Monocle

WIP

Monocle is an effort to create an open library inside VR. I want reading in VR to feel like visiting a place, not like opening a flat document viewer that happens to be floating in front of your face.

The project is built around the idea of a library space: books, catalog data, readable pages, and a pipeline that can take real ebook content and make it work inside a VR runtime.

Rendering Books In VR

One of the harder parts is text rendering. EPUB content is HTML-shaped, but VR text surfaces have their own constraints. Inline code, preformatted text, tables, and long cells all have to survive the conversion into something that can be displayed cleanly.

The renderer now treats different content types differently instead of forcing everything through one layout trick. Inline code and preformatted blocks use simple highlighting. Tables keep a table-like shape with positioned columns and a width budget, so they still read like tables instead of collapsing into awkward prose.

Catalog And Library Data

The library side has its own set of problems. A useful in-world library needs catalog data, book metadata, and generated arrays that the runtime can use. Some of that data can get large enough that even the editor experience matters.

Part of the work has been making those authoring surfaces lighter: showing the useful configuration fields and summaries without forcing the editor to render huge hidden arrays every time an asset is selected.

Why It Exists

Monocle is a mix of product idea and rendering problem. The product idea is an open library you can actually inhabit. The rendering problem is making real book content feel comfortable and reliable once it has to live on VR text surfaces.