Programming for Mixed Reality with Windows 10, Unity, Vuforia, and UrhoSharp

by Borycki, Dawid

• ISBN13: 9781509306879
• ISBN10: 1509306870
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2018-09-14
• Publisher: Microsoft Press

Summary

Develop AI-powered apps and games for HoloLens and mixed reality headsets 

This is a complete guide to programming AI-powered mixed reality apps with the Windows Mixed Reality platform. Step by step, Dawid Borycki guides you through every type of mixed reality development, from simple 2D to cutting-edge apps for Microsoft HoloLens and immersive headsets. First, you’ll learn to write UWP 2D apps that adapt for any Windows 10 device, transfer camera images to machine learning services, and use mobile sensor readings to control headset content. Then, building on these skills, you’ll master every facet of building cross-platform 3D apps that link augmented reality content to real objects. 

Advanced Microsoft technology expert Dawid Borycki shows how to: 

• Set up a mixed reality development environment with all the tools you’ll need, including HoloLens and Mixed Reality simulators 
• Write Universal Windows 2D apps for all Windows 10 devices, and adjust their views and capabilities to specific hardware 
• Render media streams, acquire video from world-facing cameras, and detect human faces in those images 
• Generate descriptions of what the user sees, and present them via text or speech 
• Build AI-powered voice-controlled apps with Microsoft Cognitive Services (MCS) 
• Master core concepts and techniques for building 3D mixed reality apps with Unity 
• Format 3D objects with materials to create holograms 
• Add interactions to holograms based on user input 
• Integrate HoloLens capabilities, including air gestures, spatial sound, and mapping 

Author Biography

Dawid Borycki, is a biomedical researcher and software engineer with extensive experience in Microsoft technologies. He has executed many challenging software development projects for advanced device prototyping, including signal and image processing, control algorithms, embedded device interfacing, desktop (.NET C#), web (ASP.NET MVC), and mobile (Universal Windows Platform, Xamarin, Xamarin.Forms) programming. He is author of Programming for the Internet of Things: Using Windows 10 IoT Core and Azure IoT Suite. 

Table of Contents

Part I: Mixed Reality Fundamentals
1. Introduction to Mixed Reality in Windows 10
2. Exploring the Development Tools
3. Configuring the Development Environment, Emulators and Hardware

 

Part II. Developing 2D UWP Apps
4. Understanding UWP Basics
5. Working with Media Controls, Speech Synthesis and Recognition
6. Using Microsoft Cognitive Services to Develop AI-Enabled apps
7. Connecting with Other Devices

 

Part III. Developing 3D Apps
8. Understanding 3D Graphics Fundamentals
9. Using the Unity Editor to Create and Modify 3D Scenes
10. Adding Physical Effects and Interactivity to 3D Scenes
11. Adding Animations to 3D Objects in Unity
12. Understanding HoloLens-Specific Functionalities
13. Creating an AI-Powered 3D App
14. Installing and Using the Vufora Extension for Unity
15. Using UrhoSharp to Build 3D Mixed Reality Apps