InsiteVR: More than a Viewer. Introducing Virtual Reality Presentations.
BUILDING “MUST-HAVE” VIRTUAL REALITY
For the last year we’ve been working extensively with architects to learn what it takes to elevate today’s virtual reality (VR) headsets from a “nice-to-have” to a “must-have” in the workplace. After dozens of meetings with clients, we learned simply viewing 3D models in VR was not enough.
An architect needs to be able to tell a story with their designs. It’s hard to do this if you drop a virtual reality headset on a client’s head and expect them to roam around a virtual space without any guidance from the architect.
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Architects walking a client through a space using InsiteVR. Source: Interior Architects[/caption]
ENTER MOBILE VR
This is why, at InsiteVR, we turned our sights towards Mobile VR. To use Mobile VR you only need to understand how a smartphone works. We saw a real opportunity here to remedy the all too common Rift horror stories we heard during our initial meetings with architects: “I can’t get the Rift to mirror,” “I was running bad hardware and it made me sick,” “I couldn’t bring my headset with me to client meetings.”
Our enterprise customers upload 3D models and 360 images to view on Mobile VR Headsets such as the Samsung GearVR and Google Cardboard. They don’t need to learn a game engine or clean up their 3D models to use VR. More importantly, they don’t need an entire IT department to run a virtual reality presentation.
Alas, integrating virtual reality into current client presentations still has its challenges.
VR ISOLATION
Being the only person in a conference room wearing a VR headset can feel awkward for both the individual wearing the headset and others watching. With the Rift, your headset is connected to a desktop monitor, enabling others to vaguely understand what is being seen in the VR headset.
But on mobile, it was worse. There was no good solution. You could only guess what the individual wearing the headset is seeing when they point at non-existent objects.
To remedy this problem we developed a VR presentation system for VR that we’re excited to share. While our early adopters and enterprise customers have had access to it for a while, today we will be letting everyone upload a set of 360 images to give VR tours and presentations on our platform — all through the browser. We hope this will enable even more people, on desktop, mobile and VR to take advantage of the fruits of virtual reality.
WHAT IS AN INSITEVR PRESENTATION?
Our free VR presentation app allows anyone to upload a series of 360 images for viewing in VR. The images can be produced in a rendering software, like V-Ray, or shot with a phone or 360 camera. The images can be viewed on a mobile device in the browser or with our Cardboard app available here.
SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE
Once you’ve uploaded your 360 images you can start a presentation to see what others are looking at while they’re viewing in VR. You can do more than just follow along with VR viewers, you can also get them to see what you want them to see. Maybe you’re trying to show someone their future home and guide them through a specific narrative. Maybe you’re taking your classroom on a virtual field trip. Or maybe you’re showing your employees their future offices.
Some storytelling is meant to be real time. Some stories are better told in person and not by a predetermined timer or trigger. We want people to be able to explore a VR scene while an expert narrates and guides the experience.
If you’re an architect who wants to use this functionality in conjunction with a Samsung GearVR or Oculus Rift to view your own renderings and models from Sketchup, Revit, or Rhino, get in touch and we’ll get you started.
VR UNLEASHED
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An InsiteVR customer presenting with the GearVR. Source: Marquis Yachts[/caption]
From day one we’ve built our virtual reality platform for the web. Starting today, you can send a link to someone to explore your VR content with InsiteVR. This has huge implications for taking VR wherever you are.
Now offices on both coasts can follow along as a client explores renderings. Marketing teams can give guided tours of newly designed condos to potential tenants. Whether they’re across the country or globe you can send anyone virtual reality with a piece of cardboard and a link to your presentation.
EMPATHIZE WITH EVERYTHING
We’ve had architects upload mansions, multi-story social media offices, hospitals, schools, and *virtually* anything you can think of. We’ve had non-architects create experiences for e-sports tournament arenas, yachts, and even 3D models of proteins for biology education. VR should be used to do more than just view, it should be used to communicate with others.
Our customers love the ability to actively engage their user while they’re wearing a headset. And we want more architects to take advantage of what we’ve built without needing to buy extra hardware or upload 3D models for processing. We want to lower the barrier to entry for VR.
GET STARTED NOW
Sign up now to try the free 360 image viewer and presentation client: https://www.insitevr.com/register.
If you’re an architect interested in learning more about our enterprise option please get in touch. We’ll help you get started with VR to communicate more efficiently with your clients, show contractors exactly what you have in mind, and sell better designs.
Read more about how our customers are using InsiteVR with great success.
Keep it Virtual,
The InsiteVR Team
p.s. we’re hiring
