I just cannot make this work - please help

[HARPY]

I can download youtube videos to view. But the only options I see are enormous fisheye or huge dome or circular playback images of side by side 3d videos. But if I import these videos into SkyBox VR they play properly as a film-like rectangle in full 3d. Why does virtual desktop play videos in only dome/circular/fisheye format? It looks completely unnatural. Clearly I am doing something wrong, but there are zero basic instructions. The side by side videos play as ENORMOUS images that are so large there is no border. It is blindingly huge. Whatever settings I opt for it does not change this enormous size. Why?

Also, I am confused about whether the videos are meant to play back in the main virtual space or can also playback in the virtual desktop video settings/video/photo window. Is the apps basic window JUST for settings and choosing videos? If I try to reduce the enormous size of the videos it just reduces the size of the app's window, not the video itself.

I see some controls at the lower left corner of the virtual space window. It only gives me the choice of a cube, which makes the video ridiculously oversized, or sphere, when it gets even more absurdly enormous, or fisheye which looks completely...well...fisheye. How can I get a video (either side by side or 180 etc) to just look normal....ie: Like you would see a rectangular screen in a cinema?

I just cannot understand why a developer would create what from all accounts a good piece of software but not bother to provide even a text fie with DETAILED, step by step instructions about how to use this app. Are we meant to guess?

Please could some kind soul take me through all the steps I need to display a video just like they appear using Oculus Rifts native example videos? I would be every so grateful. Thank you.

[ggodin]

The Videos tab is for 180/360 videos. If you want to play regular videos, just watch them as you normally do in your browser or with your favorite video app (VLC, Windows Media Player, etc.)

[HARPY]

Sorry but I knew that perfectly well. I am talking about side by side 3d videos. In for example Skybox VR there is an option to watch SBS videos in a cinematic format which is by far the most appropriate way to watch. The options in virtual desktop seem to be limited to an unrealistic fisheye which no natural eyes see, or a huge dome or spherical 360 view which is again not how the human eye sees at all. Though it is kind of you to respond, it would be nice if you could respond to the core question which is: Why not create a proper PDF guide, with clear explanations of exactly what your software does and the best and easiest way to run it.

As I said earlier, it would save you having to repeatedly answer questions and also inform your customers right from the beginning how virtual desktop works. Is it too much to ask to spend a little time writing a proper guide. Look at the number of questions you are getting. You do respond to them briefly but even in your own interests, I don't understand why you do not write a guide taking the user through each step to make the best of your software. As a developer myself I wouldn't dream of releasing any software without writing a comprehensive user guide. All you have on your website are a few FAQ.

[ggodin]

Same thing for SBS 3D videos, play them in your regular video player app, then toggle SBS mode in Virtual Desktop by pressing F6 (you can map this to any other key or button).

With the amount of things you can do with this app, I can’t cover everything in a document or video. Most of time, people don’t read them anyway and ask how to do X or Y. I don’t mind answering questions, sometimes the same one over and over again. When the same question gets asked a lot, I add it to the FAQ or try to make the feature more intuive to use.

[HARPY]

OK thanks for the reply. You say play an SBS video in y "normal video app". Do you mean windows media player, or for example youtube? If I am playing youtube SBS vidoes HOW do I magically make that appear in Virtual Desktop? It only works if I import/download it into your app's video selection window using the paste button. But the most important thing I am trying to explain is that in your demo videos it is clear that you can REDUCE the size of the 3d virtual space/video. I cannot do that. If I "reduce" screen size or use the controller pinch method, it does not reduce the MASSIVE, and I mean ridiculously MASSIVE size of the video. It just reduces the size of your app/settings window. That's what I simply do not understand.

You see, when I play a SBS video it should appear Square or Rectangular, but it always appears as a GIGANTIC, HUGE, unwatchable dome or cube that is so ridiculously large it is blinding. It is so HUGE that I can only see a zoomed in huge detail within the whole picture. Yet your demo video shows you playing a SBS 3d video in what looks like a cinema with a rectangular screen. That is exactly what I want to see, but your options in the app settings window, and the lower left settings in the video tab only give options for Cube, Dome and Fisheye. Where is the option for a sizeable rectangular VR video? If you go to a cinema to watch a 3d video you do not view it in a vast dome. You watch it on a rectangular screen (16:9 etc) from a seat placed at a distance.

I do understand that environments or rooms are different and require a large dome or cube in which to move around. But not 3d videos which surely must be square or rectangular in shape unless they are specifically meant to be 360 degree VR videos.

I just don't get it. Maybe I'm being thick! The important thing I am trying to get accross is that on your demo videos you appear to be able to size not just the app/settings window but also the actually VIRTUAL window containing the video. But I cannot do that and have spent hours and hours trying to do it!

[ggodin]

İlk olarak HARPY tarafından gönderildi:

OK thanks for the reply. You say play an SBS video in y "normal video app". Do you mean windows media player, or for example youtube? If I am playing youtube SBS vidoes HOW do I magically make that appear in Virtual Desktop?

Yes, just play it like you normally do in your browser or in Windows Media Player and make it fullscreen. Virtual Desktop shows you your desktop in VR so whatever plays in your browser or in Windows Media Player, will be shown right in front of you.

So for a SBS video in YouTube, this means that when you watch it, it will have a split screen. Once you press F6 on your keyboard, Virtual Desktop will send the left half of your monitor to your left eye and right half of your monitor to your right eye and make it appear “3D”.

Hopefully this makes sense.
Do you see your desktop in VR while in the app? I’m kinda puzzled by your questions. Ignore the Videos tab because you aren’t trying to watch 360 videos.

[HARPY]

ALLELULIA!!! A vital piece of info you mentioned, perhaps in passing, but it is vital. I did not realise that I had to press "full screen" icon on the youtube video. That makes a huge difference. Without selecting full screen you cannot resize the virtual video screen. When I select full screen in Youtube your app screen disappears and only the video screen is there and is rezisable.

However that doesn't fix the video screen when playing videos I download and place in the VIDEOS tab of your app. When I play those I get the massive, unadjustable screen and the controller "pinching" method resizes the APP SETTINGS screen, not the video screen. But we'e almost there. Any tips please?

[ggodin]

Are the videos that you downloaded actual 360 videos? If not then playing them with the included video player is useless.

I’m still waiting for links to the videos in question.

[HARPY]

I am now competely confused as all along I have never discussed 360 videos. I have discussed Side by side 3d videos which your app can play perfectly well and do appear as a sizeable rectangular window as long as I play them direct/streamed from youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Phpk-pug9Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKO9pW8FoRY

So I can successfully view and size any video directly streamed from YTube.

However, if I save the same videos, or indeed any other SBS 3d video to your app's video tab where there is a space to drag them or paste them, then start them using your apps transport controls, they do play successfuly in 3d on a rectangular space but the rectangle is absolutely huge and not resizeable, so it is unwatchable due to the massive size.

What I can do is also view the downloaded SBS videos in a massive dome, cube,or fisheye but only the fisheye view can be sized, using not the pinching method but pulling the size slider bottom left of your video tab, to the left of the start/stop controls. If I try to re-size a downloaded video the only thing that resizes, using the Oculus touch controllers pinching method, is your apps/setting window, not the virtual space. Hope that is clear!

[ggodin]

any other SBS 3d video to your app's video tab

As I’ve said already multiple times, the Videos tab is ONLY for 360 videos, it is NOT meant to play rectangular SBS video. I’ve told you this like 4 times already. The dome, half-dome, cube or fisheye projections are for 360 videos only so if you play the rectangular SBS videos you linked above, it will obviously look wrong.

[HARPY]

Hi and thanks for your replies which I really do appreciate, but you did not say multiple times that your app cannot play rectangular, regular 3d videos and it can only play 360 videos. I pointed out that actually, if I watch streamed youtube videos with your app open, I CAN indeed watch sizeable rectangular non-360 3dvideos AND in your app the screen is infinitely re-sizeable from either a huge screen down to a tiny rectangle, but if I download the exact same video then try to play it back from the video TAB, the videos are in huge, unresizeable wrap-round 180 degrees, 360 dome or cube.

This exchange is a very good example of why it is important to document your app. You need to be emphatically clear about what it can do and what it can't. You have berated me for not "getting" that your app can only play 360 videos. Firstly that is not entirely true and secondly I have tried my best to communicate all along that what I expected is that it could play rectabgular re-sizeable 3d videos, and indeed you confirmed it IS possible with YouTube. I know you do not mean to but you are replying with unclear information.

If you look back at the discussion, you will see that all along my almost SOLE question was about the ability to play SBS 3d videos. I never mentioned 360 videos. So all that is remaining is that your app can definitely play 3d videos in SBS format, but not from the video tab. The logical reaction to that is, why not, if it clearly can outside of the video tab. Anyway, thanks again for your patience and replies.

[ggodin]

Play your downloaded videos with VLC or Windows Media Player on the desktop. I have a feeling you are just trying to waist my time. Closing this thread.