Now, let's talk about the various software and tools that exist out there for different use cases of virtual reality, some of which you could even pick up today to try and create a VR experience of your own. So we're putting a strong emphasis on the entertainment sector due to the nature of our cause. So how appropriate would it be to kick things off with the obvious game engines? Now, game engines are used across most industries because interactive experiences are naturally created from game engines and code. Usually, these game engines could be used to create VR experiences for marketing games, healthcare simulations, anything really as they are not solely restricted to being used for games alone. Our first example that we have right here is unity 3d, the most common game engine available to man, they even have a free version available.

Now. Unity is usually useful Web VR. Mobile VR applications and even for short film that was once tilted and highly publicized as a success story in creating a film from a game engine. But the key thing to note about unity is that unity is commonly used in developing apps with simple graphics. And it's also usually easier to pick up by the new developer or complete newbie. The game engine uses C sharp for programming, if you ever need or want to code, once again, not too difficult for aspiring game developers to use and start creating their own personal or mini projects.

But it could be a bit limiting in terms of handling more advanced and powerful graphics just because the engine was not really designed to handle advanced cinematic quality graphics, at least as of the creation of this lecture. Now, Unreal Engine dough, which is technically the next most common game engine used to create VR experiences. They also have a free version available historically unreal was not free, but We'll bypass the history for now. So unreal is good for games like experiences requiring high fidelity graphics. But it ended itself is well known to be hard to customize and build upon, even by seasoned game developers, unless you are a pro or a hardcore software engineer. Now, Unreal engine uses c++ for programming, if you need to know but the cool thing about this game engine is that it has a node based graphical interface for those who want and prefer visual programming, aka programming without actually typing a single line of code, like connecting the dots kind of thing.

Not surprisingly, this game engine is very suitable for hardcore developers and also particularly useful for new developers looking to develop something intense and heavy in the graphics department for that game. So experiences improbable is another game engine that apparently has appeared in way too many conferences for me to not mention you But Hampstead game engine is useful for VR. But I've personally never tried so I don't know. But apparently, they claim that their game engine allows you to design, build and run games without limits. As seen in the link here. Their focus appears to be on large scale simulations in the cloud, and enabling virtual worlds of unprecedented scale and complexity.

You can definitely check out the website for more details over here to find out more about the company and their game engine and other products themselves. But since I'm trying to keep things short, if you would like to learn more about other game engines, you can basically you can check out my older article on VR game engines right here, where the new and updated article will also be published on an online encyclopedia, known as the Encyclopedia of computer graphics and games. Easy GG, but yes, if you'd like to discover more about other VR games, Feel free to check out those links in the external resources. Now on to the tools designed more for live action VR. First that we have, of course, the foundries Kara VR, mainly used for live action VR compositing. More details on this website link right here.

Now, those familiar with nuke will notice software fairly well. And then I also have some courses on these here on Udemy. Since I've actually worked in an industry for this, and actually was involved in the alpha testing does vs data I was asked for some of the foundries earlier and unreleased tools back then. So I know the secrets. I am and we'll be creating a cost on this type of compositing. Again, Kavya and nuke itself I'm good for cleanup, work stitching, and other stuff too when it comes to live action VR.

So if you are patient enough, wait for my cause, if it is not already out, but it's Have you watched this video that is next, metal VR plugins mainly available for After Effects to create skyboxes and After Effects, though, personally, I've never had the opportunity to use it myself. They offer a variety of products for VR and it depends on which ones you want to use for your projects in After Effects. Apparently, they have recently been acquired by Adobe in 2017, which makes sense given that their plugins have made their way into the Adobe Creative Cloud and other tools beyond just after effects alone. In fact, you can read more about it and the story right here, as well as more about the other product offerings over here. Auto panel VR stitching now this software was originally meant to stitch panoramic images and stills. But since VR came about this tool has become popular for 360 videos to all Japan is easy to use and has lots of tutorials available On their main website and YouTube channel.

Now, if you haven't noticed by now, there are actually two different versions of auto panel that is applicable to VR. In our case of discussion right here, there is auto panel Pro, and auto panel Giga. Now auto panel Pro is simply the lighter version for panoramic footage stitching and stuff like that. It has less features in comparison to auto panel Giga, which not only has additional export plug in features, but also is able to handle High Dynamic Range imagery or hdri. But enough of me blabbering on you can find out more about the differences in features in this link right here. Also as part of this lessons, external resources, and you can also find out more about them story wise right here.

Okay. So PT GUI VR stitching, same use case as auto panel and I believe they have both the fully licensed version and the free trial version two. Now this tool is a bit more advanced and would be more suitable for the more advanced users since the accuracy and the stitch relies a lot on numbers and camera data in order to fully utilize the software to its maximum capabilities, but alas, I will cover this perhaps in a cost separate from this. So for now, know that this tool is something you can use if you would like a bit of a challenge in putting your panoramic images together. Be aware though, that pizza gooey can only accept and stitch together images. So there will be an additional step required if you're trying to get that data to be used for a footage stitch instead.

Once again, feel free to read more about it here on our main website. So next in line, we have video stitch VR stitching, now they only have a free trial available and have rebranded themselves from video stitch to aura and 2016 but quick tidbit aside video stitch as a software itself, it's actually less popular in the VR and visual effects community. So people still use it as an alternative and backup software, especially if the first two gives them poor stitching results. In comparison. Video stitch also has a very easy to use interface similar to auto panel, and much easier than PT gooey. If you'd like to find out more, feel free to read more about the software and the company history here.

Okay, moving on to a different set of tools. Now, more on the business to business side of the industry. We have world vis visit something that is more for the designing of b2b and enterprise level VR solutions and interactive visualizations. Personally, I've never used it but they have been around in the VR community for a while now. They use the Python language for VR development, if you would like to know and all you have to do is build your experience once and then be able to deploy everywhere. Now the trick about this is that you got to know what you're looking for in order to really understand what that platform does.

On a positive note though, apparently most universities use that software. So that means it is a platform at least understandable to students, and you can read about that here. But if you'd like to find out more about what Walvius is about, feel free to read more about it here. And finally, our last tool we will cover for this lesson by TELUS via for cat. At this time, the only way you could use the software is to buy the software but this is not necessary at this point, since their software appears to be some form of 3d CAD computer aided design software. You know, those that only the serious designers and engineers and manufacturing use basically is a 3d design tool similar to AutoCAD by Autodesk for architects and construction professionals.

For example, Personally, I've never used this software before, but according to them, they are an entry level VR software designed to make it quick and easy for CAD engineers and designers to view, investigate and annotate their CAD models using PC based hmds or 3d screens. And yes, I totally lifted that last sentence from the site here. Once again, they are focused more on b2b Industries. But if you would like to know more, feel free to check out their about page right here. Who, Alrighty, now, don't think that that is the last of it. There are plenty more tools out there.

So if you would like Stay tuned for my publication that will be released by Springer in the online encyclopedia for computer graphics and games as I dive into greater detail, because that is all for now. Still confused, have something to add to the list or just something You want me to look into evette? Post your thoughts on the q&a board? If not, let's move on to the hardcore hardware and gears.