Congratulations! If you’re reading this, it means that you will probably be among the very first people responsible for building the mixed reality and holographic future that will dominate the next era of computing. For decades, science fiction has promised us a future filled with holograms and virtual experiences. We are finally on the verge of a technological revolution where our digital world intertwines with physical reality. This is known as mixed reality .

Imagine a future scenario where no screens exist. Instead, when you sit down to watch TV, a holographic screen appears on your wall. Because the screen is virtual, you can resize it to be as big as you like. You could also move the screen to any other room, or have it follow you around the house. You sit down at an empty desk, and several holographic computer monitors appear, along with virtual photos, a calendar, and a notepad. You’re now ready to check your e-mail, work on a spreadsheet, and get started on a good day’s work. You no longer need to carry around a physical smartphone. Instead, a holographic screen appears in your palm when needed. Holographic computing has the potential to replace every screen, and there’s no reason to believe that it won’t.

Does this sound like sci-fi technology that’s still several years away? You may be surprised to know that everything I just mentioned in this “future” scenario is completely possible (and available) today with the Microsoft HoloLens. Figure I-1 illustrates how I use the HoloLens as a virtual desk. If you had asked me about living in a holographic world a few years ago, I would have predicted that we’d see capable devices within 15 to 20 years, and that would have been optimistic. But that all changed January 2015, when Microsoft announced the HoloLens and the Windows Mixed Reality platform. It caught the tech world off guard and inspired people to think about what a true holographic future would look like.

Figure I-1. The HoloLens enables an empty desk (top image) to be filled with holographic computer monitors and desk decorations (bottom image)

In my previous “future scenario” example, you’ll notice that I only give examples of holographic 2D screens. To some, my examples may have sounded amazing or revolutionary. They are, in fact, dull examples that don’t adequately capture what the HoloLens and other holographic headsets can achieve. The challenge and opportunity of building experiences for these headsets is unlike anything that the technology industry has faced to date. Until now, the vast majority of software experiences have been designed for flat, two-dimensional screens. Think of televisions, smartphones, tablets, laptops, or even the flat page or screen on which you are reading this book. Video games, 3D movies, and other so-called “3D” advances over the past few years are nothing more than a glorified 2D experience we view on our flat, rectangular screens.

The Windows Mixed Reality platform breaks this status quo by allowing us to develop true three-dimensional applications in our real world. Early applications that have emerged for the HoloLens suffer from developers “thinking inside the box” by creating 2D experiences such as floating holographic screens or 2D menus and buttons for navigation. Many in the industry believe that a functional and intuitive 3D user experience has yet to be discovered and developed. As we go through the tutorials and example projects in this book, we will pay particular attention to 3D design elements while discussing ways to think outside the box and move beyond the 2D status quo.

It is a very exciting time to be a holographic developer. The devices are capable, the computing paradigm is new, and ideas for good applications seem to be endless. We holographic developers are the engineers, architects, and builders that will create the forthcoming holographic world.

The holographic future is inevitable. As with all high-tech gadgets, devices like the HoloLens will only become smaller and more powerful over time. I anticipate that it won’t be more than a few years until we see holographic glasses that are as thin and light as the Google Glass device that was announced in 2012. ¹ It’s not hard to image a future where many (if not most) people will wear a pair of these holographic glasses, whether or not they require prescription eyewear. Being equipped with these headsets will enable us to augment physical reality with relevant information, have more immersive digital experiences, and free us from the unnecessary screens that fill up our desks, walls, pockets, and purses.

How important will holographic devices be in daily life? One could speculate that most people in the near future might not be able to participate fully in society without a pair of holographic glasses. At first, this might sound like a dystopian prediction of our future. But think about how we use computers and smartphones today. It’s very difficult to participate fully in today’s modern society if you don’t own or know how to use a computer. A vast majority of jobs in the United States require the use of a computer. We use e-mail and online messages as primary forms of communication. Surely, if you told someone 30–40 years ago that they would not be able to fully participate in a future society without owning or knowing how to use a computer, they would have been hesitant about such a future. Yet many of us today probably can’t imagine daily life without our trusty PC or smartphone. Likewise, in 20 years I think we’ll look back and wonder how we ever lived without our trusty holographic glasses.

Perhaps I’ve given you a glimpse of the future. More importantly, I hope to have inspired you to start thinking about the holographic apps and experiences that will fill the world around us. All of us are relying on people like you to build our holographic future. My motivation for writing this book is to get as many people started on holographic development as possible. It’s written to be easily accessible, whether you’re an experienced software developer or new to the world of programming. This book is intended to get you started with everything you need to begin developing amazing holographic experiences on the HoloLens and other Mixed Reality headsets.

This book is organized into ten chapters spread across three parts. In Part I, which contains Chapters 1 and 2 , you will be guided through the installation and explanation of all the necessary software and tools for developing Windows Mixed Reality applications.

Everything you need to get started is contained in Chapter 1 . You can begin developing Mixed Reality apps with or without a HoloLens. Things I cover in Chapter 1 include the following:

• Making sure your PC is ready for Mixed Reality development

• Using a HoloLens, HoloLens Emulator, or other Mixed Reality hardware

• Downloading and installing the required and optional software tools

• Understanding the HoloLens and other Windows Mixed Reality hardware

Chapter 2 dives into the basics of Unity. Unity is the preferred software platform for developing Windows Mixed Reality experiences. Things we’ll cover in Chapter 2 include the following:

• Understanding Unity

• Creating your first application in Unity

• Unity and Windows Mixed Reality

In Part II, comprised of Chapters 3 – 7 ,we’ll start building holographic experiences. This is where you’re guided through the fundamentals of creating a full-featured Mixed Reality application.

You’ll learn how to make digital holograms in Chapter 3 . You’ll be guided through the creation of a basic holograms that can be viewed in the HoloLens. Here’s what Chapter 3 covers:

• Preparing Unity for Windows Mixed Reality development

• Creating a cube in Unity

• Building and deploying the Unity application to the HoloLens

I discuss the HoloToolkit in Chapter 4 . Manually preparing Unity for HoloLens development can be cumbersome and prone to error. This chapter introduces the HoloToolkit and how you can leverage this community resource:

• Understanding the HoloToolkit

• Downloading and using the HoloToolkit

In Chapter 5 , we start interacting with holograms. I discuss the use of gestures, voice commands, and other ways of interacting with Holographic content. Here’s what I cover in Chapter 5 :

• Voice commands

• Gestures

• Gaze

• Clickers and other accessories

Things start getting interesting in Chapter 6 , where you begin to leverage the power of the HoloLens by learning about using spatial mapping. I walk you through the technology, concept, and utilization of spatial mapping in the context of holographic applications. Chapter 6 covers the following topics:

• What is spatial mapping?

• How to use spatial mapping in projects

• Spatial understanding

• Anchors and persistence

Chapter 7 talks about spatial sound. You’ll learn about the importance of spatial sound and how to utilize it in your projects. We’ll discuss the following:

• What is spatial sound and how is it different than “regular” sound?

• How to use spatial sound in projects

• Best practices for spatial sound

• Additional sound resources

Part III (Chapters 8 – 10 ) is about growing as a Mixed Reality developer. At this point in the book, you’ll be familiar with the basics of creating a Mixed Reality application. The three chapters introduce ways for you to optimize and enhance your experiences, publish and monetize your apps, and join the broader holographic community for support and visibility.

In Chapter 8 , I discuss tips and tricks for awe-inspiring experiences. This chapter provides you with a primer on elements that give holographic experiences additional flair and magic, such as color choice, ambient elements, music, size, and more. Finally, we’ll complete a capstone project together using key skills gained in this book. Here’s what’s covered in Chapter 8 :

• Optimization and performance

• Design

• Magic

• Capstone project

Let’s make some money! In Chapter 9 , I discuss the details of publishing and monetizing your applications. You’re presented with strategies for monetization, from publishing your app in the Windows Store to freelancing as an independent Mixed Reality developer. Here’s what Chapter 9 covers:

• Monetization with the Windows Store

• Freelancing

• Thinking big: revolutionary opportunities

In Chapter 10 , I suggest community resources and additional information for holographic developers. This chapter introduces resources that are available to you, including relevant community forums and online groups, notable events, and other information that will help during the development process:

• Why are community resources important?

• The official Windows Mixed Reality forums

• The HoloDevelopers Slack channel

• Events and local groups

• More information

As you embark on your journey to becoming one of the first Mixed Reality developers, I encourage you to keep two things in mind. First, always think outside the box or outside the “2D rectangle” that has dominated computing up until this point in time. Second, understand that you are responsible for building a new industry and the holographic world of tomorrow. You are a technological pioneer. Understanding this will inspire you to reach new heights and explore new ways of creating amazing experiences.