EON-XR Release Notes 9.6¶
Release date: December 13th 2022
Highlights¶
EON Interact
EON Illuminate
EON Universal
Updates to EON Metaverse Builder
New and improved user interface
Note
EON Interact and EON Illuminate are two new features. These products are currently only available for EON-XR on mobile platform.
Note
Lesson (in EON-XR version 9.5 and earlier) is now referred to as Xperience. For example, 3D Xperience and 360 Xperience.
License requirements¶
requires the EON Merged XR license- requires the EON Interact license after the introduction period
EON-XR application¶
The EON-XR platform application for mobile devices have been updated with:
New Features¶
EON Interact¶
EON Interact is a new add-on feature for EON-XR which enhances the exploration of 3D objects. This add-on can be used when creating Xperiences with EON Metaverse Builder.
The learning experience can be enhanced by using interactions to create a more dynamic and interesting setting. You can highlight the cause and effect of interactions, such as playing an animation when pressing a button on the object.
With EON interact you can create customized interactions from a combination of actions and triggers. You can also combine several interactions to create procedures.
EON Interact tool offers a set of actions and triggers to choose from, for example:
Actions:
Animate - run a pre-defined animation from the asset
Sound - play a specified sound
Triggers:
Tap on the object
Enter or leave the proximity sphere of an object
Read more about how to use EON Interact, to combine actions and triggers in Xperiences created with Metaverse Builder.
Note
During the introduction period, creating interactions using actions and triggers with EON Interact only requires the Merged XR license. The EON Interact license is required after the introduction period.
Note
Only the Merged XR license option is required for experiencing interactions embedded in a created Xperience.
EON Illuminate¶
EON Illuminate is a new add-on feature for EON Metaverse Builder which enables the user to build shared geolocated Xperiences.
The Xperience author can connect 3D objects to physical locations in the real world using Persistent anchors. Then, users in the same physical location can view the connected objects, in the same spot and orientation as created by the lesson author.
EON Illuminate enables:
Geolocated and shared Xperiences
Connect objects to the physical world permanently using persistent anchors
EON Universal¶
EON Universal is an add-on which enables the user to explore the Xperiences using a stereoscopic 3D display or an HMD device, such as Oculus Quest 1/2/Pro, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality devices, Microsoft Hololens 2.
Oculus Quest 1/2/Pro
You can find the EON-XR application for Quest 1/2/Pro in AppLab
Install the application via AppLab
Launch the application
HTC Vive and Windows Mixed Reality devices
You can download the EON-XR application for HTC Vive or other SteamVR compatible HMDs, and Windows MR devices on the EON-XR web portal.
Download and extract the .zip file to a folder
Launch the .exe file from the folder
Hololens2 
You can download the EON-XR application for Hololens2 on the EON-XR web portal.
Download and extract the .zip file to a folder
Launch the .exe file from the folder
Stereoscopic 3D display
3D Xperiences can be displayed on projectors or TVs capable of displaying stereoscopic 3D in left-right stereo format. This allows a fully immersive experience with a good sense of depth.
Launching 3D Xperiences on Stereoscopic 3D displays requires connecting an Xbox controller to either a desktop PC or Mac. You use the Xbox controller to interact with the object, and to perform other tasks, such as orbit around the object, turn on/off annotations, and trigger animations.
EON Metaverse Builder enhancements¶
The EON Metaverse Builder is enhanced with:
Added sound cues
Simplified EON Metaverse Builder creation
Simultaneously manipulate several objects
Added sound cues¶
Sounds have been added when performing certain actions in the EON-XR application.
We have added sound cues for when the following events occur:
An AR anchor is placed
The correct or wrong answer is selected in an activity
The using the exploration tool explosion
An object snaps back into its original position
Auto-generated knowledge portal has been created
Simplified EON Metaverse Builder creation¶
A simplified procedure for creating Xperiences with EON Metaverse Builder is introduced.
This enhancement includes added support for avatars in Xperiences created with EON Metaverse Builder. Your avatar is used to enhance the learning experience and guide the users through the lesson content.
The avatar also guides you through creating new Xperiences with EON Metaverse Builder:
Place your avatar
Search for and select the 3D object you want to use
Select Next to place the object
If the Auto-generate Knowledge Portal checkbox is selected (default), this also creates Knowledge portal and activities in the Assessment portal.
Note
Auto-generate only works if there are sufficient annotations for the object.
Indicate where you want to place the object by selecting an anchor point on a surface location
Once the object is downloaded, you can explore the created Knowledge portal and activities in the Assessment portal
You can now add and edit the content, once you are finished select X to SAVE & EXIT your Xperience
Simultaneously manipulate several objects in EON Metaverse Builder¶
It is now possible to manipulate several 3D objects in EON Metaverse Builder at the same time.
When you use the Select all button in EON Metaverse Builder you can now:
Re-anchor the objects as a group
Rotate all objects
Set the scale for all objects
Note
The center point for the scaling is the center of the first object you added.
Minor updates to EON Metaverse Builder¶
Accessibility
Improved categorization for 3D asset dialogue. This is only implemented for 3D assets in the XR Library
Thumbnails are now created in 16:9 format (instead of square ratio)
We have added a semi-transparent background to the hierarchy view. This makes it easier to read the text when the AR background includes many colors
Animations
After an animation starts, and you switch to another object, the animation continues play on the previous object. Previously, all playing animations would stop when switching object
Annotations
Rename annotations
Rename part names in the hierarchy view for multiple objects from the same asset
Remember the last language set
Assessments
When using the Assessment portal, the user can view assessments from all objects in the Xperiences
When running an assessment and the current object in view is not the one associated with this assessment, an arrow guides the user to rotate left or right to find the correct object.
Asset categories
Added Asset categories when adding model. You can now Filter assets by categories, and if Sketchfab is selected, the selected category is used as the keyword.
Knowledge portals
Turn on/off the Knowledge Portals with the separate toggle button
Objects
Anchor an object on another 3D object already in the scene. This means, for instance, that you can put an object on top of a virtual table. Previously, all objects had to be anchored to a planar surface in the physical world
Voice recognition
Since all asset names are in English, you can no longer change voice recognition language when adding a new 3D object
The current voice recognition language is displayed clearly
We have removed the beeping sound on Android when using voice recognition functions
Voice text helper
When creating Knowledge Portals, the voice text panel displays Fun Facts, What, How, and Why. These options are used to find relevant text content for the Knowledge Portal.
Environment occlusion¶
The option to apply environment occlusion is added under Settings in the Experience menu.
Occlusion enables segmentation of physical objects and improves the illusion that the virtual objects exist in the real-world. The device scans your physical environment and allows objects to occlude the virtual objects you place in this environment.
For example, if you place your virtual object underneath a table and look down on the virtual object from the top of the table, then you cannot see the virtual object.
Updated activities in touch mode¶
The Locate and Identify activities in Touch mode now works the same as in AR mode.
When viewing these activities in Touch mode, you can select parts of the object:
For assessments associated with an annotation, the annotation point for the associated annotation flashes. Indicating where on the object the activity is referring to.
For assessment associated with a part, the part is outlined. Indicating which part the activity is referring to.
Select part when creating activity in assessment portal¶
When you create an activity from the assessment portal you can select if the activity should be associated to a part of the object. Previously, you could only associate the activity with an annotation.
You can select a part or place in the hierarchy of a part directly from the model. The selected part is indicated by an outline:
Tap to select a part
Double-tap to go to a place in the hierarchy of a part
Note
For assessment activities in play mode, an outline of the part is highlighted.
As previously, you can select an exiting annotation or create a new annotation.
Note
For assessment activities in play mode, the annotation is displayed as a dot.
Support for custom annotations in multi-mesh object¶
It is now possible to create assessments on custom annotations which have multi-mesh object. Previously, you could only create assessments on custom annotations with single-mesh objects.
Updates¶
New user interface¶
The EON-XR Platform on mobile is improved with a new user interface (UI). This update also includes changes to:
Names of elements within the application. For example, Xperience, which replaces Lesson.
Location of menu options
Change synthesized speech speed¶
It is now possible to change the speed of the synthesized speech when using the Audio Text-to-Speech activity, with three alternatives: slow, medium, and fast.
Custom annotation anchor direction¶
When creating a custom annotation, the annotation anchor line is now shown perpendicular to the object surface. This guarantees that the label is always shown outside the object. Previously, the annotation anchor was shown in a sideways direction. This meant that the label occasionally clashed with the object surface.
Improved annotations in mobile VR mode¶
When viewing 3D Xperiences with a head-mounted device paired with your mobile device (Mobile VR mode), you will now get the complete experience as you get in Merged XR mode. You can also view annotations when exploring a 360 Xperience in Mobile VR mode.
Improved asset handling¶
Assets with missing name part names get the default name “Unnamed_X” (X is a unique increasing number):
This default name is added while building Xperiences in the app, and does not modify the asset
You can use the rename function, before adding activities to the object or parts
All assets are graded and partitioned into three groups: green, yellow, and red based on their complexity (low to high) and how they perform in a 3D Xperience:
Low / Green assets are great to use in EON Metaverse Builder, in Xperiences with multiple objects
Medium / Yellow assets are OK in situations with a single object lesson
High / Red assets should be reviewed before use
The grading is displayed as a badge while browsing the assets in the EON-XR Platform for mobile.
Asset search
If Assets are included in the search filter, they are differentiated from the Xperiences by an Asset badge and include the word Asset in the title.
When you select an Asset item, EON-XR creates a new 3D Xperience based on this asset. The 3D Xperiences is then launched in edit mode.
Improved set camera view¶
Creating new thumbnail with the Set camera view option is improved. You can access the Set camera view option in the Experience menu.
Video activities¶
Xperience composition for Video Activities (YouTube/Link) are now updated correctly.
Xperiences¶
The tags 3D, 360, and MVB are automatically added for these Xperience types, respectively.
You can then, for example, use the search word 360 to view all 360 Xperiences. However, the search result also includes Xperiences with 360 in the name or description.
You can customize the tags for each Xperience in the Xperience page.
3D Xperiences¶
Improvement to the quiz activity in AR mode. The Quiz activity now shows a beacon, and the zoom function and hierarchy panel are disabled while the activity is ongoing.
When editing an activity in Touch mode, the Set Camera icon is replaced with text.
The right side panel width is now the same for all activities, except for 3D Recording.
360 Xperiences¶
The Locate activity is now supported for 360 Xperiences.
Background sounds can now be added for 360 Xperiences.
Improved user interface for 360 Portals.
Web portal updates¶
The EON-XR web portal is improved with a new user interface (UI). This update also includes changes to:
Added option for content personalization (categories of user’s interests)
Faster and optimized search functionality, used when searching for Xperiences (3D, 360, or MVB), tags, and 3D assets
Added social media functions, such as comment, like, and follow.
Marketplace is improved with option to buy and sell Xperiences.
The Objective text field now supports up to 4000 characters.
Admin functionality¶
New Admin function for creating Category Levels and previewing category setup is now available.
In category management, you can now create Category level. You can select the parent category and subcategory for each level.
Asset details¶
Additional information about assets in the Asset Details page:
Number of primitives
Number of textures
Total texture size
Import 3D¶
Added Generate Annotation in the 3D asset details page. This function creates annotations based on object parts.
After importing, the asset is analyzed and the following properties are extracted and updated:
IsAnimated : indicates if the model has animation
IsMultimesh : indicates if the model has multiple parts
If the download limit is reached when downloading a Sketchfab asset, the job is re-queued and retries again 24 hours later.
Added option to sign out of your Sketchfab account
Xperience page¶
MVB Xperiences can now be shared using the share functionality.
For geolocated Metaverse Builder Xperiences, a map displays the physical location of the persistent anchor.
Bug fixes¶
Fixed issue with text overflow and overlap in the Download Offline Xperience list
Fixed issue where customized text was not shown during Locate and Identify assessments