Mixed reality is one of the best ways to capture a real-world person interacting with VR environments and objects. And I’m not talking about Microsoft’s marketing use of the word “mixed reality” to describe their product line.
The best way to describe mixed reality capture is the process of recording or broadcasting a third-person view of a user in VR. In a way, it’s a window into VR, allowing the user to be live composited with the output from a game to create this combined virtual video scene.
It’s a mind-blowing format that we’ve been pioneering at VRScout’s studio over the years to film everything from original art series, Super Bowl commercials, to even full-blown music videos.
But for years now, only Unity developers have been able to add mixed reality capture support to their VR games and experiences. It started with the HTC Vive headset and only recently have we begun to see support added to Unity applications on the Oculus Rift.
Now Unreal Engine developers can finally open up their projects to mixed reality capture with a new plugin created by HTC Vive developer Foo Hoang. The UE 4.16+ Mixed Reality Plugin was shared Tuesday and is currently in Beta.
Developers who enable the Unreal Engine Mixed Reality Plugin for their applications will allow fans like us and other content creators to capture gameplay in an entirely new way. The plugin replicates the existing Unity method for compatibility and frictionless play for those with existing MR setups that already support Unity MR. You can find more information about the Unreal Engine Mixed Reality Plugin here.
Are you an Unreal developer who just added Mixed Reality Capture? Leave a comment below, i’m sure we would all love to check it out.
Image Credit: VRScout