Basic hologram sample

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Shows how to render a simple hologram that is a spinning cube.

Note: This sample is part of a large collection of UWP feature samples. You can download this sample as a standalone ZIP file from docs.microsoft.com, or you can download the entire collection as a single ZIP file, but be sure to unzip everything to access shared dependencies. For more info on working with the ZIP file, the samples collection, and GitHub, see Get the UWP samples from GitHub. For more samples, see the Samples portal on the Windows Dev Center.

Specifically, this sample runs on Windows Mixed Reality and renders a spinning cube. You can interact with the cube by placing it in a new position, and a variety of input methods are allowed. This sample works on PCs with headset devices attached, and it works on Microsoft HoloLens.

This sample supports one operational mode: upon app launch, a spinning cube will appear in front of the user. To move the spinning cube, look somewhere else, and then use any of these input methods to place it in front of you:

  • Air tap gesture, or "Select" speech command, when running on a Microsoft HoloLens
  • Controller trigger button, or "Select" speech command, when running on a PC with headset
  • The "A" button on an attached XBox 360 or XBox One controller
  • Left mouse click

This sample also shows how to use the CommitDirect3D11DepthBuffer API. This API allows the app to submit a depth buffer for per-pixel image stabilization.

Additional remarks

Note The Windows universal samples for Windows Mixed Reality require Visual Studio to build, and a Windows Holographic or Windows Mixed Reality device to execute. Windows Holographic devices include the Microsoft HoloLens and the Microsoft HoloLens Emulator. Windows Mixed Reality headsets are available for use with Windows 10 PCs.

To obtain information about Windows 10 development, go to the Windows Dev Center.

To obtain information about the tools used for Windows Holographic development, including Microsoft Visual Studio and the Microsoft HoloLens Emulator, go to Install the tools.

Reference

The following Windows Universal API namespaces are used in this code sample:

System requirements

Client: Windows 10 Holographic or Windows Mixed Reality

Phone: Not supported

Build the sample

  1. If you download the samples ZIP, be sure to unzip the entire archive, not just the folder with the sample you want to build.
  2. If you intend to build the C++/WinRT sample, install the C++/WinRT Visual Studio Extension if you haven't already.
  3. Start Microsoft Visual Studio and select File > Open > Project/Solution.
  4. Starting in the folder where you unzipped the samples, go to the Samples subfolder, then the subfolder for this specific sample, then the subfolder for your preferred language. Double-click the Visual Studio Solution (.sln) file.
  5. Press Ctrl+Shift+B, or select Build > Build Solution.

Run the sample

The next steps depend on whether you just want to deploy the sample or you want to both deploy and run it.

Deploying the sample on a Windows Mixed Reality PC

  • Ensure the Windows Mixed Reality headset is correctly plugged in, and that the Mixed Reality Portal is running.
  • In Visual Studio, click the debug target drop-down and select Local Machine, then press F5 or select Debug > Start Debugging.

Deploying the sample to the Microsoft HoloLens emulator

  • Click the debug target drop-down, and select Microsoft HoloLens Emulator.
  • Select Build > Deploy Solution.

Deploying the sample to a Microsoft HoloLens

  • Developer unlock your Microsoft HoloLens. For instructions, go to Enable your device for development.
  • Find the IP address of your Microsoft HoloLens. The IP address can be found in Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Advanced options. Or, you can ask Cortana for this information by saying: "Hey Cortana, what's my IP address?"
  • Right-click on your project in Visual Studio, and then select Properties.
  • In the Debugging pane, click the drop-down and select Remote Machine.
  • Enter the IP address of your Microsoft HoloLens into the field labelled Machine Name.
  • Click OK.
  • Select Build > Deploy Solution.

Pairing your developer-unlocked Microsoft HoloLens with Visual Studio

The first time you deploy from your development PC to your developer-unlocked Microsoft HoloLens, you will need to use a PIN to pair your PC with the Microsoft HoloLens.

  • When you select Build > Deploy Solution, a dialog box will appear for Visual Studio to accept the PIN.
  • On your Microsoft HoloLens, go to Settings > Update > For developers, and click on Pair.
  • Type the PIN displayed by your Microsoft HoloLens into the Visual Studio dialog box and click OK.
  • On your Microsoft HoloLens, select Done to accept the pairing.
  • The solution will then start to deploy.

Deploying and running the sample on the HoloLens

  • To debug the sample and then run it, follow the steps listed above to connect your developer- unlocked Microsoft HoloLens, then press F5 or select Debug > Start Debugging. To run the sample without debugging, press Ctrl+F5 or select Debug > Start Without Debugging.