When you choose embody in the set VR view block, you experience the Flock XR world from the character’s position.
The camera motion setting controls how you move through the virtual world.
There are three options when using embody:
- none — your VR view stays where it is
- teleport — use a controller to choose where to jump
- smooth — move with your character as it travels through the world
Embody with camera motion: none
Choose none when you don’t want movement in your project to automatically move your VR view.
Your view stays where it is. You can still turn your head and look naturally in any direction, but character movement doesn’t carry your view through the world.
[VIDEO: Embody + none. Look around using the headset, then trigger character movement and demonstrate that the VR view remains in position.]
None works well when:
- You want the viewer to experience the scene from a fixed position.
- The experience mainly happens around the viewer.
- Looking around is more important than travelling through the world.
- You want to control when or whether the viewer changes location.
For example, you might place someone inside an animated scene and let events unfold around them without moving them through the environment.
Embody with camera motion: teleport
Choose teleport when you want the player to choose where they move.
Point a controller towards the ground. A circle appears showing where you can land.
Release to teleport to that position.
[VIDEO: Point controller → teleport circle appears → change direction → release → arrive at new position.]
The character comes with you when you teleport, so it can still interact with the world and is still affected by collisions.
Teleport works well for:
- Exploring 3D worlds
- Virtual museums and galleries
- Escape rooms
- Adventure games
- Experiences where the player chooses where to explore next
Choose which way you’ll face
The teleport marker doesn’t just show where you’ll land.
An arrow shows the direction you’ll be facing when you arrive. You can change this direction before teleporting.
[VIDEO: Keep the teleport circle in one position while changing the arrow direction, then teleport.]
Embody with camera motion: smooth
Choose smooth when you want your VR view to travel through the world with your character.
When your project’s movement blocks move the character, you move with it.
[VIDEO: Character controlled using movement blocks while the embodied VR view travels through the world.]
This includes changes in height, so you can travel up steps and slopes with your character.
Flock XR ignores very small individual changes in height until they build up enough to matter. This helps prevent uneven or bumpy ground from constantly moving the view up and down.
[VIDEO: Smoothly walk up a slope or steps.]
Smooth works well for:
- First-person games
- Character-controlled exploration
- Walking through environments
- Experiences where travelling through the world is part of the experience
Compare the three options
The three Embody camera-motion options give you very different ways of experiencing the same world.
| None | Teleport | Smooth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How do you change location? | Your view stays put | Choose a destination with the controller | Move the character |
| Do you travel through the space between locations? | No | No | Yes |
| Who chooses where to go? | — | Player | Your project’s character controls |
| Useful for | Fixed experiences | Exploring | Continuous movement |
[VIDEO: THREE-WAY COMPARISON]
NONE | TELEPORT | SMOOTH
Use the same simple world for all three so the difference comes from the camera-motion setting rather than the environment.
Which should I choose?
Think about how you want someone to explore your project.
Should they experience everything from one position? – Try none.
Should they choose where they want to explore without travelling through the space between locations? – Try teleport.
Should they experience their character travelling continuously through the world? – Try smooth.
Try each option in your headset. Movement can feel quite different in VR compared with watching the same project on a computer.
Try it yourself
Notice how differently you experience exactly the same environment.
Which type of movement best suits the project you’re creating?
Check your understanding
Try these tasks:
- Use embody + none and look around without changing your position.
- Use embody + teleport to move to three different locations.
- Change the direction arrow before teleporting and notice which way you’re facing when you arrive.
- Use embody + smooth to move through your world.
- Try travelling up a slope or some steps using smooth movement.
- Think of a project where each option would work well.