Bounding box

The BoundingBox.cs script provides basic functionality for transforming objects in mixed reality. A bounding box will show a cube around the hologram to indicate that it can be interacted with. Handles on the corners and edges of the cube allow scaling or rotating the object. The bounding box also reacts to user input. On HoloLens 2, for example, the bounding box responds to finger proximity, providing visual feedback to help perceive the distance from the object. All interactions and visuals can be easily customized.

For more information, see Bounding box and App bar in the Windows Dev Center.

Example scene

You can find examples of bounding box configurations in the BoundingBoxExamples scene.

How to add and configure a bounding box using Unity Inspector

Add Box Collider to an object
Assign BoundingBox script to an object
Configure options, such as 'Activation' methods (see Inspector properties section below)
(Optional) Assign prefabs and materials for a HoloLens 2 style bounding box (see Handle styles section below)

Note

Use Target Object and Bounds Override field in the inspector to assign specific object and collider in the object with multiple child components.

Bounding Box

How to add and configure a bounding box in the code

Instantiate cube GameObject

GameObject cube = GameObject.CreatePrimitive(PrimitiveType.Cube);

Assign BoundingBox script to an object with collider, using AddComponent<>()
```
private BoundingBox bbox;
bbox = cube.AddComponent<BoundingBox>();
```

Configure options (see Inspector properties section below)

// Make the scale handles large
bbox.ScaleHandleSize = 0.1f;
// Hide rotation handles
bbox.ShowRotationHandleForX = false;
bbox.ShowRotationHandleForY = false;
bbox.ShowRotationHandleForZ = false;

(Optional) Assign prefabs and materials for a HoloLens 2 style bounding box. This still requires assignments through the inspector since the materials and prefabs should be dynamically loaded.

Note

Using Unity's 'Resources' folder or Shader.Find for dynamically loading shaders is not recommended since shader permutations may be missing at runtime.

bbox.BoxMaterial = [Assign BoundingBox.mat]
bbox.BoxGrabbedMaterial = [Assign BoundingBoxGrabbed.mat]
bbox.HandleMaterial = [Assign BoundingBoxHandleWhite.mat]
bbox.HandleGrabbedMaterial = [Assign BoundingBoxHandleBlueGrabbed.mat]
bbox.ScaleHandlePrefab = [Assign MRTK_BoundingBox_ScaleHandle.prefab]
bbox.ScaleHandleSlatePrefab = [Assign MRTK_BoundingBox_ScaleHandle_Slate.prefab]
bbox.ScaleHandleSize = 0.016f;
bbox.ScaleHandleColliderPadding = 0.016f;
bbox.RotationHandleSlatePrefab = [Assign MRTK_BoundingBox_RotateHandle.prefab]
bbox.RotationHandleSize = 0.016f;
bbox.RotateHandleColliderPadding = 0.016f;

Example: Set minimum, maximum bounding box scale using MinMaxScaleConstraint

To set the minimum and maximum scale, use the MinMaxScaleConstraint. You can also use MinMaxScaleConstraint to set minimum and maximum scale for ManipulationHandler.

GameObject cube = GameObject.CreatePrimitive(PrimitiveType.Cube);
bbox = cube.AddComponent<BoundingBox>();
// Important: BoundingBox creates a scale handler on start if one does not exist
// do not use AddComponent, as that will create a  duplicate handler that will not be used
MinMaxScaleConstraint scaleConstraint = bbox.gameObject.GetComponent<MinMaxScaleConstraint>();
scaleConstraint.ScaleMinimum = 1f;
scaleConstraint.ScaleMaximum = 2f;

Example: Add bounding box around a game object

To add a bounding box around an object, simply add a BoundingBox component to it:

private void PutABoxAroundIt(GameObject target)
{
   target.AddComponent<BoundingBox>();
}

Inspector properties

Target object

This property specifies which object will get transformed by the bounding box manipulation. If no object is set, the bounding box defaults to the owner object.

Bounds override

Sets a box collider from the object for bounds computation.

Activation behavior

There are several options to activate the bounding box interface.

Activate On Start: Bounding box becomes visible once the scene is started.
Activate By Proximity: Bounding box becomes visible when an articulated hand is close to the object.
Activate By Pointer: Bounding box becomes visible when it is targeted by a hand-ray pointer.
Activate Manually: Bounding box does not become visible automatically. You can manually activate it through a script by accessing the boundingBox.Active property.

Scale minimum

The minimum allowed scale. This property is deprecated and it is preferable to add a MinMaxScaleConstraint script. If this script is added, the minimum scale will be taken from it instead of from the bounding box.

Scale maximum

The maximum allowed scale. This property is deprecated and it is preferable to add a MinMaxScaleConstraint script. If this script is added, the maximum scale will be taken from it instead of from the bounding box.

Box display

Various bounding box visualization options.

If Flatten Axis is set to Flatten Auto, the script will disallow manipulation along the axis with the smallest extent. This results in a 2D bounding box, which is usually used for thin objects.

Handles

You can assign the material and prefab to override the handle style. If no handles are assigned, they will be displayed in the default style.

Events

Bounding box provides the following events. This example uses these events to play audio feedback.

Rotate Started: Fired when rotation starts.
Rotate Ended: Fired when rotation ends.
Scale Started: Fires when scaling ends.
Scale Ended: Fires when scaling ends.

Handle styles

By default, when you just assign the BoundingBox.cs script, it will show the handle of the HoloLens 1st gen style. To use HoloLens 2 style handles, you need to assign proper handle prefabs and materials.

Bounding Box

Below are the prefabs, materials, and the scaling values for the HoloLens 2 style bounding box handles. You can find this example in the BoundingBoxExamples scene.

Handles (Setup for HoloLens 2 style)

Handle Material: BoundingBoxHandleWhite.mat
Handle Grabbed Material: BoundingBoxHandleBlueGrabbed.mat
Scale Handle Prefab: MRTK_BoundingBox_ScaleHandle.prefab
Scale Handle Slate Prefab: MRTK_BoundingBox_ScaleHandle_Slate.prefab
Scale Handle Size: 0.016 (1.6cm)
Scale Handle Collider Padding: 0.016 (makes the grabbable collider slightly bigger than handle visual)
Rotation Handle Prefab: MRTK_BoundingBox_RotateHandle.prefab
Rotation Handle Size: 0.016
Rotation Handle Collider Padding: 0.016 (makes the grabbable collider slightly bigger than handle visual)

Proximity (Setup for HoloLens 2 style)

Show and hide the handles with animation based on the distance to the hands. It has two-step scaling animation.

Proximity Effect Active: Enable proximity-based handle activation
Handle Medium Proximity: Distance for the 1st step scaling
Handle Close Proximity: Distance for the 2nd step scaling
Far Scale: Default scale value of the handle asset when the hands are out of range of the bounding box interaction (distance defined above by 'Handle Medium Proximity'. Use 0 to hide handle by default)
Medium Scale: Scale value of the handle asset when the hands are within range of the bounding box interaction (distance defined above by 'Handle Close Proximity'. Use 1 to show normal size)
Close Scale: Scale value of the handle asset when the hands are within range of the grab interaction (distance defined above by 'Handle Close Proximity'. Use 1.x to show bigger size)

Making an object movable with manipulation handler

A bounding box can be combined with ManipulationHandler.cs to make the object movable using far interaction. The manipulation handler supports both one and two-handed interactions. Hand tracking can be used to interact with an object up close.

In order for the bounding box edges to behave the same way when moving it using ManipulationHandler's far interaction, it is advised to connect its events for On Manipulation Started / On Manipulation Ended to BoundingBox.HighlightWires / BoundingBox.UnhighlightWires respectively, as shown in the screenshot above.