360 VR - Interactivity

[zdgra]

Hi everyone,

I'm working on doing data vis with 360 VR for the HoloLens 2, and I'd like to know if there are ways to make my experience interactive.

I know that at the basic level, it's a static experience that allows a user to look around in 360°, with slides to allow for different viewpoints. However, I want to know if there are ways to make it interactive.

For example, can I travel inside the experience? Can I add UI to the experience? Can I export it to, say, a game engine to add things?

I can't wait to hear from you, the community. Thanks!

[StefanArisona · Accepted solution]

Hi Zachariah,

Thank you for getting in touch. 360 VR comes as a web app for 360 degree panoramas and and currently it's not extensible. With the February release of ArcGIS Online, we start supporting configured pop-ups in a Web Scene, so pop-ups will also be available in 360 VR. Future release might include additional enhancements in terms of interactivity.

But for going towards an application as you describe, it's better to start with a game engine project and then using the ArcGIS Maps SDK for game engines. That way, you can freely move around, add UI, add your own logic etc. See: https://developers.arcgis.com/unity/ and https://developers.arcgis.com/unreal/

Hope that helps. Stefan

[zdgra]

Thank you, Stefan! That's exactly what I had in mind. I plan to create a 360 VR experience first to have a prototype of my data visualization, and then work on one in Unity with the plugin you mentioned.