Thesis
Abstract – Immersive fulldome projection is a medium that has been growing over the past few decades. Despite its widespread popularity as a form of passive, educational entertainment, the possibilities of creating a more user engaged experience within a fulldome is something that hasn’t been widely explored. In this study, I will lay out the tools and framework, based on past methods and consumer technology, to aid in the development of interactive fulldome projects. By bringing game design concepts into fulldome projection, we could open up a unique medium with new immersive qualities to independent game developers.
My Master’s Thesis in Digital Media looked at the process for independent or student developers to create games capable of being projected onto dome surfaces. To accomplish this, Unity, a commercial plugin called Omnity, and some commercial controllers were used in creating a digital experience for a small dome. Digital environments for Dome Projection offer a variety of unique benefits, many making the medium stand out compared to current virtual reality technology.
One such benefit that was explored in the study was the potential of multiplayer experiences within a physical 360° environment. Players were able to take on different jobs and better utilize the full screen space for gameplay.
Space Escape
As part of the study, I developed such a student game for a small projection dome. This game involved using XBox One controllers to control a spaceship as it maneuvered through a space station filled with traps. Players were scored on their completion time and damage taken as they tried to get out of the station.
Below is full gameplay videos of the game. One shows the Domemaster view: the version that is passed to the projector to be displayed on the projection dome. The other utilizes a tool developed from this study I call the Pseudome: a simulated dome environment made using the Domemaster.
