2.1 - Audio and Haptics

2.2 - Activation Events

2.3 - Direct and Ray Interactors

2.4 - User Interface

Challenge 2 - 3D Painting

The XR hardware landscape

Lab 2 - Personal Project Events & Interactions

Submission 2 - Share your Work

Mission 2 Quiz - VR Events & Interactions

Learn how to implement more complex interactions in VR to make the experience more immersive, such as audio, haptics, and user interfaces.

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

In these tutorials, you will do the following:

Apply new functionality to specific objects

Allow the user to toggle between multiple types of interactors

In the Challenge for this mission, 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.

Events and Interactions

Unity VR Development

Dive into the world of virtual reality with Unity's VR Development Pathway. Learn to design immersive experiences, build VR games, and master Unity's VR tools. Start creating in VR today!

VR Development Pathway - Learn Unity VR Game Development | Unity Learn

 or have the equivalent experience, before starting Unity VR Development.

In addition, basic coding experience is recommended before starting the Custom VR Development mission, which can be obtained via the 

Ready to develop for VR? This guided learning Pathway will prepare you for a job in the VR industry!

Welcome to VR Development! This learning pathway is designed for anyone interested in learning to create experiences for VR. This pathway assumes a basic knowledge of Unity and basic knowledge of programming.

VR Development

Welcome to the VR Pathway

VR Software Setup 

1.1 - VR Project Setup

1.2 - VR Locomotion

1.3 - Grabbable Objects

1.4 - Sockets

Challenge 1 - Architecture Review

The VR software landscape

Lab 1 - VR Personal Project Basics

Submission 1 - Share your Work

Mission 1 Quiz 1 - VR Basics

Learn the basics of setting up a VR project and implementing simple interactivity like locomotion and grabbing objects.

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

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 mission, 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.

VR Basics

3.1 - Comfort and Accessibility

3.2 - Optimization

3.3 - Lighting

3.4 - Building and Sharing

Challenge 3 - Training Simulation

Keeping up with XR technology

Lab 3 - Personal Project Ergonomics & Optimization

Submission 3 - Share your Work

Mission 3 Quiz - VR Ergonomics & Optimization

Explore ergonomics and optimization for VR for making apps as accessible and comfortable as possible.

In this mission, 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 do the following:

In the Challenge for this mission, 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.

Ergonomics and Optimization

What is in this mission?

Explore the sample scene

Set up the scanner

Code the scanning functionality

Balloon Inflator

Escape Room project overview

Number pad

Keycard reader

Sliding Door

Mission 4 Quiz - Custom VR Development

Project 3: Clone with a twist! 

Submit your final project

Clone with a twist!

Learn to write scripts for advanced interactions in VR applications, and create your own unique VR project.

In the previous missions, you used pre-made interaction scripts provided to you as part of the Create with VR project. This mission will teach you to write scripts specifically for VR applications. You’ll write these scripts from scratch in the context of three separate projects.

In project 1, the XRI example scene created by the XR Interaction Toolkit team, you'll reference existing code and documentation to program some more advanced, customized interactables.

In project 2, you’ll follow guidelines from a project brief to create part of a VR escape room. Rather than following step-by-step instructions here, you’ll only receive hints.

In project 3, which you’ll submit to receive your pathway badge, you’ll create your own unique VR project. The challenge here is to create a clone with a twist: a version of an established VR experience, but with a unique alteration.

, you should already have a good foundational knowledge of scripting in the Unity engine to make the most out of this learning content.

If you don’t already have a foundational understanding of scripting, now is an excellent time to learn. We recommend you complete the 

If you feel almost ready but want to brush up on a few skills without doing the entire Junior Programmer pathway, why not check out the 

Custom VR Development

f9332553-cb70-4a78-a2bb-cd3f766361a3:d7caf2f8fee5

Add a Direct Interactor to the right controller

Add haptic and audio feedback to your Direct Interactor

Prevent ray from picking up objects

Create a Direct and Ray Interactor for each hand

Toggle ray with button press

Add additional binding and repeat for other hand 

Recap

Extension Activities

Comp-L2-Prog.VRp: Beginner VR Development

Beginner VR Development

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

2.3.ext - watering can.mp4

2.3.ext - ray gradients.mp4

2.3.ext - cabinet hinges.mp4

2_3_2_v2.mp4

2_3_recap_v1.mp4

2_3_6_v2.mp4

2_3_4_v2.mp4

2_3_5_v2.mp4

2_3_1_v3.mp4

2_3_3_v3_2021.mp4

In this lesson, you will learn how to implement Direct Interactors and how to switch between interactors on the same controller. By the end of this lesson, the user will be able to grab things directly with their hands, and then toggle a ray to point at things when they need to. 

This lesson is part of the Create with VR course. 

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

Implement direct interactors on a controller in order to allow a user to pick things directly with their hands.

Understand the need for a variety of interactor types in VR in order to allow the user to interact with the environment in different ways.

Toggle between multiple types of interactors on one controller in order to expand the range of actions a user can do with a single hand (e.g. switch between a ray and direct interactor). 

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-L2-Prog.VRp-2: Develop a VR app that demonstrates common interactions using Unity's XR interaction toolkit.

o-L2-Prog.VRp-2.1: Implement locomotion in VR.

o-L2-Prog.VRp-2.2: Implement grabbable objects and sockets in VR.

o-L2-Prog.VRp-2.3: Implement a worldspace UI in VR.

o-L2-Prog.VRp-2.4: Implement controller- and object-based interaction events in VR.

o-L2-Prog.VRp-2.5: Implement spatial audio in VR.

Develop a VR app that demonstrates common interactions using Unity's XR interaction toolkit.

2 - VR Events and Interactions

VR Events & Interactions

Unit 3: VR Events and Interactions

Rather than using the ray interactors that come by default with the rig, you can set up a “Direct” interactor for one of the controllers.

1.  Remove the Ray Interactor from the right controller:

In the Hierarchy, select the RightHand Controller object. 

Remove the three components related to the ray interactor: the XR Interactor Line Visual component, the Line Renderer component, and the XR Ray Interactor component.


2.  Enable direct interactions on the right controller:

Add a XR Direct Interactor component to the RightHand Controller. 

Select the Hide Controller on Select check box to have the object you pick up replace your hand visual.


3.  Enable detection of the Direct Interactor:

You should now be able to pick up all the grabbable objects in your scene using the hand with the direct interactor.

In the Hierarchy, the RIghtHand Controller object is selected. In the Inspector, the XR Direct Interactor component and Sphere Collider components are highlighted, with the Is Trigger property enabled.

Just like you did for the ray interactor, you should add the same haptic and audio feedback for hovering over and selecting objects.

1.  Recall how you set up haptic and audio feedback originally:

From the Hierarchy, select the LeftHand Controller object (which should still have a Ray Interactor component).

In the XR Ray Interactor component, expand the Audio Events and Haptic Events foldouts. 

Note the intensity and duration of your haptic events and the audio clip you selected for your Audio events.


2.  Apply haptic and audio event settings to your new Direct Interactor:

From the Hierarchy, select the RightHand Controller object.

In the XR Direct Interactor component, apply the same haptic and audio event settings to match your other controller.

Your Direct Interactor should now have haptic and audio feedback on hover and select events.

Audio Events and Haptic Events fold-outs shown with recommended settings.

Right now, you can pick up everything with your ray, which doesn’t feel natural. You should only be able to teleport with your ray and pick up objects with your hand directly.

In your other hand’s XR Ray Interactor component, from the Interaction Layer Mask drop-down, select Add Layer.  

Add a new “Raycasts” layer in the first available empty slot.

Note: Your Ray Interactor will not yet be set to that layer. You have only created the layer at this point.

2.  Prevent your ray from interacting with your grabbable objects:

Still on your controller object’s XR Ray Interactor component, for the Interaction Layer Mask property, assign only the Raycasts layer. 

To do this, you need to first select “Nothing” and then re-select the “Raycasts” layer.

3.  Make sure your ray can interact with teleport objects:

For each Teleportation Anchor and Teleportation Area object, in the Interaction Layer Mask property, make sure the Raycasts layer is enabled. 

4.  Prevent your hand model from disappearing when you teleport:

In the XR Ray Interactor component, disable the Hide Controller On Select setting.

Note: If you can still use your ray to pick up objects, make sure your grabbable objects are not on the Raycasts Interaction Layer.

Your ray interactor should no longer be able to pick up objects, but should be usable for teleporting.

In the XR Ray Interactor component, the Interaction Layer Mask setting is set to “Raycasts” and the Hide Controller On Select property disabled.

In the Teleportation Anchor component, the Interaction Layer Mask setting is set to “Raycasts”.

In order to be able to pick up objects with both hands, you should have direct interactors on both hands. Then you can just enable the ray when the joystick is moved. To achieve this, you will need to create the Direct and Ray interactors for each hand. 

1.  Make alternative ray controllers for each hand: 

Duplicate the controller with the Ray Interactor two times.

Renaming these objects “LeftHand Ray” and “RightHand Ray”. 


2.  Control each ray with the correct hand:

For your new RightHand Ray and LeftHand Ray objects, in the XR Controller component, make sure the Input Action References preset is set correctly to Left or Right for each object. 

To edit the preset, in the top-right of the component, click the Presets button and select the appropriate preset for the hand. 


3.  Make the LeftHand Controller behave as a Direct Interactor:

On the LeftHand Controller object, remove the components related to the Ray interactor (the XR Ray Interactor component, the Line Renderer component, the XR Interactor Line Visual component). 

Copy the Direct Interactor and Sphere Collider components from the RightHand Controller to the LeftHand Controller.

Select the context menu in the top-right of that component and click Copy Component. 

To paste the component on another object, select a context menu of one of the receiving object’s components and click Paste Component As New. 


4.  Make sure that you only have one hand model for each hand:

On your new LeftHand Ray and RightHand Ray objects, in the XR Controller component, change the Model Prefab object to None.

Each hand should now be able to teleport with their Ray Interactors and grab objects with their Direct Interactors. 

In the Hierarchy, the RIghtHand Controller object is selected.In the XR Controller component, the Presets button is highlighted in the top-right corner of the component. The Select Preset window is open with the XRI Default Right Controller preset selected.

Now that you have both Direct and Ray Interactors on each hand, you will add the ability to toggle the Ray on and off when a button is pressed.

1.  Add the ability to toggle the left ray:

On the LeftHand Ray object, add a Toggle Ray component.

For the Direct Interactor property, assign the LeftHand Controller object.


2.  To be able to detect if a button is pressed:

On the LeftHand Controller object, add an On Button Press component.


3.  Specify the button to bind to this action:

In the On Button Press component, in the Action box, click the + and choose Add Binding (Note: It is very easy to miss the Action box - look closely).

In the Path drop-down, select XR Controller > XR Controller (Left Hand) > Optional Controls > primaryButton. 

Note: Different controllers have different buttons, triggers, and pads on them. If you’re not using an Oculus Quest, you will likely have to choose a different binding path that works with your device. For example, check out the OpenXR controller profiles for the HTC Vive or the Valve Index. 


4.  Activate the ray when the button is pressed:

In the On Press event, click the + to add a new action.

Assign the LeftHand Ray object, since it has the Toggle Ray component.

From the function drop-down, select the ToggleRay > ActivateRay () function.


5.  Deactivate the ray when the button is released:

In the On Release event, click the + to add a new action.

Select the ToggleRay > DeactivateRay () function.

The ray on the left hand should now only appear while the primary button is touched and disappear when the button is released.

In the Hierarchy, the LeftHand Controller object is selected. In the On Button Press component, in the Actions section, the primaryButton (LeftHand XR Controller) is highlighted. In the On Press event, an Action is assigned to the LeftHandRay with the Function set to ToggleRay.ActivateRay. In the On Release event, an Action is assigned to the LeftHandRay with the Function set to ToggleRay.DeactivateRay.


One controller is working with one button. You can give the player more options of buttons to push depending on their preference, and then apply this functionality to the other hand.

1.  Add an additional binding that detects the thumbstick: 

In the On Button Press component, in the Action box, click the + button to add an additional binding to this action.

Follow the same instructions as the previous step to select a binding, but select select XR Controller > XR Controller (Left Hand) > Optional Controls > thumbstickTouched instead of primaryButton. 


2.  Add this same ray toggling functionality for your right hand:

Repeat all of the instructions from the previous step, but for your RightHand Controller and RightHand Ray:

Add a Toggle Ray component to the RightHand Ray and assign the RightHand Controller to the Direct Interactor property.

Add an On Button Press component to the RightHand Controller and add bindings for the Right Primary Button and Right Thumbstick

2.3 - Direct and Ray Interactors

Overview Video

1. Add a Direct Interactor to the right controller

2. Add haptic and audio feedback to your Direct Interactor

3. Prevent ray from picking up objects

4. Create a Direct and Ray Interactor for each hand

5. Toggle ray with button press

6. Add additional binding and repeat for other hand

7. Recap

8. Extension Activities

Complete this tutorial