Volumetric depth adds a whole new level of immersion to standard 360 and 180-degree videos.
Revealed during HTC’s recent Vive Ecosystem Conference this past March in Shenzhen, China, the companies groundbreaking 6DoF Lite technology is now available for use on the Viveport Video platform.
By simply turning on Viveport Video’s 6DoF setting, you can now enjoy the platforms full catalog of 360 and 180 content, as well as your own personal files, in a limited 6DoF format that allows you to move throughout the video 1-2 meters in any direction. The technology works automatically with any existing immersive content uploaded to the Viveport Video platform, both monoscopic and stereoscopic.
Of course, for the best possible experience, you’ll want to stick to 3D content when at all possible. While flat, monoscopic content is compatible, the lack of depth creates a noticeable warping effect when moving about the scene. It feels almost as if you’re standing in a cornerless room surrounded by projections; you’re able to move about the space, but everything will remain flat.
Stereoscopic 360 and 180-degree content, on the other hand, utilizes depth mapping data stored within the footage to provide additional information in which to help build a three-dimensional space virtual space. Everything you see within the scene has a sense of depth, allowing you to actually lean around objects and look at them from different angles, all while maintaining a solid parallax effect. The result is a significantly more immersive experience that blurs the line between immersive filmmaking and VR development.
“Anyone with a 360 cam can now be an interactive content creator,” said Alvin Wang, HTC China President, while speaking to VRScout. “It truly changes a passive experience into an active experience with no effort from the content creator. And seems no one knows about it yet. Really worth sharing to your audience. Also turns the content pool from a few thousand apps to millions of videos…”
6DoF Lite is available for free on all Vive devices via Viveport Video.
Featured Image Credit: Corel Discovery Center
