EveryÂone pretÂty much knows at this point that VirÂtuÂal RealÂiÂty is finalÂly startÂing to take off in a big way and develÂop into the uber-cool piece of futurÂisÂtic aweÂsomeÂness that we’ve drooled over in sci-fi movies and TV shows for decades. One of the comÂpaÂnies that has a lot to gain from these advances and is also activeÂly adding to them is UniÂty, creÂators of one of the top game engines around today. UniÂty has finalÂly released it’s highÂly anticÂiÂpatÂed suite of VR editÂing tools in a free downÂload for develÂopÂers called EdiÂtorVR, and it’s incredible.
Building Virtual Reality inside VR
If you’re not a develÂopÂer, the simÂplest way to describe EdiÂtorVR is as a VR game for VR develÂopÂers. When a gamer plays a VR game, they get to interÂact with their surÂroundÂings in an almost real way, pickÂing things up and movÂing them around as they move their real hands and arms to do the same. That fun interÂacÂtive expeÂriÂence is posÂsiÂble because the game develÂopÂers spent endÂless hours with a mouse and keyÂboard proÂgramÂming it to work that way, then switchÂing to a VR headÂset to check and make sure it worked right. Then switchÂing back to the mouse and keyÂboard. And back to the headÂset. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
With EdiÂtorVR much of that switchÂing is a thing of the past, meanÂing that develÂopÂers will be able to accomÂplish more and in less time. And it’s a lot more fun for them too. So instead of spendÂing a lot of time proÂgramÂming a cup to sit on a desk and then checkÂing it in the VR world, EdiÂtorVR lets them open a toolÂbox and just place the cup on the table while they’re in the VR world. So much simÂpler. And cooler.
I’m a Developer, You’re a Developer, We’re All Developers
EdiÂtorVR isn’t an end prodÂuct for UniÂty VR develÂopÂment. It’s only the beginÂning. In fact, down the road it might be posÂsiÂble that just about anyÂone could develÂop their own unique conÂtent with the UniÂty engine. Make your own VR game? How cool would that be? For now, it’s new. So develÂopÂers should defÂiÂniteÂly back up everyÂthing they do with it in case of bugs in the sysÂtem. It only works curÂrentÂly with the OcuÂlus Rift and HTC Vive VR headÂsets, but more are comÂing, as are more 3rd parÂty apps to add to those which are already inteÂgratÂed like Tvori.
The future for UniÂty is even brighter with their recent hirÂing of Dr. DanÂny Lange to tackÂle the AI and machine learnÂing aspects of the comÂpaÂny and softÂware. Lange was poached from Uber, where he worked for just over a year. Before that he worked on machine learnÂing projects for both AmaÂzon and Microsoft. The employÂment opporÂtuÂniÂties in this stoÂry are far-reachÂing. AI and machine learnÂing types would love to work with Dr. Lange, and the area is sure to broadÂen at UniÂty. CurÂrent develÂopÂers could try to get on with UniÂty, but their opporÂtuÂniÂties are much wider with the release of EdiÂtorVR to work anyÂwhere, includÂing indeÂpenÂdentÂly. And if the future comes realÂly quickÂly, any avid gamer could creÂate the next great game using a future verÂsion of the editÂing tools. Where do you fit in?