Gear VR, passthrough camera, how?

[frepe360]

Hi!

I’ve just started using Unity3d to make programs for the samsung galaxy S6/samsung gear vr.

Using the software from samsung, it is possible to do a long press on the back button of the gear vr to get to a “settings” screen. In that screen, I can press “passthrough camera on” to get the phone camera to turn on and be displayed (stereoscopically) in the gear vr.

Is it possible to do this from a unity3d program, and if so, how?

I would also like to process the incoming video with different filters, like simple edge detections but also more complicated filters where I need access to raw pixel data.

Thanks in advance!

[guru20]

Would love to know the same thing… thought about this, but it wasn’t immediately relevant to the game I was working on at the moment, so I didn’t dig too deeply (however, I don’t see any documentation about whether this is possible. Also, I have not seen any Gear VR apps that use this functionality even though it seems like it would be possible to do AR this way…)

[Ed_unity]

I believe you can access the Phone’s Camera using WebCamTexture (Unity - Scripting API: WebCamTexture)

I’ve not done it myself though, so if it works, please repost to let others know. Although this post seems to suggest it works: How to access device (iPhone/Android) native camera? - Questions & Answers - Unity Discussions

[moshebitan]

The performance on the WebCamTexture is realy poor

[Lanre]

@Ed unity

I believe you can access the Phone’s Camera using WebCamTexture (Unity - Scripting API: WebCamTexture)

I’ve not done it myself though, so if it works, please repost to let others know. Although this post seems to suggest it works: How to access device (iPhone/Android) native camera? - Questions & Answers - Unity Discussions

I developed NatCam. I have had a couple of our beta testers use NatCam with GearVR. I did use NatCam with Google Cardboard and it works excellently well. And it has performance comparable to the native camera apps.

I would love to speak to the Unity developers responsible for managing the WebCamTexture API. I can think of a couple ways to increase the interoperability of NatCam and Unity.

[archonware_jbueza]

@Lanre

I developed NatCam. I have had a couple of our beta testers use NatCam with GearVR. I did use NatCam with Google Cardboard and it works excellently well. And it has performance comparable to the native camera apps.

I would love to speak to the Unity developers responsible for managing the WebCamTexture API. I can think of a couple ways to increase the interoperability of NatCam and Unity.

NatCam is awesome, there should be more AR apps coming for the GearVR because of your awesome work!

Kind regards,
Jaime Bueza
ConstructVR.io

[archonware_jbueza]

@Lanre

I developed NatCam. I have had a couple of our beta testers use NatCam with GearVR. I did use NatCam with Google Cardboard and it works excellently well. And it has performance comparable to the native camera apps.

I would love to speak to the Unity developers responsible for managing the WebCamTexture API. I can think of a couple ways to increase the interoperability of NatCam and Unity.

Hey Lanre! Just wondering, do you have any examples that are downloadable that intergrate the GearVR with NetCam?

Cheers!
Jaime

[Lanre]

@archonware_jbueza

Hey Lanre! Just wondering, do you have any examples that are downloadable that intergrate the GearVR with NetCam?

Cheers!
Jaime

Hi Jamie. There aren’t any GearVR examples. I could create one once I complete NatCam 1.4b0. However, there is a minimal Cardboard example on GitHub.

[Davedub]

I’m also trying to get NatCam working on GearVR. Looking at the Google cardboard project, I see the following:

• On the main camera, add a StereoController component and click ‘Update Stereo Cameras’

However, I do not know where to find the StereoController component. I don’t see it anywhere in the example project, and I don’t see it in the standard ‘Add Component’ menu.

~ Where do I find this component?

Thanks in advance,

DaveDub

[Lanre]

@Davedub

However, I do not know where to find the StereoController component. I don’t see it anywhere in the example project, and I don’t see it in the standard ‘Add Component’ menu.

This instruction was made for an older version of the Google Cardboard SDK. I have to update the NatCam VR demo.

[pStar]

Hi Lanre,

I’m back on a project that requires a pass through camera in GearVR. Would you have an updated VR Demo, or brief instructions on how to integrate NatCam into the GearVR?

Thank you for your awesome work,

~pStar

[Lanre]

@pStar

I’m back on a project that requires a pass through camera in GearVR. Would you have an updated VR Demo, or brief instructions on how to integrate NatCam into the GearVR?

I happen to be working on an updated VR example app for the NatCam. Make sure to check my GitHub and keep in touch here or via email. I expect to complete the example this week.

[pStar]

@Lanre

I happen to be working on an updated VR example app for the NatCam. Make sure to check my GitHub and keep in touch here or via email. I expect to complete the example this week.

Thank you, I’ll keep a look out for the example.

[paulyn_pelayo]

Hi Lanre, Is there any update regarding the VR example for the NatCam? Thanks!

[Lanre]

@paulyn_pelayo

Hi Lanre, Is there any update regarding the VR example for the NatCam? Thanks!

We are working on a written tutorial series called the NatCam Tutorial Series. MoodCam VR is currently slated to begin at part 7 so monitor the NatCam thread as I announce more tutorials being uploaded.