

Consider removing the mirror object from the scene. 

You should have now reduced the number of draw calls through batching objects with shared materials.

The Game view Stats window with the Batches value highlighted. In the top-right corner of the Inspector, the Static checkbox is enabled.

The most straight-forward performance metric is the poly (polygon) count. The poly count is often measured in “Tris” counting triangles or “Verts” counting vertices. 

1.  Determine your device’s target polycount (triangles):

Consult your platform’s website to find your target “triangles” metric.


2.  Find the number of triangles in your scene:

Open the Game Stats window and locate the “tris” (triangles) value. 


3.  Visualize your triangles more clearly: 

From the Scene view, change from the “Shaded” draw mode  to the Wireframe draw mode. 

Note: In Unity 2021 LTS: the draw mode dropdown is represented by a circular icon at the top of Scene view:


4.  Determine the number of triangles for an individual object:

In its Mesh Filter component, click its Mesh.

Select that Mesh in the Project window to view its triangle count in the Inspector.

Note:  Anything under 1,000 tris is pretty “low poly”


5.  Notice how your tris change depending on what objects are in frame: 

Monitor the stats window as you rotate the XR Rig around.


6.  If you are not hitting the suggested target for Tris:

Remove or replace assets with high polygon counts until you reach your target 

You can also try removing the mirror from your scene.

You should now be hitting your target for Tris and have an understanding of where you are spending your tri budget. 

Note: Depending on which version of the Unity Editor you’re using, the Scene display settings may be an icon in the upper right of the viewport and not in the upper left as shown in the video. 

The Game view Stats window with the Tris value highlighted.

In Scene view, in the Shading Mode drop-down, Wireframe is highlighted.

In addition to evaluating the draw calls Unity makes, it is also important to consider the size of the textures used in your scene. 

1.  Add a painting to the scene to better analyze the impact of texture settings: 

From the Course Library > Prefabs > Art, add a piece of Art to a wall in your scene. 


2.  Access the material for the objects in your scene:

In the painting’s Mesh Renderer component, expand the Material section at the bottom of the inspector.. 


3.  Locate the texture atlas used for the material:

From the material’s Surface Inputs foldout, click the thumbnail next to Base Map to locate the texture in the Project window. 

Click this texture to view the texture’s Import Settings.


4.  Experiment with the texture settings:

At the bottom of the texture’s settings, adjust the Max Size, Resize Algorithm,  Format, and Compression properties. 

Click Apply to see the impact each setting has on the visuals in your scene.

Once you have observed the difference, revert back to the original settings. 


5.  Enable “mip maps”: to automatically reduce the resolution of textures seen from a distance :

Locate and select the InteriorColorSwatch texture in the Project window. 

In the Inspector, expand the Advanced fold-out, and select Generate Mip Maps. 

Click Apply. This will generate and apply lower quality textures on farther-away objects.


6.  Enable “Anisotropic Filtering” to improve the visuals of textures when viewed at a shallow angle:

Locate and select the WoodFloor_Texture in the Project window. 

In the Inspector, drag to increase the Aniso Level slider.

Click Apply. This will increase Anisotropic Filtering to improve texture visuals when viewed at shallow angles.

You should now know which settings exist to optimize textures for performance and/or visual quality.

In the Inspector for the Interior Colour Swatch object, in the Advanced fold-out, Generate Mip Maps is enabled and the Aniso Level is set to 1.

Particles and post-processing also impact performance. You will look at how these can affect frames per second and ensure they are not causing performance issues in the project. 

1.  Optimize the particle’s shader so that it does not respond to dynamic lights: 

Locate the Shader property drop-down at the bottom of the Inspector.

Make sure your particle is using the Universal Render Pipeline > Particles > Unlit shader.

In your Main Camera object’s Camera component, enable the Post-processing setting.

Click the New button to create a new Post-Processing profile. 

You can then experiment by clicking the Add Override button and enabling new effects.

Warning:  If you are going to add any post-processing effects, color adjustments are a good option. Lens distortions and motion blurs induce cyber sickness; avoid using these effects. 

You should now have appropriate particles and post-processing for your app.

Post-processing in the Universal Render Pipeline

In the Camera component, the Post-Processing property is enabled.

In the Volume component, the Profile property is set to Main Camera Profile. The Add Override button at the bottom of the Volume component is highlighted.

You may have noticed that the edges of some of the 3D objects appear jagged. This can be immersion-breaking in VR. We can smooth these jagged edges with anti-aliasing. 

In the Project window, search for “UniversalRenderPipelineAsset” and select it to see its properties in the inspector.


2.  Enable anti-aliasing in the Universal Render Pipeline (URP) asset:

In the Quality fold-out, change the Anti-Aliasing setting from Disabled to 4x.


3.  If you want to add additional anti-aliasing on the main camera:

On your Main Camera object, in the Camera component, expand the Rendering fold-out.

Change the Anti-Aliasing setting to “Fast Approximate Anti-Aliasing (FXAA).

Make sure the Post-Processing setting is enabled to be able to see the effect. 

3.2 - Optimization

Overview Video

1. Take stock of current fps

2. Minimize draw calls

3. Minimize polycount

4. Optimize textures

5. Optimize particles and post-processing

6. Enable anti-aliasing

7. Recap

8. Extension Activities

Complete this tutorial