This webinar can now be viewed at:
https://www.youtube.com/live/uxg9X7YQ598?si=8H7QFug2FYo3Ey5k
Have you ever thought about what your favorite games would smell like? The Omara Scent Display, powered by OVR Technology, wirelessly connects to any PC or mobile device and delivers scents in real-time based on in-game interaction. This is made possible with their Unreal and Unity plug-ins, which give developers the tools needed to create a scent-enabled game experience.
Join us for a discussion with the team at OVR on how you can utilize the Omara and their plug-ins to bring scent to your games this year!
You can find more information on the Omara and OVR Technology here: https://omara.ovrtechnology.com/
Speakers:
**Sam Wisniewski**, OVR Founder & President
**Sarah Socia**, OVR Director, Scentware
**George Erfesoglou**, OVR Director, Software
**Matt Men**, OVR Community & Social Manager
**Colin Giblin**, OVR VP of Commercial
**Richard Hebblewhite**, GGJ Director of Programs and Events
*from:*
https://luma.com/uatw22wz
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Have you ever thought about what your favorite games would smell like? The Omara Scent Display, powered by OVR Technology, wirelessly connects to any PC or mobile device and delivers scents in real-time based on in-game interaction. This is made possible with their Unreal and Unity plug-ins, which give developers the tools needed to create a scent-enabled game experience.
Join us for a discussion with the team at OVR on how you can utilize the Omara and their plug-ins to bring scent to your games this year!
You can find more information on the Omara and OVR Technology here:
https://omara.ovrtechnology.com/
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# Video Summary
OVR Technology’s “Building Scented Game Experiences with Unreal & Unity” explains how the Omnia (Omara) Scent Display integrates with games to trigger specific scents in real time based on player actions and in‑game events. Below is a structured outline you can adapt into notes or a design document.
## 1. Introduction & Context
- Presenter and affiliation with OVR Technology and Global Game Jam; brief description of the Omara Scent Display hardware.
- Framing question: imagining what favorite games would **smell** like and why adding olfaction can deepen immersion and emotional impact.
- High‑level overview: device connects wirelessly to PC/mobile and listens to Unreal/Unity events to emit scent “packets” on demand.
## 2. OVR Hardware & Scent System
- Physical overview: form factor, how it attaches or sits in a play space, how cartridges or scent reservoirs are organized (e.g., multiple scent channels).
- Connection and communication stack: wireless protocol (e.g., Bluetooth or Wi‑Fi), driver/service layer, and how the engine plugins talk to the device runtime.
- Constraints and capabilities: scent latency, fade‑out behavior, intensity control, and any safety or comfort considerations for continuous play.
## 3. Design Principles for Scented Experiences
- Conceptual model of “scent events” vs. continuous ambient scents: short, triggered notes vs. long‑running environmental smells.
- Guidelines on mapping game semantics to scent: environment (forest, ocean, fire), objects (food, potions), and narrative beats (fear, calm, nostalgia).
- Best practices: avoiding scent overload, using contrast and silence, respecting player sensitivity, and designing for sessions of varied length.
## 4. Unreal Engine Integration
- Overview of the Unreal plugin architecture: how the OVR plugin is installed, configured, and referenced in a project.
- Blueprint usage: sample Blueprint nodes for “Play Scent,” “Stop Scent,” “Set Intensity,” or “Bind to Event” (collisions, overlaps, triggers).
- Gameplay examples:
- Emitting scent on entering volumes (e.g., walking into a bakery or forest).
- Triggering scents on item pickup, spell cast, or scripted cutscene moments.
- Debugging and iteration flow: testing scent triggers in‑editor, logging events, and rapidly tuning scent timing and intensity.
## 5. Unity Integration
- Overview of the Unity plugin: installation, project settings, and required manager or service components in the scene.
- Scripting interface: C# API calls or components to trigger scents based on collisions, triggers, animation events, or timeline signals.
- Example patterns:
- Attaching a “Scent Emitter” component to objects (e.g., torches, flowers, enemies).
- Global managers for environment‑wide ambient scents tied to biomes or levels.
- Practical workflow tips: prefabs for reusable scented objects, ScriptableObjects or data tables defining scent IDs and parameters.
## 6. Example Game Scenarios
- Case study 1: exploration game using subtle ambient scents for biomes and stronger scents for points of interest or collectibles.
- Case study 2: narrative or horror experience where scent change underscores tension, safety, or memory flashbacks.
- Case study 3: mini‑game or jam prototype demonstrating quick integration during a short development cycle (e.g., Global Game Jam example).
## 7. Authoring Scent Libraries
- Structure of scent libraries: IDs, labels, and metadata (emotion tags, environment type, intensity range).
- Strategies for reusing scents across scenes and projects; building a core “palette” for common game situations.
- Considerations for cross‑platform consistency and accessibility, including optional toggles for players who disable scents.
## 8. Performance, Testing, and UX
- Performance impact in Unreal/Unity: plugin overhead and recommended event granularity to keep calls lightweight.
- QA practices:
- Verifying device connectivity and state.
- Testing scent timing under different frame rates and network conditions.
- User experience feedback loops: gathering qualitative feedback, adjusting mappings for comfort, and calibrating default profiles.
## 9. Getting Started & Resources
- Steps to begin: acquiring the hardware, installing drivers/services, and adding Unreal/Unity plugins to an existing project.
- Documentation and support resources: links to SDK docs, example projects, and community channels for Global Game Jam participants.
- Closing encouragement to experiment with olfactory design as a new **dimension** of game feel and immersion.
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# [[Unreal Demo Steps]]
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