Category: High Sierra

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Unreal Engine 4.18 Now Available with Native ARKit and ARCore Support

The latest edition of the videogame development suite, Unreal Engine 4, has today been released and is available to download now. Epic Games has included ‘hundreds of updates’ along with 98 improvements submitted by the Unreal Engine developers community.

ARKitThis latest edition sees a huge step forward for augmented reality (AR) development, with support for Apple’s ARKit and Google’s ARCore now included natively. Unreal Engine 4.18 includes ‘production-ready’ support for Apple’s ARKit in iOS11, including for new handsets iPhone 8 and iPhone X.

“We’ve streamlined workflows making use of existing framework components, added robust handling of the passthrough camera, and increased fidelity by improving performance and prediction,” states Jeff Wilson, Documentation Lead at Epic Games, before noting “There have been significant changes since the experimental support for ARKit in Unreal Engine 4.17. ARKit projects created using 4.17 will require updating to work in 4.18.”

In addition to native support, the ARKit updates also include the Desktop-class Forward Renderer used in the Wingnut AR demo at WWDC 2017. Though still currently experimental, the new technology is supported on iOS devices with an A9 or later processor running iOS 10.3 or newer, with an A10X or better running iOS 11 strongly recommended.

Wingnut AR 1“This rendering technology brings the same support physically based shading, reflections, lighting, and shadowing to the latest iOS devices,” offers Wilson. “These features are more demanding than the existing mobile renderer on the hardware and are experimental so some features may not function correctly on all devices & OS revisions. The following features are known not to work: GPU skin-cache, GPU morph-targets, Atmospheric Fog and Multi-Sample Anti-Aliasing.”

Following ARKit is the turn of ARCore, which is now supported natively as a developer preview. This new addition takes advantage of common AR functionality in the engine and features improved handling of the passthrough camera.

Both AR and virtual reality (VR) are getting a boost from a new Refactored VR / AR Camera System. Unreal Engine 4.18 now contains a default camera implementation for both Camera Components and raw view that includes late-update automatically handled by the engine. Furthermore, the latest SDK’s from Oculus VR (Oculus Runtime 1.17), SteamVR (SteamVR 1.39) and macOS (masOS 10.13 High Sierra) have been added in fully functional states.
Apple - HTC Vive - Star Wars

The latter of these runtime updates, High Sierra, is most significant as it lets HTC Vive developers jump straight into adapting their VR titles for Mac format PCs. Or, of course, building entirely new experiences.

Unreal Engine 4.18 is available to download via the Unreal Engine Client now, and you can find the full release notes on the Unreal Engine Forum. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest updates to AR and VR development platforms.

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MacOS High Sierra Update Brings VR Applications to Consumers

Early last month, Apple, Inc. announced that the forthcoming virtual reality (VR) compatibility would come via way of a MacOS update known as High Sierra. Closed beta access to the update came at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and now is available to all.

 

Apple - iMac HTC Vive

One of the biggest changes incorporated into the High Sierra update is an overhaul of the file organisation system. The new architecture, dubbed the Apple File System, replaces a system designed decades-old Macintosh hardware. The new system is optimised to take advantage of newer technology such as flash-based memory and is configured for better security. Exactly how much of an improvement Apple File System offers will only be known once more people have had the opportunity to work with it.

The operating system also introduced High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), and – perhaps most importantly for VR developers – Metal 2. HEVC is a new industry standard for graphics that allows for up to 40 percent greater compression of video data. That means video files will take up significantly less storage space. Metal 2 adds new capabilities to the way the system manages the graphics processor, allowing it to take advantage of machine learning, external GPU support and VR output, including the HTC Vive.

High Sierra also includes optimised support for other VR elements, such as content creation applications like Final Cut Pro X, Unreal Engine 4, and Unity 2017, which all have VR development as a central component of their application.

 

Apple - Unreal - Star Wars

The High Sierra update is still considered beta, but no longer has any limitations on who may download it. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details on Apple’s VR rollout for Mac format PCs.

Posted on

MacOS High Sierra Update Brings VR Applications to Consumers

Early last month, Apple, Inc. announced that the forthcoming virtual reality (VR) compatibility would come via way of a MacOS update known as High Sierra. Closed beta access to the update came at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and now is available to all.

 

Apple - iMac HTC Vive

One of the biggest changes incorporated into the High Sierra update is an overhaul of the file organisation system. The new architecture, dubbed the Apple File System, replaces a system designed decades-old Macintosh hardware. The new system is optimised to take advantage of newer technology such as flash-based memory and is configured for better security. Exactly how much of an improvement Apple File System offers will only be known once more people have had the opportunity to work with it.

The operating system also introduced High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), and – perhaps most importantly for VR developers – Metal 2. HEVC is a new industry standard for graphics that allows for up to 40 percent greater compression of video data. That means video files will take up significantly less storage space. Metal 2 adds new capabilities to the way the system manages the graphics processor, allowing it to take advantage of machine learning, external GPU support and VR output, including the HTC Vive.

High Sierra also includes optimised support for other VR elements, such as content creation applications like Final Cut Pro X, Unreal Engine 4, and Unity 2017, which all have VR development as a central component of their application.

 

Apple - Unreal - Star Wars

The High Sierra update is still considered beta, but no longer has any limitations on who may download it. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details on Apple’s VR rollout for Mac format PCs.

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Unreal Engine Gets Early Access MacOS High Sierra Support

Epic Games have announced the release of Early Access support for the upcoming version of the MacOS, High Sierra, to allow developers to develop for virtual reality (VR) using the Mac platform.

Mac OS 10.13, code-named High Sierra, was announced as being capable of supporting VR at this year’s WWDC, the Apple Development Conference in California. After the announcement, Epic Games took to the stage alongside renowned special effects experts Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) to demonstrate the new functionality, displaying how Unreal Engine in VR mode worked on the new version of the OS on a brand new iMac Pro.

Unreal Engine_macOS_support

Epic Games subsequently released the Early Access support for Unreal Engine for development of VR on Mac platforms via the Unreal Engine GitHub repository. The version available on GitHub is a early access release, so full functionality may not yet have been made available. Epic Games have confirmed that full support for VR development on Mac platforms is part of upcoming releases of Unreal Engine, alongside general Metal 2 support and various general Mac optimisation tweaks.

 

The updated version of Unreal Engine, version 4.18 binary tools, will feature the updated functionality and is expected to be released for developer previews in September 2017, with a full release in early October 2017.

Apple have been embracing VR and augmented reality (AR) much more of late. With Apple’s general habit of thoroughly testing the waters when it comes to new technology, Apple were somewhat behind with regards to AR and VR technology. It was recently announced that Steam VR would soon get Mac support and along with the upcoming new iPhone’s updated AR support, it seems that Apple are trying to catch up.

VRFocus will continue to bring you news on Apple’s new AR and VR technology.

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Apple Announces First VR-Ready Computers

Apple has finally made a commitment to VR, announcing on stage today at Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2017 that not only will they offer an external GPU developer kit for MacBooks capable of meeting the graphical demands of VR, but that both the new 27-inch iMac and the iMac Pro will be VR-ready out of the box.

Senior VP of software engineering Craig Federighi announced today to the WWDC crowd that Metal 2, the company’s updated hardware-accelerated graphics API, will be launching with support for external graphics as well as a set of VR-specific features to the newly revealed High Sierra macOS.

Dubbed ‘Metal for VR’, the update will include developer features such as a VR-optimized display pipeline, viewport arrays, system trace stereo timelines, GPU queue priorities and frame debugger stereoscopic visualization. The company says Metal 2 will also support Unity, Unreal Engine and the Steam VR SDK, making Apple’s new operating system a true VR-native.

The new external GPU dev kit, available today, is coming with a VR-capable AMD Radeon RX 580, which is somewhere between an NVIDIA GTX 1060 and 1070 in function. While it may not be specifically marketed for VR consumers, instead targeted towards developers, the external GPU enclosure would technically allow you to use a high-quality VR headset like a HTC Vive or Oculus Rift with a MacBook using the Steam VR beta.

image courtesy TIME

Apple VP of hardware engineering John Ternus later presented the new iMac lineup, concluding with the 27-inch iMac that’s finally packing a VR-ready GPU and making it the first out the door to have native VR support. Calling it a “great platform for VR content creation,” Ternus revealed that Lucas Film’s ILMx Lab has been using the 27-inch iMac and Unreal Engine to develop a new Star Wars themed real-time creation with the help of Epic’s Unreal VR Editor.

In the Star Wars-themed creation, Epic’s Lauren Ridge demonstrated by putting on a HTC Vive and building a basic scene by picking assets and resizing them, including an animated Darth Vader.

image courtesy TIME

27-Inch iMac Specs

  • Intel 7th Gen Core processor (“Kaby Lake”)
  • Radeon Pro 570, 575 and 580 graphics options with up to 8GB VRAM
  • New Retina 5K display (up to 500 nits, or 43 percent brighter)
  • Up to 64GB memory
  • Fusion drive (up to 50 percent faster, up to 2TB capacity)
  • 2 USB-C connectors with Thunderbolt
  • Starting at $1799
image courtesy TIME

iMac Pro, Apple’s high-sec 27-incher with Retina 5K display, is going to be VR-ready too, coming with a Radeon Pro Vega GPU which delivers up to 11 Teraflops of compute power for real-time 3D rendering and high frame rate VR. The iMac Pro is scheduled to ship in December starting at $4,999 (US).

The post Apple Announces First VR-Ready Computers appeared first on Road to VR.

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Apple’s Metal to Support VR in High Sierra

If you’ve not been watching Apple’s WWDC 2017 conference then you might have missed the company mentioning virtual reality (VR). While there no head-mounted display (HMD), but there’s greater support for the technology than ever before with Apple announcing its Metal software will now support VR.

Today Apple has reveal its latest OS, now called High Sierra and as part of the operating system is Metal 2, the company’s API for high performance graphics. But now there’s one more, Metal for VR. With this Metal will be able to deliver a VR-optimised display pipeline, GPU queue priorities, Viewport arrays and much more.

Apple - Metal for VR 1

That’s not all. Apple also ran through its new iMac range unveiling the iMac Retina 5K 27-Inch, which comes with either a AMD Radeon Pro 570, 575 and 580 with up to 8GB of VRAM meaning it can power units like the HTC Vive which Apple demonstrated on stage along with Epic Games and Unreal Engine.

If Apple makes any further announcements regarding VR during WWDC 2017 VRFocus will let you know.