Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Researching via Virtual Reality



How do you research the setting for a book?

Ideally, we write about someplace we know, someplace we've lived or visited, right?

But how do you research when you can't go there (but really need to use the setting)?
Historical writers are used to researching settings we can't visit, but contemporary authors have to research also.

In the olden days, we researched in the library (or if you're like me, you bought every book you could find on the topic!)

Remember encyclopedias? 

Then there was the internet. Even in the early days of online research, you could find tons of photos, connect with residents, Google map your location.

And of course there are YouTube videos.



If you want something more specific, Google Earth lets you zoom in on any spot you want anywhere around the world. Have you tried that lately? It's all kinds of awesome. You can zero in on any spot in the world and feel like you're right there. (Though honestly the zooming makes me a tad dizzy!)

I'm researching Idaho for a current book. Google Earth made me feel like I was walking through the forest.

I could even feel what it was like to set up camp.



Recently, I discovered what may be the "next best thing to being there" - Virtual Reality.


But let's take a step back in time first.

Do any of you remember these?



I had a Viewmaster when I was a kid. Who knew I was on the cutting edge of technology?

No kidding. Apparently, the same technology in these 3D static images, applied to videos, is the concept behind today's Virtual Reality headsets.

I'm by no means a pro at this, but I was curious. Several years ago my husband got a Google Cardboard for free from somewhere. At the time, neither of us had an iPhone, so the device sat on the bookshelf gathering dust (literally!).




Then earlier this year, my principal got a donation of a box of Google Cardboards. I decided to use them with my class to help them understand what it was like to climb Mt. Everest (to go along with a book we were reading).

It's pretty easy to set up. You download a free app, then insert your phone into the cardboard viewer and immerse yourself.

Unfortunately, I discovered that all the really good Everest simulations were for far more expensive VR systems, but along the way I learned something new.

YouTube is VR central. Many of the videos available on YouTube have a little cardboard viewer image in the lower right corner.



This indicates that the video is compatible with Google Cardboard and can give you an immersive experience.

So, back to Idaho - I can watch this video on YouTube and have a pretty wild ride down the river, but if I open that same video on my phone and put it in my Cardboard, I am right in the boat with them, feeling every swell, taking every curve. It was almost enough to make me seasick!



Now, let's say I wanted to set a book in Scotland. I could go to YouTube and watch this lovely video.



Or, I could go to the same link on my iPhone and insert the phone in my Google Cardboard, and I would have 360° access to the same video. I can look down at the ground, up at the sky, see who is behind me and twirl in a circle if I want to.

On my phone, the screen looks like this. Look familiar? (See the Viewmaster above.)


But when I open it in Google Cardboard, I am right in the scene, walking under that bridge.

One caveat - at least with the 1st generation, cheap viewer that I have, the quality isn't always crystal clear, but I suspect that will improve with time. In the meantime, I'm just happy to be able to experience areas that I want to write about even if I can't afford to travel.

Not bad for under $10!

Of course someday, maybe I'll spring for one of the fancy sets like Oculus Rift with all the supportive, advanced videos, but for now, I'm happy to stroll along Loch Lomond and hum a tune (where no one else has to listen).






Have you tried VR for research or just for fun?

What's your favorite way to research?

I'm giving away one Google Cardboard, so let me know in the comments if you're interested!




30 comments:

  1. That is amazing! I've used YouTube videos and the orange man on Google maps, but that VR looks crazy cool. Thanks for sharing your tips!

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    1. Crazy cool is an excellent description, Toni. I'm glad you found the tips helpful.

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    2. The little orange dude on the map is about as far as I've gotten, too, Toni! And I thought I was all that and a bag of chips!

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  2. I've used Google Earth and You Tube videos but Google Cardboard is all new! Thanks for sharing and yes, I would love for my name to be entered.
    Blessings!
    Connie
    cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Google Cardboard is the most basic of them. It's truly amazing to experience the more advanced ones. Even better when they include background sounds.

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  3. Well I am blown away what a cool idea. I do have one series that takes place pretty much "in my backyard," but the other two range pretty far afield and I can't always afford to go there in person. I am going to give this a try. A time machine would be nice, as my Oregon Trail story takes place in 1846-1849 and the New York one at the dawn of the Roaring 20s.
    I research completely on the Internet now, there's no good reason not to. But I do print out a lot of the stuff and go over it in coffee shops with highlighters, that's how I learn. I have reams of paper already on my WIP, on Kit Carson and Taos and the War With Mexico and the Gold Rush and New Orleans and fever epidemics. This book is demanding research skills I didn't know I had.
    I remember encyclopedias. And scribbling the facts on index cards. That was how we organized. I miss encyclopedias and phone books. They were great emergency booster seats for toddlers.
    This is a great time to be alive for writers. It's scary but in a good way.
    Please put me in the drawing.
    Kathy Bailey
    Pushing the boundaries in New Hampshire

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    1. I'll bet you're having far more fun researching topics that interest you. Historical writer me loves all those topics you just mentioned. Sounds like a great book.

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  4. I love this, Mary Cate! I remember those Viewmasters, but you've taught me something new. I love Google maps, though. Being able to get down on street level so I can see exactly what my characters might be seeing is a wonderful tool.

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    1. Me too, Mindy. I used that to scope out a vacation rental last year - to make sure the photos on the rental site were accurate.

      I particularly love that Google Earth can take me places that Google Maps hasn't done yet.

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    2. Thanks for the tip of checking vaca rental properties on Google Earth! :)

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  5. I've never even heard of google cardboard.
    My mind is blown.

    beyond the youtube videos do you have to buy the Google Cardboard pictures? Because I just looked and these are not expensive. They have to get you somewhere right? :)

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    1. Mary, you buy the viewer (under $10 for Google Cardboard) and then you download the free app to your phone. After that it's just a matter of finding videos that support 3D. There are other apps you can buy that provide serious adventure, but I just use the free ones on YouTube.

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  6. My goodness there are a dozen different VR type headsets. How have I never heard of this?

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    1. Yes. You can imagine that the $400 ones give a much higher resolution and immersive experience, but those are for serious gamers. We're writers. We can use our imaginations if the image is a wee bit fuzzy. I'm told the iPhones 8 and above work better than my 7. I'll have to check into that with family members who have newer ones.

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  8. Fun post, Cate. I never think about Google Earth. My son has always had fun with that on his computer. I will need to try it. I always loved the Viewmaster. I had never heard of Google Cardboard. I don't have an iPhone so guess it wouldn't work for me. I can see how your students would enjoy it.

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    1. Sandy, it's not just for iPhones, but you would have to check if it's suitable for your phone. Not all Android phones work, but I think most do.

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  9. I have never even heard of Google Cardboard! Nor have I noticed the little icon on YouTube. Of course, most of what I watch on YouTube are sports highlights...

    What a fun idea, especially for kids, taking them on adventures they might never be able to afford otherwise.

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    1. Good point, Erica. We use them in school to immerse the students in a setting. The SS teacher has had the students "visit" the Great Wall of China and the Coliseum.

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    2. Speaking of sports highlights, I suppose everyone noticed that Derek Jeter made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday.

      I'm just mentioning that in passing.

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  10. Cate, this is so cool! I didn't even know about it! I'll definitely check it out. But very cautiously--because I got motion sickness while playing a game on my son's VR set!! LOL Yep. Had to go lie down to sleep if off. No more VR for me unless I'm very careful and do it only for short periods of time. :)

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    1. I understand the motion sickness, Missy. They do warn you to close your eyes and then open them once you're holding it up to your face. I have to look away when Google Earth is doing its zooming.

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  11. Google cardboard sounds amazing. What a great gift to give the grands! And to give myself. You buy it online? Have you found them in stores as well?

    Thanks, Cate!

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    1. I've only ever seen it online. It's something like $7.95 at Amazon.

      My only caution would be that kids who are used to advanced gaming stuff might not be impressed with the cheap versions. Apparently the Oculus and other similar ones are much better.

      I just find that the cheap one suits my research purposes.

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  13. This sounds fascinating! Like Missy, I didn't even know about this--and I definitely want to check it out. I'm branching out now a bit--setting a series of books outside of Georgia for the first time. Since I'm a lifelong Georgian, that means I need to do more research! One of my main concerns is making sure that I portray my new location with authenticity. It's so amazing what you can learn online--and VR sounds like a great tool to bring an extra layer of realism to my writing. Thanks, Cate!

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    1. I hope it helps you, Laurel. I find it helpful to be able to zoom in on an area and feel like I'm walking the same paths my characters are walking.

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  14. Hi Cate:

    You sure have provided many good research ideas here. An idea I have found very useful for learning about settings is "YouTube Walks". These are videos, usually by ordinary people, just walking around in famous places.

    The beauty of Walks is that they are not slick but rather show anything that's there like litter and clothes hanging out on clothes lines over famous locations!

    You can also get a good look at all those people on the streets and sidewalks. Of course, hearing all the sounds of the location really helps in five-sensing your copy. It would be ideal if you could get a whiff of the air and all the scents that 'brand' some locations.

    For example: suppose you are writing a story that takes place in Venice, Italy (like Donna Leon) and the hero lives in the little viewed residential area for locals. Your hero has to make his way to the supermarket. Well, there is a great tape on just that. See it here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTklgfTtcMA


    This is a great tape. Notice the lack of tourists. Notice, too, how convoluted a simple walk to the store can be! (Lots of places for a murder here).

    I lived in Italy and have been to Venice at least 40 times and I never found that 'supermarket'! This level of research you probably wouldn't do even if you were in Venice.

    I would advise that a writer check for Walks for any location they are thinking of using in a book. A few good "Walks" might get you to choose or change a location.

    "A Kind Idea!"

    If you are doing research on location, why not make such a video for YouTube. You can do even better if you mention smells, the wind, and temperature for the time of year and day. Be really helpful. Perhaps you can send readers to the video who visit your blog. Even mention your book in the video. Imagine the wealth of information available if all writers doing research did this!!!

    Thanks for you post.]

    Vince

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    1. These are great suggestions, Vince. I've never used YouTube Walks so I'll have to check them out. They sound like perfect research tools as well as being fun.

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  15. I had no idea such a thing existed! What a fun and easy modification, but who would have expected it, Cate???? I'm gobsmacked!!!!!

    You have taught me something brand new today.

    Now I have to wrap my head around it.... What a reference tool this could turn out to be!

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