Tutorial: Dlux.io VR and 3D for total beginners like me

Goal: publish something in VR onto the Hive tool https://dlux.io

Up front info:

1. I’m totally new at this and I do not have a VR headset. I’m working in 2D only on an old, slow laptop.
2. The latest Hivefest in VR made me envious for missing out. I know it was possible to view with Windows 10, but at that time, I did not have 10.
3. I think this sort of VR and 3D thing will only be increasing in the future, so I want to learn.
4. They say, “If you want to learn, teach.” Writing tutorials like this helps me learn.

There is a step-by-step set of instructions built into dlux.io, and it’s certainly okay, but I hit snags.

The tutorial by Hive account@a1-shroom-spores I found to be very helpful and I really recommend it. It’s at @a1-shroom-spores/deep-dive-into-dlux I don’t think I can do better here. a1-shroom-spores knows what he’s talking about and I really don’t! But, maybe my newbie perspective would be beneficial to some other newbie readers. So…

Let’s go!

Go to https://www.dlux.io/ and login.

You’ll need a Hive account and the Hive keychain browser extension. Not on Hive? https://signup.hive.io/ gives several ways to sign up or you can use my referral and I’ll help you get started: https://hiveonboard.com/create-account?ref=crrdlx :) For Hive Keychain, just search for it then add it to either Chrome or Firefox.

Now that you’re logged into dlux.io, here’s a little Hive 101 information. VR is new to me. Understanding the following helps understand what’s going on in dlux.io. a1-shroom-spores pointed out that dlux is a front-end to Hive like several others (peakd, ecency, hive.blog, etc.). It just looks different and it only opens certain posts. Anyway, suppose you wrote a post called “My awesome picnic” and your username is Hive account@username. You could see it at @username/my-awesome-picnic or you could erase the “peakd.com” part and add “ecency.com” or “hive.blog” or others and still see it. You would not see it on dlux.io. Dlux shows special, VR, posts. That's what we're doing today.

In dlux.io, hit the “Profile” button (top right) to see how your posts look and feel there on the dlux front-end. All your posts are there, just shown in a different way from what you normally see. Non-dlux posts won't open. Try one.

Also, see the “VR page” button? That will open things into VR view. You can still view things without a VR headset (I don’t have one). Notice the URL in the browser's address bar. That's your VR page. I'm really not 100% what you'll see. In my case, I am able to see my dlux post called “LUV and Million Dollar NFT”…that's the one I made in this tutorial below. It looks like the image below with my post appearing like a sphere. If you make a dlux post, I'm pretty sure you will be able to see yours there on your page.

_{Above is VR page for me (Hive account@crrdlx) with the LUV token logo showing in the spherical link.}

So, how did I get that globe thing there?

First, understand, that globe thing is just a link. Clicking it just takes you to the post that I made. The same is true for other globes you'll see. We’re used to seeing links in text form like this: @crrdlx/luv-and-the-million-dollar-nft or as images, but not so accustomed to see them as 3D objects like spheres. Still, those 3D are just links. We should start getting used to it because its coming.

If you want to watch a video of the whole process...

Here’s a gif showing how the two-image post in dlux was made:

_{Making a two image VR post on dlux.io}

You can watch this as a video if you wish (it goes slower than the gif above and you can pause, of course):

Creation process:
3speak:
Same video on odysee.com (formerlly lbry.tv): https://odysee.com/@crrdlx:a/Dlux-VR-and-3D-space-tutorial-for-total-beginners-like-me:e

Final product
3speak:
Same video on odysee.com (formerly lbry.tv): https://odysee.com/@crrdlx:a/final-result-of-my-first-dlux-VR-or-3D-post-A-tutorial-for-beginners:b

If you want to read how I made that globe/link/3D-VR thing...

---

1. I had the two images above ready to go: the LUV token logo and the thumbnail for the Million Dollar NFT. They are simple, common jpg images.
2. From dlux.io, click the “+” button. This is essentially the “Post” button or “Create new” button.
3. Choose “Get Started” from the 360˚ GALLERY.
4. Drag in your images. Regular 2D images will work, but they’ll be distorted looking (read below where is says "Realize"). This tool on dlux is made for 360˚ or surround-view images...2D images get stretched and pulled and look funky.
5. For “Title”, enter whatever you wish to call it. This will be the title of your post…it will be part of the URL in the address bar.
6. For “Description”, enter what you want. This will be the text part of your post, the written content of your post.
7. Click “Publish.” This posts your post, just like in other Hive front-ends like peakd, ecency, d.buzz, leofinance, etc.
8. You can see your new post on Hive now. For instance, you can go to peakd.com, click “All Posts”, and you’ll see your dlux.io post. Opening that post, you’ll see your written content and a link to the dlux.io VR view.
9. Following that dlux.io link will put you in your new VR post. It might look a bit odd, read below as to why.

The gif below illustrates the final product: a VR post on dlux.io:

_{I think this is viewable by you at https://www.dlux.io/vr/@crrdlx}

Links

Here’s the link to my post about the dlux VR post: @crrdlx/luv-and-the-million-dollar-nft

And here’s the link in the raw text form on the blockchain, seen on the Hiveblocks block explorer: https://hiveblocks.com/dlux/@crrdlx/luv-and-the-million-dollar-nft

And here’s the link to the VR view of my two-image post: https://dlux.io/dlux/@crrdlx/luv-and-the-million-dollar-nft

Notice how it’s the same as the link each time, except that the front-end differs (peakd.com vs. hiveblocks.com vs. dlux.io). Front-ends show the same info, just with different looks and feels. I think of it as sunglasses with different lenses..clear lenses, gray-tinted lenses, amber-tinted lenses, rose-colored glasses. You see the same thing (the same blockchain info), but the view or appearance is different.

Realize...my images (LUV logo and Million Dollar NFT image) are just regular 2D images. On the dlux site, they get made into 360 images. Imagine it this way...picture the LUV image as a poster. Roll it around into a tube shape then tape the ends together. So, now, it’s a cylinder shape with the picture of the heart on the inside. Imagine that you stick your head inside that cylinder and look around. That’s what you’re doing looking at it in dlux.io

A better idea of what VR looks like is seen in this post https://www.dlux.io/dlux/@markegiles/joshua-tree-360-vr-gallery-first-test-of-dlux-gallery by Hive account@markegiles because it has 360 degree images.

Next step

I’m currently trying to get add things using the 3D builder. I’m making slow progress figuring things out. I was able to add an obelisk to the pyramid scene.

But, it is huge…I’m somehow standing in the middle of it. It’s there, but it’s transparent and I’m looking through it looking out and through it. This VR is a weird space.

Maybe I’ll add another tutorial if I can figure out the next step. :)

_{Not on Hive? The top benefits of the Hive blockchain: (1) no ONE person/group runs it, (2) YOU own your content, and (3) YOU earn the rewards your that content generates. Learn more or consider using my referral link to get your free account here.}

:)