Navigating a Virtual Environment Without HMD

You can explore virtual objects in a collaborative session using only your desktop, or laptop.

Your session's main screen is the emulator session in which you can interact with the model. You can visualize head-mounted displays (HMDs) of other users and their interactions, while HMDs in other sessions can visualize the emulator session in the virtual scene.

Before you begin:
  • A collaborative session can involve several HMDs, but only one desktop user per session is allowed.
  • You cannot make any modification to the visualized object.
  • Depending on the applied predefined ambience, there might be a price to pay in performance.
  1. Open a model.
  2. From the AR-VR section of the action bar, click HMD Emulator Configuration .
    This command lets you configure your scenario only once. You can then activate or deactivate it when required through HMD Emulator .
  3. In the HMD Emulator Configuration dialog box, do one of the following:
    • Select Natural Ambience. The start position is predefined: the model orientation corresponds to the current viewpoint before running the command.



    • Leave the Natural Ambience option cleared. You keep the current ambience, and the model orientation corresponds to the current viewpoint before running the command.



  4. From the AR-VR section of the action bar, click HMD Emulator to run the scenario.
    The emulator session opens and you can start interacting with the model.
  5. Use viewing commands (either mouse and keyboard interactions, or commands from the action bar) to navigate in your scene.
    If you selected Natural Ambience, you can move the turntable as with an HMD controller using the left mouse button.
  6. Use viewing commands (either mouse and keyboard interactions, or commands from the action bar) to navigate in your scene.


    If you selected Natural Ambience, you can move the turntable as with an HMD controller using the left mouse button.

  7. Use the Robot to manipulate the viewpoint (by dragging certain parts of the Robot using the mouse), or the model (by dragging the Robot onto the model).


  8. Optional: Point to avatars of other users' HMDs to assign them leadership.
  9. To quit the command, click HMD Emulator .