{"id":10855,"date":"2018-01-18T17:00:24","date_gmt":"2018-01-18T14:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unlockunit.com\/blog\/?p=10855"},"modified":"2018-02-02T13:46:45","modified_gmt":"2018-02-02T10:46:45","slug":"using-unity-gear-vr-development-beginners-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unlockunit.com\/blog\/using-unity-gear-vr-development-beginners-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Unity for Gear VR development: The beginner\u2019s guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to the most popular virtual reality headsets of the moment, there\u2019s no doubt that the Samsung Gear VR is among them. After all, what did you expect from a device made alongside the folks over at Oculus, one of the biggest names in the game?<\/span><\/p>\n

The amount of apps available for it is already pretty big, but hey, there will always be <\/span>people wanting more from their headset and start developing their own apps<\/b>!<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re fancying this idea as well, but don\u2019t know where and how to start, we have a tip for you: <\/span>Unity for Gear VR<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The game development platform now comes with built-in support for the Samsung Gear VR and it\u2019s actually <\/span>the best way to start with making VR apps<\/b>. After learning <\/span>how to create virtual reality images<\/span><\/a>, let\u2019s see how you can do something even cooler…<\/span><\/p>\n

What should I start with?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Samsung and Oculus really appreciate developers who like to get involved with their products, so they put together a pack with tools and detailed instructions, available at <\/span>developer.oculus.com<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, <\/span>a lot of the stuff you can find over there is outdated<\/b>. After all, we\u2019re talking about technology! However, we went through it and found that Oculus Mobile SDK is the main thing we need for VR development.<\/span><\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a serious problem with it\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Oculus Mobile SDK includes all sorts of things, like packages, samples and all the resources compatible with Android Studio or Unity, so you can build VR apps. <\/span>Setting up is a real nightmare<\/b>, so we looked for an alternative. <\/span><\/p>\n

Using Unity 5, but without setting up the mobile SDK, is <\/span>the fastest and easiest way<\/b>, as it has support for the Gear VR built-in. Before getting to this, though, there are a few things you need to do. <\/span><\/p>\n

How to set up an Android environment<\/span><\/h2>\n

Setting up the Java SDK and Android SDK, as well as working USB drivers for your Samsung device on your PC are some of the first steps you need to make. <\/span>All the documentation<\/b> on this can be found in Unity\u2019s <\/span>official setup guide<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once you\u2019re done with this step, we guess that you\u2019ll want to <\/span>test the apps directly on your Samsung smartphone<\/b>. But I guess you don\u2019t want to insert the phone in the Gear VR each time you need to test the app, right? <\/span><\/p>\n

In this situation, you should know that you can build and run directly from Unity, as long as you enable development mode for Gear VR. You can do it by following these steps:<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 1: Go to Settings, in the phone\u2019s menu<\/span><\/h3>\n

Simply click on the Settings icon, after opening the app drawer.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Go to Application Manager > Gear VR Service<\/span><\/h3>\n

Selec this option.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Select Storage > Manage Storage<\/span><\/h3>\n

Look for the VR service version.<\/p>\n

Step 4: Click on VR service version a couple of times, <\/span><\/h3>\n

Wait until you get the \u201cYou are a developer\u201d message, then the Developer Mode toggle is displayed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Step 5: Toggle Developer Mode. <\/span><\/h3>\n

Ok, you\u2019re almost ready. Let\u2019s move on to the next step!<\/span><\/p>\n

How to set up Unity for Gear VR<\/span><\/h2>\n

Nervous? No need. You\u2019ll learn <\/span>how to develop VR apps in no time<\/b>! Just stick with me on this next important step. <\/span><\/p>\n

Since you\u2019re going to use Unity 5, you need need to complicate your life with any additional integration, so it can work with VR. Just stick to the Oculus Utilities, as the package comes with all the API, scripts, as well as the prefabs you need in order to work with Gear VR. You can download it from <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Unity<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re done with this, you need to follow these steps: <\/span><\/p>\n

Step 1: Open unity and create a new project<\/span><\/h4>\n

Step 2: Go to File > Build Settings and select Android. Then, switch the platform. <\/span><\/h4>\n

Step 3: Go again to File > Build Settings and open Player Settings.<\/span><\/h4>\n