🚀Unity Plugin 4.0-alpha

This is a new, lightweight plugin for the Looking Glass, written from the ground up specifically for Unity 6 using the Universal Render Pipeline. It takes advantage of the latest Unity features to enable extremely fast multi-view rendering.

Downloads

Features

• Create interactive Unity applications for Looking Glass devices

• View content in 3D via the Editor and the preview window

• Record holographic video content in the Unity Editor

• Build your app for Windows, MacOS, or iOS using the standard build process — our plugin will take care of the rest

Requirements

• Looking Glass device (Go, 16", or 27")

• Unity 6000.0.39 to 6000.1.5

• Universal Render Pipeline v17.0.4 to v17.1.0

  • Using Forward or Forward+ rendering

  • RenderGraph enabled

Looking Glass Unity Plugin 4.0 will not work with HDRP, and prior versions of Unity are not supported.

Getting Started

The zip includes:

• a com.unity.render-pipelines.core folder

• a com.unity.render-pipelines.universal folder

• a jp.keijiro.klak.syphon folder

• a jp.keijiro.klak.spout folder

• the Looking Glass Unity Plugin 4.0.1-alpha.unitypackage file

• a readme

Make sure your project meets the requirements above. If not, upgrade your Editor version and render pipeline.

Start by closing your project — errors may occur if you do this while it is open. Copy the com.unity.render-pipelines.core, com.unity.render-pipelines.universal, jp.keijiro.klak.syphon, and jp.keijiro.klak.spout folders to YourProjectFolder/Packages/. Unity will automatically switch to using these package versions.

Open your project, then go to the menu bar and select Assets > Import Package > Custom Package. Choose the Looking Glass Unity Plugin 4.0.1-alpha.unitypackage.

This will import all plugin files into your project, including the Multiview RP Asset. There are multiple places Unity stores the render pipeline settings, but these can be quickly updated using the Project Setup tool.

In the project folder, select the Looking Glass Plugin/Settings/Project Setup object. In the Inspector, it will list locations that require the render pipeline setting, with buttons to set each one automatically. Click each button to configure the project.

Open the Looking Glass Plugin/Scenes/Multiview Example Scene to check if everything is working.

Using the Plugin

The easiest way to begin is to duplicate the Multiview Example Scene and edit its content. The only objects you must keep are the Hologram Container under the Orbit Controls object and the Final Pass Canvas, which handle rendering 3D content to the Looking Glass. The latter can be hidden to avoid scene clutter.

Warnings

Do not add your assets to the Looking Glass Plugin folder or modify assets or prefabs in it. Upgrading the plugin involves deleting and replacing this folder, and your changes will be lost.

Live Preview

• Preview window app

• Looking Glass Bridge

The preview window app is a standalone app that lets you see your content on an attached Looking Glass device while you're in the Unity Editor. It must be downloaded from the link above.

To use the preview, ensure Looking Glass Bridge is installed and running. Connect your Looking Glass to your computer using HDMI or USB-C. Follow our hardware setup guides for comprehensive instructions on connecting and setting up your display.

The Looking Glass should now appear as a second display. If using a Looking Glass 16" Portrait or 27" Portrait device and it appears sideways, set its orientation to 270° (or Portrait Flipped on Windows). See more here.

In Unity, make sure you have a Klak Preview Sender object in your scene. The Multiview Example Scene already includes one; otherwise, add it from Looking Glass Plugin/Prefabs.

Preview Window on Windows

To open the lkg-preview-win app you downloaded above, unzip the folder. You will see a Preview Window.exe file in the resulting folder. Double click it.

Because the application isn't code signed and doesn't have Windows extended validation, you will get a blue warning screen called "Microsoft Defender SmartScreen." To open the app anyway, select "More Info" and then "Run Anyway."

The app will now open. It will automatically receive and display Looking Glass content from your Unity Editor. If the preview app remains black or does not load:

• Enter play mode in the Editor

• Make sure Bridge is running — click the Bridge tray icon, go to your display, and click "Show Debug View" to check

• Restart the Unity Editor

Preview Window on MacOS

Opening the preview window on Mac takes several steps because it isn't codesigned and notarized at this time.

First, unzip the lkg-preview-mac folder and double click the included application. It will fail to open.

Then, go to System Settings -> Privacy & Security. Scroll down, and you'll see a notification that the app was blocked to protect your app. Select "Open Anyway" and then select "Open Anyway" on the pop-up window. You will only have to do this once.

If the preview app remains black or does not load:

• Enter play mode in the Editor

• Make sure Bridge is running — click the Bridge tray icon, go to your display, and click "Show Debug View" to check

• Restart the Unity Editor

Controls:

• Esc → Quit

iOS Calibration Loading

On Windows and MacOS, calibration will load automatically. iOS, however, is a more restrictive ecosystem, so it requires additional steps.

When running an iOS build, the first time it runs on an iPhone or iPad connected to a Looking Glass, you will be prompted to select the calibration file from the Looking Glass storage.

• Connect your Looking Glass device via USB-C

• Load a calibration file via the file browser. Calibration files are under Locations -> LKG-XXXXXX (your device serial number) -> LKG_calibration -> visual.json. Select the visual.json file

• Your calibration is now loaded — applications will store this for future use

After completion, calibration is written to iOS storage and need not be repeated unless moving to a different Looking Glass.

Upgrading the Plugin

Upgrading the plugin involves deleting the com.unity.render-pipelines.core, com.unity.render-pipelines.universal, and Looking Glass Plugin folders, then repeating the Getting Started steps. It is highly recommended to make a backup or commit to version control before upgrading.

Troubleshooting

This plugin is an early release and may have stability issues. You can access our more stable plugin here.

If you need support, you can contact us at [email protected] or post on our Discord.

Feedback

We're eager to hear what you think! Please fill out our survey if you have feedback.

Known Issues

• Some versions of Unity show error with the gizmo for the Hologram Camera — it won't draw and will throw errors in the console. If this occurs, try a different version of Unity. Even a minor patch version increase or decrease can resolve the issue.

• On some platforms, the Unity Media Encoder H264 settings fail to encode video.