# How to setup Passthrough API for Quest in Unity

If you are a Quest 2 user then one of the major buzz around it has been the Passthrough. It is a feature where you can see the actual camera capture in Black and White. This is the closest that Quest 2 has to offers for AR. Being a developer I was intrigued how to utilise this feature. Here I have documented the steps involved in getting the Passthrough setup from a default Unity scene.



# Development Environment Setup

To get started we will need to have a Development setup for Quest 2 using Unity. If you don't have it you can refer to my earlier article. It is for mac but applicable for windows as well with minor changes.

https://neerajjaiswal.com/how-to-setup-for-quest-2-development-on-mac-using-unity-without-bootcamp

# Project Setup

Here are the steps to setup a Unity project for this tutorial.

- Create a new Unity project. Make sure you choose 3D template.
- A sample scene will open up. You can also create your own scene.
- Setup Oculus Plugin - To know how [Click Here](https://neerajjaiswal.com/how-to-setup-for-quest-2-development-on-mac-using-unity-without-bootcamp#heading-setup-oculus-plugin)
- Import Oculus Integration from Asset Store -  To know how [Click Here](https://neerajjaiswal.com/how-to-setup-for-quest-2-development-on-mac-using-unity-without-bootcamp#heading-import-oculus-integration-from-asset-store) : 

# Clear Default Background

Now we will need to clear the default background sky provided by Unity for any new scene.

- Goto Menu **Window>Rendering>Lighting**.
- Lighting dialog should open up.
- Goto section **Environment**.
- Change **Skybox Material** to **None**.

![Screenshot 2022-03-18 at 10.48.21 AM.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1647580707523/JcER0DMMc.png)

Now the default environment will be cleared which is required for getting the passthrough to work.

# OVR Camera Rig setup

For this tutorial we will use the **OVRCameraRIg** prefab provided by the Oculus integration. 

- Remove the default **MainCamera** provided by Unity.
- Goto Project Tab.
- Open folder **Assets > Oculus > VR > Prefabs**.
- Select and Drag **OVRCameraRig** to the **Hierarchy** tab.
![Screenshot 2022-03-18 at 10.58.44 AM.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1647581329055/XfvT7R5op.png)
- Now the OVRCameraRig is ready to be configured.
![Screenshot 2022-03-18 at 11.00.00 AM.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1647581405225/0CfodIV3M.png)

# Enable Passthrough in OVRCameraRig

By default Passthrough is disabled, we will need to enable it in the inspector.

- Select **OVRCameraRig** object in the Hierarchy.
- Goto **Inspector** tab.
- Goto section **Quest Feature**.
- Select **General** tab.
- Ensure **Passthrough Capability** checkbox is checked.
![Screenshot 2022-03-18 at 11.04.41 AM.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1647581685487/5YMhtaNOR.png)
- Now goto section **Insight Passthrough**.
- Ensure **Enable Passthrough** checkbox is checked.
![Screenshot 2022-03-18 at 11.11.28 AM.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1647582094751/Yr0lCWR18.png)

# Add OVR Passthrough Layer Behaviour

Now that we have the camera setup we will need to add a behaviour script so that you actually start seeing the real world.

- Select **OVRCameraRig** object in the Hierarchy.
- Goto **Inspector** tab.
- Scroll to bottom
- Click on **Add Component**
- Search for **OVR Passthrough Layer** script and add it.
![Screenshot 2022-03-18 at 11.15.57 AM.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1647582362094/zBuFY89Yi.png)

# Player Settings

We are almost there to run our project. Just last few configurations are left.

- Open **Project Settings** window.
- Select **Player** in the left navigation.
- Goto **Android** Tab.
- Goto **Other Settings**.
- Goto **Rendering**.
- For **Color Space** select **Linear**.
![Screenshot 2022-03-18 at 11.22.35 AM.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1647582758415/-5jSqF-cr.png)
- Goto **Configuration** section.
- For **Scripting Backend** select **IL2CPP**.
![Screenshot 2022-03-18 at 11.24.06 AM.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1647582849144/JZ5ylJtUA.png)

# Build And Run

Now we are done and ready to test the scene we have build from scratch for playing with Passthrough API.

- Goto menu **File>Build Settings**.
- Ensure you are switched to **Android** in the platform section.
- Select **Oculus Quest 2** as your **Run Device**.
- Click on **Build And Run**.

# What's Next

Now that we have our scene ready with Passthrough API it is time to add some 3D objects to it. I will share an article very soon with my other Passthrough API Research.