How to interact in BioDigital Human VR

Feature availability

If you are new to the BioDigital Human VR app, this guide will teach you how to interact in VR and how to optimize your physical and virtual space for the best learning experience.

Note: Make sure you have completed the steps in Getting started with BioDigital Human VR before reviewing this guide.

Optimizing your learning environment

Before you start interacting, we recommend taking the following steps to configure your physical and virtual space for an optimal learning experience:

  1. Set aside enough physical space around you so that you will be able to gesture, reach, and move around while you interact. When you create your boundary as part of the Quest setup process, clear furniture and any other objects from the area immediately outside your boundary. Spending a few extra seconds to clear the area will prevent you from colliding with your physical space while you are in virtual space.
  2. Make sure there is enough light in your space, especially if you are using your hands to interact. Open the windows for natural light, and/or turn on overhead lights and lamps.
  3. If you would like, you can enable BioDigital's custom "gallery" background for a more lifelike experience. To switch from the default environment, select the Environments button on the interaction panel and select Gallery.
  4. Before you start using the app, reposition the interaction panel so it is close enough for you to read. To do this, press and hold the trigger button on either controller while dragging the panel to your desired position. See How to navigate and interact in VR below for more on how to use your controllers.
  5. Just like the interaction panel, reposition the model so it is directly in front of you and the individual structures are easily accessible. Simply press and hold the trigger button on either controller while dragging the model to your desired position.
  6. Resize, or "scale," the model by pressing and holding the trigger button on both controllers simultaneously while moving your hands closer together or farther apart.

    Tip: To bring objects closer in VR, start with your arms extended and then move your hands toward you.

 

Navigating in VR: Touch controllers vs. hand tracking

Now that you have set up your physical and virtual environment to your liking, you can learn how to interact with the model using either the touch controllers that come with your headset or your hands, or hand tracking.

Warning: Hand tracking is not for everyone. It does not give you as much control over your virtual environment as your controllers do, and for this reason the BioDigital team prefers to use our controllers. For new users, we recommend starting with your controllers and then optionally trying hand tracking later once you feel comfortable in VR.

  • The touch controllers that come with your Meta Quest not only enable you to interact with the model with ease, but they are also programmed with shortcuts for a more seamless experience.

    Select the Help button on your interaction panel to access our controller tutorial. Use the arrows to navigate through the five screens of the tutorial.

    vr_controller tutorial_aug24.png

  • Once you are comfortable using your touch controllers, try hand tracking for a more tactile experience.
    quest hand tracking point and pinch.gif

    Before you get started, you will need to enable hand tracking on your headset by following the steps under “Turn Hand Tracking on or off” in this Meta article: Getting started with Hand Tracking on Meta Quest headsets.

    Once you have enabled it on your headset, take the following steps to start interacting with your hands:

    1. Set your controllers down on a level surface to activate hand tracking.
    2. To select an object, point at the object and pinch.
    3. To scale an object up or down (i.e., make it bigger or smaller), pinch with both hands and drag your hands toward or away from one another.

 

Using the interaction panel

The interaction panel is a centralized menu of tools and settings. Just like everything else in BioDigital Human VR, you can reposition the panel as desired to make the most of your experience.

Tip: To reposition the interaction panel for a closer view, grab it by pressing and holding the trigger on your controller and dragging it to your desired position.

The interaction panel layout differs slightly in the Gross Anatomy Lab and Anatomy Models. See below for more details on what you will find in each experience.

  • vr_gross anatomy lab_tool panel_aug24.png

    1

    Exit Lab

    		 Exit the Gross Anatomy Lab and return to the lobby.

    2

    Help

    		 Learn how to use your controller buttons in the Gross Anatomy Lab.

    3

    Library

    		 Select from two models: Male Complete Anatomy (default) and Female Complete Anatomy.

    4

    Tool Kit

    		 Access your tool kit, which contains Modes, the Reset tools, and your Panel Manager.

    5

    Modes

    		 Switch between 5 interaction modes that you can use with the model or individual structures:
    • Region Toggle: Select a region of the body to "dissect"; removes the skin for further exploration using the other modes.
    • Move: Move—and optionally scale—a structure away from the model to better understand its shape and relationship to other structures.
    • Label: Apply labels to multiple anatomical structures at once to study and compare them.
    • Hide: Remove structures from the model one by one to reveal underlying structures. Use this mode to virtually "dissect" the model.
    • Select: Select structures one by one to view and identify them (through a pop-up label). Use this mode to discover what a structure is without removing it from the model.

    6

    Settings

    		 See your current dissect capacity and open regions at a glance, and flip body upside down (and right side up) as needed.

    7

    Reset

    		 Use Reset All to return the model and all panels to their default positions and Reset Hide to restore any structures that have been hidden.

    8

    Panel Manager

    		 Manage the System Sliders and/or Description panels.

    9

    Layers

    		 Remove structures from the model layer by layer by selecting and dragging the Layers slider.

  • vr_anatomy models_tool panel_aug24.png

    1

    Return to Library

    		 Return to the Library to select a new model or exit the Anatomy Models experience.

    2

    Environments

    		 Select from two sets of virtual surroundings: Grey Cube (default) and Gallery.

    3

    Help

    		 Learn how to use your controller buttons in the Anatomy Models experience.

    4

    Tool Kit

    		 Access your tool kit, which contains Modes, the Reset tools, and your Panel Manager.

    5

    Modes

    Switch between 5 interaction modes that you can use with the model or individual structures:

    • Group Mode: Move or scale a group of structures as one unit.
    • Move: Move—and optionally scale—a structure away from the model to better understand its shape and relationship to other structures.
    • Label: Apply labels to multiple anatomical structures at once to study and compare them.
    • Hide: Remove structures from the model one by one to reveal underlying structures. Use this mode to virtually "dissect" the model.
    • Select: Select structures one by one to view and identify them (through a pop-up label). Use this mode to discover what a structure is without removing it from the model.

    6

    Reset

    		 Use Reset All to return the model and all panels to their default positions and Reset Hide to restore any structures that have been hidden.

    7

    Panel Manager

    		 Manage the System Sliders and/or Description panels.

    8

    Layers

    		 Remove structures from the model layer by layer by selecting and dragging the Layers slider.