V5 VR HMD files and How to.

Q&A about the latest versions
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Hopki
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Hi Schrader,
This will be something we will be looking into as its in the bug tracker.
Regards,
Hopki
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Hopki
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Hi,
Been asked about fullscreen with Android phones when using cardboard template.
On the Galaxy S7 and using the stock browser "internet" what iv found is you can add to home screen.
If you then open it from the home screen and then rotate to landscape it fills the display.
You can also do this with Chrome but you do see the battery icon in the top right.
Regards,
Hopki
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skyfocus
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Hopki wrote:Hi,
Been asked about fullscreen with Android phones when using cardboard template.
On the Galaxy S7 and using the stock browser "internet" what iv found is you can add to home screen.
If you then open it from the home screen and then rotate to landscape it fills the display.
You can also do this with Chrome but you do see the battery icon in the top right.
Regards,
Hopki
This works also on iOS (tested iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2), just save the link to the tour as an icon to the homescreen and open it.
I don't think this is something you can ask customers to do, but for demo purposes it's adequate.

regards,

Arjan
Last edited by skyfocus on Wed Mar 30, 2016 6:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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360Texas
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Ok... some missing information

As there are several types of HMD's. It would help if you would put your comment the type of HMD you are using for example Google CardBoard, Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift or other flavors.

Reason: I don't think the Gear VR will do what you are talking about. There are various other smartphone so it would be useful to mention your smartphone name, like Hopki said he was using Galaxy 7s.

Thanks for your help.
Dave
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JSchrader
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Not sure who you are referring to, Dave.
So just in case: In my post from March 20th I pointed out that the findings are related to iPhone 6 and the Note 4, which means iOS and Android in general.
I also use the Note with a Gear VR, but that is a completely different case and is out of the question here.
As cardboard-like displays are currently the widest availiable and easiest to use it is desireable to have a consistent, predicatble and of course satisfying behaviour of the viewer mainly for such use.
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360Texas
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Agreed. My observation was not directed to any particular comment.

This Thread is "V5 VR HMD files and how to". And I would suggest that it is necessary a include details about "how to" would include the devices used and workflow techniques used to create the outcome. Maybe it would be good idea to include a simple phrase "Cardboard only". That would mean excludes all other Non-Cardboard HMDs.

Yes I read " iPhone 6 and the Note 4, which means iOS and Android in general". I am learning that not all iOS and Android smartphones use the same iOS and Google OS versions (read capabilities). The same can be said about smartphones browsers.

Thanks for asking.
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Hopki
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Hi Guys,
With the iPhone 6, you only need to rotate the thing to landscape and you then get fullscreen. No need to save to home screen or anything like that.
Regards,
Hopki
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skyfocus
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Hopki wrote:Hi Guys,
With the iPhone 6, you only need to rotate the thing to landscape and you then get fullscreen. No need to save to home screen or anything like that.
Regards,
Hopki

I tested this on iPhone 6 (with Safari) but the top and bottom bars are still there ... not fullscreen .....

Arjan
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360Texas
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There are 2 fullscreen types

1. Full monitor - no browser bars for Firefox and Chrome.
2. Full browser window - includes browser edges (I read somewhere that iOS Safari requires browser edges)
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skyfocus
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360Texas wrote:There are 2 fullscreen types

1. Full monitor - no browser bars for Firefox and Chrome.
2. Full browser window - includes browser edges (I read somewhere that iOS Safari requires browser edges)
For VR (google cardboard) use, you do want the full-screen (1. full monitor as you mentioned here above), the iPhone 6 screen is not very big and the more pixels are used the better. With safari I did not find a way to get rid of the two bars (top and bottom), they are showing in the VR-glasses. When saving a link to the homescreen the minimum browser that starts has no bars.

Safari:
Image

Link saved on homescreen:
Image

Arjan
Last edited by skyfocus on Thu Mar 31, 2016 11:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Bostjan
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Best use of Pano2VR "HMD" output is with Microsoft Win10 Phones - I tried Lumnia 640 XL (this is a cheap phone but with iPhone 6 res and same "power" and great preference) and Lumnia 950 XL (best smartphone I ever had in my hands)... just a "tap" and there is full screen. No lags, no waving.

I have also Samsung S6 and Samsung S6 edge plus - one lollipop and other with updated marshmallow... the best display option (sharpness, colors) am not sure but is it too sensitive gyroscope or traciking - but after quick use I become sick of constant tracking the image.
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360Texas
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Warning: Use at your own risk. Please do not force phone into head gear case

Today I learned a work around fix but be careful.

We use a Samsung Galaxy s7 edge smart phone and our Samsung Gear VR head gear with Chrome Browser to view the SPLIT SCREEN multi node Tour. It is not possible to view 2d FLAT panoramas with the Gear VR because of the head set has left and right eye optics. Because the audio port is located on the s7 bottom left edge it is possible to plug your ear phone in to your ears to listen to the panorama tour music or sound.

I figured out a way to use the s7 edge and Gear VR to work on the internet. !!! And it works. You can use ANY smart phone near sized with s7 physical dimensions
long 5.75" wide 2.5" x thick 1/4" 150mm Long x 70mm Wide x 5mm Thick

We by-passed the Oculus software by not plugging the s7 in to the Gear VR head set micro USB port.

Setup:
We bought an s7 rubber OTTERBOX protective case. Makes the physical size s7 almost 1/4" larger. I removed my s7 edge Otter Box case to have ONLY the s7.

You should use your smart phone Wi-Fi to connect to your router and internet browse to your favorite Pano2vr split screen multi node panorama tour
Go to SETTINGS | DISPLAY | SCREEN TIME OUT | 10 Minutes. Otherwise the screen will go black during middle of long multi node tours.

Be sure to charge s7 to 100% then open Chrome and browse to an split screen sample link found here in forum ... READ THANK YOU JSchrader.

Example: Chrome Bookmark your favorite panorama tours to make it easier to get to next time you want quickly browse to the URL.
http://bavaria360.de/biburg/stereo/1024/

The FIREFOX browser the image will INVERT upside down when the stare (+) moves above horizon. [as reported by other forum member]

This only works with 1 pano TOUR because you have to remove the smartphone to browse to and load another pano tour.

The Pano2vr stare (+) icon works. When moving head around to pass over the white target (Skin action: go to next pano) stare (+) for 1 second... and the tour does jump to next pano.

There is no BACK button to get to a different tour. So you need to remove smartphone from Gear VR ... in Google Browser tap the Favorite and to go to next panorama.. put smart phone back into head gear.

Next:
Tilt and hold the Gear VR USB up and slide the s7 into and UNDER the USB bracket. [see photo's below]
Then lay flat the s7 top and close right side bracket. IMPORTANT: You might need to use 2 pieces of cello tape on the USB end of s7 to prevent it popping out of the head gear.

YEAH !!!! now my cute Samsung Gear VR has become a functional CARDBOARD device !!!! LOLLLL

How to do Samsung Galaxy s7 edge and Gear VR Photos 1,2,3 [ADDED dimension photo 4 and 5 today]
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Gear VR Bottom measurements
Gear VR Bottom measurements
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Gear VR top measurements
Gear VR top measurements
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Dave
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360Texas
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Bump Added dimension images 4 and 5 today
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BParker
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I used this new technique with a Gear VR Innovator Edition and a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone. I was able to view both the Fiji Museum and the bavaria360 panos with the immersive "cardboard" experience. "Stare" worked properly to follow the museum links. This was using the phone's standard browser. Pretty neat!

On the downside, head tracking was using the phone's gyro, which is not as accurate and smooth as the one built into the Gear VR. Very slow movements seemed to work best. Also, on the Gear VR Innovator Edition (which is an older model now) there is no plastic tab under the usb connector to support the phone, so the connector itself bears all the weight when the phone is slid under it. As you say, use this technique at your own risk. It didn't really seem to stress it much though and it was quite comfortable to keep fingers on the phone when viewing in case of a slip.

This is definitely a cut above the cardboard "cardboard" viewers. Something to hold us over until Samsung enhances their Gear VR web browser to allow native viewing of 360 panos.

Thanks!
Ben
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Speaking of updates to the Gear VR browser, it looks like they did one just a few days ago to add webvr support:

https://mail.mozilla.org/pipermail/web- ... 01054.html

Ben
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