A Practical Introduction to Virtual Reality: From Concepts to Executables

by Lori Rebenitsch Ph.D., Lisa Rebenitsch Ph.D., Rohan Loveland Ph.D., MBA

Overview

A Practical Introduction to Virtual Reality: From Concepts to Executables is written for the undergraduate computer science student taking a course in virtual reality. This tutorial-based text is organized so that by the end of the semester students will have created their first VR game, including sound and various interactions. The materials are written from the position of the student and the student’s professor as opposed to the professional with prior graphics experience.

Beginning with an introductory chapter covering the ten universal basics necessary for VR coding, the book moves on to such topics as putting together a VR set-up, creating Heads Up displays, building scene trees, learning how to import 3D models and animations, lighting and audio, and more, until by the end of the book, students will have a final project game ready for beta testing and publishing!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780443140365
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	10/07/2024
Pages:	350
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr. Lori Rebenitsch has had previous research experience in the USA, Canada, Japan and Switzerland, publishing experience in scientific publications from computer science to physics, as well as undergraduate teaching experience in the USA and Canada. She has undergone the process of publishing both research articles and a fiction book before founding The Study, LLC, specializing in scientific writing in computer science and physics.

Dr. Lisa Rebenitsch is the head of the VR laboratory at the South Dakota School of Mines and a professor in the Computer Science and Engineering department. Dr. Rebenitsch previously held a Future Academic Scholars in Teaching (FAST) Fellowship at Michigan State University. She is trained and experienced in teaching techniques for engineering students.

Rohan Loveland, PhD, MBA, is a former high-tech start-up entrepreneur, as well as a professor in Computer Science and Engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines.

Table of Contents

0. Introduction
1. Object-Oriented Programming in Virtual Reality
2. Basic VR Objects and Interactions
3. Transformations and Scene Trees
4. Basic Physics
5. Multiple System Interaction Frameworks
6. VR Interactions
7. Menus and HUDs
8. Models and Animations
9. Terrains
10. Textures
11. Walking and Navigation
12. Lighting and Shaders
13. 3D Sound
14. Particle Systems
15. AI
16. Advanced Physics
17. Joints
18. Inverse Kinematics
19. Usability Design and Publishing

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From the Publisher

The first virtual reality textbook combining tools and underlying fundamentals, updated regularly to keep current with industry developments