VR Design: scene content
This article is the fifth in the series about the qualitative development of VR projects. Earlier we learned the principles of VR-design in the article “VR-Design: User Interface” . Links to other materials can be found in the review article .
The impact of virtual reality on us is much stronger than in the classic media. Because of this, when choosing design and content, we, as developers, have a big responsibility.
In this article we will look at what should be paid attention to, taking into account both practical considerations and the ethical aspect .
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What should be shown and what is not, what is the message of our work and how we want to communicate with the user. When developing VR projects, it is necessary to adhere to a certain framework.
Deep immersion gives us a great influence on the emotions of users. This great responsibility must be handled very carefully.
Let's start with the features of perception.
The distance from the objects to the eyes should be between 75 cm and 3.5 meters. This area is ideal for important elements in the field of view, as it is the most convenient for the eyes given the current VR-technology.
It is very important not to place the elements closer than 75 cm: research has shown that for many people it is unpleasant.
You should not make virtual objects too thin, otherwise an unpleasant flickering effect may occur due to strong anti-aliasing (Antialiasing).
To increase the sense of immersion in the virtual world, you, as a developer, can enhance the 3D effects with various possibilities.
For example, with the help of good lighting, the use of appropriate textures, due to the strong difference in size and the use of the parallax effect. In future articles we will touch on these and other techniques in more detail.
It is very interesting to be able to compare the accuracy of proportions in VR with people. Until now, the exact dimensions were hardly interested in software users.
But in VR projects, this aspect becomes important, since the objects appear to be real, and therefore you should pay attention to exact dimensions.
You will get this experience later when you can feel the object through VR glasses and notice that the circle is likely to fit in a bucket.
Consequently, it is worthwhile at the development stage to give objects real dimensions. If you take it as a rule in your work, then this aspect will quickly cease to be a problem.
Also from the point of view of physics simulation, correct dimensional data are important for sensing reality, however, coupled with an appropriate weight.
Of course, you can use this VR feature for your own purposes and consciously play with the dimensions. For example, you can significantly reduce the city and allow the user to feel like a giant. Or give microscopic particles the size of machines.
When developing VR projects, health is also an important topic. Since the interaction in the virtual world with the help of motion controllers is not limited to pressing buttons, it is related to the position of the whole body.
Therefore, when designing, you should pay attention to the fact that the required movements do not repeat too often and replace each other.
So, for example, it is not necessary to use the same hand movements for a long time, and not to force players to take an uncomfortable position of the head or body.
Something you notice yourself during the tests of your project, but do not stop at this and ask testers not only about their impressions in VR, but also about their physical well-being.
In VR, immersion in the virtual world is deep as ever. As developers, we try our best to strengthen this immersion and are afraid to break it.
But this leads to the fact that the power of emotions increases at times. What we can experience in VR is incomparable with ordinary games or simulations.
Therefore, we must be careful with such emotions as fear, shock, disgust, and so on. All this really does not disappear in the virtual world, we will feel very differently when, for example, someone will aim at us then in the virtual world.
Over time, the difference between reality and simulation will become less and less, as technology becomes better and more powerful every year.
Therefore, it is very important that we now, at the time of the birth of this new media, treat this aspect with great responsibility and develop relevant principles and concepts.
One such guarantee that we need to develop is standardized warnings. They should be detailed enough to cover various aspects. The user should receive enough information to understand whether he wants to experience such sensations.
In this regard, triggers are very important. So we can protect traumatized people from repeated psychological trauma in the virtual world.
Virtual reality also changes journalism. Journalists can use a new communication tool for their reporting, thanks to this they can cover events on the spot.
The fact that VR can so arouse empathy allows journalists to transmit stories from around the world more vividly.
Along with other pioneers in this direction, Nonny de la Peña should be highlighted. She did an exciting journalistic work about the lives of children in Syria. One can only wonder how impressive the simulation can be from the scene.
However, this brings risks and new ethical issues that must be resolved in the coming years. Since, due to this intensity of exposure, the possibility of significant emotional manipulation arises.
And the question arises, how much information should be laid out to users. Since the flat video from the battlefield looks very different than the same scene experienced in virtual reality.
In the coming years, approaches to solving these problems will emerge, and conventions will arise.
Until then, we can experiment. What is very good and important is the only way we can explore all the limitations and potential of VR.
The most important thing for you, as a developer, is the realization that your VR projects have a great influence and you must deal with it very consciously and carefully.
The next article will again be very specific: we will look at the development cycle of VR projects.
The impact of virtual reality on us is much stronger than in the classic media. Because of this, when choosing design and content, we, as developers, have a big responsibility.
In this article we will look at what should be paid attention to, taking into account both practical considerations and the ethical aspect .
')
What should be shown and what is not, what is the message of our work and how we want to communicate with the user. When developing VR projects, it is necessary to adhere to a certain framework.
Deep immersion gives us a great influence on the emotions of users. This great responsibility must be handled very carefully.
Features of perception
Let's start with the features of perception.
The distance from the objects to the eyes should be between 75 cm and 3.5 meters. This area is ideal for important elements in the field of view, as it is the most convenient for the eyes given the current VR-technology.
It is very important not to place the elements closer than 75 cm: research has shown that for many people it is unpleasant.
You should not make virtual objects too thin, otherwise an unpleasant flickering effect may occur due to strong anti-aliasing (Antialiasing).
To increase the sense of immersion in the virtual world, you, as a developer, can enhance the 3D effects with various possibilities.
For example, with the help of good lighting, the use of appropriate textures, due to the strong difference in size and the use of the parallax effect. In future articles we will touch on these and other techniques in more detail.
Size game
It is very interesting to be able to compare the accuracy of proportions in VR with people. Until now, the exact dimensions were hardly interested in software users.
But in VR projects, this aspect becomes important, since the objects appear to be real, and therefore you should pay attention to exact dimensions.
You will get this experience later when you can feel the object through VR glasses and notice that the circle is likely to fit in a bucket.
Consequently, it is worthwhile at the development stage to give objects real dimensions. If you take it as a rule in your work, then this aspect will quickly cease to be a problem.
Also from the point of view of physics simulation, correct dimensional data are important for sensing reality, however, coupled with an appropriate weight.
Of course, you can use this VR feature for your own purposes and consciously play with the dimensions. For example, you can significantly reduce the city and allow the user to feel like a giant. Or give microscopic particles the size of machines.
Health
When developing VR projects, health is also an important topic. Since the interaction in the virtual world with the help of motion controllers is not limited to pressing buttons, it is related to the position of the whole body.
Therefore, when designing, you should pay attention to the fact that the required movements do not repeat too often and replace each other.
So, for example, it is not necessary to use the same hand movements for a long time, and not to force players to take an uncomfortable position of the head or body.
Something you notice yourself during the tests of your project, but do not stop at this and ask testers not only about their impressions in VR, but also about their physical well-being.
Virtual fear is real
In VR, immersion in the virtual world is deep as ever. As developers, we try our best to strengthen this immersion and are afraid to break it.
But this leads to the fact that the power of emotions increases at times. What we can experience in VR is incomparable with ordinary games or simulations.
Therefore, we must be careful with such emotions as fear, shock, disgust, and so on. All this really does not disappear in the virtual world, we will feel very differently when, for example, someone will aim at us then in the virtual world.
Over time, the difference between reality and simulation will become less and less, as technology becomes better and more powerful every year.
Therefore, it is very important that we now, at the time of the birth of this new media, treat this aspect with great responsibility and develop relevant principles and concepts.
... stuff in VR
Lindsay Jorgensen from Radial Games / Northway Games
Warnings and Triggers
One such guarantee that we need to develop is standardized warnings. They should be detailed enough to cover various aspects. The user should receive enough information to understand whether he wants to experience such sensations.
In this regard, triggers are very important. So we can protect traumatized people from repeated psychological trauma in the virtual world.
... but you also have a responsibility for your audience ...
Jess Linington, i-docs.org
Changes in journalism principles
Virtual reality also changes journalism. Journalists can use a new communication tool for their reporting, thanks to this they can cover events on the spot.
The fact that VR can so arouse empathy allows journalists to transmit stories from around the world more vividly.
Along with other pioneers in this direction, Nonny de la Peña should be highlighted. She did an exciting journalistic work about the lives of children in Syria. One can only wonder how impressive the simulation can be from the scene.
However, this brings risks and new ethical issues that must be resolved in the coming years. Since, due to this intensity of exposure, the possibility of significant emotional manipulation arises.
And the question arises, how much information should be laid out to users. Since the flat video from the battlefield looks very different than the same scene experienced in virtual reality.
VR is still in its infancy
In the coming years, approaches to solving these problems will emerge, and conventions will arise.
Until then, we can experiment. What is very good and important is the only way we can explore all the limitations and potential of VR.
The most important thing for you, as a developer, is the realization that your VR projects have a great influence and you must deal with it very consciously and carefully.
The next article will again be very specific: we will look at the development cycle of VR projects.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/325284/
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