Dear Community,
I have developed a solution in ThingWorx and Vuforia Studio that allows users to dynamically load and interact with 3D models (PVZ files) along with associated step-based media (videos/images). Here’s an overview of the implementation:
PVZ File Management:
- A PVZ file containing multiple animation steps is uploaded via a ThingWorx mashup.
- Upon upload, the system extracts step names and creates corresponding folders in the File Repository based on the location and step names folders in it and also saves PVZ file in one of the folder which later we use in vuforia studio to see animation.
- The extracted steps are displayed in an infotable and shown in a data grid within the ThingWorx mashup.
Media Handling for Steps:
- Users can select first location from dropdown and then these steps willl be shown in grid and then user can upload relevant images or videos, which are stored in the respective step folders.
- The uploaded media is accessible via the mashup, allowing users to view and manage Image /Video files dynamically when the select the step (entry on data grid) and play it.
Dynamic Loading in Vuforia Studio:
- When starting the application in Vuforia Studio, the user selects a location, and the corresponding PVZ file is loaded dynamically from ThingWorx.
- Then on GUI he can go through NEXT /PREV steps and with click NEXT OR PREV we fetch the video/images from that step from thingworx.
- On each step, the associated videos and images are fetched in real-time, allowing users to play animations and view media seamlessly.
- Users can also manage media directly from the ThingWorx mashup by adding or deleting images and videos for each step.
Challenges & Current Issues:
- Large PVZ File Handling: If a PVZ file exceeds 20MB, the application continuously attempts to download it from ThingWorx, leading to high performance issues or crashes for files larger than 50MB or 100MB.
- Media File Optimization: Videos are currently being compressed to reduce size, but large videos still take significant time to load for each step.
Questions for Optimization:
- Efficient PVZ File Loading: What would be the best approach to handle large PVZ files efficiently in Vuforia Studio without excessive download time or application crashes?
- Streaming vs. Preloading: Would it be better to implement progressive loading or streaming techniques for large PVZ files instead of direct fetching? I have not came across any technique...
- Best Practices for Video Handling: How can we optimize video storage and retrieval to ensure smooth playback within step-based animations?
- Is it even a good appraoch way i have implemented the solution? The future plan in few years is to get this pvz file from WindChill thats why at the moment we have decided to get from THINGWORX.
I’d appreciate any insights or recommendations to enhance the current implementation and improve performance, especially when dealing with large model files and media assets in Vuforia Studio.
Looking forward to your feedback!
