Toggle Toolkit: A Tool for Conducting Experiments in Unity Virtual Environments
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2021 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Behavior Research Methods |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758%2Fs13428-020-01510-4 |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13428-020-01510-4 |
| Keywords | virtual environment; virtual reality; interactivity; dynamic visualization; 3D visualization; behavioral analysis; experiment design; event logger |
| Attached files | |
| Description | The article presents and offers Toggle Toolkit, which is an original collection of Unity scripts designed to control various aspects of interactive 3D experiments. The toolkit enables researchers in different fields to design, conduct and evaluate experiments and include interactive elements in immersive virtual environments. This was achieved by using the internal functionalities of the Unity engine as well as solutions of our own design. The structure of Toggle Toolkit allows triggers and toggles to be allocated to existing virtual objects and throughout the Unity scene. Once a trigger is executed (with a pre-described action, such as colliding with a virtual object, pressing a key, gazing at an object, etc.), the toggles associated with the trigger are activated and then change the attributes or behaviors of linked objects. All interactive behavior is logged and made available for further statistical analysis. Examples of applications in research are presented and discussed. The Toggle Toolkit’s utility lies in its simplicity and modularity. The Toolkit was designed especially for experimenters with low coding skills and high experimental customization design demands. It is available for free to be used in research and to be enriched with custom scripts. Video tutorial is provided to make it easier to start. The purpose of this paper is not only to give beginners an introduction to VR experimenting, but also to offer a deeper insight into its structure to more experienced developers potentially interested in utilizing and adjusting its features. |
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