Introduction
Week 4 onwards of emerging tech was different from previous weeks, although there was a discussion topic in the same way as the previous weeks. On week 4 we instead focused on trying out series of VR art tools and trying to produce something using them. The programs that we used were shapeVR, Gravity sketch and open brush.
Gravity Sketch
The first software that I got the chance to use was Gravity Sketch, which was fairly simple and intuitive to use. The basic controls were very standard and what you would expect in a VR art app with the drawing being bound to the button that your index finger is naturally next to, and the “cursor” or drawing location being close by.
As for my experience with and thoughts on Gravity Sketch, I was initially hesitant. At first I did not like it, as I had not yet fully learnt the controls and menu navigation. However once I did learn the controls, I found that I did enjoy using the software and especially the menu navigation and controls. I was an especially big fan of the colour selection and rewind/undo method.
I liked the colour menu as it gave full and easy control of colour selection in a smooth way without any clunky menus. I liked the palette Due to the palette taking advantage of being 3d and using the third axis to control the vibrancy of the colour. I also liked the rewinding as it made sense in my mind and did not need to use any menus as it was by spinning the left thumb stick as if rewinding a clock. I liked this because it made it easy to undo mistakes without the need for menus
Open Brush
The second VR software that I tried out was Open Brush, this followed a very similar control scheme to Gravity Sketch which made it very easy to get started on, however there were differences in some of the controls and other general ways.
My overall thoughts of using Open Brush were that in the primary function it was very similar to Gravity Sketch, however there were many differences with the menus and how the other parts worked. For example I found that I preferred the easy brush selection and the easy menu access. As it was always open by my left hand rather than having to open it by moving my hands close together. However there were also some parts that I either liked less or was unsure about which I preferred. One part that I unquestionably preferred less was that the undo button was in the menu, I felt that the undo method in gravity sketch was much more fluid and intuitive. A element that I was not certain about was the colour palette as the palette in open brush is much more similar to the palette in other 2d art software. I was unsure as to whether I preferred it because I felt that it was much easier to get the exact colour you want, since it had a separate vibrancy option. But I also felt that the separate slider made it feel somewhat clunky to repeatedly switch colours.
ShapeVR
I did not have enough time to try out ShapeVR using the VR headset, so I am not able to form a proper opinion on the software as I did not use it to it full capability. However I was able to try out some things with the connected desktop application. Overall I did not enjoy it at much as the other two software. While this may be due to not trying it with the headset, ultimately, I was not particularly a fan of the software. It seemed to be primarily based around using shapes to create things rather than drawing it with a brush which I personally do not like as much. Although I am not a fan of the concept as a whole I realised that this software may be much better for creating truly 3d art, since the shapes? are 3d objects. Whereas in the other software the use of a brush tool means that it is closer to a 2d image than a 3d object.
Overall Thoughts
I think that as a whole I like the concept of these VR art software’s and I feel that they have a solid base with the interfaces and controls. However I feel that other than ShapeVR the VR drawing software may be hindered by the similarities due to the intuitive controls and the nature of drawing in 3d. I think that while each software is distinct and do have some differences as a whole, they seemed very similar to me. Parallels aside I did enjoy using the software and I feel like they do have some benefits, when you compare them with other forms of art. Generally they are good and definitely have a place as an artistic tool.