Has anyone ever tried coding in VR? Not making a VR app, but writing code within a VR workspace. Even keeping the standard 2D screen metaphor, it seems useful to have infinite screens placeable anywhere in the world. You’re not restricted to physical monitors.

It seems like an interesting idea, but I worry that it would be too much at once? I kinda stopped using two monitors recently because of that. But a documentation screen and a code screen seems like a good idea

I've wondered what this will be like; I have a text editor that could in theory render inside a 3D world easily enough; and I'd like to try having it be wrapped around the viewer, etc. The interesting part is the input. For me that would probably be fine, since I'm a touch typist and like to use Keystrokes/vim for navigation; but I'm not sure how anyone would cope without those things. I'm also not sure how tiring it would be ; I imagine being locked in a world like that would be become quite draining if you did it for the usual amount of hours.... The text editing isn't the only problem of course; you'd need debugger, etc; and presumably the application you were working on would have to present itself inside VR. I've spent quite a while thinking about live coding inside such a thing. I posted a link to Media Molecule's Dreams VR. I don't know how they handle such things; I haven't watched it all yet.

Eventhough just placing many screens in VR isn't really pushing the medium in very interesting way, I think I would find it incredibly useful. In much the same way an architect / graphic design can scatter their drawings across the table and pin the to the wall, and they can reference all that at once while creating something new. In contrast a software developer would be typically limited to the equivalent 1-3 pieces of paper. VR could be the more affordable version of Bret Victor's Seeing Spaces https://vimeo.com/97903574

I've seen a couple of (very) primitive prototypes. I'd go with something like PS' Dreams. And if you could interact with something physical a la B. Victor, that would be just Star Trek stuff. In general, I think it would be incredibly useful for all the reasons mentioned; our visual bandwidth is much higher than our little screens provide. My biggest prejudgement is the physical ergonomics of user interaction. The same way touch screens across keyboards are only marginally useful.

I feel like the work being done at Dynamicland (which is for good reasons is focused on not locking us into isolated islands) could actually be quite compatible with VR. I definitely dream about it, being able to dynamically switch from 2D screens, 3D, spacial, even tactile modes of interaction with code or operating systems.

Having lots of text in VR is rough because the current gen hardware does not have enough pixel density, the words need to be enormous to be readable. But a physical-metaphor UI could be awesome.

That's a good point; I work on a 4K screen these days, and wouldn't want to go back!

Alternatively, I would love a “physical” programming language that you could arrange with your hands in VR. Something like Wiremod for Garry’s Mod with haptic feedback.

Vi Hart has worked on that, some objects in virtual reality that you arrange to create programs. I can't find the the article about this specifically (anyone?), but found this other one that talk about it in the beginning (first image in the introduction): https://theartofresearch.org/combination-physical-and-virtual-tools-for-spatial-computation/

The current attempts I'm aware of are safespaces: and xrdesktop: Of course, these just kind of extend the traditional desktop metaphor, but you can already do some pretty neat stuff, for example, natural workspaces. I was watching a livestream by one of the devs working on wayland vr, drew devault, and he just casually puts background stuff like music players and chat clients to the side, vaugely in peripheral vision, and then turns his head when he wants to see them.

The moment a company releases a wireless AR/VR device that doesn't give you eyestrain when you're trying to look at small glyphs at close distances, I'll definitely be using it. We need varifocal devices with a pixel density equivalent to at least that of a 1080p monitor at typical viewing distances. But my ideal device is a pair of AR glasses complemented by an input device that allows me to work from anywhere (standing, sitting, indoors, outdoors...). I'd love to not be desk-bound whilst I work.

I completely missed this thread

@Scott Anderson thanks for sharing all the insider details 🙂 would love to hear your extended thoughts whenever you get the chance.

Maybe worth saying that the thing I am working on is planned to be AR/VR 😅 lonely furrow I guess