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Real-time graphics in general, not just VR, has always had "tricks" at its core. What has drawn me to that subfield of graphics is I think the collection of 'ha

Real-time graphics in general, not just VR, has always had "tricks" at its core. What has drawn me to that subfield of graphics is I think the collection of 'hacks' and deceptions that are needed for the user/viewer to buy into the virtual environment, whether on a desktop screen or in an HMD. There's an aspect of cleverness about it all that I enjoy -- from billboarding faraway objects instead of rendering them as 3D to baking static shadows into textures before runtime. I wonder if there have been any in-depth articles examining comparisons between real-time graphics and stagecraft. The design of props and backgrounds in the theatre has similar objectives -- not necessarily fooling the audience into thinking it's real, but using a collection of 'tricks' to extend the capabilities of the stage to achieve greater effects. When attending a performance of The Nutcracker a few months ago, I found myself fascinated by how the multiple layers of forced-perspective backdrops offered a greater sense of depth to the stage.

DanAndersen 8y ago
EDIT: Another thing this article makes me think about: If you're interested in redirected walking, you might also be interested in the CyberMotion simulator [0]. I had the chance to see it in action when attending IEEE VR 2018. It's for motion sickness research, and it allows for mapping arbitrary motion into a limited robotic range of motion, in order to give a realistic sense of acceleration in different directions to the user. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThkymYRP1g8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThkymYRP1g8
kristiandupont 8y ago
Reading the source code of a 3D engine can be similar to having a magic trick explained to you. At least, the first time I did, I found it quite disappointing or anti-climatic: oh, so this actually only works if you see it from this specific angle and you cannot move that light in real time, there are just two of them, ...
- DanAndersen 8y ago
  There's a similar anticlimax when looking at the big flashy publication videos at graphics conferences. Some new technique looks absolutely amazing, then you start to notice the hand-picked best conditions shown in the video (oh, this method only works in static scenes, when there's no motion blur, etc etc).

DanAndersen 8y ago

EDIT: Another thing this article makes me think about: If you're interested in redirected walking, you might also be interested in the CyberMotion simulator [0]. I had the chance to see it in action when attending IEEE VR 2018. It's for motion sickness research, and it allows for mapping arbitrary motion into a limited robotic range of motion, in order to give a realistic sense of acceleration in different directions to the user. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThkymYRP1g8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThkymYRP1g8

kristiandupont 8y ago

Reading the source code of a 3D engine can be similar to having a magic trick explained to you. At least, the first time I did, I found it quite disappointing or anti-climatic: oh, so this actually only works if you see it from this specific angle and you cannot move that light in real time, there are just two of them, ...

DanAndersen 8y ago
There's a similar anticlimax when looking at the big flashy publication videos at graphics conferences. Some new technique looks absolutely amazing, then you start to notice the hand-picked best conditions shown in the video (oh, this method only works in static scenes, when there's no motion blur, etc etc).