Options - Advanced

There are many settings which can be manually configured by advanced users in the XML files settings.xml and media.xml. In the settings.xml you will find general information that is specific to the device or the user, such as the name to be displayed during a conference or network settings (proxy). The media.xml file stores information specific to the presentation, e.g. the paths to the 360° media used or the Location of the Hotspots.

Advanced settings are discussed in this chapter. For information on other settings, refer to Settings

Functions

Asynchronous Spacewarp (ASW)

Asynchronous Spacewarp (ASW) may help to optimize performance on slow PCs. However, this function is not very effective with present4D. By default, present4D deactivates ASW on launch and reactivates when present4D is closed. If desired, this option can be changed by editing the settings.xml file.

https://developer.oculus.com/blog/asynchronous-spacewarp/

<Parameters>
    ...
    <DisableASW>true</DisableASW>
    ...
  • DisableASW = true
    Deactivates ASW when present4D is launched
  • DisableASW = false
    ASW settings are not changed by present4D (the default)

Warning

If you set DisableASW to true, maybe your antivirus program will block present4D because we’re simulating pressing the keyboard to turn off ASW.

Bug Report

If an error occurs and you need help from present4D support, please enable the debug mode and send us a bug report:

  1. Press F12 immediately after starting present4D. This causes actions performed in the program to be saved in a log file.
  2. Repeat the steps that will reproduce the error.
  3. Press F12 to automatically send us the log report via Email.
  4. Email or call present4D for more information.

Without internet connection: please send the report manually. The log file is located here:

%userprofile%\appdata\locallow\present4D\present4D\output_log.txt

C:\Users\YOUR-WINDOWSUSER-NAME\AppData\LocalLow\present4D\present4D\output_log.txt

You can also find the log file by copying the entire path to the file and pasting it into the Windows search box, as follows:

  1. Press the Windows key on the keyboard or click the Windows icon in the lower-right of the screen to open up the text search boxt.
  2. Copy this full path and filename for the log file %%userprofile%\appdata\locallow\present4D\present4D\output_log.txt
  3. Paste it into the Windows search box to open the file.

Disable ESC Button

When this setting is equal to True, pressing the Escape key on the keyboard closes present4D.

Change this parameter in settings.xml

<Parameters>
    ...
    <AllowEscButton>false</AllowEscButton>
    ...

Double Click opens Location Menu

By default, a double mouse click is used to open the iMenu in non-VR mode. This may not be the best solution on touchscreen computers, so use this setting to change it.

Edit this parameter in settings.xml

<Parameters>
    ...
    <DoubleClickOpensMenu>false</DoubleClickOpensMenu>
    ...
  • DoubleClickOpensMenu = true: double click opens the iMenu

Global Background Sound

A global background sound plays during the whole presentation.

Edit in media.xml

<tourSettings>
    ...
    <globalBackgroundSound url="ambient.wav" volume="1.0" />
    ...
  • File path:
    data/ambient.wav
  • File format:
    *.wav

Mirrored Oculus View

The newest Oculus driver turns the mirrored display off when the HMD is not used. Use this setting to turn the mirrored view always on which may improve the screen and smooth motion.

This setting is edited in settings.xml

There are three modes in XML:

HQ
Always visible, highest quality image with optional smoothing
Default
Standard behavior from the headset manufacturer (poorer quality, picture black if headset is not used)
None
No mirroring, the headset view is not visible on the monitor (black window for privacy)
  <CustomDeviceView>
    <!-- Should High Quality Custom Device View be used ? Set to default on low end PCs, set to none if the headset view should not be visible on PC Monitor - HQ (recommended), default, none -->
    <!-- Can temporarily be switched by pressing D on your keyboard -->
    <mode>HQ</mode>
    <!-- Should the Custom Device View be smoothed? (recommended when showing on a TV / presentation - false or true -->
    <smoothing_enabled>true</smoothing_enabled>
    <!-- Defines behavior of smoothing. lower is smoother. Recomended Range: 2 to 20; 0 = freeze, 8 = default, 50 = similar to smoothing disabled -->
    <smoothing_factor>8</smoothing_factor>
</CustomDeviceView>

Note

These modes can be switched through temporarily (i.e. only for the current runtime) with the d key on the keyboard.

Overlay Media Display

With “Overlay Media” you can insert videos or images into a 360° media files in the correct perspective. This allows you to project a video onto a TV for example.

Supported Files

  • .mp4 preferred Format (using Windows 7 and 8 you need to install the included LAWFilter Codec)
  • .jpg
  • .png

How to embed an Overlay Media Display

  1. Editor Start Mode
  2. In the 360° location, turn to the position where you want to insert the Overlay Media Display
  3. Move the mouse to the position where the upper left corner of the Overlay Media file should be displayed
  4. Press the j button to create a red colored edge marker
  5. Continue clockwise to mark the remaining three corners
  6. After marking the fourth corner the file browser opens automatically. Select the desired file.

Edit the Corners

  1. Editor Start Mode
  2. The corners can be moved like HotSpots with the right mouse button, the space bar or the VR controller.

Change the Media File

  1. Editor Start Mode
  2. Move the cursor over the Overlay Media Display
  3. Hold down the left Mouse Button and press o to open the the file browser
  4. Select the desired file

Delete an Overlay Media Display

  1. Move the cursor over the Overlay Media Display
  2. Hold down the left Mouse Button and press k to delete the Overlay Media Display

Overlay Media Options

It is possible to set some options in the media.xml.

<overlaymedia path="overlaymedia_3873e2fe-5830-438b-ae27-7654ceaa6488/my_image.jpg" enabledOnStart="true" p1="261.7545, 11.67486, 83.50603" p2="269.2223, 14.29388, 54.22221" p3="263.8835, -21.72184, 74.28768" p4="249.1546, -24.90129, -113.6966" videoEndBehavior="loop" videoVolume="0.7" spotID="79" />
  • videoEndBehavior=”loop”
    The video will be looped
  • videoEndBehavior=”hide”
    The Overlay Media Display will be hidden after the video has played once
  • videoVolume=”0.7”
    Control the volume of the video 0 = sound off; 1 = 100%

POI Real Time Content

Display content from a website in a POI.

Follow this example to set this up in media.xml

<hotspot pan="0.963562" tilt="2.84503174" text="" icon="poi" scaleH="0.3" distanceH="6" hideText="false">
     <poi headline="Loading" subheadline="Population of India" websiteURL="http://www.livepopulation.com/country/india.html" refreshRate="1.0" pasteInSubheadline ="false" stringBeforeElement="class=&quot;current-population&quot;&gt;" stringAfterElement="&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;" />
 </hotspot>
  1. Choose a website
  2. Open the website code (right click in browser, “View Page Source”)
  3. Choose a good identifiable string before the information you wish to display
  4. Choose a good identifiable string after the information you wish to display
  5. Convert the string’s xml to conform with the following tool: http://www.freeformatter.com/xml-escape.html#ad-output
  6. Copy the strings to stringBeforeElement and stringAfterElement
  • pasteInSubheadline = true
    The information will be pasted into the subheadline
  • pasteInSubheadline = false
    The information will be pasted into the headline

Rotation in Non-VR Mode

Edit in media.xml

media.xml –> toursettings

<customCameraRotationValues speed=”” smoothing=”” />

Default ist

speed=”0.22” smoothing=”0.0001” (Wert muss zwischen 0 und 1 liegen, je größer der Wert desto länger das nachlaufen)

Video end Actions

At the end of 360° videos, it is possible to trigger an action, such as:

  • Pause the video
  • Loop the video
  • Jump to another 360° Location

Edit these settings in media.xml

Example for pause onPanoEnd="pause"

<Location id="1_7" title="stereo video" onPanoEnd="pause" category="" pan="0" tilt="0" backgroundMusic="" northCorrection="0" dateUpId="" dateDownId="" panoOnBackgroundEnd="" volume="0.6">

Example for loop: onPanoEnd="loop"

<Location id="1_7" title="stereo video" onPanoEnd="loop" category="" pan="0" tilt="0" backgroundMusic="" northCorrection="0" dateUpId="" dateDownId="" panoOnBackgroundEnd="" volume="0.6">

Example for go to an other Location: onPanoEnd="loadLocAfterVideo"

<Location id="1_6" title="Intro" onPanoEnd="loadLocAfterVideo" goToLoc="1_7" goalKeepCurrentRotation="false" goalFadeInstant="false" goalPan="60" goalTilt="5.5"  category="" pan="266.823853" tilt="1.03375244" backgroundMusic="" northCorrection="0" dateUpId="" dateDownId="" panoOnBackgroundEnd="" volume="0.6"  >
  • goToLoc="1_7"
  • goalPan="60"
  • goalTilt="5.5"
  • goalKeepCurrentRotation="false"
  • goalFadeInstant="false"

Screensaver

For information on how to add a screensaver, refer to this chapter: Screensaver

Sound Falloff Parameter

The falloff setting controls the angle at which the sound can still be heard.

Edit this setting in media.xml

<HotSpot>
    ...
    <sound ...=... falloff="-1" ...=... >
    ...
  • falloff="-1"
    Plays with no falling off
  • falloff="90"
    Plays only when 45° to the right and left sides.
Parameter can be
0 - 360°

Network

Web Sync Smoothing

The setting has an affect on performance and network latency when using conference laser pointer and Mirror via Network. The smaller the value, the smoother movements will appear but at the expense of the actuality of the position and rotation.

Edit this setting in settings.xml

<Parameters>
    ...
    <NetworkInterpolation>0.04</NetworkInterpolation>
    ...
  • NetworkInterpolation = 0.04
    Preset - a good average for most networks
  • NetworkInterpolation = 0.01
    Very smooth movements but may have higher network latency
  • NetworkInterpolation = 0.08
    Jerky movements but less network latency

ProxyServer

Easy Proxy setup

Proxy handling is very easy: follow the screen instructions if no internet connection is available.

Proxy Handling in older Versions

PROXY HANDLING in old V1.4:

Please generate an additional file proxy.xml and place it beside the settings.xml

The proxy.xml should contain:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="no"?>
<Parameters>
<ProxyServer enabled="true">
    <HTTPProxyURL>http://192.168.0.109</HTTPProxyURL>
    <HTTPProxyPort>808</HTTPProxyPort>
    <HTTPProxyUsername></HTTPProxyUsername>
    <HTTPProxyPassword></HTTPProxyPassword>
    </ProxyServer>
</Parameters>

Note

Please make sure you add the prefix http:// before the IP to create a valid url.

Proxy for GearVR and Cardboard in old V1.4:

Please generate an additional file proxy.xml (see above) and place it beside the settings.xml. Additionally the global proxy settings of your smartphone have to be configured with the same settings.

Note

If the file settings.xml is missing on your smartphone, please copy the file proxy.xml into the folder named after your Portal Key in the folder path:

  • On Android Cardboard
    de.Present4D.VRSuiteCardboard/files/Present4D/VR-Suite/[:term:`Portal Key` xxx.xxx]/
  • On Android GearVR
    de.Present4D.VRSuiteGearVR/files/Present4D/VR-Suite/[:term:`Portal Key` xxx.xxx]/

If there is no existing Portal Key folder, please initialize your present4D:

  1. Use a less secured network
  2. Upload a small non-confidential test project from your Windows computer to the cloud server.
  3. Start present4D app on your smartphone and enter your Portal Key
  4. Download the test project

Now the setup is ready. In future you can use proxy or copy the project via cable.

Skip Connection Check

In some cases while using a WLAN router without internet, the connection check takes more than 20 sec. If you need this setup you can skip the connection check!

Create a dummy file named connectionCheck.ignore (an empty text file is OK.) make sure not to create a connectionCheck.ignore.txt file. The file extensions may be hidden by your operating system. Copy the file into the following Location:

  • On a PC
    Place the file inside your Project Portal Folder xxx-xxx
  • On Android Cardboard
    /Android/data/de.Present4D.VRSuiteCardboard/files/Present4D/[:term:`Portal Key` xxx-xxx]/connectionCheck.ignore
  • On Android GearVR
    /Android/data/de.Present4D.VRSuiteGearVR/files/Present4D/[:term:`Portal Key` xxx-xxx]/connectionCheck.ignore

Keyboard Layout

Shortcut Function
Arrow up Switch to next 360-degree Location
Arrow down Switch to previous 360-degree Location
numeric keys
  • Through the numeric keys you can directly access 360-degree Locations by their folder ID.
  • You can type several numbers successively.
  • After entering the last number, the corresponding 360-degree Location will be loaded.
1 loads the folder 1_1
2556 loads the folder 1_2556
Space
  • Double tap on the space bar activates / deactivates the edit mode
  • In the edit mode, you can move symbols by holding the space-key.
a With a, you open the dialog to license single 360-degree Locations. Not available in all license models.
l Toggles the laser pointer.
x Restarts the walk through.
f (follow) During conference mode, you switch to the 360-degree Location and the current view of the conference leader.
m

(master)

  • If in conference mode, you gain leader role.
  • All other conference participants jump to your 360°-Location and share your current view angle.
Page up Increases the HotSpot and infospot icon size
Page down Decreases the HotSpot and infospot icon size
p Change the distance of the HotSpot and infospot icons from the eyes
o Change the distance of the HotSpot and infospot icons from the eyes
Esc Ends the software (can be deactivated in the file settings.xml)

Video Tutorials

Visit our Youtube Tutorial Video Channel