When you create a VR experience in Flock XR, you can choose how someone experiences a character moving through your world.
The viewer can stand back and watch the character from within the 3D world, or embody the character and experience the world from the character’s position.
These two options can make the same project feel very different in VR.
Watch a character
Choose watch when you want the player to see the character moving around the world.
The viewer has their own position in the VR world and can look around naturally while watching the character.
[VIDEO: Character walking through a simple world while the viewer watches.]
Watch works well for experiences such as:
- Animated stories
- Character demonstrations
- Simulations where you want to observe what happens
- Projects where seeing the character’s actions is important
For example, you could create a historical character who walks through a reconstruction while telling their story, with the viewer watching the scene unfold around them.
Embody a character
Choose embody when you want the player to experience the world from the character’s position.
Instead of watching the character from elsewhere in the world, the viewer experiences the world from the character’s position.
[VIDEO: The same character journey experienced using Embody.]
This can make the experience feel much more like being the character rather than watching it.
Embody works well for experiences such as:
- First-person games
- World exploration
- Escape rooms
- Interactive stories
- Simulations where you want to experience the character’s point of view
For example, instead of watching a character explore a museum, you could embody the character and experience the museum from its position.
Watch or embody?
A useful question to ask when designing your project is:
Do I want the player to watch this character, or experience the world from its position?
| Watch | Embody | |
|---|---|---|
| Can I see the character? | Yes | Usually not — you’re experiencing its position |
| Am I observing its movement? | Yes | No — you move with it |
| Good for | Stories, demonstrations and animations | Games, world exploration and first-person experiences |
| Feels like | Watching something happen in the world | Being part of what is happening |
[VIDEO: SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON]
Use exactly the same project and character movement on both sides:
WATCH | EMBODY
This makes it easy to see how changing one setting can completely change the VR experience.
How to choose Watch or Embody in Flock XR
Use the set VR view block to choose how the viewer experiences the object or character they are following.
Choose watch to observe the character.
Choose embody to experience the world from the character’s position.
What happens when the character moves?
Choosing watch or embody is only the first part of setting up your VR view.
Look at the set VR view block and you’ll see a second option:
with camera motion
The camera motion setting controls what happens to your VR view when movement takes place.
Learn how none, comfort and smooth change what happens to your view while you watch a character move.
👉 Camera motion in VR: watch view
Learn how none, teleport and smooth change how you move through the world when you embody a character.
👉 Camera motion in VR: embody view
The best option depends on what you’re creating and how you want someone to experience it.
Choosing the right experience
Think about what you want someone to feel and do in your project.
Creating a story?
You might want the player to watch the characters while events happen around them.
Creating a game?
You might want the player to embody a character so they experience the action from inside the game.
Creating a virtual museum?
Either could work.
The player could embody a character and explore the museum themselves, or watch a guide who moves between exhibits.
Creating a simulation?
Ask whether the learner needs to observe what happens or experience what happens from a particular position.
There isn’t one setting that’s right for every project. Try both and choose the experience that fits what you’re creating.
Try it yourself
Create a simple scene containing a character and a few objects or buildings.
Set camera motion to none so that you can concentrate on the difference between watch and embody.
First, experience the project in VR using watch. Look around and notice where you are in relation to the character.
Then change only watch to embody and run the same project again.
Notice how your position and relationship to the character changes.
Which option would work better for the experience you’re creating?
Check your understanding
Try these tasks:
- Create a character that moves through a 3D world.
- Experience the movement using watch.
- Change the setting to embody and try the same project again.
- Describe how the two experiences feel different.
- Think of a project where watch would work well.
- Think of a project where embody would work better.