MRTK3 Preview 11 Release

[MaxWang-MS]

We are happy to announce the release of MRTK3 Preview 11, the latest set of MRTK packages with improvements to the out-of-box experience, support for platform-defined controller models, clarifications on the UX component packaging story, and much more!

In this release we're leveraging the Project Validation system from Unity's XR Core Utilities package to help you be more confident when incorporating MRTK3 into a new project outside our samples or an existing project you have been working on. We've added MRTK3 rules to the Project Validation system to ensure you don't run into commonly encountered issues.

We've also made our canvas-based buttons easier to use, especially for those less familiar with Unity UI. There are now menu entries for creating MRTK UX components that automatically add a properly-configured Canvas if one is not already present in the scene. Expect this set of menu entries to expand to include the remainder of the UX components and controls library in the near future!

One major change you'll notice is splitting the UX prefabs into two packages: MRTK UX Components and MRTK UX Components (Non-Canvas). This separation addressed previous confusion arising from the lack of clarity before the two categories of UX prefabs we ship.

Action item: if you are currently using any UX prefabs/components that are not canvas-based, make sure you explicitly select MRTK UX Components (Non-Canvas) when updating in the Mixed Reality Feature Tool.

We also changed the color space of our sample Unity project to linear and adjusted major UI-related materials and MRTK standard materials to optimize their appearances in the linear color space. We highly recommend you to move to linear color space if you haven't already. If your project is using the gamma color space, you may notice some slight change in the appearance of MRTK materials. For more information on linear vs gamma color space, check out Unity's documentation.

Changelog for MRTK3 pre.11

[pre.11] - 2022-09-12 - fa26baf

The format is based on Keep a Changelog. The content is mirrored at the changelog page of our docs.

Added

• Added a unified IPoseSource interface for sharing pose logic across several components
• Added support support for Unity's Project Validation system
• Added 3D app icon setting for UWP
• Added menu items to intelligently create canvas-based buttons in the hierarchy
• Added BurstAotSettings to the sample Unity project
• Added the ability to load controller models from the platform
• Added CameraFOVChecker from MRTK2

Changed

• Breaking: CameraCache is now removed in favor of Unity's performant Camera.main implementation
• Breaking: The UX prefabs are now split into two packages: MRTK UX Components and MRTK UX Components (Non-Canvas)
• Breaking: Changed the default color space to Linear and adjusted materials accordingly
• Breaking: Removed empty GazeController
• Updated MRTK3 Core Definitions' dependencies to require Unity's XR Core Utilities 2.1.0-pre.1
• Updated the Mixed Reality OpenXR plugin to 1.5.0
• Updated the Unity OpenXR plugin to 1.5.1
• Moved to a custom AndroidManifest.xml file to enable TouchScreenKeyboard on Meta Quest
• Improved the visual and default configuration of TabView
• Refactored HandBasedPoseSource out of HandJointPoseSource
• Updated InterfaceSelector to use Unity TypeCache
• Updated Microsoft.Unity.Analyzers.dll to 1.14.0
• Updated dependencies in package manifests
• Removed old No Pre Init loader
• Updated FollowJoint to use serialization callbacks for migration
• Moved the magic window sample into its own scene
• Updated hand menu & near menu prefabs and examples to be canvas-based
• Updated tracking state mapping for base hand controller prefab
• Obsoleted ArticulatedHandController's PinchPose
• Improved reset logic for hand data
• Removed duplicate PlayspaceUtilities.ReferenceTransform.rotation application in MRTKRayInteractor

Fixed

• Fixed an issue in StateVisualizer preventing it from keeping track of individual colors
• Fixed a warning message from the cheese model
• Fixed a warning message from the MRTK Logo model
• Fixed some physics issues related to ObjectManipulator and the HandInteractionExample scene
• Fixed incorrect transition time and missing font icon reference in the Action Button prefab
• Fixed eye gaze simulation when XR isn't enabled

Known issues

When the following conditions are met:

• Oculus OpenXR is selected as the Play Mode OpenXR Runtime for the standalone platform, and
• Initialize XR on Startup is checked for the standalone platform, and
• The computer is not connected to a headset (via cable or wireless),

Unity editor may frequently freeze in play mode. This is a Unity bug introduced in Unity OpenXR plugin 1.5.
To workaround this issue, please

• use a non-Oculus Play Mode OpenXR Runtime for the standalone platform
• or uncheck Initialize XR on Startup under Edit > Project Settings > XR Plug-in Management > Standalone while iterating in the editor via play mode
• or connect to a headset before entering play mode in the editor.

Breaking changes

• The UX prefabs are now split into two packages: MRTK UX Components and MRTK UX Components (Non-Canvas)
  • Up until this point, our RectTransform-based (preferred) UX components were jumbled in with our non-RectTransform-based (static) controls, which caused confusion + frustration
  • Now the UX prefabs are separated into two packages based on their use of Canvas/RectTransform. This will allow for better clarity for developers.
  • If your project currently utilizes the non-Canvas-based UX Prefabs, please add the com.microsoft.mrtk.uxcomponents.noncanvas to your project.
• Changed the color space of the sample project to linear and adjusted materials accordingly
  • Optimized major UI-related materials and MRTK standard materials for use in linear color space. Their look in the gamma color space will be slightly different.
  • For more information on linear vs gamma color space, check out Unity's documentation.
• CameraCache is now removed from MRTKin favor of Unity's performant Camera.main implementation
  • As of Unity 2020.2 (older than our min. Unity version requirement for MRTK3), Camera.main has had some massive perf improvements!
  • Camera.main never took more than 0.0ms in in-editor profiler tests
• Removed empty GazeController
  • All properties in this class had been deprecated. ArticulatedHandController provides equivalent functionality for each pinching hand.

Thanks!

As always, stay in touch! Reach out to us anywhere you see us, including the HoloDevelopers slack, the GitHub discussions/issues, or even Twitter! We love to see what you build with MRTK3 and hear your feedback.

Thanks again! 👓👐