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ThingLink Virtual Reality (VR)

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ThingLink 360 images and videos can be viewed in virtual reality (VR) mode. This article provides an overview of controls, limitations and certain specifics of creating and viewing ThingLink in VR:

Are you using ClassVR headsets? Please see this article to learn about our special integration.

What tag content works in VR?

  1. Images
  2. Audio recordings
  3. Text labels
  4. Tour transitions
  5. Videos uploaded into text & media tags

General limitations for viewing rich media content in VR

Note that as VR functionality is still in active development. As a result, there are certain limitations that should be kept in mind when preparing content for VR:

  1. Clicking web links in image & text tags is not supported in VR mode.
  2. Tags with embedded content from the web (including embeds from ThingLink) are not supported.
  3. External videos (e.g. YouTube) are not supported.
  4. Text label tags may display fewer characters than they do in normal mode.
  5. Animated pictures (GIFs and aPNGs) won't be animated.

We recommend using Google Chrome for previewing VR content on your computer.

Compatible headsets

ThingLink VR mode is built using WebVR technology. As a result, ThingLink should be compatible with all 3 DoF and 6 DoF VR headsets that are compatible with WebVR technology. You can check whether your headset is compatible with WebVR at https://webvr.info or on the manufacturer’s website.

We’ve tested and confirmed ThingLink’s functionality on the following models:

  • Oculus Go
  • Oculus Quest
  • Oculus Rift
  • Samsung Gear VR
  • HMD Odyssey (Windows Mixed Reality Headset)
  • Google Cardboard with any modern Android or iOS smartphone
  • ClassVR (Learn more in this article)

How to view ThingLink in VR

Opening ThingLink in VR:

  1. Copy the ThingLink scene URL
  2. Shorten it using https://bitly.com or any similar service
  3. Open default browser on the device (e.g. Oculus browser, Mixed Reality browser)
  4. Type in the shortened address in the address bar
  5. Click on the glasses shape icon on the bottom right to enter VR:
    mceclip0.png

Note that you can share a link directly to the VR mode.

Viewing without a controller:

  • Move your head to change the view direction
  • Look at a hotspot or UI element for 1.5 seconds to activate it. Your current point of view is indicated by a white dot in the middle of the screen.

Viewing with a controller:

  • Move your head or use the stick to change the view direction
  • Point your controller at a tag or UI element and click the trigger button to activate it

Please note that at the moment not all controllers may be supported.

General controls:

  • Point at the ‘Close tag’ button to close a tag
  • If there are multiple images/videos in a tag, you can scroll through them using the left and right arrow buttons
  • Use the 'Up' and 'Down' buttons to scroll through long description text
  • Use the 'Pause'/'Play' button to control tag videos

  • Look down to show the player menu:
    • Use the 'Exit VR' button in the player menu to exit the VR experience.
    • Use the 'Back' button in the player menu if you are stuck in your tour
    • Use the 'Mute/Unmute' buttons to mute or unmute the background audio

Viewing ThingLink VR from your phone

While it is possible to view ThingLink VR from a phone, you would still need a headset similar to Google Cardboard.

If you are having trouble viewing VR from your phone, please make sure that you’ve enabled accelerometer for your iOS device (iOS 12.2-12.4) & WebVR for Android. Older devices may be unable to load VR mode due to lack of processing power. 

Known issues

  • Videos inside tags do not load on iOS 14 devices. We are currently investigating the issue and hope to fix it before the end of September 2020.
  • Firefox VR does not load tag icons. As a result, all tags appear as grey cubes.

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