“Creating Next-Gen 3D Interactive Apps With Motion Control and Unity3D” by Plemmons and Holz

Modern native and web-based games and applications continue to push the boundaries of production quality and interactive complexity. Tools and techniques traditionally reserved for large teams building state-of-the-art gaming applications are now becoming the tools of choice for small game and application developers. Thanks to recent advances in motion control, developers can immerse users in a natural interface controlled directly by their bodies, which can be mapped with stunning real-time accuracy into the virtual space.

This course combines the powerful and versatile Unity3D engine with the Leap Motion Controller to demonstrate a modern toolkit for developing consumer-accessible next-gen 3D applications. Through a series of live-coded examples, attendees will be grounded in the fundamentals of using the Unity3D engine for game and application development, integrating the Leap Motion Controller into an application, and designing and developing a next-generation 3D interactive application with motion control. Attendees need not have advanced knowledge of 3D game engines or motion control, though an understanding of C# or similar languages, along with some knowledge of basic linear algebra concepts, will be useful. The course will also cover broader issues around motion-control interaction design.

As natural interface technologies are on the rise, the question of input is taking on an increasingly important role. In this diverse interface landscape, devices like the Oculus Rift, Sifteo, Leap Motion Controller, PS Move, Kinect, and others present unique challenges to developers, as choices about interaction aesthetics begin with the crucial question of input hardware.