Creating a VR Training Environment in FARO Zone 3D
Overview
FARO Zone 3D 2019.5 makes it easy to convert a 3D drawing into a VR training environment. Users can walk through the VR environment and collect evidence, place evidence markers, measure distances, place police tape, and more.
Planning the Environment
Before designing the environment, it's important to understand how users can interact with the environment. Users can do the following:
- Walk through the environment
- View an animation
- Pick up items
- Pick up items with designated tools: tongs or tweezers
- Place items in a specific container (single bag, double bag, small box, etc.)
- Scan with a UV light revealing items that were hidden
- Measure distances
- Place evidence placards
- Place police tape
- Label items
- Magnify the environment
- Trace trajectory rods
Building the Environment
Every object in a 3D drawing is assigned a VR tag which determines how the object behaves when viewed in virtual reality. Items like walls, doors, and symbols are automatically assigned the most common VR tags when created. To further define or change how objects act, click the object and click the VRT Settings icon in the object window.
VRT Settings
Can Grab - Toggle this to determine if a VR user can grab the object.
Tag Options - View Tag Options window to further define how users can interact with objects.
Tag Options
- Container - Apply this tag if an object can be placed in a container. Use the drop down menu to specify which container the object can be placed in: Generic, Bag_Single, Bag_Double, Small_Box, Big_Box. This will let users know that a certain type of evidence should be placed in a specific container.
- Is Construct - A construct is an item which can't be walked through but can be walked on, like stairs or a ramp.
- Is Construct Bounding Box - This makes the entire object's bounding box a construct.
- Is Wall - A wall is an item that can't be walked through or over.
- Is Wall Bounding Box - This makes the entire object bounding box a wall.
- Tongs - Specifies that this item can only be picked up with tongs.
- Tweezers - Specifies that this item can only be picked up with tweezers.
- Use Hidden - A symbol or object can be hidden and still used as a wall or construct with this tag. Give the symbol this tag, move the symbol to its own layer, and hide the layer.
- UV Material - Specifies that this item can only be seen using the UV flashlight.
Setting the Scene
When you have completed a 3D drawing, you can add weather/environment effects by clicking the VR/ENVIRO tab.
Sky - Change the skybox over the scene. Set the time of day, lighting, and lighting intensity.
Ground - Change ground color and texture.
Shadows - Hide/show shadows and change intensity and direction.
Fog - Add fog and change distance and density.
Rain - Add rain and change distance and density.
Snow - Add snow and change distance and density.
Particle Effects
Click the Particle Effects icon 
to add fire, explosions, or smoke effects.
Fire - Create a consistently burning fire or sync with an animation.
Torch - Create a small fire animation.
Campfire - Create a medium fire animation.
Fireplace - A wider, medium fire animation.
House Fire - A taller, wid fire animation, consistent with a fully involved house fire.
Skyscraper Fire - A large fire animation for use with large structure fires.
Smoke - A continuous smoke animation that can be synced with animation.
Explosion Dome - An explosion dome animation.
Explosion Sphere - A full, spherical explosion animation.
Example VR Scene
- Gun. This symbol is marked Can Grab so it can be picked up, and tagged with Container, Double Bag so it can only be placed in a double bag.
- Bullet casing. This bullet casing is marked Can Grab. It is tagged with Tweezers and Container, Single Bag. It can only be picked up with the tweezers tool and placed in a single bag.
- Blood spatter. This evidence is tagged UV Material and will only appear with the UV Flashlight tool.
- Ski mask. This evidence is marked Can Grab. It is tagged with Container, Double Bag.
- Bass guitar. This bass guitar has a fingerprint symbol placed on top. The fingerprint is tagged UV Material and will only appear with the UV Flashlight tool.
- Grill. This grill has a smoke particle effect applied to simulate burning food.
- Night sky. The skybox texture was changed to a night time effect.
- Body. A body symbol was placed on top of a blood pool to depict a dead body.