STYLY – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

May 3, 2022

Toronto & London NEWVIEW School Application Deadline Extended

If you love exploring your artistic talents, and getting creative with new digital mediums like virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) then Psychic VR Labs’ cloud platform STYLY has been designed to do just that. To help in that endeavour the Japanese studio launched its NEWVIEW School several years ago to help budding artists get into XR art. Since then the school has expanded beyond Japan into Toronto, Canada and London, UK, with sign-ups still open until this coming weekend.

This will be the fifth year for NEWVIEW School in Tokyo, its second in London and its first in Toronto. Previously an in-person event, NEWVIEW School 2022 is moving to a hybrid model so that it can facilitate attendees both remotely and those that still wish to take part in a physical event.

Each school is slightly different in the fact that the curriculum is tailored to the host country but the broad scope is that all attendees will learn STYLY and Unity. There will be a myriad of additional topics including photogrammetry and optimising for different devices, ensuring artists have the skills to easily publish their works. They’ll also be able to take part in the annual NEWVIEW Awards.

Thanks to its hybrid learning model NEWVIEW School is accepting applications from across Europe, with the online modules running from 9th – 30th June, with the weekly lectures beginning on 7th July. Spaces are limited with the tuition priced at £450 GBP. The Toronto school modules begin on 2nd June with the course costing $750 CAD.

STYLY’s events aren’t purely geared around the NEWVIEW School either. Whether you live in London or not there’s the regular ‘AR & VR Artists London’ Meetup group, another hybrid event for XR artists. The next one takes place on 31st May featuring a hands-on workshop from resident XR artist Barney Kass.

Applications for NEWVIEW School 2022 in Toronto and London will now close on 7th May. For continued updates, keep reading gmw3.

March 1, 2022

NEWVIEW XR Art School Returns With Campuses in Japan, UK & Canada

Last year, Japanese XR studio Psychic VR Lab went international with its NEWVIEW School, an initiative teaching creators how to build immersive artworks using its STYLY platform. Today, the studio has announced NEWVIEW School 2022 as well as a new addition, Canada.

With its return for 2022, the NEWVIEW School will now hold events in Japan for the fifth year in a row, Taiwan (in its third year), the UK (in its second year) and the inaugural year for Toronto, Canada. And because countries are now beginning to open up again, the NEWVIEW School will move to a hybrid model offering local attendees in-person lectures alongside remote learning for those unable to travel.

Each school will have its own tailored curriculum to suit the culture of the host location whilst providing opportunities to learn more about virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies. Components will focus on several topics ranging from Unity basics through to photogrammetry, optimising for different devices, and, of course, using Psychic VR Labs’ content creation platform STYLY.

“The NEWVIEW School is an exciting opportunity for budding artists to develop their skills further,” said Ryohei Watanabe, CMO Psychic VR Lab in a statement. “It’s not just for experienced artists but for anyone who’s ever considered the possibility of bringing their dreams to life. Fashion designers, architects, gamers and music artists have all been a part of NEWVIEW in the past, and with this year’s school we’re encouraging more people from diverse backgrounds to join us!”

“STYLY and Psychic VR Lab have a very community-minded ethos and are all about embracing our future of mixed realities,” adds Miriam Arbus, Local Coordinator, NEWVIEW School Toronto. “I’m passionate about enabling artists, and in the spirit of experimentation and pushing boundaries, NEWVIEW provides an outstanding educational platform that equips artists and designers to create whatever they dream up.”

If you’re interested in applying for NEWVIEW School 2022 applications open today for their respective countries with launch dates still to be revealed. For further updates, keep reading gmw3.

December 20, 2021

6 Japanese Cities Are Just the Start of STYLY’s Real-World Metaverse

Psychic VR Lab’s cloud-based XR platform STYLY has supported both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) for some time now. Today, the Japanese company has revealed that its next major update for the platform, its first tangible step into metaverse that bridges both the real and virtual. Due to arrive in 2022, the new feature will allow STYLY creators to integrate mixed reality (MR) content into urban spaces.

Once live the feature will allow STYLY to import 3D mapping data of cities which artists can then utilise for all sorts of virtual applications, such as placing artworks on the side of buildings or giant information points floating mid-air. The MR content will only be viewable by actually visiting the location, either using the STYLY app on a smartphone or by using compatible smartglasses like the Nreal Light.

Open-source data will be integrated into STYLY Studio, the main production tool for STYLY users. Providing accurate building data for simple drag and drop placement of virtual content there’s also the possibility for adding information on human and traffic flow, great for pedestrians wandering around a city. At the moment six Japanese cities are supported (Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto and Fukuoka) with plans to add more from around the world in the future.

“We see the metaverse as ‘a new world that can now be perceived through technology-enhanced perception’,” said Masahiro Yamaguchi, CEO of Psychic VR Lab in a statement. “The world we perceive is subjective, based on our perceptions and experiences. I believe that the essence of the metaverse is that by expanding this perception through technology, we can perceive a world that was previously unrecognizable. Whether in the real space of a city or in a VR space, we would like to call the metaverse that originates from the human-centred real self the real metaverse.”

“STYLY is a service with the tagline ‘Free your inner world’, which means to free the subjective world (your inner world) by expanding perception through technology,” Yamaguchi continues. “In the future, we would like to evolve and develop STYLY as an operating system for the real metaverse, a metaverse that starts from the real human-centred self.”

Psychic VR Lab isn’t the only company looking to build a “real-world metaverse”. The biggest player in this space is probably Niantic Labs which launched its Lightship Augmented Reality Developer Kit (ARDK) alongside a $20 million USD creators fund in November. As this space continues to advance and create exciting possibilities VRFocus will keep you updated.

November 23, 2021

XR Art Fest Returns to London’s Realities Centre This Week

Artists have been embracing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology for many years now, exploring new ways of immersing the public in ever more elaborate worlds. If you’re in the UK this week and you’re interested in this side of the XR industry then you might want to head down to the Realities Centre in London, which is hosting an XR Art Fest this Thursday.

Whether you’re an artist interested in learning more about this space or an XR enthusiast who loves to experience the latest XR artworks, XR Art Fest is a one-day celebration featuring workshops, talks, hands-on presentations and more. Guests will be able to take part in workshops with step-by-step tutorials for XR content creation using software like TiltBrush and OpenBrush. The event is sponsored by Psychic VR Lab, the Japanese studio behind the cloud-based XR platform STYLY.

Talks during the day will cover a range of metaverse-related topics, from ‘Art Galleries for NFTs’ looking at how “galleries collaborate with artists to curate and monitise their artwork.” Or how about ‘Virtual Clay Sculpting With Haptics’ by Dr. Ivan Isakov (co-founder / CTO at Valkyrie Industries) who will demo Argil, a VR sculpting app that uses finger tracking and haptics.

“Experiencing creative designs from within brings a whole new paradigm to art,” states Dr. John Holder, CEO Realities Centre Ltd. “We are delighted to bring back the XR Art Fest after a hugely successful first year and offer new opportunities for audiences to not only experience the latest in XR content creation, but also learn how to easily create digital art for themselves.”

The XR Art Fest is a ticketed event with a full event pass coming in at £20 GBP. Taking place this Thursday, 25th November 2021 the XR Art Fest will run from 12:30 pm to 10:00 pm GMT, with plenty of chances to relax, enjoy a drink and socialise with XR professionals and enthusiasts alike.

For further updates on the latest XR events both virtually and physically, keep reading VRFocus.

November 16, 2021

XR Art Platform STYLY Expands Support to Vive Flow

HTC’s introduction of Vive Flow in October certainly raised a few eyebrows when it came to where the company was positioning the headset, heading down the line of a wellness device rather than focusing on gaming or enterprise. Even so, developers have seen the potential in the light, phone connected virtual reality (VR) headset, with Psychic VR Lab’s creative platform STYLY adding support.

The news isn’t too surprising considering STYLY rolled out support for HTC Vive’s Viveport platform in September, allowing users to access a huge selection of immersive content built by artists worldwide. STYLY was built around the idea of using XR as an artistic medium, with works ranging from personal museum pieces to pop music experiences and anime comic creations.

While the free STYLY app enables access to these works, STYLY itself is a cloud-based platform where artists can bring their ideas to life using a web browser and then distribute the content via VR headsets, augmented reality (AR) devices and simply via the web. The app is supplied with STYLY Studio, the creative arm of the platform that doesn’t require any programming knowledge to operate.

Launched back in 2017 initially for PC VR headsets, STYLY also encourages creators to try the platform by hosting an annual event called the NEWVIEW Awards. This year’s event will be even bigger with more award categories and a huge $20,000 USD up for grabs for the lucky Gold Award winner.

The HTC Vive Flow is more like a chunky pair of sunglasses rather a bulbous VR headset. Weighing in at only 189g, the device sports a 100-degree field of view (FoV), 3.2K resolution (2x 2.1” LCD 1600 x1600 per eye) and a 75 Hz refresh rate. It connects to your phone either by cable or via Bluetooth – you’ll need the external battery to run it wirelessly – with your phone acting as a 3DoF controller. Vive Flow is now available to purchase for £499 GBP/$499 USD.

The addition of Vive Flow support continues a run of adding compatibility to both VR and AR devices, recent additions include Oculus Quest and Nreal Light. This has all been aided by an $8.5 million USD funding round earlier in the year, allowing the Japanese company to expand its global reach.

For continued updates on STYLY and the latest VR news from Japan, keep reading VRFocus.

September 14, 2021

More Prizes are up for Grabs in NEWVIEW Awards 2021

The annual NEWVIEW Awards organised by Psychic VR Lab opened submissions last month, accepting artistic works from creators using the company’s Styly platform. With several awards and cash prizes already on offer, today Psychic VR Lab has announced the addition of several extra prizes alongside expanding the judging team.

There will be three additional awards included in the 2021 NEWVIEW Awards event; The Nreal Prize, the Media Ambition Tokyo Prize, and the GIZMODO Prize. Each will be awarded to one XR artist, the Nreal Prize will be for augmented reality (AR) works that make use of STYLY for Nreal, an app for the Nreal Light smart glasses. While the Media Ambition Tokyo Prize will see the winner’s piece exhibited at the next Media Ambition Tokyo event, a festival presenting the possibilities of future-creating technology developed in Tokyo.

As for the GIZMODO Prize, this provides the winner an opportunity to exhibit their work for a limited time in a
space provided by Gizmodo Japan; one of the largest media technology websites in Japan. All of these new awards will be in addition to the standard three Silver Awards offering $5,000 USD each and the grand Gold Award which nets the winner $20,000.

When it comes to those picking the awards three new judges have been introduced. David O’Reilly is a multidisciplinary artist based out of Los Angeles and known for short films including Please Say Something and The External World. He’s worked TV shows such as Adventure Time and South Park as well as creating videogames. Also on the roster is Tina Sauerlaender, curator and co-founder of Radiance, artistic director of the VR ART PRIZE by DKB, and curator of The Unframed World exhibition.

Submissions for the NEWVIEW Awards 2021 are still open until 1st November, the theme this year being ‘Post Reality and No Normal’ because of the so-called “new normal” which has evolved around the COVID-19 pandemic. As mentioned, if you wish to enter the awards you need to have used Psychic VR Lab’s production and distribution platform Styly which works in conjunction with Unity. Styly is a web-based platform with thousands of works available to view both in and out of VR.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of the NEWVIEW Awards 2021, reporting back with the latest entries.

September 6, 2021

Artistic XR App Styly Debuts on Viveport

HTC Vive’s virtual reality (VR) store Viveport has grown into a viable, agnostic platform for those VR users looking for Steam alternatives with new titles regularly appearing. The latest comes from Japanese studio Psychic VR Lab, bringing its creative VR platform Styly to the store.

Styly is a cloud-based, web platform that is used in conjunction with Unity to create immersive works of art and other XR experiences. With the app now available on Viveport, Styly also offers a unique feature, being able to publish works as individual apps on the store. It’s still an experimental idea at the moment which means the Styly team selects the various artworks to be published.

It’s not purely a platform for people to get creative either. A big part of it is Styly Gallery where users can explore over 10,000 VR and AR scenes built by artists around the world over the past few years. These can be viewed on VR headsets, mobile devices and via web browsers. As part of the announcement, Styly has released three new collections to showcase what can be achieved; NEWVIEW Featuring Works Collection, NEWVIEW 2020 Virtual Exhibition, and VR Music World.

NEWVIEW is Physic VR Labs’ annual awards event for Styly artists. NEWVIEW Featuring Works Collection offers collaborative works by 12 artists in one portal, covering fashion, music, video, graphics, illustration and more. NEWVIEW 2020 Virtual Exhibition gives you a chance to see all the finalist works from last years awards. While VR Music World feature five music-themed pieces. One is a music video featuring DECO*27’s song Android Girl and virtual singer “Kokotsuki.”

Additionally, later this month Psychic VR Lab will hold an online event called Dig Into NEWVIEW 2021 by Styly. This will be live, providing guests with a tour of Styly and its various works, hosted by digital curator and XR evangelist Miriam Arbus and TiltBrush artist Sean Rodrigo. Registration for the event is free, taking place on 17th September at 6 pm BST.

Currently, Psychic VR Lab is looking for new submissions for this years NEWVIEW Awards, with the closing date being 1st November. There are a number of award categories with the main Gold Award netting the winner $20,000 USD.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Styly, reporting back with further updates.

August 10, 2021

Submissions Open for the Annual NEWVIEW Awards 2021

Now in its fourth year, the annual NEWVIEW Awards celebrate the artistic side of XR whilst handing out some big cash prizes for the winners. Organised by Japanese studio Psychic VR Lab, submissions have now opened for the awards which encourage creators worldwide to apply for,

This year’s theme is ‘Post Reality and No Normal’ because of the so-called “new normal” which has evolved around the COVID-19 pandemic. This has born rise to a greater need for digital connection, whether that’s teleconferencing for work or stepping into a new metaverse to hang out with friends.

“The NEWVIEW AWARDS hopes to capture the essence of the global transcendence caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ryohei Watanabe, CMO Psychic VR Lab in a statement. “In our ‘new’ reality, creativity has been given new avenues in which to flourish, and at Psychic VR Lab we are excited to appreciate some of the great xR works that artists, designers, and creators have produced to encapsulate the theme of ‘Post Reality, No Normal’. We are very excited for this year’s submissions and to see the best of XR creativity from across the globe!”

Just as in previous years, to apply for the NEWVIEW Awards creators not only need to embrace the theme but they also need to utilise Psychic VR Lab’s production and distribution platform Styly. It’s a creative solution released a few years ago solely aimed at artistic expression rather than videogame development, supporting both virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) content creation. Earlier this year Styly was updated to directly support 3D models built in Tilt Brush due to Google Poly closing.

The NEWVIEW Awards 2021 will see a judging panel featuring Naohiro Ukawa, founder of Japanese live
streaming studio and channel, DOMMUNE, and Zowie Broach, Royal College of Art Fashion Program Director.

Creators will be vying for several prizes this year with three Silver Awards offering $5,000 USD each. Then there’s the grand Gold Award which is a whopping $20,000. Additionally, the NEWVIEW Awards will have a couple of non-monetary prizes including the PARCO Prize which will see the winner granted space within the PARCO Building in Shibuya, Tokyo for a unique AR creation. Whilst the SUPER DOMMUNE Prize will be selected by Mr. Ukawa to be showcased on his channel.

Applications for the NEWVIEW Awards are open until 1st November 2021. For further updates keep reading VRFocus.

May 18, 2021

NEWVIEW School UK Applications Close Soon, Discount Code Inside

Several weeks ago VRFocus reported on Japanese studio, Psychic VR Lab, and the plans to open its NEWVIEW School for budding XR artists in the UK. With the remote programme beginning in June, there are now two weeks left for those that are interested to apply. Plus, VRFocus has a discount offer to make it even more tempting.

NEWVIEW School London continues the work the original Japanese programme began three years ago, encouraging artists and other creators who have an interest in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to participate and expand their knowledge base. The course will be a combination of STYLY Studio, Psychic VR Lab’s online creative platform and Unity, which is required to build the projects.

For those unfamiliar with Unity – a videogame engine used to build a lot of VR titles – NEWVIEW School London will hold a primer course to get participants up to speed on the software. The main programme will then commence on 19th June comprising a total of 14 lectures running from 10 am – 3 pm BST, concluding on 25th September 2021. It’ll be held entirely remotely via Zoom due to Covid restrictions. A VR headset is required but if attendees don’t have access to one the school will be able to supply an Oculus Quest 2 (which will need to be returned).

The XR programme will be led by Barney Kass, a London based artist and sound designer, with lectures featuring various creative specialists. These will include Alex Ruhl, an award-winning VR filmmaker and founder of VR production studio CATS are not PEAS, Patrick Haraguti, CTO of Fallen Planet Studios (Affected – The Manor), and Lili Éva Bartha, XR Creative Tech Lead and Founder of Digital Fashion Framework Innovation Lab.

Since its launch in 2017, STYLY has facilitated artistic expression within VR and then more recently AR. An entirely cloud-based solution, STYLY continues to expand thanks Psychic VR Lab managing to raise $8.5 million USD (¥900m JPY) a few months ago. Its most recent update added official support for 3D models built within Tilt Brush, allowing artists to export their designs directly. Useful considering Google Poly is shuttering soon.

If you’re interested in NEWVIEW School London you can apply here. The course will cost £450 GBP. For a 10% discount simply add VRF10 after your last name on the application form. For continued updates, keep reading VRFocus.

April 12, 2021

Psychic VR Labs’ NEWVIEW School Heads to the UK This Summer

Japanese studio Psychic VR Lab has built a name for itself within the XR space thanks to its STYLY creative platform and its accompanying events, the NEWVIEW Awards. There’s another part to the family which has yet to go international but soon will, the NEWVIEW School. Today, the studio has announced that the programme will be making its European debut in the UK this summer.

Psychic VR Lab launched the NEWVIEW School three years ago in Japan as a way for creators to develop their knowledge of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) and bring their ideas to life. So the course is designed to teach artists from the ground up, no matter their skill level, ideal for those looking to explore the XR space.

NEWVIEW School London will take place during the summer, teaching applicants how to utilise Unity in combination with STYLY to create artworks. This will go from shaders and textures all the way through to a fully realised piece of art. The course will be led by Barney Kass, a London based artist and sound designer, with a total of 14 lectures being held with participation from Lili Éva Bartha, XR Creative Tech Lead and Founder of Digital Fashion Framework Innovation Lab; Alex Ruhl, an award-winning VR filmmaker and founder of VR production studio CATS are not PEAS; and Patrick Haraguti, CTO of Fallen Planet Studios. Each bringing their own expertise to the school.

“We are excited to announce the launch of our first NEWVIEW School in Europe with our flagship programme in London, UK. Psychic VR Lab is looking forward to growing our NEWVIEW community and helping to inspire XR artists and creators with this new school,” said Ryohei Watanabe, CMO Psychic VR Lab in a statement. “We hope that the NEWVIEW SCHOOL will inspire, encourage, and build confidence in artistic expression in XR.”

VR Manga World for STYLY, NEWVIEW Awards 2019 Silver Prize winner

“The idea isn’t so much about teaching everyone how to build VR or AR applications, it’s how to use AR/VR to create the images they already have in their head,” Kevin Joyce, Global Partner told VRFocus. “[Psychic VR Lab] wants more diversity in the NEWVIEW Awards, they want more people from around the world included in the awards and potentially winning that £20,000 USD prize. It’s about globalisation and democratising the access roads to XR. It’s not just about the diversity of the people committing the art but the flavour of the art received by the NEWVIEW Awards.

The NEWVIEW School will be held remotely, with VR headset loans available as well as a primer course and Meetup group for those unfamiliar with Unity. It’ll run between 19th June – 25th September 2021, cost £450 to join and spaces will be limited to 40 people with applications open from today.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Psychic VR Lab, STYLY and NEWVIEW School, reporting back with further updates.