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Virtual Environments Studio

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The Virtual Environments Studio is a place for students, faculty, and patrons to experience virtual reality in a relaxed setting without having any prior knowledge of the technology. We provide the hardware and software for games, movies, artistic experiences, and educational content. Reserve your time to come and play or to test out your own prototype projects.

During the Fall 2020 semester, the Virtual Environments Studio will be open for bookings but will not be accepting walk-in appointments. Patrons will need to have a booking before being allowed in the room, which they can request here. Padding time between bookings will automatically be added to the system to facilitate cleaning of equipment and surfaces and allowing for air circulation in the room. Face coverings will be required while in the space, and patrons are expected to follow all directives provided to them from library staff. 

If you plan to use Studios Network services during the Fall 2020 semester, please review the policies listed below before coming to the library. 

  • HTC Vive Pro
  • Valve Index
  • Oculus Quest
  • HP Windows Mixed Reality Headset
  • Lenovo Daydream
  • HTC Vive Trackers
  • PC with Xeon 6-core processor, 32GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GTX 1080ti

If you are interested in the Microsoft Hololens, it can be checked out from Media Design Studio A by making a booking.

  • Unity 3D
  • Unreal Engine
  • Blender
  • Maya
  • Fusion 360
  • MotionBuilder
  • Inkscape
  • OBS Studio
  • Visual Studio Code
  • Visual Studio

If you want to know what kinds of VR experiences are preinstalled in the studio, please see this list.

Studio Resources

  • Request an Experience – Fill out this form to request a new game/experience/software to the studio. All requests will be reviewed against our acquisition policy.
  • Acquisition Policy – The studio’s policy for the types of experiences we will and will not acquire for the patron use.
  • List of Available Experiences – View a list of the experiences we currently have available in the studio.

Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality Development

Campus Resources

Software Learning Resources

Hardware Guides and Manuals

Patrons and users are responsible for the following:

  • Upon arrival, inform the student worker that you have a scheduled booking.
  • Arrive within 30 minutes of your booking time or the reservation is forfeited, and the room becomes available for others on a first-come, first-served basis for the remainder of the reservation period.
  • Leave the room in good condition for the next patrons, including resetting the room and placing trash in trash bins.
  • You will be billed for repair or replacement for broken, lost, or stolen equipment. Amount of replacement costs are available upon request. Equipment will be assessed upon completion of booking to determine if these costs are necessary.
  • Report any problems or issues with the space or equipment a Studio staff member immediately.
  • Don’t leave your personal property unattended, including library materials that have been checked out. The Library is not liable for loss/damage to personal property.

Personal Data and Information

  • Studios equipment is preloaded with available applications, and temporary storage space is available during your booking. Long-term storage is not guaranteed. We are not responsible for, nor can we recover, lost data.

General Policies

  • Reservations are limited to 2 hours total per person, per day but could be extended with special permission from management.
  • Equipment owned by the University Libraries should not be removed from the Studio without prior approval from management.
  • Studios are not intended to provide privacy. Library staff may enter the rooms as needed for security, maintenance, or other reasons.
  • Library Management reserves the right to resolve schedule problems by adjusting reservations or schedules.
  • To cancel a reservation, login to bookings.lib.vt.edu.

Repeated violations of these policies could result in administrative action, including – but not limited to – deletion of reservations or removal of an individual’s ability to make Studios reservations.

Please note, Studios’ management does not guarantee the availability of all advertised hardware or software due to unforeseen maintenance. Some advanced equipment may require consultation with the Studio manager before it will be made available.

Please read, as failure to follow these terms could mean forfeiture of your access to the University Libraries Studios Network. 

All patrons in the library will be required to wear a face covering of some sort at all times while in the building (those users who cannot wear a cloth mask for health reasons will need to wear a face shield). Removing your face covering can be grounds for forfeiture of services provided to you and you will be asked to leave the building. In order to protect public health, the University Libraries reserves the right to shut down the building in the case that compliance with the mask mandate is not being met by patrons.

Patrons need to vacate the bookable Studios promptly at the end of their booking, even if no one is waiting to use the space. A buffer is built into the system to help avoid close contact between patrons and allow for the student worker to clean the Studio before their booking starts.

Patrons may not move furniture. All furniture is placed in such a way to ensure safety protocols from the state and the University are followed. All seats, tables, and power towers are linked in our booking system and must not be moved.

The bookable spaces (Media Design Studio B, Virtual Environments Studio, and lecture capture services in the Data Viz Studio) are only available by appointment. Walk-ins will not be accepted. Please note that these spaces have limited room capacities as well and groups larger than 1-2 people will not be admitted. 

Patrons must follow all directives from library staff, including orders to leave the building in the situation in which the library needs to close early.

In the event that one or multiple of these terms are broken, any or all of the following actions can be taken:

  • Patron receives a warning from library staff
  • Patron’s booking is forfeited
  • Patron is asked to leave the building
  • Patron’s access to the booking system is revoked
  • A Student Code of Conduct violation is filed with the Office of Student Affairs
Wayfinding icon for the Virtual Environments Studio

Hours

Monday - Friday: 3pm - 8pm

Workshops

The Studios Network offers many free workshops on various technologies, including virtual and augmented reality development. See our list of upcoming workshops for information on how to register.

Contact

Email virtualstudio@vt.edu or stop by Newman Library, Room 4020

Need Help?

We offer consultations on topics like VR/AR Development and others. Visit our consultations page to see what topics we cover and request a time to speak with someone.

Student Jobs

The Studios Network has a rolling hiring process. If you are interested in working in one or more of the studios, send an email to librarystudios@vt.edu for more information.
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