Hello to all Whirligig users

So I've been working on an OpenXR release for a long time. Trying to get all the controllers working, testing with multiple setups, WMR, Oculus and Vive headsets and multiple controllers, Quest, Quest2, Rift, Index, WMR and Vive original. After a few weeks of testing, community feedback and bug fixes this is that OpenXR default build release.


This is a major update to the core of Whirligig with a switch over to the OpenXR sdk. I really don't want to break anyone's enjoyment of Whirligig but for me to continue support and add new features this is something that needs to be done. To reduce the chance of disruption I'm not removing the old builds from the beta list. If you have issues you can change back to the default build. I've also included a new version that uses SteamVR instead of OpenXR incase some headsets have issues with the OpenXR SDK. Here is a summary of those builds with a guide to changing to other beta versions.


Steam's beta program is very easy to use and you can switch between versions in seconds. Here are a couple of guides.


I've also created a tutorial on Youtube:

https://youtu.be/z9pv-cgn4IE

[h4]Beta version - None[/h4]
None means that you'll use the default build. The default build is the version that'll you'll automatically download when purchasing Whirligig. Updates will happen to this build but will go through a much more rigorous testing process before release.

[h4]Beta version - whirligig_early_access_v.4.881[/h4]
This version was the previous default build released 2021. If this major update causes problems and you wish to return to the previous version choose this one. This version will not be removed and once you've chosen it any updates to the main build will not automatically update your version.

[h4]Beta version - whirligig_openxr_early_access_v.4.9841_steamvr[/h4]
The latest build uses OpenXR as it's core SDK. This version has been created with the SteamVR SDK. This version has been provided to support headsets that aren't fully operational with OpenXR. If you have performance issues that could be related to OpenXR try this version. Although this version is based on the latest build it won't be updated unless requested.

[h4]OpenXR Update[/h4]

So if you follow any VR news you'll know that OpenXR is a big deal and will help to ease development for porting, new headsets being compatible out of the box and overall improving the VR experience. Whirligig up until now has had two SDK implementations, Oculus and SteamVR. I've removed these and replaced them with the OpenXR system.

Advantages of OpenXR
OpenXR is in constant development with improvements that will carry down to all headsets.

You will be able to use your headset with the VR front you desire. OpenXR is fully compatible with SteamVR, Oculus Store and Windows Mixed Reality Portal. This means when using Whirligig from Steam you are not forced to use SteamVR. With direct support from each platform any performance improvements those platforms use will be filtered down into Whirligig.

OpenXR implementation has meant I've removed the input options for both Oculus and Steam replacing it with a universal controller and some core controllers to use. You could select different controller skins when using Oculus. Now this feature is available on all setups.

Quicker updates to other platforms. As all builds have been brought under one sdk I can now release the same version on different platforms with little change to the code. This will help to reduce bugs being introduced into other versions when updating and help my confidence that when I update I won't be breaking everyone's experience.

I can develop for both PC and Mobile headsets at the same time.

Disagvantages
OpenXR is new and in constant flux. For development this is both advantages and crippling as currently every update to the SDK can cause issues in multiple ways. This will improve greatly over time but currently it's making supporting some headsets (mostly mobile headsets) quite difficult.

Some features aren't working. Basically the UserPresent (what happens when the headset is put on or removed) feature isn't working properly. I will be implementing this back in once it's back up and running.

[h4]Feature Updates[/h4]

Thumbnail view in explorer



There is now a thumbnail option within the explorer. This option allows you to view all your video or images with a thumbnail view. Loading thumbnails can take up some resources so some caching of thumbnails occurs to speed up reload times. This addition is quite complex so there might be bugs that still need looking into. If you have issues switch back to the standard explorer which is much more stable.

If you have issues let me know so I can address them for the next update.


Presets include some standard options for easy selection



These include Cinema in void (has a reasonable curve on it), 180 fisheye (good for fulldome content) Equirectangular (what most 360 films are in) and cinema environment (where you're actually in the cinema.

Surround sound support.



If you are playing videos, which include 5.1 audio tracks they can now be viewed with positional audio. This option also includes levels for each channel which is good if you wish to boost the voices in a film (voices are mostly in the front centre channel).

For this feature to work you are required to be in either Media Foundation or RT video path. Whether you can play back the 5.1 audio depends on the compatibility the video has with Media Foundation.

Update to main UI



The main UI has been updated to include the presets menu and a mute button for the volume. There have also been some repositioning of the playback options to be similar to other media players.

Update to the controller UI



In previous versions the functions on the controller have been a bit rudimentary. This has been updated entirely with all your easy access functions, play, pause, media timeline, volume, next/previous media, time (what time it is so you don't have to take your headset off to find out), audio menu and subtitle menu. This menu can be activated by simply point the laser at the other controller. It will disappear after a few seconds so not to get in the way.

Something to note. With the update to the controller system bindings may need resetting. If you find that your control bindings are acting weird, go into the input settings and either reset your controller bindings to default or set up your own.

Input control skins now available in all version with additional controller options



As mentioned before a lot of work has been done on the controllers. Here are a few screenshots that illustrate some of those options.

NDI Support

If you work in production you might of come across NDI. NDI is a way to send video over a network and be picked up by other devices. This is useful for previewing video streams from programs such as After Effects and VJ software.

[h4]Trouble Shooting[/h4]

Q - I get a loading but it never loads.
A - I don't know why this is currently happening but it appears to be something to do with what option is loaded when loading Whirligig. The solution that seems to work for people is to run Whirligig from the install directory. In my case the install directory is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Whirligig but yours may differ.

Things to note when running directly from the install directory. The amount of time Whirligig is used won't be registered and you don't need Steam open to use it.

Everything Else All At Once

There have been numerous other updates including a host of bug fixes and optimisation. I can't list them all here but rest assured they have happen :)

[h4]How can you help[/h4]

Bug reporting
This is a major update and although I've worked hard to avoid any issues with the update I am aware that there still might be some that got through the net. If you have issues please let me know by either posting a message on this announcement or emailing me directly phileday@yahoo.co.uk

Feature requests
I'm also interested to hear about where you wish Whirligig to go in the future. I've got a few ideas I'll be working on, but if there are things that you want Whirligig to support I'll be very interested to hear your ideas. Many of the current features are from community requests so I'm always happy to hear your ideas in how I can make Whirligig better.

Positive reviews
What can I say, I'm a sucker for praise :) But seriously positive reviews can help greatly in getting Whirligig to more users, pushing it's presence on the store and informing people of what they will be getting. And if I was to be honest it also helps me to know that people apricate what I'm doing and helps to encourage me to continue my development of Whirligig.

Try Whirligig for Applabs
One of the big drives for changing to OpenXR for Whirligig is to ease development on other platforms. Whirligig is available on Applabs for the Quest 1 and 2 and the more people using it on that platform the better. However what I'm not asking you to do is buy it again. If you already own Whirligig and want an Applab code email me with your Steam details and I'll send one over. My email address is phileday@yahoo.co.uk

In fact if you want Whirligig on any other platform email me and I'll send you a code. At the moment the most recent version of Whirligig is here on Steam but I'll will soon be updating the Oculus Store, Viveport and Pimax store versions.

Do you have a Pimax Portal or a Pico3/4?
I'm developing versions for both the Pimax portal and Pico headsets. If you want to give them a go fire over an email and I'll send you a version to install. I hope to get Whirligig on these respective stores but until then I'm happy to send out free test versions to whoever wants them.


So this will be a very big update to the main build and as such it worries me greatly. I have been working on this for a long time and with any luck it will improve my overall development and support for other platforms and speed up the addition of new features.

I really apricate the support I've had from the community over the years and really want to continue to update and improve Whirligig for everyone. Whirligig is a passion project and not my main income and it's the tightknit community with their desire to fiddle with every setting that has helped to keep Whirligig relevant for some and keep me interested in developing it. All the changes I've made are to help me continue to support Whirligig and continue to make it relevant for future media watchers.

I thank you all and I hope to continue to improve on a product that works the best for you.

Keep watching :)

All the best

Phil

Hello to all Whirligig users

So I've been working on an OpenXR release for a long time. Trying to get all the controllers working, testing with multiple setups, WMR, Oculus and Vive headsets and multiple controllers, Quest, Quest2, Rift, Index, WMR and Vive original. After a few weeks of testing, community feedback and bug fixes this is that OpenXR default build release.

This is a major update to the core of Whirligig with a switch over to the OpenXR sdk. I really don't want to break anyones enjoyment of Whirligig but for me to continue support and add new features this is something that needs to be done. To reduce the chance of disruption I'm not removing the old builds from the beta list. If you have issues you can change back to the default build. I've also included a new version that uses SteamVR instead of OpenXR incase some headsets have issues with the OpenXR SDK. Here is a summary of those builds with a guide to changing to other beta versions.

Steam's beta program is very easy to use and you can switch between versions in seconds. Here are a couple of guides.


I've also created a tutorial on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/z9pv-cgn4IE

[h4]Beta version - None[/h4]
None means that you'll use the default build. The default build is the version that'll you'll automatically download when purchasing Whirligig. Updates will happen to this build but will go through a much more rigorous testing process before release.

[h4]Beta version - whirligig_early_access_v.4.881[/h4]
This version was the previous default build released 2021. If this major update causes problems and you wish to return to the previous version choose this one. This version will not be removed and once you've chosen it any updates to the main build will not automatically update your version.

[h4]Beta version - whirligig_openxr_early_access_v.4.9841_steamvr[/h4]
The latest build uses OpenXR as it's core SDK. This version has been created with the SteamVR SDK. This version has been provided to support headsets that aren't fully operational with OpenXR. If you have performance issues that could be related to OpenXR try this version. Although this version is based on the latest build it won't be updated unless requested.

[h4]OpenXR Update[/h4]

So if you follow any VR news you'll know that OpenXR is a big deal and will help to ease development for porting, new headsets being compatible out of the box and overall improving the VR experience. Whirligig up until now has had two SDK implementations, Oculus and SteamVR. I've removed these and replaced them with the OpenXR system.

Advantages of OpenXR
OpenXR is in constant development with improvements that will carry down to all headsets.

You will be able to use your headset with the VR front you desire. OpenXR is fully compatible with SteamVR, Oculus Store and Windows Mixed Reality Portal. This means when using Whirligig from Steam you are not forced to use SteamVR. With direct support from each platform any performance improvements those platforms use will be filtered down into Whirligig.

OpenXR implementation has meant I've removed the input options for both Oculus and Steam replacing it with a universal controller and some core controllers to use. You could select different controller skins when using Oculus. Now this feature is available on all setups.

Quicker updates to other platforms. As all builds have been brought under one sdk I can now release the same version on different platforms with little change to the code. This will help to reduce bugs being introduced into other versions when updating and help my confidence that when I update I won't be breaking everyone's experience.

I can develop for both PC and Mobile headsets at the same time.

Disagvantages
OpenXR is new and in constant flux. For development this is both advantages and crippling as currently every update to the SDK can cause issues in multiple ways. This will improve greatly over time but currently it's making supporting some headsets (mostly mobile headsets) quite difficult.

Some features aren't working. Basically the UserPresent (what happens when the headset is put on or removed) feature isn't working properly. I will be implementing this back in once it's back up and running.

[h4]Feature Updates[/h4]

Thumbnail view in explorer



There is now a thumbnail option within the explorer. This option allows you to view all your video or images with a thumbnail view. Loading thumbnails can take up some resources so some caching of thumbnails occurs to speed up reload times. This addition is quite complex so there might be bugs that still need looking into. If you have issues switch back to the standard explorer which is much more stable.

If you have issues let me know so I can address them for the next update.


Presets include some standard options for easy selection



These include Cinema in void (has a reasonable curve on it), 180 fisheye (good for fulldome content) Equirectangular (what most 360 films are in) and cinema environment (where you're actually in the cinema.

Surround sound support.



If you are playing videos, which include 5.1 audio tracks they can now be viewed with positional audio. This option also includes levels for each channel which is good if you wish to boost the voices in a film (voices are mostly in the front centre channel).

For this feature to work you are required to be in either Media Foundation or RT video path. Whether you can play back the 5.1 audio depends on the compatibility the video has with Media Foundation.

Update to main UI



The main UI has been updated to include the presets menu and a mute button for the volume. There have also been some repositioning of the playback options to be similar to other media players.

Update to the controller UI


In previous versions the functions on the controller have been a bit rudimentary. This has been updated entirely with all your easy access functions, play, pause, media timeline, volume, next/previous media, time (what time it is so you don't have to take your headset off to find out), audio menu and subtitle menu. This menu can be activated by simply point the laser at the other controller. It will disappear after a few seconds so not to get in the way.

Input control skins now available in all version with additional controller options



As mentioned before a lot of work has been done on the controllers. Here are a few screenshots that illustrate some of those options.

NDI Support

If you work in production you might of come across NDI. NDI is a way to send video over a network and be picked up by other devices. This is useful for previewing video streams from programs such as After Effects and VJ software.

Everything Else All At Once

There have been numerous other updates including a host of bug fixes and optimisation. I can't list them all here but rest assured they have happen :)

And Finally

So this will be a very big update to the main build and as such it worries me greatly. I have been working on this for a long time and with any luck it will improve my overall development and support for other platforms and speed up the addition of new features.

For me to be confident enough to update that main build I want feedback from anyone who's giving this build a go. Bugs are the most important thing to bring to my attention and if you can explain them in a way I can recreate, I will do my best to fix them.

I really apricate the support I've had from the community over the years and really want to continue to update and improve Whirligig for everyone. It's not possible to make a living on the income I get from Whirligig and it's the tightknit community with their desire to fiddle with every setting that has helped to keep Whirligig relevant for some. All the changes I've made are to help me continue to support Whirligig and continue to make it relevant for future media watchers.

I thank you all and I hope to continue to improve on a product that works the best for you.

Keep watching :)

All the best

Phil

Hi Everyone

So I've just uploaded the first version of Whirligig with OpenXR support I wish to shout about :) Check the betas: whirligig_openxr_early_access_v.4.972

So I've been working hard on this big update that will allow for a greater cross compatibility and better all round support.

Why OpenXR
Whirligig has for a long time support two SDK's. The Oculus SDK and SteamVR SDK. These SDK's are both in the current default version. When running Whirligig it will test the VR headset and then run the correct SDK. This has worked well for a long time but has some distinct disadvantages. The main issue that I have is that the code has to be split between the two SDK's which decreases the ability to fix issues as I need to test with both. It also means that separate support for every controller has to be made. On top of that whenever I update one beta I can't easily update others as each time I have to make major changes to the code to get it on each store. It restricts the builds to just those two platforms Oculus and Steam and currently they aren't running at the same versions.

OpenXR offers a way to integrate all the features and controllers without having to rewrite for every headset. This has long term advantages as all the major manufactures are starting to or already supporting OpenXR.

Whirligig OpenXR - Advantages

Controller Skin support for all controllers. I've universal controller design and you can choose between which one you have.

Requirements to run SteamVR or Oculus Store are no longer required. You can use whichever store you wish as long as it supports OpenXR. Anyone with a Mixed Reality headset for instance can now run Whirligig without SteamVR.

Universal Updates. As Whirligig exists on both PC VR and mobile VR this update allows me to work on all versions at once. This allows me to make improvements to one version and that can be translated across all versions. When things are going strong there will be simultaneous releases of new updates on multiple platforms at once.

New headsets with OpenXR support will have automatic compatibility.

New features that come to OpenXR can be integrated giving multiple headsets automatic support. For example OpenXR has introduced hand tracking support. Once I've integrated that it will become available with each headset as they add their OpenXR support.


Whirligig OpenXR - Disadvantages

Not all features are supported with the current OpenXR version. The main one that has support in all Headset SDK's but fails on practically all of them is User Presence. As this feature is currently not working the option for things to happen when putting on the headset is practically disabled.

Once it's been fixed it'll be integrated back in but until then it isn't functioning properly.

Many advanced features that are available with a headset are only available with their SDK. This means that I currently have to miss out on certain updates such as video passthrough and eye tracking. All the major headset manufacturers have signed up to support OpenXR however so these features will come in time.

Individual controller models have been dropped. I’ve been working on a universal controller that has the standard layout without being headset specific. The advantage of this is that I can now have skinnable controllers for all headsets and I can also improve the on controller controls (which I have done). I’ll continue to improve this support as I go.

So give it a go
This release has a lot of major under the hood changes with all the old SDK and controller scripts ripped out and replaced with the OpenXR setup. I’ve also completely replaced the input system so that it should have better compatibility with gamepads as well as VR Controllers.

So I now want as many people as I can to give it a go and report back any issues they’re having. With such a big change switching the default is quite a frightening prospect so any issues I can squash before that the better.

If you run into bugs message here or contact me directly phileday@yahoo.co.uk

In Other News
As mentioned above Whirligig is available for some of the mobile headsets. The first that has official support is the Oculus Quest 2 (not the Quest apparently so I need to fix that). This is available from applabs but I’m also giving codes away to people who already own Whirligig on Steam or other stores. If you’re interested in a Quest 2 Applab code email me phileday@yahoo.co.uk and I’ll send one over. Note, I only have a limited number though.

The other headset that it works with is the Pico 3/4. However this isn’t available in the store yet. I do hope to get it in the store but I need testers to help me get it store ready (it’s pretty close to be honest). So if you own a Pico headset email me and I’ll be able to send a link so you can try it out.

And Finally
That’s it for now. I’m going to be ramping up releases as I work through the bugs so expect a bit more activity here over the coming weeks.

Hope you’re all well and keep watching.

All the best

Phil

Hi Everyone

So I've released a new version of Whirligig in Betas, version 4.92. This version has some big updates under the hood including a move to the latest version of Unity which should improve stability and help for future updates. I've also worked on some of the explorer stuff including the loading of thumbnails.

Explorer

• Thumbnails now cache the stills they make so that the next load will be a lot quicker.
  
• Thumbnails only load if in the viewport so loading a folder with a lot of images/videos won't spend the whole time caching every piece of media.
  
• Desktop mirroring has been looked at and and a couple of things fixed.
  
• Webcam has also had that.
  
• Early integration of NDI support. Still early days on this but it's has some support and it's development will be dictated by the interest from the community.

SteamVR SDK and Oculus SDK news
So I've been stuck in a quandary for a while. On the Steam Store Whirligig contains the Oculus SDK and the SteamVR SDK and picks the one to use based on your headset. On the Oculus Store the SteamVR SDK has to be removed. Oculus has updated there Oculus SDK dropping support for Unity 2019, which means that I've got to update the Unity version to use any new features in the releases of the Oculus SDK.

I did the update installed all the latest SDK's and ran into a bug that appears to be in the Oculus SDK. Basically the Oculus SDK causes Whirligig to crash on load. Finding no solution I have chosen to remove the Oculus SDK from the Steam Store version. This has meant quite a few updates and bug fixes that I've been working through.

So my question here is, is removing the Oculus SDK from the Steam Store version a big deal? I've kept all the same features and I think it'll will help Whirligig work more consistently on Steam. What do you guys think?

And Finally
So give it a go, let me know of any bugs, features you'd like and any thoughts you have. I continue to work on Whirligig and don't intend to stop although I don't have as much time as I used to so progress isn't always good. Despite that I don't intend to stop my work on it and very much appreciate your thoughts.

Apart from that, keep cool (I'm in the UK we're having a heat wave) or warm depending on where you live. Until the next update, happy watching :)

Hi everyone

I've finally manged to get Whirligig on Applab. It's been on SideQuest (itch.io) for a while but I wanted to move that build to applab to make it easier to get on the Quest.

The reason I'm posting here is that I want to get a few people to check it out and let me know how they get on. Basically if they have any problems etc.

I'm offering free codes to anyone who already own it on Itch.io/Sidequest and that won't change indefinitely. I'm also offering codes to anyone who owns Whirligig on any other store/platform. So if you've got it on PC on Steam for example give me a shout and I'll send you a code. That offer might change depending on how many people take me up on it.

So how do you get your code? Email me phileday@yahoo.co.uk with any details you have to say you've already purchased it and I'll send you back a code.

Probably the biggest thing in the last update is the positional sound for 5.1 audio. This is also in the Quest version (only in the Exo Player video path). It's something I've wanted in there for a while :)

So give me an email. Feel free to ask me any questions here as well.

All the best and happy watching.

Phil

Hi everyone

So we have a new update with some exciting improvements. First a couple of images:





Thumbnails option added to Explorer
You can now choose a thumbnail view in the explorer. This is a relatively new update and I think it will struggle with folders with a large number of files. Give it a go though and let me know what you want improved on it.


Audio menu
With audio getting more complex I've given it it's own menu. This allows for more control and new features to be added.

Audio Tracks
With the new menu I've been able to provide a much easier way to select audio tracks and also give more details on what each track is. Simply click the track you want and it'll be selected, also which ever audio track selected will be remembered when the same media file is opened later.

Surround Sound
So this is the exciting one. Basically I've wanted to be able to have positional audio for multi track videos for a long time. Many videos come with 5.1 audio and all the programs you use to play them merges them down to a stereo output. This is generally OK for headphones but with VR you are missing the opportunity to place that audio in a 3D space. This also allows you to take advantage of spatial sound. With direct access to each channel I can now place them in 3D space and give volume options for all channels. If the dialog is too quite you can boost the centre channel for example.

Other options also include showing speakers so you can see where the audio is coming from and lock rotation so that is plays as stereo instead of being head tracked.

Subtitles
With the update to the audio track selection I've also worked on including this for subtitles. There is also support for muxed subtitles in Media Foundation (These will be displayed at their correct times but the time they disappear is based on the length of the subtitle, hopefully I'll be able to fix this soon).

Trying the beta
It's very easy to try the betas but if you've not done it before I've made a tutorial to help:
https://youtu.be/z9pv-cgn4IE

Thoughts
This is a big update and for this reason there is a good chance it'll still have bugs in some way. Please let me know if you run into any problems phileday@yahoo.co.uk or post on the Whirligig Steam forum. I'd also like to know what other options you would want regarding these new features. Are there some kick ass features I could include in the next update :)

Final Thoughts
Work on Whirligig still continues and will continue to continue. Whirligig is a long term project for me and I intend to support it as long as I can. In saying this I also have other jobs so I can't work on Whirligig full time so updates tend to come in spurts. Many have suggested new features and bug reports and I continue to fix and add these in subsequent updates. Not always straight away depending on complexity.

All suggestions are welcome, and I really appreciate feedback. Most of the features I add have been requested so it's worth suggesting something if there is a feature you'd really like.

I hope you like the updates and I look forward to your feedback.

Happy watching :)

Phil

Hi

It's been requested a few times to have thumbnails show up in the explorer. In this update I've added a system that allows you to switch to a thumbnail view.

So this is the first version of this to be released. I think it's working ok, it does go through each file so if you have a very large number of files in a folder it might have problems. I'm hoping that all you can let me know what you think, what problems you have and what improvements I can make.

Here are some screenshots that illustrate the update:





So as I said it's the first iteration of this and will probably have problems. So be careful not to throw too much at it to begin with. I very much want to here everyone's feedback on this :)

Hope you like it :)

Phil

Hi everyone

So after the default update I've been working on all your feedback and bug reports and done my best to fix any issues with the latest version. This is now available as a beta whirligig_early_access_v.4.886 for people to give it a go before it gets pushed to the main build.

What issues have I addressed. Well I've struggled a lot with the VR SDK's and Unity3D so I've spent a lot of time trying to get the Oculus SDK and the SteamVR SDK working nicely together. Hopefully this should fix issues with VR not always working. It should also mean that the SteamVR control panel should only open when using a non Oculus headset. Oculus will use it's own SDK. Apart from that update (which was a pain in the arse to get working) I've worked on getting issues fixed where countries where they use "," for a decimal (this is mainly resume feature issues), small fixes, general stability and any issues that people have had since the last default update.

I've also removed the different loading options at start up as I don't think they were helping and were causing more problems that solving.

If you've not tried the betas before then here is a tutorial to help you get start, hint, it's really easy to try the betas in Steam:
https://youtu.be/z9pv-cgn4IE

So please give it a try and let me know if you have any problems. I'll be updating the default with this very soon so if I can quash any bugs before then the better.

Happy watching

Phil

One last thing. If you have Whirligig on the Oculus store and want to try the beta on Steam email phileday@yahoo.co.uk and I'll send over a code. The reverse is true as well. I am very close to updating that version as well. This is the last push before I hit go on the Oculus Store version.

Hi everyone

Welcome to the long overdue update to Whirligig's default build. I've put this off for far too long, which means there are a lot of updates.

Backend updates:

• Unity3D updated to 2919.4.23f1.
  
• AVPro Video plugin updated to AVPro 2.x.
  
• Oculus SDK updated to latest build.
  
• SteamVR updated to latest build.
  
• Performance improvements in UI and video playback for Media Foundation.
  
• Improvements to the UI control system.

Features:

• Desktop Mirroring updated and moved to the explorer menu as a tab
  
• Webcam support added to the Explorer menu.
  
• Sharpness added to Image Adjustment Menu.
  
• Added support for external VLC installation.
  
• Added extra movement options to key assigns.
  
• Added thumbnails to save slots.
  
• Proper none VR support.
  
• Disable VR mirroring has been improved and now also displays a Whirligig mirroring disabled.
  
• Command -forcesteam if you wish to force Oculus to use Steam instead of Oculus SDK.
  
• compatibility with Quest/2 link cable.
  
• Virtual Desktop support remote play supported through -forcesteam

Bug fixes:
There has been numinous bug fixes and to be honest to much to mention. If you find more let me know. They seem to keep breeding regardless of how many I squash.

I've tried very hard to make this update not break Whirligig for people already using it. However it is important to note that it's very difficult to know how this update will effect all uses. Here are some suggestions that might help if you run into problems.

Return to previous default version
If you find that you are having problems with the update you can easy return the previous default build which will remain in the betas section in Whirligig Steam properties. I've created a tutorial to help people who haven't done this before, although I will say it's very easy to do. The build to return to is whirligig_early_access_v.4.762. Here is the tutorial:
https://youtu.be/z9pv-cgn4IE

Reset Whirligig to factory settings
Whirligig doesn't hold any information in the registry and saves all it's files out to ini files contain in a folder called Whirligig in the roaming folder of windows. By deleting this folder Whirligig is effectively return to factory settings. Here are instructions to remove this folder:

Close Whirligig.
Navigate here :
C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming
Find the folder called 'Whirligig' and rename or delete it.
Restart Whirligig.

That should reset Whirligig back to factory settings. To fully be sure that it's a clean install uninstall Whirligig from Steam and check it's install folder to make sure the Whirligig folder has been removed. My install location is "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Whirligig" but yours my be installed in a different location. Steam when uninstalling a program should remove the install folder but I've had a couple of reports where this hasn't happened properly and when updating old files aren't overwritten which causes problems.

Contact me
If you are having a problem with the update and wish to help me fix it please contact me or post on the Whirligig Steam forum. I'll do my best to find the problem and post a fix or help with getting Whirligig working for you again. The more bugs I can find and fix the better for everyone.

Email: phileday@yahoo.co.uk

Steam Forum: https://steamcommunity.com/app/451650/discussions/0/


This update has been a long time coming and will hopefully help me move forward with more features, more improvements and more bug fixing in the future. I've been making Whirligig since 2016 and although there are several video players on the market now, I think that Whirligig still has a place for a certain type of user who just want that little extra control, projection format options or Whirligig has a specific function that isn't present in the other apps.

To everyone who has support Whirligig over the years I'm eternally grateful and look forward to updating and improving Whirligig in future versions for you all.

You've already supported me by buying Whirligig but if you want to do something else a good review is always gratefully received.

I look forward to hearing your feedback and wish you all the best of health and hopefully a great year ahead.

Until next time, keep watching

Phil

P.S.

I'm also working on a game and games engine (actually based around Whirligig). If you want to see what this is all about check out http://pageone-adventure.co.uk/

Hi everyone

So before Christmas I posted to say that I wanted to update the default build with the current beta and that if anyone was having problems with this version then please get in touch.

Well the version I wanted to use has been through the ringer and many of the changes I made to fix things broke things. The biggest one of these was updating to Unity 2021 (the 3D engine I use) which caused a slow down in playback for many people especially when combine with super-sampling.

So I've reverted back to Unity 2019 and updated everything else. This seems to of either kept or improved the performance so that's good.

So again the cry to arms goes out to everyone especially people who haven't tried the betas before to give this one a go and let me know if you have any problems with the update. I'm hoping there will only be minor bugs left if any (there might be bugs that are in the previous version and this one but hopefully I've not added any new ones).

The betas have been worked on for a long time now so there are lots of improvement including better desktop mirroring, improved performance, sharpening options and a load more.

If you're interested in trying the betas here is a link to a Youtube video helping to explain how to update to the latest beta and back again. It's very easy :)
https://youtu.be/z9pv-cgn4IE

I hope you like the update. If I don't get any complaints about new bugs I'll be updating the default soon. So if you do encounter problems I beg of you please let me know. The more I can get red of the better.

Apart from that I hope you are all well, looking forward to better times and if you're in the northern hemisphere the summer. If you in the southern hemisphere I hope your winter is brief and mild.

Until next time

Phil the one and only developer of Whirligig