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Is there a preferred way to do a HUD in Unity for Hololens?

WearableARWearableAR ✭
in Discussion

Like, Canvas? Or 3D Text?

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    HoloSheepHoloSheep mod
    edited April 2016

    I think the preference for HoloLens is to avoid the classic HUD if possible due to user comfort issues and rendering proximity.

    You may want to take a look at the recommendations for Hologram Positioning and note the part about display locked vs body locked. You may even want to consider if HUD choices can sometimes be better served in HoloLens apps with positioning the UI elements in relation to the Holograms and objects in your world instead of in direct relation to the user.

    That said, you have a lot of options and flexibility in Unity when it comes to creating UI elements. Unity UI is one option with a set of controls, you can also create your ui out of simple 3d objects with colliders. You might find that 3D is expensive from a performance perspective, but that could be an option too where or when appropriate.

    Windows Holographic User Group Redmond

    WinHUGR.org - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - @WinHUGR
    WinHUGR YouTube Channel -- live streamed meetings

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    Jarrod1937Jarrod1937 ✭✭✭

    While I agree with the general recommendations they give, some scenarios don't fit them. In my case (industrial/warehouse management/order fulfillment). In which case, the user needs very specific information accessible to them at all times, even if they have moved a lot. They don't necessarily need it in their view all the time, but it has to be easy for them to get to it.
    For this, I am experimenting with the 'tagalong' class they make available in the HoloToolKit for Unity. However, since my users will be looking down and back up a lot, the default behavior of having the tagalong follow you vertically is a bit of a pain and occludes their work. So I've been working on using the tagalong class but extending the base class with the option of a fixed height placement. That way the HUD moves with the user left and right, but not fixed, allowing them to interact with it. I am still experimenting myself, though I won't be able to judge the comfort of such a design until I get a physical device.
    Ideally though, you should do away with a HUD unless absolutely needed. You can temporarily bring up information if the user asks for it via voice commands, or gestures...etc. I'm not sure how well the voice works with varying accents (some users here have very heavy accents), as well as environmental noise that may get picked up by the mic. Likewise, if the environment isn't that noisy, you can maybe even just have the Hololens tell the user such information ("What is ammo?", reply, "36"...etc).

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    neerajwadhwaneerajwadhwa mod

    Would a TagAlong object help here? Much like the Skype window and concept taught in the Holograms 210 Gaze academy.

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    WearableARWearableAR ✭
    Answer ✓

    Thanks for these answers, good points. I really was looking for this: http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/unity-ui-on-the-hololens.394629
    which is now obsolete as of 4/22/16's build.
    But in my case I have 2 needs:
    1. A 'debug output' window just for me
    2. A more classic 'AR' style display of UI bits on the horizon

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    HoloSheepHoloSheep mod

    @WearableAR just to be clear the Unity UI (which I referred to above) is not obsolete, as the latest release notes mention

    Unity UI
    •HoloLensInputModule no longer a loose script
    •If users downloaded the loose script from a previous build:
    •Delete the loose HoloLensInputModule.cs script from your project
    •Remove the now-defunct component for HoloLens Input Module from the "Event System" GameObject
    •Re-add the HoloLens Input Module component to that same object (now it will be the source-built version)
    •Add the Standalone Input Module to Event System if you want to be able to use the UI in play mode in-editor (the old version was botched in that you should be able to have different input modules side by side - the new version does not contain Standalone Input Module functionality, but now, each will only activate when needed if you have them both attached to Event System)
    •For additional information, please see the forum thread "Unity UI on the HoloLens"

    The HoloLens module is no longer a loose script.

    Windows Holographic User Group Redmond

    WinHUGR.org - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - @WinHUGR
    WinHUGR YouTube Channel -- live streamed meetings

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    WearableARWearableAR ✭

    @HoloSheep said:
    @WearableAR just to be clear the Unity UI (which I referred to above) is not obsolete, as the latest release notes mention

    Unity UI
    •HoloLensInputModule no longer a loose script
    •If users downloaded the loose script from a previous build:
    •Delete the loose HoloLensInputModule.cs script from your project
    •Remove the now-defunct component for HoloLens Input Module from the "Event System" GameObject
    •Re-add the HoloLens Input Module component to that same object (now it will be the source-built version)
    •Add the Standalone Input Module to Event System if you want to be able to use the UI in play mode in-editor (the old version was botched in that you should be able to have different input modules side by side - the new version does not contain Standalone Input Module functionality, but now, each will only activate when needed if you have them both attached to Event System)
    •For additional information, please see the forum thread "Unity UI on the HoloLens"

    The HoloLens module is no longer a loose script.

    Right I should have said, the loose script is obsolete.

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