StereoKit: An Open Source Mixed Reality Framework
Bringing the science-fiction dream of holographic interaction into the real world, open source projects like StereoKit are revolutionizing how we interact with technology. This mixed reality framework is designed with a user-first ideology, seeking to make virtual reality creations as easy as possible.
Project Overview:
StereoKit is an open source, mixed reality library built for spatial computing, offering an easy-to-use tool that enables developers to create immersive user experiences. The primary objective of the project is to encourage developers to build, test, and publish immersive and dynamic 3D applications using this C# powered tool. The target audience is certainly developers interested in foraying into mixed reality application development, particularly hobbyists, indie developers, and prototypers. Its relevance increases in the modern technological age, where virtual and augmented realities are quickly becoming mainstream platforms.
Project Features:
Apart from being easy to learn and use, the distinct features of StereoKit include its full support for input scenarios like eye-tracking, articulate hand input, etc. It allows developers to create and iterate Insiders-style holograms quickly. Importantly, StereoKit aims for maximum hardware compatibility, making heavy use of OpenXR API, thereby reducing any dependency on particular hardware or platforms. By this virtue, one can build fluidly adaptable 3D and virtual applications that can run on any platform – from standalone AR headsets to Windows Mixed Reality.
Technology Stack:
StereoKit uses C# as its primary programming language due to its simplicity and expressiveness. Coupled with the library, developers can have the same comfort level on low-level holographic development as they do with high-level desktop development. StereoKit also utilizes the Open XR API to ensure complete hardware compatibility, and employs HLSL shaders, a language used to write programmable shaders, ensuring that graphics rendering is more efficient and realistic.
Project Structure and Architecture:
The developers of StereoKit project follow a highly modular design principle for ease of use and better debugging. The architecture is built in layers: it contains a core layer, followed by an application layer constructed on top of the core layer, and finally an interface layer designed above the application layer. Each module acts independently, strengthening the ease of programming without worrying about other modules.
