Start with one skill an operator must demonstrate
Before creating a virtual environment, describe the training outcome in plain words. “Understand the machine” is difficult to assess. “Identify the components, follow the assembly order, and explain the final check” gives the exercise a clear purpose.
Choose one representative job and ask an experienced operator to demonstrate it. Capture the important hand movements, part positions, checks, and explanations. Include the moments when the operator decides whether to continue, stop, or ask for help. This gives AI better source material than an unexplained recording.
Use AI to draft the procedure and learning sequence
Combine the recording with the current SOP, drawings, and available CAD. AI can help organize the source into steps, supporting visuals, questions, and checks. Treat that output as a draft to review with the people who know the work.
Keep the review specific. Is the sequence correct? Are prerequisites missing? Does each check explain what to look for? Does the training use the current method? The approved procedure becomes the reference for the VR experience, rather than letting a simulation define the work.
Add geometry and interactions
CAD describes the equipment and parts. It does not automatically describe how a trainee should interact with them. Identify the objects that must move, the positions that matter, the order of actions, and the feedback to give after a mistake.
- Source: procedure step and the video moment that explains it.
- Interaction: the action the trainee performs in VR.
- Completion: the observable condition that finishes the step.
- Feedback: what the trainee sees or hears when they need help.
For example, a part-placement step needs a target position and an acceptance condition. A visually plausible scene without those conditions is a demonstration, not an assessed exercise.
Test the exercise, then connect it to real work
Have an experienced operator test the completed exercise. Look for misleading geometry, unintended shortcuts, ambiguous instructions, and checks that can be passed without demonstrating the skill. Then observe a new learner using it without coaching through every action.
Use VR to prepare for supervised practice on real equipment. Physical handling, force, and tool feel may require assessment on the actual job. In Seneca, the VR stage sits alongside computer-based learning, in-person assessment, and floor guidance. When the procedure changes, review the affected exercise and reassess its completion criteria.