In this intensive course, students learn to design and build their own virtual 3D worlds. These custom environments are navigated interactively, creating an immersive experience for the viewer. Techniques we learn include constructing environments with stock assets, 1st and 3rd person navigation, lighting, animation, stock character animation, localized sound, virtual camera, and recording. Final projects are viewable on the computer, or on the web. The course is aimed at a wide variety of uses of VR, including gaming, animation, cinematic forms, prototyping for architecture or interior design, educational projects, and commercial purposes.

In Part II of this intensive course, students learn to add complex interactivity into their own virtual 3D worlds. Techniques we learn include interactivity using stock scripts, scene switching, grabbable objects, camera animation, simulating physics, localized post-processing, outputting to VR headset. Final projects are viewable on the Oculus Quest 2 VR Headset (required for course). The course is aimed at a wide variety of uses of VR, including gaming, animation, cinematic forms, prototyping for architecture or interior design, educational projects, and commercial purposes.

Students learn core principles of coding for graphics using Processing. These concepts are further developed in C# / C++ to be used for interactivity in VR environments. Small projects provide practice in elements of coding (variables, loops, conditions, functions, input/output). These skills are developed into progressively larger scripts in C# used for interactivity inside Unity: events occur in response to the user’s navigation, such as scene changes, object transformations, triggered animations, UI text updates, sound events. 

Using open-source software Blender, students learn to create custom models for video, gaming, and VR. Focus is on building custom objects, environments, and characters to be used inside a Unity VR project. Principles of 3D sculpting, 3D animation, basic rigging, UV mapping, custom materials and textures, low- and high-poly models, file formats, and importing/exporting.

Students construct fully interactive and immersive VR environments to be experienced with VR headsets. Focus is on advanced techniques for commercial-level VR experience, including scripted interactivity for triggered events and animations; organizing multiple scenes/levels; interactive UI elements; baked lighting; custom physics; incorporating custom models, architecture, and characters.

In part II of this intensive course, students construct AR or XR projects, using Unity MARS to create hybrid virtual/actual experiences for the viewer. Principles of building and deploying custom native apps that run on mobile or wearable devices. Projects explore photorealistic rendering, physics, device optimizations. Students are encouraged to create unique strategies for “reality-plus” presentations.