Oculus Launchpad Experience 0.9

• by Anthony
• in Autodesk Maya Design Oculus Launchpad Thoughts
• posted September 10, 2018

Introduction

This past two weeks have been an interesting sprint into getting some 3D content we can start to build interactions into into; while also better designing both the front and back-end. Also we have had many discussions, as team, about direction so that everyone on board with the (uncertain, as we are prototyping) way forward.

Past

We have a solid back-end and front-end with only a few more items to put in. We are also starting to to move away from our stand-in assets to create content that will part of the prototype and final product of the future.

Present

So we now are starting to get our 3D content in, which will really help us start bringing in the multi-user interactions we want to apply. For the prototype we are want to have two “sets” of environments – one describing a personal and spiritual journey of my new friend Nathaniel, and another describing the history of Canadian civil rights pioneer Viola Desmond. Ultimately we want to show how this platform can help tell known stories in a new powerful way (Viola’s); alongside more personal and private stories that we can all relate to, and learn from.

Image: Some prototype 3D art created by our 3D modeller Virginia. Much of Nathaniel’s story takes place in nature.

Additionally I have been concurrently modelling some rough mock-ups of the three environments that will define Viola Desmond’s story (while Virginia works with Nathaniel on his); that I have been testing by placing on Sketchfab – such a great tool!

• Environment 1 – Salon Test : The start of Viola’s story as a beautician and entrepreneur that wanted to help train other women how to style, as well as provide beauty products created specifically for black woman (something missing in Nova Scotia at the time).
• Environment 2 – Theatre Test : 1946, The Roseland theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia where she refused to move off a seat “reserved for white people”. Not unlike Rosa Parks stand 9 years later where it was unplanned. Though there were no “Jim Crow” laws in Canada there was still a lot of subversive racism. Viola was charged for the tax evasion of (1 cent) by sitting in the front-row when she only had a ticket for the balcony.
• Environment 3 (to be shown soon) –  Nova Scotia’s “Province House”  : 2010, where Viola was granted free pardon (meaning the province accepts full responsibility for the injustice) for the wrongful tax evasion conviction. Viola Desmond tragically died in New York 1965; so the success of her story is in very large part to her sister, Wanda Robson, that had fought hard for the province, and Canada, to hear and accept responsibility for her sister’s story. Viola Desmond has been featured on a Canadian stamp, and will also now be the first woman (on her own, 2nd otherwise) to be featured on Canadian currency this year.

https://sketchfab.com/models/b3bf9ef4dd6346a0b28929d564166c06/

https://sketchfab.com/models/babf972ac6074bf2a11c11c95500aed7/

The Team

I also want to acknowledge the wonderful team that has been critical and getting us this far and in this speed. There have been some bumps as as we all get comfortable with uncertain nature of exploring the use of socialVR in storytelling and learning; but it certainly takes a village to raise this VR child! Beyond bringing in their more focused expertise to make the entire project better they have all shared many wonderful ideas that have helped shaped how this platform will ultimately work.

• Nathaniel, our storyteller that is sharing his own spiritual journey in addition to creating an archetype on how we can help others, in the future, tell their own in VR. He thoughts on how everything is interconnected are woven through all facets of this project.
• Virginia, our 3D modeller that is helping model the environments in Nathaniel’s story and providing some great feedback, from a content creative perspective, on our own development processes.
• Grant Lucas, our back-end specialist that has been so helpful is setting up a system and processes that have made development much faster.
• Tetsuro Takara, our front-end developer and designer than has been helping the more traditional web sides look great; in addition to setting up a front-end development pipeline that makes development more efficient and beautiful.
• Anthony Scavarelli, WebVR generalist, and “director” of the unknown.
• My graduate advisors for helping make sure what we are doing is grounded in innovation 🙂

Future

Nathaniel and Viola’s stories represent two very different but both fascinating journeys that we will talk about more in the coming weeks as we bring in multiple users to explore their stories, and the questions raised by them.