Installing blenderVR

blenderVR has two requirements:

patched version of blender (blenderVR uses blenderplayer instead of blender) ;
Python 3.x (whatever version, not only the version used to compile blender) and correspondant PySide package (for GUI).

The locations of .xml, .py, etc. scritps suggested hereafter are, if not mentioned otherwise, not compulsory (yet coherent along the tutorial).

Download blenderVR

Sources of blenderVR are available in the download page.

Multiple nodes and distribution of files

Many Virtual Environments use several computers for the rendering. So you have to organize your files on each computer so that each node answers to all requirements.

blender and blenderplayer

Only the rendering nodes (virtual environment) needs blenderplayer. However, you generally develop the blender scene and its processor on the console node. A word to the wise: install blender on the console computer.

All in all, we suggest you to install blender and blenderplayer patched version together on all nodes.

blenderVR folder

blenderVR must be installed on each computer that participate to the simulation.

You should not have to update blenderVR unless you download a new version of blenderVR. You can let this folder wherever you want on each node. It can be different on each computer (see root parameter for ''system'' section inside XML configuration file).

XML configuration file

Only the console reads the configuration file. So, you don't need to synchronize this file on all computers. See below for suggestion on this file.

Simulation files

The simulation files (.blend and processor) must be in present on each node.

Simulation files must be synchronized on each computer before running blenderVR !

As such, we strongly encourage you to use shared folders across network to store them. You can connect these “network drives” or “network file systems” on different paths for each node (see anchors).

For instance, on the console under windows, you can place them in my documents\blender\scenes that is networkly mapped as Y:\ on other computers.

Configuration file

blenderVR XML configuration files defines several parameters that should be constant along the blenderVR runs (binary paths, rendering nodes and screens names, positions, eyes separation etc.) on a given architecture.

This file is closely related to your architecture. It contains:

Any kind of screen set you wish to use. For instance: standalone for only one screen in debug mode (console computer), multi-screen for your full virtual environment, partial multi-screen for debug purpose on several screens, etc.
Rendering nodes (computer) names, screens positions, and graphic buffer configurations for all screen sets
Users definitions
If needed (e.g. on OSX) the path of blenderplayer and its environment variables and/or command line options
plugin (OSC, VRPN …) parameters definitions
…

blenderVR path/configurations/main.xml is a sample XML file that you'll have to update to fit with your own architecture.

blenderVR path/configurations/main.xml is documented. Go to XML configutation for further details.

Working copy of your configuration files

blenderVR will create its own path to store internal data:

~/.config/blender/vr on Linux ;
%APPDATA%\blender\vr on Windows ;
~/Library/Application Support/vr on Darwin (MaxOS X).

We suggest you to put your XML configuration file in parent folder (~/.config/blender, %APPDATA%\blender or ~/Library/Application Support). That way, you'll be able to update blenderVR without loosing your XML configuration file.

First run

When your configuration file is ready and all the files deployed on all computers, your can start blenderVR. We suggest you to have a look at console vs virtual environment

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