Holy Smokes has it been 4 months?!

Where has the time gone?

Since the last time I posted, we survived another Christmas and the moon has yet to explode. However I dreamed that it did not too long ago.

So how you been?

I’ve been busy. In February I was one of 8 to compete at Facebook in New York for the Oculus Medium VR Sculpting Battles which were filmed at HQ. I can’t talk about the winner because they asked us not to but I can tell you that it was amazing to be in the same room with artists who have been in 3D professionally and a noob like myself who came from clay, airbrushes and pencils.

While in New York, I was hosted by a friend from the XR community and I won a Tiltbrush performance battle and got to meet some really cool people in the scene.

I’m currently working on a new tequila label which I was just given 100% creative freedom on so I’m really stoked.

Here’s some things you might of missed:

Animating with Tvori and Marmoset Toolbag

It’s been about 6 weeks since I’ve posted here. Halloween was a blast and I spent Thanksgiving with my family in the SF Bay Area during the last days of the infamous Camp Fire. It was surreal to see so much haze from the airplane and even more surreal to imagine the true impact this fire has had on so many people.

During Halloween weekend, Tvori (an animation software company focusing on VR) had an animation contest which I placed 2nd in. I had never used the software before but in about 30 hours, I came up with this video using a character I sculpted in Oculus Medium.

I was really blown away with the possibilities once I figured out the basics.

About a week after creating the video, Tvori released an update which allows you to export the video file so the first thing I did was throw it into Marmoset Toolbag to experiment.

Once I had a few proof of concepts figured out. I decided to make a music video using snippets from a few scenes I put together in Tvori with Marmoset renders.

Here’s the final video:

I was very happy with the end result of this workflow. I spent about 30 hours sculpting the assets, painting them in 3D coat, animating, rendering and putting it altogether. These hours were mostly expended in the hours after my son passed out and while he was at school.

For those interested in mirroring this workflow, I’ve compiled these videos:

Joe Rogan Art Challenge Accepted (An Oculus Medium speed sculpt)

On 10/10/18 Joe Rogan, on his podcast threw out a call to artist to hit him up on his Instagram for a Sober October design challenge. Figured, ‘why not?’. Game on.

Workflow Tutorial: Buddha Lovers

Workflow: Environmental Concept Art using Tiltbrush

I am creating artwork for an Artstation Art Challenge. I am making two different concepts for atmospheric environments based on Feudal Japan. Here is a video I put together that explains the work flow and gets into a personal story about my journey.

Strange & Beautiful Challenge Winners

Composite of the winning entries.

MAD PROPS TO THESE WORLD BLENDERS

In August, The XR XRTISTS community launched the #StrangeandBeautifulXR challenge as a way to engage with a growing community of artists exploring the fringes of these emerging technologies.

We had a number of artists submit their work and the 6 judges independently voted for their top 3 via an anonymous vote and these are the xrtists who on this day, changed the world as we know it:

HENRI SHOOTS

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退屈

Henri Shoots has been getting a lot of love in our community. He recently won a Medium sculpt competition and he certainly won us over with this beautiful Medium sculpt he submitted to the community. The title links to a shared folder. If you have Medium you can view it as intended.

CHRISTOPHER VALORE

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Create A Trip

Christopher Valore aka The Architect, created a world in VR Chat and took a group of us through the experience. He created a UI panel that gives visitors full control over colors and patterns and layers. The title links to his world but you’ll need to install VR Chat to experience it.

PATREON: THE ARCHITECT

REIN BIJLSMA

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Ghost Island

For 2 years, Rein Bijlsma has been creating atmospheric worlds and sharing them with us through 360 degree video. In his work, ‘Ghost Island,’ Rein combines 3D scans, Medium based sculpting and Tiltbrush for final editing.

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A HUGE NOD OF GRATITUDE to all the XRTISTS who participated and a very special THANK YOU TO MASTERPIECE VR for donating STEAM KEYS for our WINNERS.

GearVR Lens Mod - Great upgrade

Last week I read a post on a VR group I follow on FB and someone shared this link which directed me to an Etsy store selling urban wear and oddly a "Gear VR Nano Coated, Blue Blocking Lens + Adapter Upgrade Mod Kit" for HTC Vive and Vive Pro. It was $60 and I got a lot of value from a pair of blue light blocking glasses I own so I thought this might be a nice investment and oh boy, it is definitely a step.

I watched the first 6 minutes of the video below to see where to leverage the nail file I used to pop out the old lens and added a itsy bit of super glue after the mod to keep them in place and IMMEDIATELY saw what everyone is talking about.

First off, the 'sweet spot' used to be right in the middle and I had to wear the vive pretty firmly to avoid blurriness around the edges but these new optics are RAZOR SHARP everywhere except the outer most fringes of my peripherals. 
 

Here is a couple close ups so you can see where exactly you got to insert your tool to prop the lens out.

This is what you get in the package, a pair of clean lenses on a mount.

You gotta stick a thin but firm tool in between the old lenses and the plastic frame that they're mounted in. Make sure you get enough leverage before you apply pressure. Which is to say, stick that tool in a quarter inch or you risk putting pressure on the edge of the lens which may crack it. 

There was a thin strip of adhesive material which lifted and warped on both sides so I just compressed them back easily enough with the edge of my tool.

And that's that. Added a speck of super glue for security. 

'STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL' CONTEST

One of the great things about being a xreator in the age of connection is the inspiration we get from one another. Inspiration motivates us to step our game up and it is in that spirit that I present 'The Strange & Beautiful' XR Art challenge!

In collaboration with the official 'XR Artists' group on Facebook, we have conspired to inspire. There are no rules as the broad nature of xrt extends itself to formats new and old. So what we have are guidelines:

Official Guidelines:

1. Submissions must incorporate the use of Virtual, Augmented or Mixed Reality in it's creation and/or final presentation. Hybrid use of technologies is what the group is all about so go ahead and get strange...because it's beautiful. 

Update 8/28/18: Work done prior to this challenge is totally game. You can be submit past work with no restrictions.

The moderators of the XR Artists FB group and I will critique the submissions and may choose to award winners based on the type of submission entered, which means someone may rock 'Best Model' while another may own a category onto themselves such as 'Best Music Video'. It is impossible to say now until all submissions are counted for.

How to Submit: 

1. Join the Facebook Group and submit your work on the wall with the hashtag #StrangeandBeautifulXR. Alternatively you can #StrangeandBeautifulXR on Twitter and Instagram!

Submit your work in the manner which you feel best showcases your intention. If your work is immersive in nature, please send us information on how to experience it (links, files, etc).

If you do not have a Facebook profile and would still like to submit, email your submission to TheXrts@gmail.com and we will feature your work on your behalf.

Submission Deadline is Sunday September 2nd, 2018 by midnight PST.

PRIZES
 

Submit by 9/2/18. Top 3 entrees get software keys.

The good people of MasterpieceVR have gifted our community with (3) Three Keys for the top 3 contenders! Submit by email or social media or group page. Instructions above.

JUDGES

ELI RODRIGUEZ (The SPIRIT AMBASSADOR)
Xrtist.com

Eli is the Co-Founder & Creative Director at 1933 Spirits which produces Mi Casa Tequila, winner of over a dozen international awards including 'The Double Gold Medal' at the San Francisco Spirits Competition. Eli is an alumni of the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence Italy and San Francisco State's experimental Conceptual Arts program. Eli has managed bold creative endeavors and his work is featured in the book, Burning Man: Art on Fire by Jennifer Raiser. In 2018, Eli won 'Best Model' in a Sustainability Initiative sponsored by MasterpieceVR, Samsung and Microsoft.

MEZ BREEZE
MezBreezeDesign.com

Mez Breeze crafts XR art, experiences, games, experimental storytelling, VR Literature, and other genre-defying output. Mez’s VR Experience “Our Cupidity Coda” was a Finalist in the 2018 EX Experimental New Media Art Awards, and her “This Golden Stance” was showcased at the 2017 Las Ranetas International Festival of Virtual Reality. In 2018, Mez partnered with Microsoft, Samsung and MasterpieceVR for their “VR Influencers” Sustainability Initiative where VR Artists were invited to design models using a Windows Mixed Reality Headset. Mez currently serves an advisor to the Mixed Augmented Reality Art Research Organisation, in addition to being a co-founder of the XR Artists Collective, and a Senior Research Affiliate of the Humanities and Critical Code Studies Lab.

KEVIN ANG
BingkoLand.COM

Kevin is an artist who’s worn many hats along the way. Having tackled storyboarding, animation, motion design, graphic recording and now all things XR, he has been able to work with a variety of clients like Google, Intuit, CBS, Warner Brothers, Leapfrog Toys, Stanford Medical, and Western Digital. Kevin has also worked as an animator on a number of films, including Richard Linklater’s “A Scanner Darkly.” He later went on to win an Emmy for his motion design work with The CW Network. He is a co-founder of the XR Artists Collective.

ALEXANDRE GIRARDEAU (BOULDER HAZE)
Highway101etc.com

Boulder is an independent curator interested in the transdisciplinary intersections between media studies, gamification and philosophy. Convinced about the revolutionary potential of virtual and augmented reality, he focuses on the evangelization of these media. This is achieved through various means, including developing XR applications that encapsulate dioramas, first person experiences, interactive virtual environments, 3D scans and 360° videos. Boulder is also the founder of Highway101 Experiential TechGnology Community and co-founder of VR Café which popped up in Montreal and Paris as well as the curator of Jump Into VR Fest, a 3 day event dedicated to VR/AR that took place in NYC last year. He is currently managing digital content for media outlets such as Animation Nights NY, VR Related & The VR Bible.

IAN CRIGHTON
icrighton.artstation.com

Ian is a freelance, multi-disciplinary artist based in Scotland whose work is heavily influenced by popular sci-fi, fantasy and all things cyberpunk. Ian's ability to quickly visualize concepts in 3D space is nothing short of inspirational. In 2018 he won 'Best Model' twice in the Sustainability Initiative sponsored by MasterpieceVR, Samsung and Microsoft in addition to winning MasterpieceVR's Seasonal Holiday Competition. Today Ian is an active collaborator and member of the XR Artists Collective.

SCOBOT VJ
Scobot.com

Scobot creates immersive, virtual reality art. Combining years of professional experience in painting, sculpture, and video art with game engine technology, his work allows viewers to explore and experience abstract compositions through virtual reality hardware. The Pacific Science Center (Seattle, WA) licensed his work for display and he is Artist-in-Residence at the University of Washington CoMotion Labs where he creates virtual reality artwork alongside AR/VR startups. Most recently his work "WORLD ONE" was an official selection for the 2018 Seattle International Film Festival.

How VR is rewiring my brain

About a month ago I was assembling Ikea furniture in my new living space and in my flow I mistakingly connected two wrong pieces and my immediate, conscious reaction was to hit 'UNDO.'

Last week while riding my bike around White Rock Lake I stopped to watch the sun set and found the colors of the sun reflecting off the water and the blues and oranges seemed to be separated on their own layers.

Last night while swimming in the pool with my son after dark, I emerged from the pool water and then as if someone hit a switch, I began to see dense yet transparent halos around the accent lighting as if I was viewing the lights through a view finder and lens as opposed to my bare naked eyes.

Rewind to October of 2017 when I first began creating in VR. There was an abundance of developers babying users by defaulting to 'teleporting' around VR environments. One of the only games I had that allowed for unrestrained movement was Pavlov Shooter. Even though playing the game gave me a bit of motion sickness, I loved the immersive nature and over the course of a month I felt myself adjust. Everyday in terrestrial reality, I felt like I had just gotten off a boat. I could be standing still and feel as if I was in motion. While driving, I found myself speeding as my reaction time was evolving. And at night, as I drifted off to sleep, instead of gazing at dark organic images merging together behind my eyelids as I did when I was a boy, I began to see more structured geometry and grid like patterns.

Today, marks nearly 8 months and 600 hours in VR and I wake up often from dreams where I am creating in VR. Nearly everyday I sense the feeling of deja vu, which I have always experienced but now it's a bit ridiculous.

Full disclosure: Between 2011 and 2014, I had travelled DEEP down the rabbit hole of psychedelia in an effort to weaken the strength of my ego and naturalize my spiritual connection with myself. I've taken it further than most people I know and have in my own perception, experienced alternate timelines, the inner compartmentalization of elemental energy and communication with high and low frequency energies. In a sense, these experiences may have 'lubed' me up for the subtle changes of frequent VR but I predict that once VR is as common as the smart phone, that reports of lucid dreaming will increase as will the collective ambition towards digitally unlocking our minds.

Here's this weeks render: Mr. Meowzer, sitting on top of the world.

See it on SketchFab! https://skfb.ly/6zK89

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

The last time I posted was April 15th, right around the time that MasterpieceVR, Samsung and Microsoft invited VR artists from around the world to sculpt out their concepts for a futuristic sustainable city. The rules were simple and there are three phases to the build-out which means 3 deadlines and 3 opportunities to win.

Below is one of my entries, which I call the Humble Blossom which floats peacefully above a still lake in this futuristic city. This entry was awarded 'Best Model' during phase 1 and as a reward they were nice enough to print it out for me and I couldn't be more pleased with the finished product. I honestly didn't know 3D printers could replicate the textures so well!

The deadline for phase 3 is in 5 days so you'll be hearing from me more after that, but until then, enjoy these pics and be nice to one another:D

3D Print of 'Humble Blossom'

The Humble Blossom by TheSpiritAmbassador on Sketchfab

Revisiting the Kazbus

Kazbus at Burning Man

I landed my first real project in 2006. I was presented with an opportunity to transform an old school bus into a themed vehicle for Burning Man. "Lucky" was the man with the idea and I being an over confident 23 year old, was the guy who could connect all the dots. The deadline to for the design was 24 hours away and if it got approved, I would have to get it done in 24 days.

Game on.

I took pictures of the bus which already had a black observation deck welded upon it and then began to sketch out ideas. I showed up at Lucky's office the next day with two radically different approaches. Shortly thereafter, I had the green light and the funding to get the job done.

I 'hired' my mom, sister and a few friends and we worked along side a construction crew to build what would forever be known as the Kazbus.

12 years later and the bus has gotten bigger, brighter and 'greener' since the initial build. 

RECENT PICS 04/2018

Studio Upgrade & Full Body Tracking Impressions

Hey friends, exciting news! In a few weeks I'll be moving into a bigger space. I plan on installing a green screen so I can make cleaner tutorials and videos. I also officially paid off my student debt this month which of course feels refreshing.

I took several videos of my experience in VR Chat using my new Vive Trackers but they're all to shaky (head movements) to make a point. 

What I can say is that like all things VR, the trackers and their implementation feel like betas. It works and when it works, it works mostly great and adds even more immersion. However sometimes when I turn on the trackers it's like day one and I have to 're-pair' them. Here's a tip: Always turn on the headset and wands before turning on the trackers or you'll find the tracker is taking the place of your wand. Sometimes I feel like I did in the late 80's when smacking the side of my TV and blowing into my game cartridge seemed like the work flow that got things working.
It doesn't frustrate me so much though as I am grateful that HTC is providing the tools that let me 'be me' in VR.

I also swooped on the new VR version of Skyrim. I'm running the game smoothly on high settings and think it's fantastic. I played the original PS3 release but never really got into it but shooting arrows at Giants' heads is incredibly satisfying and more than once the game has had my adrenaline pumping. I have Fallout in VR too and it's buggy and clunky. I'm happy to say that Skyrim is polished like rims in Oakland.

Artwise, here's a dragon I sculpted last week with MasterpieceVR and a self-portrait I made mostly in VR with some post processing in Affinity Designer.

Dragon by TheSpiritAmbassador on Sketchfab

Model Sculpted in Masterpiece VR, eyes and framing done in Tiltbrush.

In other news, are you aware that Youtube blocked Jordan Peterson's account with no reason only to turn it on after he tapped his immense following. If you don't know who Jordan Peterson is you should watch 10 minutes of any video he's made. Don't watch videos ABOUT Jordan Peterson, watch the man speak for yourself and make your own choices.

Youtube which is owned by Google, Facebook and Twitter are all policing free speech and you should be wary of it no matter where you stand. I am happy to debate why free speech matters to any an all and so comments are on for this one.

Also, if you have any skin in the Crypto Currencies market, you're in the red and my man Pete Dobson can help bring sanity to your life. He hosts the Crypto Currently Podcast which is a daily half hour of current events in the crypto universe with occasional interviews with the founders of coins you never heard of. 

 

'Rituals' Made in VR

I began making a series of masks and I made my first attempt at sculpting the hacienda from the Mi Casa Tequila label, however in the process of creating I decided to forego completing the interior because the exterior walls became something of a different flavor altogether. I used MasterpieceVR to sculpt everything and composed them in Google Tiltbrush.

View it in VR or a browser: https://poly.google.com/view/fJJCx8j0rCw

HOW TO: FIX YOUR TRACKPAD (HTC VIVE)

Last night I was working in Google Blocks and for the life of me, couldn't select my extrude tool. It sucked enough not being able to turn to the right in VR Chat because I could turn left a few more times but by last night, my controller finally progressed to a point of unreliability.

I found this handy thread on Reddit  written by 'With_Hands_And_Paper'. A huge thanks to him for this as I ended up fixing both controllers (both had issues at the 12-5pm positions).  First one took about 25 minutes, the second less than 10 and unlike the guide's author, I wasn't missing the rubber

Tools needed:

• Torx Screwdriver TX5 (with a long head if possible)
• Cross Screwdriver 0 (the smallest you got)
• Rapid Glue (I used Loctite glue for plastic which is very expensive but any kind of rapid glue should do the trick)
• Duct Tape 

How to:

1. Begin by removing the two screws at the bottom of the wand with your TX5 screwdriver.

2. Next remove the 3 screws under the sensor ring. Two are visible, one is hiding under a thin seal. Stick your TX5 through the seal (red circle) and it'll rip, voiding your warranty and giving you access to step 3.

3. Remove the top side of the sensor ring. It has a bit of adhesive and you may feel squimish doing this. Just make sure you are applying gradual strength because you do want to approach this as delicately as possible. Once removed you'll see 3 silver screws which you can remove with your size 0 Phillips which will allow you to remove the bottom sensor ring cover.

4. There are 3 torx screws here and you only need to remove the 2 circled. This will allow the top half of the wand's handle to come off.

5. Start at the bottom and seperate the plastic halves GENTLY. There are three ribbon cables holding both the top and bottom together so again, start at the bottom and once you get it cracked, apply gradual, firm but controlled pressure right around the touchpad and where the side grips are. In my case, it was easier to open it like a book as opposed to lifting the top straight off.

Looking at the underside of the trackpad you'll notice it's held in place by two screws (blue) and a tampon (purple). You do not have to mess with these at all...at least I didn't. Where the green highlights is the area where three should be a rubber nub.

You see here that the nub (green) had fallen off. It should be where the red circle is and protrude ever so slightly past flush so that when you press the touchpad the rubber presses a beige plastic button on the lower half of the control. If your rubber fell off, use a rapid drying glue made for rubbers and plastics to adhere it back in place.

However in my case, the rubber was still there, just flattened and not making contact anymore. To remedy this, I used an exacto knife and cut 2 small squares of tape and carefully placed it over the rubber which solved all my issues.

I did as this pic shows, try 4 pieces at first and I couldn't click (I tested the wand with VR on). So I removed all of them and tried one piece of tape at a time. The first tape gave me back the click sound but still didn't register properly. THE SECOND layer of tape however worked just fine. I would suggest if your rubber is present but the controller not working to launch STEAM VR and carefully add a layer and test BEFORE putting everything back together.

Hope it works out for you!

Ready Player One: Lacks the Character of the Book

In the beginning of 2017, I was at the Alamo Drafthouse having a conversation at the bar upstairs about what I usually talk about after you've known me for 5 minutes...VR and the future. The guy I was talking to says, "You have to read, Ready Player One."

So I downloaded the book on Audible and had it read to me by Wil Wheaton and I loved it so much, I've listened twice. Last night, I returned to the same Alamo to catch the 7:15 show. I went solo and ordered a drink and some food while I watched the opening mini-docs of Spielberg and Ernest Cline.

I read a few other reviews telling readers why this movie is controversial (gimme a break) and I sat down with the intention of viewing this movie as a fan and as a VR enthusiast.

My overall impression is that the movie is just okay. I woke up this morning thinking about my morning to-do list and nearly forgot about the movie. It was momentary but I guess that sums it up. It's ultimately nice eye candy but a little forgettable. 

The audio book is just short of 16 hours. It takes 16 hours to tell the story as Earnest Cline tells it. The movie tries to tell you that story in about an 1/8 of the time so of course a lot gets thrown out so what you get is the cliff notes with pretty pictures. The CG is great but everything involving real actors seems rushed and unimportant to the producers.

The timeline of the book feels like it could take place over the course of a year. It's months of research and inner monologue before Wade finds the first key. However in the movie, you'd be forgiven if you thought the entire timeline took place over a 3 day weekend. Once it moves, it escalates fast it's over. The pace moves faster than the character development (which is null in the movie) which makes the cast seem desperate and shallow at the same time.

The movie avoids dealing with any real emotions or character development which is a shame because it wouldn't have taken much to make us care about these people.

For one, Wade (the protagonist) is no longer an overweight anti-social teen who uses VR because he thinks the world is full of shit. He is now a slim and fit and his social anxiety is stated rather than shown and so much of this movie is like that. Instead of showing characters who care about each other, Spielberg who is a genius at creating movies with personality, opted to replace chemistry with CG high fives (literally).

In the book, the IOI (the Sixers) are a real threat. They're like AT&T vying to take over the Oasis. When the going gets tough people are killed. One of the main characters is even pulled out his rig and thrown off his balcony. The press referred to it as another gamer suicide.

In the movie, again, we are 'told' that IOI 'sucks' and they retain one scene to add a bit of real world drama but it's again so wack and dumbed down that when Wade is confronting the person who killed his friend (not in the movie) and his family (what's left of it), he simply raises his voice and says, 'You killed my mom's sister!' 

Jesus....couldn't even call her your aunt? Really? It's just another example of pussy footing around real human emotions. 

The last scenes take place in the real world where there is no CG and it's just a little plain. It's like they hired 25 extras and promised them lunch. That's pretty much the effort they put into their real world scenes.

So what about the tech?

Again, the CG looked good but as far as visualizing the tech in 2045, the producers decided that they should just buy a shit ton of ski goggles from Ebay and overlay a few HUD elements. Every human using VR in the real world looked like they had on ski goggles and a black belt with black gloves. Literally everything looked home made.

Ready Player One, the movie version is ultimately forgettable because it's hard to bond with these versions of the characters.

Spielberg who is hands-down brilliant and brilliant at getting young people to shine in front of the camera seems to relied too much on CG and removed the only parts of the book which made these kids likable. 

Just my thought s
 

HOW TO MAKE STRAPS FOR HTC VIVE TRACKERS

I was dead serious when I told you I cancelled my 24hr Fitness subscription for TRACKERS. They came in the mail today and this is mostly a guide on how I secured them to my clothes. 

THINGS:

Duct tape
3x - 1/2" bolt (size 1/4 (width) - 20 (threads per)
3x washers...I used nylon washers
1 pair of sneakers
Belt
 

Here's the gear

Get a bolt, washer and the tape. 

Make 3 rectangular thingies like this.

Remove your laces and position the thingie on the tongue.

Lace 'em up.

Get your belt done, same philosophy.

This is the finished set up.

Goodbye 24hr Fitness. Hello full-body tracking!!

Last night in VRChat I was dancing, having a good time and of coursed looked at my silly non dancing feet and decided I would make full body tracking a priority. So I go online and type in 'htc trackers' and see posts from news sources that the 2018 Vive Trackers are now on-sale. So thank you universe.

Too bad their sold out!!

Anyhow, I cancelled my 24hr gym membership which will save me $360 this year and just about cover the investment.

And hell yeah it's an investment. I love to dance. Dancing is church to me and it's pretty fun in VR and it'll be even better when my avatar's feet start to listen:)

SOLD OUT!

THE ENDGAME

Today while geeking on a Facebook VRChat Community group, I came across the 'ENDGAME: A VR TALK SHOW' which is exactly what it sounds like.

I caught an 8 min video where avatars suffer with social anxiety 'IRL' but who are gradually finding inner healing from socializing in VRChat.

As I'm writing this, I'm listening to Episode 35 where artists are discussing the future of art and the business of art in VR. I find these topics so incredibly interesting. When I was in college, I took an experimental major at SF State called the Conceptual Information Arts degree. It's website is still up and looks like it was made in 2002 but knowing the students they probably want it that way. There were about 30 of us and every Friday we'd sit round table and talk about the future.

I'm very excited to have this brain food fed to me.
Thank you ENDGAME!
 

Every Wednesday 7pm PST

HTC VIVE PRO Pre-Orders Live. Current Gen price drops to $500

The HTC VIVE PRO is the next generation head mounted display from HTC who has positioned themselves as pro-immersive, embracing high computing power while other producers seem to be focusing on VR for casual users. I for one am not pre-ordering but do envision myself jumping onboard down the road. My next investment in hardware is going to 3 additional trackers for full-body tracking but greater pixel density means greater immersion. The current generation of HTV VIVE bundles are now just $499 and include Fallout 4VR.

VIVE PRO SPECS (links to official website)

• Unprecedented presence with Hi-Res and 3D spatial audio
• Stay immersed comfortably with higher display resolution, easy-to-use headset & cable design, and improved ergonomics
• Chaperone technology
• Free to move around wirelessly with VIVE Wireless Adapter*
• *VIVE Wireless Adapter sold separately.

Headset Specs

Screen:Dual AMOLED 3.5" diagonal
Resolution:1440 x 1600 pixels per eye (2880 x 1600 pixels combined)
Refresh rate:90 Hz
Field of view:110 degrees
Audio:Hi-Res certificate headset
Hi-Res certificate headphone (removable) 
High impedance headphone support
Input:Integrated microphones
Connections:USB-C 3.0, DP 1.2, Bluetooth
Sensors:SteamVR Tracking, G-sensor, gyroscope, proximity, IPD sensor
Ergonomics:Eye relief with lens distance adjustment
Adjustable IPD
Adjustable headphone
Adjustable headstrap

Mannahatta VR ft. Beatrice Glow and Alexandre Girardeau

When I was packing for my trip to New York last January I put my clothes in my suitcase but decided that my SD Card containing the latest version of 'Big City Nights' stayed in my pocket, you know just in case the airport lost my luggage.  (SPOILER ALERT).

After settling in my AirBnB, I received a text from 'Boulder Haze,' inviting me to his home. I had never met Boulder but he was the reason I was in the Big Apple showing off art in the first place. I took the Metro out towards Queens and grabbed a few beers from a corner store so I wouldn't show up empty handed. When I finally arrived at his home, I'm greeted by a good hearted smile.

Boulder, also known as Alecz, speaks with a french accent and shows me into his kitchen where a projector is looping video clips of various VR art works (mine included). There is another projector on the table along with a wall full of notes, articles and artwork. Over the next few hours we eat, decompress and engage in deep philosophical conversations about culture, tech and the future of everything. There was more than one time where I felt that I was exactly where I needed to be, engaging with other artists who are at the cutting edge of conceptual arts.

I'd like to share a project they teamed up on called Mannahatta, a phenomenal work leveraging hundreds of hours of research to fight erasure and shift narratives. Below is information from Beatrice's website where you can learn more about her and her projects. When we last talked about a week ago she was packing for her trip to Ecuador where she will focus on Social Inclusion thanks to Zero1 American Arts Incubator, learn more about that here.

The rest of the information below is from her website.

Alecz...aka Boulder is the curator of VR Animations at the monthly event ANNY and founder of Highway 101 Etc, a VR centric hub based in NYC.

 

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About Mannahatta VR: Envisioning Lenapeway 

Long before Henry Hudson’s arrival in 1609, Manhattan or Manaháhtaan, as originally named by the Indigenous Lenape people, was a place of gathering and exchange amongst diverse nations. Today, Broadway runs along a portion of the original matrix of trails that connected Manaháhtaan to the broader northeast region and the Great Lakes. Artist Beatrice Glow and The Wayfinding Project at the Asian/Pacific/American Institute at New York University partnered with Alecz Inca of Highway 101, ETC (Experiential Tech Community) to build Mannahatta VR, an interactive virtual reality experience which brings together the past and present of one Broadway block.

This ongoing project is growing through conversations with Native culture bearers, ecologists, artists, educators and technologists. In the process, we ask ourselves how can we expand knowledge of Indigenous Manhattan? What does a sustainable Indigenous future look like?  How do we ethically create a historically palpable digital storytelling experience? We approach the virtual reality experience not as a final product, but a platform for our collective envisioning that has the potential to evolve into an immersive oral history archive.

Mannahatta VR was a supplement to Lenapeway, an installation that was on 24-hour view in the street-level windows of 715 Broadway (at Washington Place) from October 10, 2016 (Indigenous Peoples’ Day) to December 9, 2016. The location of the installation, which was viewable from the sidewalk 24/7 and was cosponsored by NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study and the A/P/A Institute, marks the intersection of the main Lenape trail and a side-trail that traverses through present-day Washington Square Park.

“As an artist and multisensory storyteller, I leverage sculptural installations, experiential technology collaborations, olfactory art and participatory performances to shift dominant narratives. Standing between diaspora and indigeneity, I navigate the oceanic, cultural and trade circulations between Asia, the Americas and Europe. My research-based process allows me to co-labor with scholars, scientists and community stakeholders to assemble surviving fragments in service of public history. I borrow the transporting power of smell to retain evaporating memory and fight erasure.”

— https://beatriceglow.org/