VR Views

Description

This plugin provides a [vrview] shortcode that embeds 360′ mono-and-stereoscopic images and videos into your WordPress website using Google’s “VR Views” library. On devices supporting VR (such as Google Cardboard devices), a link appears that will display the content in full-screen VR mode.

As per the VR Views spec:

VR Views allow you to embed 360 degree VR media into websites on desktop and mobile, and native apps on Android and iOS. This technology is designed for developers of traditional apps to enhance them with immersive content. For example, VR Views make it easy for a travel app to provide viewers with an underwater scuba diving tour as they plan vacation or for a home builder to take prospective buyers on virtual walkthrough before the home is built.

VR Views also address a common developer concern, namely the limited availability of VR hardware amongst the general public. Although VR Views support true stereoscopic VR playback through compatibility with Google Cardboard, they default to a simple “magic window” mode that works on everything from desktop browsers to mobile apps without any special hardware.

This plugin allows you to embed VR Views in the recommended way – by self-hosting the vrview.js file. This enables you to embed any content uploaded to your site without needing to perform CORS hackery.

The shortcode syntax follows exactly the parameter spec of VR Views themselves:

• image or video: {String} URL of image or video to load. (required)
• is_stereo: {Boolean} true if content is in stacked stereo format. (optional, default false)
• preview: {String} URL of still preview to load first. (optional, default none)
• start_yaw: {Number} Initial yaw of viewer, in degrees. (optional, default 0)
• is_yaw_only: {Boolean} true if motion is restricted to yaw only. (optional, default false)

e.g. [vrview image=”//photovrse.com/examples/coral.jpg” is_stereo=”true”]

The content itself could be captured on any device which supports capturing 360 images or video. My preferred app is the Google Cardboard Camera (Android-only)

You can see the shortcode above in action here: https://goldsounds.com/vrview-test/

For tips on converting Cardboard Camera images, check out these resources:

• https://vectorcult.com/2015/12/extracting-the-audio-stereo-pair-from-cardboard-camera-3d-panoramic-images/
• https://edward.io/blog/extracting-google-cardboard-photos.html

Credits

Virtual Reality Goggles icon by Felisberto Piazza from the Noun Project

Screenshots

Installation

1. Upload vr-views.php to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory
2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
3. Place <?php do_action('vr_views_hook'); ?> in your templates

Reviews

Good, as far as it goes, but missing important feature

AllegianceBooks March 28, 2018

This plugin makes it very easy to embed a VR viewer on a Wordpress site. I would really like to be able to give it 5-stars. However, it is missing one important feature that is a part of Google VRview, upon which this plugin is based. Since Google VRview includes “auto-pan”, as “ON” by default, it would not be that difficult to implement “auto-pan” in the plugin. But “auto-pan” doesn’t even exist in this plugin. FYI, “auto-pan” is the feature that automatically pans the image about 15 or so degrees, when the image loads. “auto-pan” acts as a visual signal to the visitor that the image is not just a flat image, but a navigable image. If the plugin developer should eventually implement this basic, but important feature, I would then be glad to change my review and give it 5-stars. But without “auto-pan”, I’m left looking for a full-featured 360 degree image viewer.

Works well

Mushnoggin November 15, 2017

“Not tested” with my current Wordpress install but still works well. Thanks for making my life easier with this plugin. Will donate if/when my ship comes in.

not working

bulkmania June 2, 2017

render: unable to load texture. More there is no instruction how to load a movie.

Contributors & Developers

Changelog

1.0

• First release