Has anybody heard anything about the virtual field? Is it something that is going have to be downloaded after kickoff? Is there a basic primer on how it works and what kind of resources you are going to need for a 40+ member team. Is it going to be like the three Graeae sisters of ancient times that had to share one eye ball?
No⌠but as we had the initial KoP blog (âmore to comeâ) drop already w/o a mention I think weâre a bit overdue for an update.
Depending on the solution, if teams are going to need some hardware/software to view the VR, but arenât told enough in advance to get it, we will still have teams of haves/have nots just like we used to.
That said, if the plan is to have something in the KoP (Google Cardboard / Daydream for example) and is self-contained, then I have no problem, but the not-knowing is getting to me tooâŚ
Another option FRC Teams will have to view and navigate around the Destination: Deep Space field will be with the Autodesk Synthesis simulator.
There should be some nice features added to the 2019 release of Synthesis, including a Network Multi-player capability.
Iâm just hoping we get details soon enough that remote kickoff sites can prep for it ahead of time. It would be wondeful if we can have it available right after the broadcast ends.
I am very fortunate in that my son has been making his living in the VR/AR world for the last few years. (Thanks much in part to the experience he gained doing animation while involved with his HS robotics team.)
There is a fairly good chance he can help our team acquire, even if only for a few days, a decent VR rig.
As Sean pointed out, it would really be nice to have enough details in advance to make realistic and appropriate arrangements. It is really difficult approaching sponsors and vendors without any real details.
If I remember right, when the VR field was announced, it was mentionned that it was being trialed to eliminate the practice of advanced field teams leaking field information ahead of the kick-off. If that holds true, it is unlikely the VR field will be released before kick-off.
No one is expecting that they will release the field in unencrypted form before kick off. I have no idea how well a VR file can be encrypted. But information on what hardware and software is needed will be really useful. Maybe even a beta field to test with. (It could even be the standard field without game elements.)
Iâm pretty sure you can encrypt folders when you zip them. Might be an option, though Iâm not sure how well it would work if they use phones for viewing (Ă la Google Cardboard).
EXACTLY!!
Guys we are [roughly] three months away from kickoff. I would imagine right now that FIRST Engineering is finalizing all of the documentation, field drawings and models, and finalizing the logistics of the KOP.
If I had to venture a guess as to the format the virtual field will be in, Iâd look at the sponsors, and see that Solidworks is an FRC âCrown Supplierâ [top tier] and Autodesk is a FRC âSilver Supplierâ. I think that should lend some guidance.
Oh and if youâre wondering about the time frame that remote kickoff locations would receive âwooden fieldâ info previously, it was never more than a week prior to kickoff.
I wasnât asking for the actual VR field files, but rather information regarding their format, distribution, and mechanisms for viewing. Thatâs not a âleakâ risk at all, but rather essential information to provide kickoff hosts so that kickoff hosts can coordinate having the VR field available ASAP.
Both of those suppliers had that status prior to the VR field announcement. Additionally, I know FIRST is reaching out to entities other than those for support for the VR field. This type of speculation doesnât seem particularly fruitful to me.
The assembly instructions were typically released in the week leading up to kickoff, but the material lists and/or cut lists were provided before Christmas.
Further still, depending on exactly how they deploy this VR field, it may not be something we can just run down to the local Best Buy to be able to support. We donât know anything about its hardware platform or distribution. We donât know if we need to coordinate with our school IT department regarding getting content unblocked to download or view the VR field. Weâre completely in the dark at this point. This is substantially different than building a wooden field, where there are numerous local vendors who can help provide the physical components necessary (and even then, the material list was released weeks ahead of time).
I have to say, I agree with you Sean. Itâs often the case that people advocating for transparency and making things public are often shouted down by others. Itâs a shame because transparency and visibility can help make a situation easier and help build trust. 
I think everything boils down to this.
Do I need to try to get some kind of VR headset + VR capable computer in the budget? Do I need a specific type of phone?
These are the kinds of questions teams should be asking now, and canât really wait to be answered until the week before kickoff.
I replied to the blog post with this very similar suggestion to release last years game in this environment so we can acquire and test hardware. Even if they do plan to include some hardware in the KOP they should be able to release that information without compromising the game. We already know that we will use VR to view the field tours. My biggest concern and I have heard other make the statement is what happens at the moment after kickoff when EVERYONE tries to download the files to their phones for the simple cardboard experiences. Will it be like the old registration system when two weeks later the servers stop crashing?
FYI the 2018 VR Field and details pertaining to it were posted at the Automation Direct Library.
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So does this mean that we need a âHTC VIVE or OCULUS RIFTâ to be able to view the field? Is one system in the KOP? That expense is certainly not in many teams budget plans.
How will that be done at kickoffs if at all?
Since otherâs asked previously I provided a link to the 2018 details. The 2019 details are still unannounced,
I know, but these are the questions being ask in this thread, what do we need to be able to view the Virtual Fields?
Looking at that 2018 VR thing, I donât think it would be very hard to make it also work with KB/M on a flat screen. Even without VR equipment, I can open the simulation and it renders properly. The only problem is that I canât move around. Iâd have to think it wouldnât take much time at all to make a very very simple pan/tilt interface on a keyboard and mouse. But it would be nice if they released a 360/3D video on YouTube of walking around the field. Even without a Cardboard, you can pan around the video to see everything.
just following up in this thread with the link in case anyone missed it: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/playing-field
Looks like google cardboard will be in the KOP. Also viewable with an oculus rift, HTC vive, and hololens.