This is the first episode of the Rev VR Podcast that falls under the Road to VR flag. In this episode, I am joined by Jim Susinno, a 3D developer, and organizer of the the Boston Virtual Reality Meetup.
Jim shares with us his passion for the Oculus Rift and how the Rev VR Podcast filled an unfortunate void in his life. Just as so many others have mentioned, it is difficult to engage in intelligent conversation about VR with our friends and family who are not ‘VR Enthusiasts’ without hearing groans of disinterest and rolling of eyes.
We discuss the Razor Hydra and how it fits the immediate need for positional tracking while we all eagerly await the consumer Oculus Rift. Since Jim is a developer, we discuss the importance of having a diverse team to work with, so as not to suffer from a lack of style or a lack of completion in a project.
After attending the VR event hosted by Benjamin Cavallari, founder of Academic Relations Consulting, back in November, Jim and his colleagues felt the need to take matters into their own hands and start up a Boston Virtual Reality Meetup. Using the same venue as the event in November, the Microsoft NERD Center, they were able to accommodate fifty or so folks who were eager to consume some VR.
We discuss the do’s and don’ts of hosting a VR meetup, and Jim gives me a few words of wisdom to help me with planning mine. This model may help Oculus decide how to market their product once it becomes shelf-worthy.
One interesting aspect of the Boston VR Meetup was that it had several developers showcasing their own content, as opposed to the traditional goto demos such as the RiftCoaster and Tuscany VR. Breaking down that barrier between developer and consumer is very important to folks like Jim.
We finish up by discussing a few of Jim’s own personal projects. His projects involve some interesting concepts, such as flattening a 3D image for consumption on the Rift, and a slider to reduce resolution to gain framerate.
Thank you, Jim, for being on the show and sharing your thoughts on VR Meetups and 3D development.
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Direct download of episode 44: MP3 Download