IATK Basics

IATK 1.0 (Mala): Immersive Analytics Toolkit Hello World Tutorial --- THIS ONLY WORKS FOR WINDOWS(maybe Linux?)

The github states that IATK uses Unity 2017, the VRTK repository, and the IATK repository (linked above). This tutorial follows their video tutorial after a bit of laborious compatibility checking. You also need some form of gitbash/versioning command line, as we need to use an old version of a public repo.

Starting the installation from Unity 2017------------------------

Unity 2017 Installation - You probably have a more advanced version, 2018 or 2019, so in the program files installation, you should switch to a new folder, call it something to remember like Unity 2017. (You can use the hyperlink on Unity 2017 above.)

Then comes the VRTK and IATK "installations"

1) In a folder that you can access, git clone the VRTK repository.

2)Then git clone the IATK repository.

3) Then "cd VRTK", and now we will use a version of VRTK that is compatible with Unity 2017, I chose 'git checkout 7123b01'

4) Once you've reverted to VRTK 3.3.0 alpha, Open Unity 2017, and open the VRTK folder as a project*. Then copy the assets folder of IATK into the assets folder of the VRTK project. Unity should auto-import other updates and scripts/ start the package installation of IATK.

*There might be some prompts saying the code uses an older version of Unity and the code wants to update/change deprecated methods, it's preferred to allow any of these prompts.

Some screenshots in case you were unfamiliar with git commands.

1) Pick and load an example scene from the project view, VRTK -> Examples -> 003_Controller_SimplePointer (my preferred choice, but as long as a VRTK manager game object is in, you will be fine.)

2) Delete the Floor object, because it might obscure how easy it is to read the graphs.

***If we have access to VR consoles, install an old version of SteamVR https://twitter.com/vr_toolkit/status/1043890115418951680?lang=en, when SteamVR reached 2.0 it lost compatibility with VRTK 3.~ editions. Use import all, and check the VRTK_SDKManager to see if SteamVr is recognized.

Otherwise, let's set up a dataset!

SETTING UP A CSV.

1) Right-click on the scene hierarchy- Go to IATK-> CSV Data Source.

2) Add your own data set or go to Datasets in the imported Assets, and pick Dow_jones or cereal, (my preference and examples worked with these)

3) Then right-click on the scene hierarchy Go to IATK-> New Visualization

4) Add the IATK datasource gameObject we just made to the visualization.

5) Pick an XYZ axis, and choose a geometry, (points is the best default).

6) Now if we have a VR machine, start the Game Build and look at it in your VR console.*

Otherwise VRTK has a built-in VR simulation. Use WASD to move around and use the mouse pointer as the camera. *

*If there is an issue with the points showing up add any form of a color dimension.

Explore and send some interesting views messing around with Axes/Geometry! You did it!