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Using Headset VR

Using Headset VR

Updated: 15 Jan 2025

Introduction #

Adding VR headset support to your project is tremendously easy. Notch simply treats the headset as a camera, rendering the perspective of each eye every frame.

All the details of interocular and convergence distances are managed by the SDK and Notch, so you don’t have to worry about them. Just add the VR Headset Camera node in, place it at the location you wish to situate the user and you are set.

Additionally, Notch features:

  • Controller data (buttons, positions, rotations)
  • Look-at triggers
  • Basic in headset UI for making tweaks to your scene with your headset on.
  • VR 360 previewing

Supported Equipment #

Headsets #

Controllers #

Oculus setup #

You must enable Unknown sources in the Oculus Application to allow Notch to access the Oculus headset:

  1. Open the Oculus Application
  2. Click the Cog (top right) and select Settings
  3. Go to the General Tab and enable Unknown sources (top item)

You only have to do this process once as the setting persists.

Adding VR to the scene #

Add the Headset #

The process is very simple. In Builder:

  1. Add the VR Headset Camera to your scene
  2. On the Root Node select the VR Headset Camera as your current camera.
  3. Move and rotate the camera to the vantage point you wish the user to see from.
  4. Select Devices, then choose the headset you’d like to use
  5. Put on your headset and press play (Space Bar)

Add VR Controllers (optional) #

Both the Oculus Touch and HTC Controllers can be accessed using a combination of the VR Controller node and the (to pull the data from the VR Controller). Notch interprets the position, rotation, button and joystick movements of the controllers.

Add a Look-At-Trigger (optional) #

If you wish to generate events or drawing possible from your headsets orientation, you can use the VR Look-at Trigger node in combination with a Channel Extractor modifier node.

VR Monitor #

The VR monitor provides quick access to controls needed while editing for VR.

Function Description
STEP IN / OUT Enables you to quickly turn on and off output to the VR Headset
SHOW UI IN VR Shows the Properties and Nodegraph panes in the VR environment for in headset editing.
SHOW VR360 PREVIEW This enables you to see the preview of a VR 360 camera, in a headset.
Prefer OpenVR Driver When using Oculus, this will force the use of OpenVR drivers instead of Oculus Native SDK.
Windowed Display Mode Set how you want to see the VR output in the main viewport of Builder.

Exporting to a VR Standalone #

By default, VR Standalone executables require either a Notch Playback or Notch Builder Pro license to view without a watermark. However, alternative licensing models are available for VR projects. Please get in touch to discuss directly.
The VR Standalones are not exportable to VR Stores (Steam or Oculus).

VR Applications support the features of standard Standalones, including (but not limited to):

  • Remote live editing
  • ArtNet / OSC commands
  • Live Video Capture
  • Kinect

To export to a VR Application:

  1. Open Project -> Settings -> VR
  2. Enable the headset(s) you wish to target
  3. Open Project -> Compile VR Application
  4. Choose the target and the version (32bit / 64bit)
  5. Click OK
  6. Close Builder and run the executable
If both or neither of the headset manufacturers are chosen in Project Settings -> VR, then the VR standalone will search for an Oculus headset first, then a HTC Vive.