This post has been republished via RSS; it originally appeared at: Microsoft Tech Community - Latest Blogs - .
November is a great time to get familiar with StereoKit, a code-first, open-source library for building mixed reality experiences using C# and OpenXR. We’ve released a ‘Getting Started’ video series and are hosting an online hackathon to introduce this easy-onramp project to more developers so we can collect feedback and assess interest.
Inspired by high level graphical frameworks like XNA and Processing, StereoKit aims to make it fun and easy to create professional mixed reality software. It addresses some of the most common and challenging aspects of MR development including inputs, interactions, physics, shaders/material systems, working with text, asset loading, and much more. It is purpose-built for MR, getting you productive with the least amount of code possible using simple APIs. In fact, you can do most tasks with a single line of code, including UI.
If you are familiar with C# and Visual Studio and want to build a mixed reality experience without learning a complex game development engine, StereoKit is a great place to start. For those experienced in building MR applications, StereoKit gives you a new tool for ultra-fast, cross-platform iteration - projects can be viewed on HoloLens 2, desktop, or any VR device that uses the OpenXR runtime (e.g. Oculus Quest, Windows Mixed Reality, etc.).
From November 8th to December 6th, build your first MR project using StereoKit as part of the Mixed Reality Challenge online hackathon. During this event you can get live help from our experts and have a chance to win a cash prize or take-home limited-edition swag. If you are interested in finding a team or just want to learn more, we hope we see you at our kickoff mixer in AltspaceVR on Thursday, November 4th, 2021 at 5pm Pacific time.
Resource recap:
- Join the Mixed Reality Challenge hackathon
- Get the StereoKit download
- Watch the ‘Getting Started’ video series
- Join us for the kickoff mixer (from your desktop or in VR)
We hope you love StereoKit as much as we do! Give it a shot and let us know what you think.