2016-05-31 Small CTO, future CTO I was often asked if I could offer more advice to help others get into the industry, or how to make money for VR developers. It's hard for me to answer specifically, because everyone's situation is very different. But there are some suggestions for people who want to enter the VR industry, and if you're thinking about becoming a VR developer, you might want to look down.
What hardware can I use? Not every VR developer will have all of the VR devices. Some development studios work only with a single VR platform, and developers who are ready to launch high-quality content often contact large hardware vendors and get exclusive supplies. If you're just starting on the path of a VR developer, you may not be able to get expensive equipment right away. But that's not a problem, you first need to figure out which platform your first project will be applied to. PC-side VR head like Oculus Rift, HTC Vive needs the computer generally better than usual home performance, price is not low, and mobile VR development threshold is relatively low, more suitable for the new developers.
In general, to develop a game, the first thing to contact the need for hardware equipment. So think about the hardware requirements before considering development. Without the experience of developing VR applications, it is not possible to enter the industry without a hardware device, but there is no need to spend a lot of money buying Oculus touch to start developing. Cardboard is a great entry-level headset, and comes with a free software development kit: Anyone with an Android or iOS device or someone with an initial interest in virtual reality technology will find this appropriate. Many of the basics of virtual reality development are 3D programming (and, of course, you can further develop your application, which requires more specialized knowledge), and you can build on the basics of developing new applications for cardboard before you buy expensive equipment or hardware.
How much do I want to spend? No need to invest a lot of money can also start the development of VR applications. Although now Oculus Rift price is very high, but there are a lot of equipment in the market is not so expensive, if you want to try several different products before deciding whether full-time investment in the VR industry, then you can choose low-end products.
In addition to the money spent on the equipment, you have to leave a sum of money to attend the event party. Many VR parties charge a small fee to pay for venues and food, but this is a great opportunity for you to learn because you can meet a lot of other developers and get the latest information and expertise in the industry. The meeting is also one of the best ways to understand and observe what other developers are doing, but it will become a big expense if not included in the spending plan beforehand.
How much time do I want to spend?? Everyone knows that it takes a long time to succeed, and that time is also necessary. First of all, you see the news about the VR industry, start to understand the relevant background, understand the product ecosystem, develop the design strategy until the final decision to buy what equipment. After that, you get your first display device, and immediately immerse yourself in interesting new applications and spend a lot of time. After that, you'll be able to immerse yourself in a platform, learn new APIs and Toolsets, and start chatting with other developers. Maybe it's all in your plan, but you need to figure out how much time you're willing to spend on developing an application and learning about a new system to avoid unpleasant experiences.
How do I use the knowledge I have now? When I first started experimenting with VR, I chose unity as the game engine because I had been there for 4 years. NET platform to develop applications for Windows in C # programming experience. There are a number of options to develop VR applications now. Therefore, re-learning a new set of technologies, or learning new things in the original knowledge to determine your different starting point.
If you are a Web Developer:Unityscript is a JavaScript-derived tool that can be used for unity games and application scripts. WebVR is an experimental API that uses Three.js or WEBGL to see the VR site in Firefox or Chromium browser. A-frame is a MOZVR-centric markup language that allows VR content to be made in HTML-based VR devices.
If you are a developer of objective-c or Java:With C #, Unityscript, or boo scripting, unity supports mobile platform application development in two languages. Both cardboard and gearvr have their own software development kit, which enables them to develop their own Android apps using Java on the selected mobile IDE or Xcode objective-c.
If you are a C # Developer:Unity supports C # scripts, and the editor comes with a rich 3D build tool Unity's cross-platform capabilities can be applied on different platforms, including Android, iOS and Windows
If you are a C + + Developer:The Unreal Engine Editor uses C + + as a scripting language to write OpenGL directly using the Oculus SDK (click to download Oculus file) OSVR provides the core database and the virtual engine plug-in OPENVR API to interface with C + +
This is not a complete list, but maybe it will help you find the right choice.
What do I have to develop? You don't have to know the answer to this question when you first try VR development, but if you have one or two long-term plans, you can purposefully find the direction and development of your study. If you want to develop a VR site in the future, you'll be using a lot of existing APIs and JavaScript libraries, and using Webvr from the start may be more helpful than trying out a virtual engine or learning how to use Blueprint. Also take into account the different applications of virtual reality and augmented reality devices, and whether you have a set of devices that need to be purchased.
In addition to helping you decide which tools to start with, there are basic concepts for what to develop in the future that can help you subdivide your project into actionable, achievable learning steps. Learning how to use the terrain Editor can be a good first step if you want to develop an application that requires a beautiful environment and a rich texture. Want to create your own stereoscopic rendering with a new tooling solution? Or do you want to improve the game you've started writing? Using your own software development kit and graphics pipeline may help you.
Do I have a special hobby? If you are particularly interested in rich 3D audio, there is no need to learn the lighting and environment design framework from scratch. Think about what your interests are and how they relate to the growing VR industry. See if you can find out what some developers are trying to do and see if there is room for further research. If you have interesting ideas, you might want to try on GitHub first to see if there are any existing projects you can draw on or participate in. Try a few more ways!
Future CTO pays attention to my CTO's road from now on: wlaicto
Six basic questions to be a VR developer
