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Mixed Reality Systems. Lab V – Interaction and Collaboration- Christoph Anthes. Overview. Introduction Medieval Town with an application base Interaction Recombination of interaction techniques Development of an own input device Development of an own cursor transformation model
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Mixed Reality Systems Lab V – Interaction and Collaboration- Christoph Anthes
Overview • Introduction • Medieval Town with an application base • Interaction • Recombination of interaction techniques • Development of an own input device • Development of an own cursor transformation model • Network Communication • Creating own events • Handling events • Concurrent Object Manipulation • Using mergers Mixed Reality Systems
Introduction • If you take a look at you code and run the example you will find yourself in the Medieval Town application • The code base has become significantly smaller since the application makes use of the OpenSGApplicationBase • Skybox, height and collision maps, as well as Avatars are additionally registered, the rest of the code is generic • This could be a good example to start your own application • Let’s inspect the application base version of the Medieval Town Mixed Reality Systems
Introduction • The class is derived from OpenSGApplicationBase • Required variables are initialised, constructor and destructor are defined Mixed Reality Systems
Introduction • The initialize method • Establishes the connection to the scenegraph interface • Height maps are loaded or generated if not found • Skybox is set up Mixed Reality Systems
Introduction • A root node is set • Filled with an anonymous group core • The data from the world database and the skybox are attached to the node • The starting transformation is taken from the world database and set as an initial transformation for the player Mixed Reality Systems
Introduction • Camera and Avatar are requested from the local user object of the user database • Local pointers to these objects are established if the system returns that they are available • The display of the Avatar is set to false Mixed Reality Systems
Introduction • In the display method the skybox is updated according to the current camera transformation • An updateAvatar() method is implemented in order to update Avatar transformations based on tracking data • An empty cleanup method is provided since it is necessary to implement one Mixed Reality Systems
Introduction • Callbacks register the required modifiers, the avatar and support to VRPN and trackD input devices Mixed Reality Systems
Introduction • Main creates an application object • It simply triggers the start function afterwards • This results in a subsequent initialisation process • Once the application returns it is deleted Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • Development of own interaction techniques • Often highly desirable • Can be very specific depending on input and output devices • Can be closely related to the scene which is represented in the application • Several approaches possible • Development from scratch • Redesign of the inVRs interaction module • Use of existing interaction module and recombination and extension of available techniques • Implementation of new techniques by creation of transition and action models Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • Let us remember the application from our first inVRs lab the Medieval town • In a first step we want to modify the interaction of the medieval town • Lets have a look at the interaction state machine of inVRs again Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • Recombination of interaction techniques • Our first approach is to use different predefined parts of interaction techniques • We first switch from the HOMER interaction technique to a virtual hand interaction technique • For this we have to alter two configuration files • Let’s start with the interaction.xml stored under config/modules/interaction • These models have to be exchanged: • manipulationActionModel • selectionChangeModel • unselectionChangeModel • These models can stay the same: • selectionActionModel – objects should still be highlighted when selected • manipulationConfirmationModel – confirmation is still triggered by a button • manipulationTerminationModel – termination is as well triggered by a button Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • Recombination of interaction techniques • The setup of an interaction technique is stored inside the interaction.xml file in \config\modules\interaction • We have to replace the manipulationActionModel inside the stateActionModels tag with the following snippet • And we have to replace the selectionChangeModel and the unselectionChangeModel inside the stateTransitionModel tag with the following snippet • To use our newly configured models we need sensor input as well, thus we have to change our abstract input device of the input interface Snippet 1-1 Snippet 1-2 Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • By inserting the following snippet in the controller.xml in the directory \config\inputinterface\controllermanager we replace the MouseKeybController with the MouseKeybSensorController • Now we can use the emulation of a sensor as previously introduced in the Going Immersive Tutorial • We additionally have to insert a cursor transformation model which can work with sensors • Since sensor emulation is a pretty bad method for input we have to come up with an alternative Snippet 1-3 Snippet 1-4 Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • In this step we actually implement a new input device as described inside the Going Immersive part of the inVRs tutorial • This device will make use of ARToolKit as a tracking library • It shall provide the functionality of sensor transformation and absence or visibility of markers • The marker orientation as provided from the ARToolKit is set to the sensor orientation • The sensor translation is implemented by an additional emulator function in a cursor transformation model • If a marker is visible the button of the device will be set to true if it is not detected it will be set to false • Details • We inherit from the InputDevice class • Implement the required functions by using parts of the code provided in the Augmented Reality Lab Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • What methods are we going to use? • virtual void update(); - called from inVRs to update the device state • void initARToolkit(std::string cameraCalibrationFile, std::string videoConfigurationFile); - initialisation • void loadMarker(std::string markersConfigurationFile); - loading markers • void addMarker(const XmlElement* marker); - adding markers • void startCapturing(); - wrapper to start capturing of the video • bool captureFrame(); - capture a single frame from the video stream • void detectAndHandleMarker(); - detect a marker and update sensor information from the recent captured image • void cleanupARToolkit(); - cleanup the device Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • What variables and helper classes are we going to use? • Variables • static XmlConfigurationLoader xmlConfigLoader; • bool initialized - a boolean to check whether initialisation is terminated • ARUint8 *imageData – the captured image • float threshold – a threshold for binarisation • std::vector<MarkerData*> markers – a list of markers • Helpers • MarkerData – Used to store data about a single marker • ARToolkitInputDeviceFactory – used to help with the creation of ARToolKitDevice objects Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • Let’s start with the constructor • It takes configuration arguments, triggers ARToolKit initialisation, and loads marker definition • Afterwards it starts the capturing process Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • The destructor calls the ARToolKit cleanup and empties the marker list • In the update method the frame capture is triggered and a subsequent method for maker detection and handling is called Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • The startCapturing method validates that everything is initialised and triggers the ARToolKit call for starting the video capture stream • In the actual captureFrame method the video image is stored inside an image data structure which will be used for future processing and detection • The method returns whether the capture was successful Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • This is the most important function in the device processing and updating • The first step to detect markers and build a detected Marker structure • ARToolkit marker processing is performed Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • The transformations of the marker on the device are set Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • The cleanup method which is called in the destructor empties our currently captured image data structure • Stops video capturing • Closes the video stream • Finally we create a factory, which allows to generate our device • The factory takes a set of configuration parameters as well as the name of the device • These configuration parameters are passed to the constructor of the device which is then returned as a generic input device Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • This is the implementation of the device factory used for the creation of ARToolkitInputDevice objects Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • Cursor Transformation Models • Cursor transformation models belong to the user object in the user database • They are used to determine the users cursor which can be relevant for object selection • inVRs provides three standard cursor models • VirtualHandCursorModel • HomerCursorModel • GoGoCursorModel • We have to implement as well a cursor transformation model • We only want to take the orientation of our marker into account for objects manipulation Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • This is the header file of our cursor transformation model Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • The model is derived from a generic cursor transformation model • The constructor is kept empty and passes the configuration data up to the super class • The getName() function returns the name of the model Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • The cursor transformation is calculated in the generateCursorTransformation method • Position, orientation and scale of the received sensor data can be taken into account • To emulate a normal virtual hand model all of these values would have to be set to 1 Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • As with many inVRs components a factory is needed for the generation of cursor transformation models • An argument vector can be passed to the factory which returns an initial model Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • Now we have to configure our ARToolKit device • These parameters are going to be used by our device • A calibration file is passed, describing the correction of the intrinsic parameters • A camera and a marker configuration file are passed • A threshold is passed for binarisation • The coordinate systems are mapped on inVRs coordinate systems Mixed Reality Systems
Interaction • And finally we have to switch again the controller in the controller.xml file, set the paths and update the cursor • Besides the includes we only have to alter two lines in our application • In the UserDatabase we have to register our cursor transformation model • In the InputInterface we have to register our device • If we compile and execute our application now we will be able to manipulate the scene with our markers Snippet 2-1 Snippet 2-4 Snippet 2-5 Snippet 2-2 Snippet 2-3 Mixed Reality Systems
Network Communication • In the recent Medieval Town tutorial we have implemented own animation which was executed only locally • This could resolved by transmitting information over the network • Development of network communication can be achieved in several ways • Definition of own messages • Definition of own events and modifiers • Rewrite of the inVRs network module • The most common approach is sending messages or writing own events • We will now have a look at writing own events Mixed Reality Systems
Network Communication • Writing own events • For communication we often have to develop our own events • Let’s take a look at the implementation of such an event Mixed Reality Systems
Network Communication • Writing own events • First we implement the constructor and the destructor • One option is to use an empty constructor which automatically sets an empty payload • The second option uses the constructor of the superclass and takes string as message payload Mixed Reality Systems
Network Communication • Writing own events • Then we have to implement three functions • Two used for serialisation and deserialisation and network communication • A third for execution at the events final location Mixed Reality Systems
Network Communication • To use network communication we have to connect with the network module • The event type has to be registered as a callback at the initialisation of the event manager • An event pipe has to be defined • And it is initialised with empty values Snippet 3-1 Snippet 3-2 Snippet 3-3 Snippet 3-4 Mixed Reality Systems
Network Communication • The event has to be polled in constant intervals • The pipe to the text module which has been defined has to be requested • If the pipe is not empty the current events have to be removed from front • Once fetched their execute method is called • Afterwards the event is deleted Snippet 3-5 Mixed Reality Systems
Network Communication • This event poling has to be triggered at a given location • Usually and in our case it is done once per frame in the display method • The issuing of the event has to be triggered, thus a GLUT callback has to be defined which is automatically registered • If you compile and execute your code now you should be able to send events by pressing the key ‘e’ • Try to interconnect to a remote user by passing a server IP + port • Console output at the interconnected remote participants will be provided one you press ‘e’ Snippet 3-6 Snippet 3-7 Mixed Reality Systems
Concurrent Object Manipulation • Only few MR applications provide the possibility to manipulate objects concurrently by multiple users • inVRs is the only MR framework which supports that type of interaction as an out of the box feature • Concurrent object manipulation is implemented by the use of so called mergers • These mergers are implemented as modifiers in the transformation manager • Once a pipe is opened on an object with the same id (e.g. an entity) which already has a pipe open and a merger is defined for such a behaviour it will be executed and process the data from both pipes Mixed Reality Systems
Concurrent Object Manipulation • Mergers • As with any other modifier mergers have to have a source id as well as a destination id • Each merger contains these as well the identifiers for pipeType, objectClass, objectID, and fromNetwork • These key attributes have to be used for an input and an output pipe • It is equipped with an id which will be used later on to establish it in the appropriate pipe sections Snippet 4-1 Mixed Reality Systems
Concurrent Object Manipulation • Mergers • To finally install the merger we have to activate it in our desired pipes • In our case the merger should affect concurrent interaction • Thus the following snippet has to be inserted twice in the local interaction pipe and as well in the remote interaction pipe (fromNetwork = “0” and fromNetwork = “1”) • When we execute our application now it should be possible with two networked users to collaboratively manipulate the same entity Snippet 4-2 Mixed Reality Systems
Things to do at home • Thing to do now!!! – Add another marker, map the orientation of the marker on the sails of the windmill • Extend the OpenSGApplicationBase to an ARToolKitOpenSGApplicationBase and combine the rendering from video stream with your input device • Develop an own interaction technique • Try to implement own events in an application for example to change the colour of objects on pressing a mouse button • Improve your merging strategies and have a look at the implementation of the merger Mixed Reality Systems
Useful Links ARToolKit http://artoolkit.sourceforge.net/ - Sourceforge Entry page http://www.hitl.washington.edu/artoolkit/ - GPL version http://www.artoolworks.com/ - commercial version ARToolKit Plus Web Page http://studierstube.icg.tu-graz.ac.at/handheld_ar/artoolkitplus.php OpenSG Web Page http://www.opensg.org/ inVRs Web Page http://www.invrs.org/ http://doxygen.invrs.org/ - inVRs Doxygen Page Mixed Reality Systems 44