Applied Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR)

User Experience (UX) encompasses a wide range of activities including User Interface (UI) design, Information Architecture (IA) and field research. Usability design and testing, tight integration and collaboration with software development processes are included in UX. This hands-on course is an introduction to UX/UI for those who are creating user interfaces for web sites, mobile applications, and information systems, as well as those who want a better understanding of the role of UX/UI. Students will follow an iterative and agile approach focusing on User-Centered Design (UCD) as the motivator for product direction. Skills learned in this course will apply to web and mobile applications as well as IT systems interface development. Participants will be expected to work within interdisciplinary teams, with emphasis on collaboration, brainstorming, and continued evolution of an interface concept based on UCD. Upon completion, successful students will be able to incorporate user-centered iterative design principles and processes into a wide variety of IT projects. Some students may want to complete COMP 1910 – Introduction to 3D Simulations and VR/AR concurrently with COMP 1011.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 1002 or equivalent knowledge of using a Windows PC and file management.

​This hands-on course is aimed at software developers with no graphics or 3D modelling experience. Students who already know how to create software applications will learn how to create 3D models, then add texture maps and make them interactive online. At the end of this course there is an brief introduction to creating virtual reality simulations. Two open source tools are used; Blender 3D, and Gimp, plus the industry standard Unity Game Engine. Blender is used to create, manipulate and modify 3D models;Gimp is used create seamless texture maps; and the Unity Engine is used to set up an interactive scene. Each student must provide their own 16 GB USB memory stick to save their work. Labs and exercises focus on how to create a 3D model in Blender, and then how to use scripts in Unity to interact with these models in a browser. The main focus of this course is to create a 3D simulation to later be used in a brief introduction to Virtual Reality (VR). Students create an account to download the Vuforia extension for Unity in order to develop a simple mixed reality demo. By the end of this course participants will use a Microsoft HoloLens and other VR tools to experiment with creating a simple VR demo. COMP 1910 is an elective in the CST/PTS Diploma and aimed at software developers. Upon successful completion, students will be able to create a basic 3D simulation to use in a brief introduction to Virtual Reality. Students in the VR/AR Statement of Completion may want to complete COMP 1011 UX/UI Fundamentals concurrently.
Prerequisite(s): COMP 2613 or COMP 2614 or equivalent experience developing software applications.

User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design for Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) projects requires an understanding of UX/UI Fundamentals as well as prior experience dealing with 3D objects in VR/AR/MR environments collectively known as xR. This hands-on course continues on from COMP 1011 UX/UI Fundamentals and COMP 1910 Introduction to 3D Simulations and VR/AR. Students must have completed both specific prerequisites in order to register for COMP 2012. Participants must be able to communicate and work in interdisciplinary teams to brainstorm and evolve concepts. They learn to establish priorities and, through this teamwork, both communication and problem solving skills are acquired. Following an iterative approach, students will experience how to transform existing 2D/3D content and evolve interface concepts based on User Centered Design (UCD) for 3D simulations in Mixed Reality environments. They will determine how to handle specific UX problems like "Field of View, FOV", the understanding of movement or "Locomotion", plus "User Interaction" to help provide solutions during the xR course project. Upon completion, successful students will be able to incorporate UX/UI design principles and processes into a wide variety of xR projects. They will then be prepared to move on to COMP 3919 Applied VR/AR Project the final course in the VR/AR Statement of Completion.
Prerequisite(s): Strong interpersonal and communication skills plus COMP 1011- UX/UI Fundamentals and COMP 1910 -Introduction to 3D Simulations and VR/AR. Note: Participants are required to attend each of the 12 face to face sessions, and collaborate with other students under the guidance of the instructor.

Under the guidance of a subject matter expert from industry, participants will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of UX/UI and 3D Modelling for the Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) or Mixed Reality (MR) environments. In order to register for COMP 3919 students must have completed three specific prerequisite courses; COMP 1011, COMP 1910, and COMP 2012. These four courses together form the Applied VR/AR Statement of Completion and will be of interest to established programmers who are already software and mobile app developers. Continuing on with 3D models created using Blender and Gimp, then using Unity and Vuforia students will work on labs and exercises project milestones for their final VR/AR/MR project. During class, students will have access to a Microsoft HoloLens, HTC Vive and or other devices for development and testing. By the end of this course each participant will required deliver a presentation with visuals demonstrating their final VR/AR/MR project. Upon successful completion students will have a better understanding of how to create and continuously improve experiences for VR/AR/MR platforms. This intensive hands-on project course is the final step in the Applied Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Statement of Completion. (36 hours 3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): Strong interpersonal and communication skills plus COMP 1011- UX/UI Fundamentals, COMP 1910 -Introduction to 3D Simulations and VR/AR and COMP 2012 – UX/UI for VR/AR. Note: Participants are required to attend each of the 12 face to face sessions, and collaborate with other students under the guidance of the instructor.