How To Make A 360 Video Player With Unity For VR

Summary

This tutorial walks through the steps to create an immersive 360 video experience in Unity for VR. It covers setting up a new scene, applying a panoramic Skybox material, creating and configuring a render texture, and using the video player component to render the 360 video. The tutorial also demonstrates how to add interactive UI elements such as play and pause buttons, along with custom scripting to control video playback and smooth transitions. The video provides clear instructions for integrating 360 videos into VR environments with engaging, interactive controls.

Takeaways

• 😀 Start by creating a new scene for the 360 video project to avoid reusing old scenes.
• 😀 Use a panoramic SkyBox shader to render the 360 video and surround the player with it.
• 😀 Create a Render Texture matching the video size and link it to the SkyBox material.
• 😀 Import a 360 video (open-source or your own) and configure the video player's render texture.
• 😀 Hide unnecessary objects, like the plane, to focus on the immersive video playback.
• 😀 Test the 360 video playback to ensure it surrounds the player as intended.
• 😀 Add a fade effect by using a fade canvas for transitioning into the 360 video.
• 😀 Set up UI buttons (start/pause) to control video playback during the interaction.
• 😀 Use a custom script to handle transitions between SkyBox and video, as well as managing fade duration.
• 😀 Attach the VR controller (left controller) to interact with the UI buttons and trigger video playback.
• 😀 Ensure the Ray Interactors for both controllers are set to interact with UI components for full functionality.

Q & A

What is the first step in setting up the 360 video in the Unity project?

The first step is to create a new scene to ensure you are not reusing old scenes, such as the title screen or any previous scenes. This helps to keep the 360 video setup isolated and clean.

How is the 360 video integrated into the Skybox in Unity?

To integrate the 360 video into the Skybox, a new material is created with a panoramic shader. This material is then applied to the Skybox in the Lighting window under the 'Environment' settings.

What is the purpose of the render texture in this process?

The render texture is used to render the video to the Skybox. Its resolution must match the video resolution, and it allows the 360 video to be mapped onto the Skybox to surround the player.

How is the video player component used in the scene?

The video player component is added to the scene and configured to use the video clip and render texture. It is responsible for playing the 360 video, which is displayed within the Skybox.

What was the issue encountered after setting up the video, and how was it fixed?

After setting up the video, the display went black. The issue was that the render texture had not been applied to the material used in the Skybox. Once the render texture was linked to the material, the video played as expected.

What additional functionality is added beyond simply playing the 360 video?

Beyond playing the video, the project introduces a system that allows the Skybox to be replaced with the 360 video upon a user interaction, such as pressing a controller button. The scene can also fade to black and fade into the 360 video for smoother transitions.

How does the fade effect work in this setup?

The fade effect is managed through a fade canvas, which is activated via a script. The canvas fades to black before transitioning into the 360 video, creating a smooth visual effect as the user moves between environments.

What is the role of the custom script in this setup?

The custom script handles the fade transitions between the Skybox and the 360 video. It manages hiding or showing objects in the scene based on whether the Skybox or video material is active, as well as starting or pausing the video when corresponding buttons are pressed.

What buttons are used in the VR interface, and what is their functionality?

There are two buttons: a 'Start' button and a 'Pause' button. The buttons toggle between starting and pausing the video. When one button is activated, the other is deactivated to create a simple user interface for controlling video playback.

How is the VR controller integrated into the project?

The VR controller is integrated by attaching the video player interface to the left controller. This makes the interface follow the player's movements, and the controller is configured to interact with the UI components within the scene.