TCRE | W11D1: Project Exhibition: Navigating Challenges and Creative Solutions

This week marked the start of the exhibition, and it didn’t come without its challenges. The biggest hurdle I faced was with Spatial.io, a platform that restricts developers from adding scripts to the player, while also lacking support for the new Unity Input System. This was a significant issue because my project is not just a video showcase – it’s a fully interactive game, a virtual world in itself. This limitation forced me to rethink the approach entirely, as the format of my project couldn’t be conveyed through a linear presentation.

Concept and Exhibition Design

Despite these technical challenges, I had a clear vision for the layout of the exhibition space. I designed it with a donut-shaped floor plan, guiding the audience around in a circular motion. At the heart of the space stands a tree, a focal point that encourages viewers to move through the exhibition while always being visually connected to this central element. The circular design was chosen to immerse the audience in a journey that reveals the exhibition’s deeper narrative layer by layer.

One of the more interesting mechanics I implemented was the use of a “portal” system.

The donut-shaped structure allowed the audience to move beyond the walls, with the portal adding a sense of intrigue and discovery. The portal system also added meaning to the exhibition, creating a physical and conceptual connection between the art pieces and the virtual world that awaits beyond the threshold.

To further enrich the experience, I included 3D models alongside traditional documents and brief descriptions of the art pieces. This multi-sensory approach helps to engage the audience on different levels, blending both the physical and virtual aspects of the exhibit.

The Solution: Unity Integration

Faced with the technical limitations of Spatial.io, the most straightforward solution was to bring the entire exhibition into Unity. By doing this, I gained full control over the environment, allowing for seamless interaction between the audience and the virtual world. Unity’s flexibility lets me add scripts, integrate complex input systems, and refine the experience exactly as I envisioned.