Virtual, Mixed and Augmented Reality in The Workshop

The HTC Vive Pro is available for in-house use to the VCU Community. If you need assistance beyond this guide, email theworkshop@vcu.edu or call 804.827.3594 to set up an appointment.

Required for checkout: Users must have attended an XRAM (+VR) orientation to become an authorized user.

In the Vive case you will find a Vive headset, a Link Box, a Link Box Charger, an HDMI cord and USB cord for the Link Box and two Vive controllers. NOTE: The Vive's two sensors, called Base Station 2.0s, are already plugged in and on top of the two cabinets in the XRAM Studio.

Connecting

1. Turn on display with TV remote.
2. Turn on Alienware, making sure its HDMI cord is connected to the display HDMI cord with the attached adapter.
3. The display should be showing the Alienware desktop.
4. Position the Link Box to the Velcro on top of the Alienware with the orange inputs facing out.
5. Plug one end of Link Box power adapter into back of Link Box and the other end into surge protector below table.
6. Plug the included USB cable into back of Link Box and into one of many USB 3.0 slots behind the Alienware.
7. Plug the included HDMI cord into back of Link Box and into open HDMI slot in the SAME graphics card that the display is plugged into behind the Alienware. 
8. Plug the HTC Vive headset into the front of the Link Box using the color coded ports.

Setting up your space

1. Launch Steam from the Desktop.
2. Launch SteamVR from the View menu or by clicking the VR icon in the top right and wait for SteamVR to load (takes a minute). SteamVR should indicate that it has recognized the base stations and headset. It will recognize the controllers by holding the System button on each controller for a few seconds.
3. Click the really small three horizontal lines in the top left of SteamVR to access the menu and launch Run Room Setup. The room is small enough to use the Standing Room Only option. Follow instructions, then you are ready to put on the headset.
4. The trick to getting a clear focus is to use a combination of tightening knob on the back of the headset and moving the headset up and down until you find the sweet spot. Use the Velcro straps to keep it tight in the right position.

Steam Library

1. You can launch apps from the Steam Library directly from Steam on the PC or you can launch them from within the headset by clicking Library.  NOTE: It often takes a few minutes for an app to close when you launch another one, and occasionally you will get a message alerting you that its taking too long, but just be patient and it will eventually close so the new app can open.

Tips

1. Most of the apps have tutorials on how to use the buttons on the controllers. 
2. Some apps allow you to export your work to social media or on the local computer. The local location varies from app to app, but the first places to look are under the app's name somewhere on the D:\ drive or C:\Users\imvculpub\Documents\ 

Importing projects

1. If you wish to import a Unity project into the Vive, open Unity from the Desktop and open your project. It is recommended that you create your Unity project on the PCs D:\Saves drive to assure that it will always open on this system. Others have saved to the cloud with success, but some have had issues with projects saved on USB sticks that had nothing to do with version compatability.
2. With your project open, go to the Unity Store and search for SteamVR (you will get no results from Steam VR, it must be SteamVR). Click Install.
3. Downloading takes a little while, then you will see an option for importing into your project. Import All, which takes even longer.
4. Once SteamVR has imported, drag the CameraRig plugin from the PreFab folder into your project menu. Now your project should be visible in the headset, but you will need to tweak the controls to get it to do exactly what you want. NOTE: Sometimes the Steam camera conflicts with the Unity camera and you may need to move it to the top.