How to Immerse Your Readers into Virtual Reality

As an artist, you probably enjoy watching peoples enthusiastic reactions as they excitedly take in your latest creation. I think we all do. As a CGI artist, I get to give my audience an immersive experience via virtual reality technology. Would you love to have someone stand inside your artwork and experience it as a world around them? There are many methods of doing this, but I am going to show you how to do it with 3DStudio Max and Oculus Gear VR and Oculus Rift.

I will set the scene for you. In our comic book, Solinox #1: The Past Returns, there is a secret penthouse office set. It has the usual things, like a large desk, abstract wall art, wooden book shelves, ornate area rug, and precious knickknacks, etc.  The panels in the comic give you a limited view of the scene and control what you get to experience. They are, after all, still images. I am going to use this 3DStudio Max set to render a still image and use an Oculus VR headset to virtually stand in it. Follow the few steps below or use the quick video tutorial.

1. Launch Max and open a scene.
2. Place Free Camera at 5’9” from the ground
3. Use Panorama Exporter and Settings. (The image gives example for high quality render)
   
4. Load to device
   1. Oculus Rift:
      1. Place image in My Photos on Windows PC.
      2. Install and launch Oculus 360 Photos through the Oculus interface of your choice.
      3. Navigate to the new image and enjoy.
   2. Oculus Gear VR:
      1. Place image on your phone in a folder your gallery can see.
      2. Install and launch Oculus 360 Photos through the Oculus interface of your choice
      3. Navigate to the new image and enjoy.
   3. Phone App:
      1. Place image on your phone in a folder your gallery can see.
      2. There are a variety of phone apps, in Google Play Store, allowing the use of 360 images. Experiment with the one you prefer. I use VR Media Player.
      3. Navigate to the new image and enjoy.

The tutorial is quick. If you have any questions, contact me. I am eager to see what you have created. Immerse me!

Thank you for taking the time to read. Please pass it on and follow us on social media. Don’t forget to check out Force RPG and the comic titles Solinox and Sons of Earth. I hope to hear from you.

Tony Higgins