Facebook Passthrough Api Oculus Q: Facebook announced the Passthrough API, which allows Oculus Quest 2 developers to use real-world images captured via sensors in the headset to create mixed reality apps. This could be useful for you if you are interested in developing a VR app that uses 360 videos or still images with computer graphics mixed into them.
The API provides a way for your app to receive virtual content consisting of real-world images and sensor data. This allows you to combine 3D objects and 2D elements, such as text or a video player into your application without having to capture them yourself. Instead, you will be able to use content from the Facebook or Oculus store.
The Passthrough API is available for TestFlight, the Oculus Mobile SDK, and the Unity Editor. Developers who use these tools will be able to take advantage of this new feature when Passthrough launches on March 13th.
And, for app developers that want to create passthrough content their own, Facebook is providing the Oculus Image Annotator and a set of developer guidelines. The Passthrough camera tool for Rift and Quest allows you to capture images from inside a headset, as well as add annotations to your image.
The image annotation tool allows you to add data such as text, arrows and other symbols. It will be available in the 3D composer hand menu on Rift, but is currently only available on Quest via the show drop-down menu.
The Passthrough Camera API will be available with Oculus Quest 2 in the summer of 2019. For more information, check out the guidelines and developer blog.
