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The Unity<\/a> game engine released a preview for \u201cXR Interaction Toolkit,\u201d which handles some core interactions for VR and AR. Like most optional Unity features, you can download and activate the XR Interaction Toolkit from the Package Manager.<\/p>\n Unlike with\u00a0the VRTK toolkit<\/a>, Unity is preferring laser-pointer selection to direct manipulation. This works well with a wider variety of platforms, but can be less immersive for higher end systems.<\/p>\n Unity\u2019s XR Interaction Toolkit currently provides the following 4 features:<\/p>\n This lets the user point a laser at objects, select them, and either directly or from a distance grab the object. With an object grabbed the user can rotate it or throw it. This behavior is configurable.<\/p>\n The same kind of laser pointer used for object selection can also be used for UI interactions. This means that the built-in Unity UI system that developers are already used to can be used in VR.<\/p>\n This allows developers to quickly add teleportation and snap turning to their apps. \u201cSmooth\u201d locomotion isn\u2019t built in, but that\u2019s much easier for a developer to add.<\/p>\n This feature, for Apple\u2019s ARKit and Google\u2019s ARCore, allows smartphone users to swipe to place virtual objects on real world planes.<\/p>\n The goal of the XR Interaction Toolkit seems to be to make it so that developers don\u2019t need to \u201creinvent the wheel\u201d for simple VR & AR interactions.<\/p>\n For new developers this means less time is required on the basics, and this time can then be used to craft the actual experience. Of course, developers on larger projects may use a more advanced framework\u00a0such as VRTK<\/a> \u2014 although VRTK has no UI features yet.<\/p>\n For end users, since Unity powers the majority of XR apps, this could result in more consistency and standardization for fundamental VR & AR interactions. If you know how to select, grab, and locomote in one VR app, that should transfer over to others \u2014 similar to how control schemes for console games eventually standardized over time.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nObject Selection & Manipulation (AR & VR)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
UI Interaction (VR)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Teleportation & Snap Turning (VR)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Object Placement (AR)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
No need to reinvent the wheel<\/h2>\n