My new project : importing Arecibo into Steam #VR. I demonstrated the model using Blender's own VR capability at the institute's open day, but Steam's engine is, unsurprisingly, vastly more powerful. Whereas it stutters and jumps in Blender, Steam maintains a level 120 fps. It also sets up a nice default teleport navigation system, you can see the controllers, it can be interactive in real time, and Steam VR can be done wirelessly. It's all-round just incomparably better.
So far I've demonstrated proof of concept. I wrote some small scripts to have #Blender export the file as an FBX that Steam can read so I don't have to remake all the materials and I've got the scaling about right. Lots of meshes still have minor ugly artifacts and I'll probably re-bake a lot of materials, and there's a lot about Steam Workshop I still need to figure out. But I'm very happy to get it imported at all : to be able to wander around a virtual Arecibo, however imperfect, is something I've wanted for bloody ages.
The long-term goal is to make this a Steam VR home environment that anyone (with a headset) can download, with lots of explanatory information panels and audio content. A long ways to go before that happens, but it's definitely achievable.
