The Challenge | Virtual Space Exploration

Generate Virtual Reality environments for the surface of the Moon and Mars! Obtain 3D models from NASA resources, such as Moon Trek and Mars Trek. Integrate 3D models of surface exploration systems and habitats. Develop and deploy the virtual world at a hosting service.

LifeSpace

LifeSpace is a VR environment of the Moon and Mars where the user can live the experience like as if the person was in the space

We'll create a VR environment in The Moon and Mars, such as it can let to user live the experience from the point of view of first person character. It looks like if the person was in the space.

AT THE BEGINNING...

Since it started the challenge, we can't stop. After 12 hours of investigation, studying, and design we have some updates in our project.

We are using Unity for the development of the environment of the Moon and Mars. Also, we have the first person vision character, some items at the environment of Mars, and we gave to the first person character some facilities as jump and move in different directions around the environment.

DEVELOP OF THE MOON AND MARS....

Unity 3D

We use Unity to create the moon and mars, It´s a useful software tool because it isn't complicated than others software. Also, it can bring many templates options that we can choose between free items or pay items.

First, we download the software and install it in the computer. It's too heavy, so it can take a time while it's installing. Then It's necesary create an account to use the platform and follow the next steps to finish with this process.

2. Creation of Moon and Mars

We use templates pre designed and many elements that came in the library package of it. Also, it´s easiest because the main worry is build the scenerios with the characteristics that we want to find.

For Mars we use a package pre designed. We change the capsules in the space for the rover. it was necesary to know the characteristics of Mars as It has a rocky surface, with large canyons, volcanoes, areas of dry lakes and craters around it. The reddish dust covers most of that surface. Mars has clouds and wind very similar to the earth. Sometimes the wind blows the reddish dust causing a dust storm. The small dust storms achieve verse as hurricanes and the largest can be seen from Earth. The great storms of Mars sometimes envelop the entire planet. Mars has about one third of the earth's gravity. Therefore a rock fallen on this planet would slowly fall a rock that falls on the planet Earth.

For Moon design, we use too a template and we need to obviously the conditions of moon as the lunar core, the movements of the moon, gravity and etc.

DEVELOP OF THE MENU. ..

We implement to the VR environment a menu to improve the experience of the user, also it can be more interactive and easy to understand for the user. The options that the program give are Moon and Mars. In this part, the user can choose where want to go to live the VR experience.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE OPTIONS MENU: PAUSE BUTTON

For the pause button, we work hard because first we need to learn how to do that and then create this button. To create it, we need to have the scenery were we wanted to stop in a moment, also it's important to take care because we need to use two button to made it possible.

Steps:

1. We go to insert a sphere in the landscape [GameObject> 3D Object> Sphere]

2. Add rigid body to it [Component> Physics> Rigidbody]. The objective to do this is to see the ball stop from falling when we hit the pause button.

3. Add in the scene the button [GameObject> UI> Button]

4. Create one script and put whatever name.

5. Attached to the button

6. Open the script

7. Create public "Pause Game" function.

8. Go back to Unity and select the button

9. In the inspector panel, find the button script

10. Create a new activity in On Click

11. Select the function

12. Try if the button functions hitting first play and then the pause.

ROVER MODEL FOR THE MOON AND MARS….

We use a rover model from the NASA resources. This Model have the purpose to explore the environment of Mars. It belongs to the group of “Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) and the objective of this is find answers about the water history of Mars. We applied this rover in Moon and Mars with a part of the stages.

To use this Model, we download the file and then make a conversion from file Blender to .fbx. After we can introduce that to the stages.

USING GIT WITH UNITY CLOUD BUILD…

Here are a few helpful bits about using Unity Cloud Build with GIT:

URL Syntax: In order for us to connect to your repository, we'll need the URL to your GIT server. This URL can be in one of several formats:
https://github.com/youraccount/yourrepo
git://github.com/youraccount/yourrepo.git
git@bitbucket.org:youraccount/yourrepo.git
Each of those should work, and our system will re-write it into the format we need.
Branches: If there is only one branch, we'll assume that is the one you want us to access. Otherwise, we'll ask you to pick a branch in Step #3 of the Project Setup.
Project Subfolder: Ultimately, the folder we are trying to reach in order to build your project is the one that contains your /Assets and /ProjectSettings folders. Depending on how you've arranged your project files, this might be the root folder in your GIT repository. If it isn't, then you'll need to give us the path to those folders. It would look something like: mycoolgame/lives/here/

Git Submodule

If your project is using private Git submodules, please make sure that the urls present in your .gitmodules file are using the git@bitbucket.org:youraccount/yourrepo.gitsyntax - not https:// or git://.

Using Git Providers

We can automatically connect to public repost on GitHub. And when connecting to a private repository, our system will automatically determine whether your repo is public or private. If it's private, on Step #2 of the Project Setup you'll need to add the SSH Key we provide to your GitHub account.

Login to your GitHub account
Click on Account Settings (wrench in the top right)
Choose SSH Keys from the left column menu
Click "Add SSH Key", and give it a name (i.e., Unity Cloud Build)
Paste the Unity Cloud Build SSH key (see the box on the right) it into the GitHub "Key" field
Click the green 'Add Key' button
Done!

REFERENCES

*12 Characteristics of Mars:

https://www.12caracteristicas.com/marte/

* 10 Characteristics of the Moon

https://www.caracteristicas.co/luna/

*Guide: Using a source/version control system with unity cloud build:

https://developer.cloud.unity3d.com/support/guides...

*GitHub help:

https://help.github.com/categories/bootcamp/

* Adding pause button for your game:

http://aarlangdi.blogspot.com/2016/04/adding-pause

*Unity Pause Your Game Easiest Way - Unity Pause Game Tutorial