Early-career Unity #D VR training simulation using C#

Learnings from Unity 3D VR Training Simulation (Early Career)

This document captures the key learnings and reflections from building a guided VR training simulation using Unity 3D and C# scripting during the early phase of my career.

The focus of this work was on user flow, interaction handling, and guided task completion, rather than deep engine-level optimization.

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Technical Learnings

1. Designing a Guided VR User Flow

Built a step-by-step interactive training experience
User was guided through:

• Environment navigation (city → hospital → operation room)
• Context-aware instructions using audio prompts
• Visual cues such as highlighted objects and task indicators

Learned the importance of clear sequencing in immersive environments

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2. Event-Driven Interaction Handling

User actions such as:

• Picking up objects
• Wearing gloves
• Using equipment
• Disposing items

Were controlled using event triggers
action advanced the simulation only when the expected interaction occurred

This introduced early exposure to event-driven programming concepts.

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3. State Management in an Interactive Environment

The experience depended heavily on user state, such as:

• Current task
• Completed steps
• Allowed interactions at a given time

Task completion was reflected via:

• A dynamic task list
• Visual status changes (e.g., turning green when completed)

This reinforced the need for controlled state transitions to avoid inconsistent behavior.

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4. Multi-Modal Feedback (Audio, Visual, Video)

Used a combination of:

• Voice guidance
• Highlighted objects
• Instructional videos
• Progress indicators
• Status messages

Learned how combining multiple feedback channels improves clarity and reduces confusion for users

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5. Simulator vs Physical VR Controllers

All interactions were designed to work with physical VR controllers
During development, a keyboard and mouse simulator was used

Trigger-based interactions mapped to:

• Mouse clicks
• Keyboard inputs

Learned that:

• Input abstraction is critical
• Simulator input does not perfectly replicate physical controller behavior

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6. Real-Time Progress Visualization

Implemented visual indicators such as:

• Task completion checklist
• Blood extraction progress graph
• Instruction/Status messages on screen (e.g. Disinfect the area, Insert needle)

Learned how real-time feedback helps users understand ongoing actions in immersive simulations

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Process & Career Learnings

7. Building Complex Behavior Incrementally

The overall flow was broken into smaller, manageable steps:

• Navigation
• Verification
• Demonstration
• Action
• Validation

This approach helped manage complexity and reduce errors

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8. Early Exposure to Domain-Specific Simulation

The project simulated a medical training scenario
Learned to translate real-world procedures into interactive digital steps
Gained appreciation for accuracy, sequencing, and user safety in training simulations

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9. Output-Focused Development (Early Career Context)

Primary focus was on:

• Achieving the correct user flow
• Ensuring tasks completed in the expected order

Less emphasis on:

• Code abstraction
• Reusability

This later motivated a stronger focus on clean architecture and reusable utilities.

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Reflection

Although this project was built early in my career, it:
Strengthened my understanding of event-driven systems
Improved my ability to model real-world workflows
Built confidence in designing guided, state-based user experiences

These learnings continue to influence how I design systems today.

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Closing Note

This repository exists to document experience, learning, and growth.
It is not intended to represent current coding standards, but rather the foundational thinking developed early in my career.