Final Class Monday

We will have our final class on Monday 5/12/14, from 5:05 – 7:05 PM at 1125 Nancy Nicholas Hall.  Remember you need to have one final post and a short presentation (which you can use your post for) due for class.  Details can be found here: https://blogs.discovery.wisc.edu/designinvr-14/2014/05/01/about-the-end-of-the-semester/

We will split the time up into 30 minute windows as follows:

5:15-5:45  Music Visual Team

5:45-6:15 Rapid Room Color Prototyping

6:15-6:45 Team VEX

Feel free to invite friends and family for the demonstrations.  Also, if you would like snack items, please comment on https://blogs.discovery.wisc.edu/designinvr-14/2014/05/07/food-for-monday/

 

Food for Monday

Post comments of suggestions of food items you would like for Monday’s presentations.  No guarantees that I will be able to get all of the items, but I can see what I can do.

Course evals

As our class is not overly large it is extremely important that everyone finishes their course evaluations.  We will have this count as an assignment, so you will get some credit for completing it.  Once you have finished your course evaluation, make a comment to this post that says “complete” and I can mark you off the list.

Running the DSCVR System

Table of Contents

  1. Turning on the controller
  2. Turn on the system
  3. Turn on the head tracking (only if necessary)
  4. Turning on 3D
  5. Moving your data to the system
  6. Launching your Application
  7. Exiting the Application
  8. Rebooting the System (Only if things go horribly wrong)
  9. Shutting down the System (things to do before you leave)

Turning on the controller

1) Go to the machine on the side of the room

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2) Unplug the PS3 Controller

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3) click the PS3 icon on the computer

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4) You will be prompted for a password.  It is on the pink sticky on the desk

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5) You will now be prompted to push the PS button.  Press and hold it down until the controller shakes.  This means it is now ready to go.

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Turn on the system

1) The screens should be blacked out when you come in

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2) Go to the machine in the back of the room

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3) Click the green button on the top bar

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4) Now the screens should be on

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Turn on the head tracking (only if necessary)

This should be running automatically.  If it isn’t you may need to start the tracking server.

1) The head tracking is run from another machine.  To access it click the VNC icon

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2)  You will be prompted for a password.  It is on the pink sticky note

3) I unfortunately don’t have screenshots for these next steps yet.  The SkeletonApp should be ready to go.  To run it either press F5 or click the green run triangle.

4) When running, change the tracking to “sticky 1 player”

Turning on 3D

1) Click the glasses in the top bar

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2) Uses the “aviator” style glasses.  These are designed for the system.  The other glasses will not work optimally.

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Moving your data to the system

1) All of your code, applications and code need to be put on the “dscvr” mount.  This can be found by clicking the link on the side of the window or through the path “/mnt/dscvr/”

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Launching your Application

1) There are a few shortcuts to launch apps.  You can look at how these are setup by right clicking on them and choosing properties.

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2) If you would like to launch your application from a terminal, open up a window.  Either right-click on the desktop or click the icon to the left of the green circle icon

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In the terminal type

csastart [path to application] [parameters]

Here is an example

csastart ~/dscvr/apps/SkeletonApp/SkeletonApp ~/dscvr/data/exampleData

Exiting the Application

1) To exit the application, press the escape key

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2) If for some reason this doesn’t work, you can force close the application by typing these commands into a terminal window

tentakel killall -9 [application name]killall -9 [application name]

for example

tentakel killall -9 SkeletonApp
killall -9 SkeletonApp

Rebooting the System (Only if things go horribly wrong)

1) You can reboot the system by typing these two commands into a terminal

tentakel reboot
reboot

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Shutting down the System (things to do before you leave)

1) Make sure your application is closed (i.e. you see a blue background)

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2) Turn off the monitors by clicking the red icon

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3) Now the monitors should be turned off

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4) Turn off the controller so the batteries don’t drain.  Do this by holding the PS button until the red lights turn off

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5) Plug the controller back in

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6) Turn off the lights and close the door behind you

 Add comments for other information that you have found useful for working with the DSCVR system

 

About the end of the semester

Now the end of the semester is fast approaching I thought I would post what will be due at the end of the semester.  In addition to the weekly progress reports, we will have three items due on 5/12 consisting of a final post, a group demo/presentation, and a final email each described below

Final Posts
Final posts should will be longer and more comprehensive than our regular weekly posts.

First, make a video of your work.  It should be between 1-3 minutes in length.  Put text and/or voice over when appropriate.  The video should give people who are unfamiliar with your project a better understanding of what you did.  Upload your video to youtube or viemo and embed the video into the post by simply pasting the url in the text.

Next, in the text, answer these questions:

  1. Describe the operation of your final project. What does it do and how does it work?
  2. Describe each team-members role as well as contributions to the project.
  3. As a team, describe what are your feelings about your project? Are you happy, content, frustrated, etc.?
  4. What were the largest hurdles you encountered in your project and how did you overcome these obstacles?
  5. How well did your project meet your original project description and goals?
  6.  If you had more time, what would you do next on your project?

Final Demos and Presentations
We will have a final presentation event during our assigned timeslot.

5/12/2014, Monday
5:05PM – 7:05PM
NANCY NICHOLAS HALL 1125

Your presentation can follow the questions in the final post.  Each group member should present information.  Be sure to describe your contributions to the project as each team member will be graded both individually and as a team.

After each group presents they will give a demo to the class such that everyone can try it out.  This demo is part of your grade so make sure you have something that works.

Final Email
The last step of the this process is to send me an email.  This is your chance to give feedback in a way that will be kept confidential.  Emails need to only answer each question, but can be as long or short as you want.  Emails should include:

  1. Your personal thoughts and feelings on the project
  2. Your opinion of the about the team dynamics of your group
  3. Your opinion if everyone in your group contributed to the project
  4. Your opinion if everyone in your group should receive the same grade

Optional If you would like to, you can also provide class feedback.  You can answer any of the question below, or simply write freely.

  1. What things in the class worked and do you think should continue?
  2. What things in the class do you feel did not work?
  3. What things in the class do you think would be beneficial to add in the future?
  4. Are there readings that would have liked to see earlier or later in the semester?
  5. Are there other topics you would have liked to have read about more?

These emails will be due after our presentations,and need to be sent by no later than Monday May 12th at 11:59pm.

Reading 11

For class 4/28/14
Post Comments by 11:59 pm on 4/27/14

Questioning naturalism in 3D user interfaces
http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2330687

By Doug A. Bowman, Ryan P . McMahan, and Eric D. Ragan
Communications of the ACM 2012 vol. 55 (9)

or get it from box
https://uwmadison.box.com/s/2umddpaksotblcd1o722

As this will be our last reading for the semester we will have a free form discussion.  Write at least 4 paragraphs on the article.  You can discuss points of interest, questions you have, related work, and anything else related to the article. You can also think about position key points made in this article to discussions we have had throughout the semester.

Links from Andy Wilson 3DUI Keynote

Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xv6FnM1SrE

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xujhFInvyxo

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz17lbjOFn8

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhvrOkaDxAY

Room Alive

http://readwrite.com/2012/08/14/microsoft-kinect-research-project-lets-anyone-bring-household-objects-alive#awesm=~ozUqz8VJnLQU5J

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHL5tJ9ja_w

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sazLd-pgpGc

Reading 10

For class 4/21/14
Post Comments by 11:59 pm on 4/20/14

Disney’s Aladdin: first steps toward storytelling in virtual reality
Randy Pausch, Jon Snoddy, Robert Taylor, Scott Watson, Eric Haseltine
http://ivizlab.sfu.ca/arya/Papers/ACM/SIGGRAPH-96/Storytelling%20in%20VR.pdf

Serious games continuum: Between games for purpose and experiential environments for purpose
Tim Marsh
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875952110000224

or here on box

https://uwmadison.box.com/s/mpw7kwntw2b29h8p6och

Discussion Article 1 (Pick 3)

  1. Do you feel like storytelling in VR has evolved to the author’s hope?  If why, what do you think has slowed it’s growth.  If yes, descibe examples that you think show this evolution.
  2. Are you surprised by the lack of head rotation?  What did you think contributed most to this result?  Would you expect the same type of head rotation profile in the CAVE?
  3. Which of the general observations do you find most useful for trying to design a project?  In what ways could you use this insight for your project?
  4. In the survey, pick either a result the you found interesting or a question you found curious and briefly discuss.  Do you think it made sense to present the results grouped by gender?
  5. Do you feel like the research challenges are still relevant or have been solved?  Choose one of the  challenges that you think would be interesting to try to explore.  Discuss one idea of how you might start to attempt to undertake this challenge.

Discussion Article 2 (Pick 3)

  1. Do you agree with the author’s definition of serious games (p 63)?  Do you agree with the continuum on Figure 1?  Can something be a game and have no gaming characteristics for experience?
  2. Choose one of the examples listed in section 3.x.  Find and list a  video or external reference for the example.  Discuss how you would position this example on the continuum.
  3. Do you agree with the author’s discussion point that serious gaming is a form of cost-effective VR?  Do you think all of VR could be considered a form of serious gaming?
  4. Define and discuss the term ‘games’.  Discuss how your definition agrees or contradicts this article
  5. You may find a term or topic that you are unfamiliar with.  If you would like to, do a little research on the subject (wikipedia would be a good place to start). Briefly describe your understanding of this concept and how confident you are about this understanding.

Reading 9

For class 4/14/14
Post Comments by 11:59 pm on 4/13/14

Your avatar, your guide
S Murphy – Scientific American Mind, 2011 – nature.com
http://vhil.stanford.edu/news/2011/sciam-your-avatar.pdf

AI seduces Stanford students
K Poulsen – Wired News, 2005 – vhil.stanford.edu
http://vhil.stanford.edu/news/2005/wired-aiseduces.pdf

Why digital avatars make the best teachers
J Bailenson – The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2008 – vhil.stanford.edu
http://vhil.stanford.edu/news/2008/che-avatar-teachers.pdf

Discussion Article 1 (Pick 3)

  1. What are your overall impressions of this piece?  Do you find the approaches mentioned more promising or concerning?  Describe why.
  2. What are your thoughts on Doppelgänger avatar therapy?  Does this model make sense to you?  What kind of fields could you see this be useful for besides those mentioned in the piece?
  3. Discuss the results of the “whale” experiment.  Do the results surprise you?  Do you feel like the same effect would happen on adults (to a lesser degree)?
  4. Discuss the concepts of self in relation to this article
  5. You may find a term or topic that you are unfamiliar with.  If you would like to, do a little research on the subject (wikipedia would be a good place to start). Briefly describe your understanding of this concept and how confident you are about this understanding.

Discussion Articles 2 and 3

Formulate a brief response to each of these articles (1 to 2 paragraphs).  Whether your response is positive or negative is up to you.