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VR Scene Inspection

ADDON
📖3 min read
Latest Version: 5.2
Blender VR: Explore your projects in VR (Quest + SteamVR) by BOSSposes

Introduction​

VR Scene Inspection is a built-in Blender addon that turns the 3D viewport into a virtual reality environment. You enter the scene through a headset, walk around it with 6DoF tracking, and interact with objects using motion controllers.

The addon is an inspection tool, not a modeling environment. Its value is in presence: standing inside a reconstruction and reading the space the way a person would experience it.

Key Takeaways​

VR Viewport

Start a VR session from the N-Panel and view your scene through the headset.

Positional Tracking

Supports 6DoF tracking, so you can walk around and lean into the model.

Landmarks

Store named camera positions and jump between viewpoints inside the session.

Installation​

  1. Connect the VR headset to the computer and start the runtime. For a Quest on a desktop, SteamVR gives the broadest compatibility.
  2. Open Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.
  3. Search for VR Scene Inspection and enable the checkbox.

Usage​

Open the VR panel· N-panel

Press N in the 3D viewport. The VR section sits at the bottom of the sidebar.

Mirror the session (optional)· monitor

Click Mirror VR session to watch the session on the monitor, useful when recording or presenting.

Start the session· headset

Click Start VR session. Use the motion controllers to move, look around, and scale the model to a convenient size.

Use landmarks· viewpoints

Store viewpoints as landmarks and jump between the key positions in the scene instead of walking the full distance each time.

Stop the session· exit

Click Stop VR session to return to the standard viewport.

In an Investigation​

VR inspection changes how spatial evidence is reviewed:

  • Immersive scene presence. Stand at the location of the incident and experience sightlines and distances as a person would. Relationships that are hard to read on a 2D screen become obvious in VR.
  • Witness collaboration. Guide a witness through the reconstruction. Walking the scene together helps them recall details, verify their own perspective, and correct the model.
  • Spatial understanding. Judge distances, angles, and visibility with natural perception instead of abstract measurements.
  • Evidence presentation. Let investigators, attorneys, or a jury experience the spatial scenario first-hand.
  • Scale verification. View the scene at true scale and at miniature scale in the same session, so both the overview and the fine details get checked.
  • Non-destructive analysis. Test multiple hypotheses inside the virtual scene without disturbing the physical site or repeating site visits.

Limitations​

  • Requires a compatible VR headset (for example Oculus Quest) and a running VR runtime (for example SteamVR).
  • The session appears on the monitor only when Mirror VR session is enabled.
  • Interaction is limited to inspection and landmarks. It is not a full editing environment.

Resources​