Friday, April 18, 2014

New iPhone utility app simplifies VR calculations

A few months ago, I realized we go back again and again to the same Excel spreadsheets for some VR calculations. For instance, if the field of view is 90 degree diagonal and the aspect ratio is 16:9, what is the horizontal field of view? If using a goggle is like watching a 70 inch TV from 6 feet, what does that say about the field of view?

To help with this, the Sensics team decided to create a simple iPhone app (Android version coming soon) that helps with these calculations. This app is now available as a free download from iTunes. Think about it as public service for the VR community.


In it's current beta form, the app provides several useful conversions:

  • TV screen size to/from goggle field of view
  • Screen size and aspect ratio to/from field of view
  • Quaternion to/from Euler angles
The app also includes useful reference info as well as a way to ask the VR experts at Sensics.

Some of this math already appeared on this blog such as here and here, but it is now available in your pocket.

What additional calculators would you find useful? What changes would you like to see in the app? Any bugs that need to be fixed? Let me know.


3 comments:

J. S. Gilbert said...

Angle of View (paid) does this but also factors in camera focal lengths and sensor sizes in case it could help anyone!

Yossi Preminger said...

Why iOS and not a web app?

VRGuy said...

Could have also been a Web app. I asked to have this app made in this format because that's the format that I personally prefer using it. Android coming soon, I hope. Maybe Web app afterwards.