Digital Media Concepts/Virtual Reality

Overview
Virtual Reality has been a fascinating interest in people for a really long time. Virtual Reality is a simulation of a Digital world where you can experience things that you can’t in the real world. Virtual Reality allows you to be fully immersive into a film or a game and even training and learning programs,quite different from being bound to a TV screen or a Monitor.

How to enter Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is entered by using a virtual reality headset, these headsets give you the visual eyes and the scenery of the virtual world. Movement in the Virtual world is accompanied with controllers. Depending on the brand of your VR headset, there's a stand alone system that allows you to connect to your Computer which then you can download the software SteamVR. This software allows more human-like movements that are fluid motions like day to day reality, rather than being stiff like dynamic bones or a floating entity.



Virtual Avatar
A Virtual Avatar can be customized to be yourself or it could be your favorite fictional character. This feature is used in the popular game VRChat.

To create a Virtual Avatar you must use a software program that creates 2D or 3D Character Models like the software Virtual BodyWorks. The character avatar creation is pretty simple.

First step- Selfie

You take a selfie of your face, which you upload to Virtual BodyWorks. Your face is used has a model for your avatar.

Second step- Character Creation

Most programs have prepackaged models you can choose from. All you have to do is design your character. If you don't like how your character avatar looks, you can always hire a artist to design the character for you.

Third Sep- Export

Once your done with your character model, Virtual BodyWorks has a software that you can export your avatar to.

There are also Full Body Avatars. Which can be a downside for people who are just getting into Virtual Reality because Full Body Avatars are expensive. Full Body Avatars are created by use full body tracking suit which capture the movement of your whole body, which you often see in movies.

Gaming in Virtual Reality
Gaming has become more and more popular in the recent years, from 2D pixel sprite games we all loved to Virtual games that are first person point of view. Virtual Reality allows people to experience the visual action like the characters do in video games. Gaming in Virtual Reality is interactive and immersive meaning that you get a full feel of the game.

Why is Virtual Reality Popular
Virtual Reality is a new age in technology, it provides entertainment through interactive and immersive visuals and actions. The idea of entering a completely different world is fascinating and has interested people for many years. When people grew up they watched shows that featured Virtual Reality and people want to experience something similar.(SAO, Black Mirror, Altered Carbon )

Side Effects of Being in VR for long periods of time
Virtual Reality can be fun and immersive to people, but being in Virtual reality for long periods of time could cause instances of eye strain, mild headaches and nausea. Such symptoms are triggered by the VR illusion, which makes the eyes focus on objects apparently in the distance that are actually on a screen just centimeters away.