1. Prerequisites
- Install Unreal 4.25 via Epic Games Launcher:
https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/download - Install the Data Glove Unreal SDK zip:
Unreal SDK - Install Steam and SteamVR
- Go through “Room Setup” with SteamVR
- Pair the Vive Trackers in SteamVR
When complete, your SteamVR setup should look something similar to this:
- Unzip the SDK download and navigate to the DataGloveSDK folder
- In your Unreal project’s Plugins directory place the DataGloveSDK folder
- Tips: If your Unreal project has not created a Plugins folder then create a Plugins folder in the same directory as your .uproject file
- Create or open up your Unreal project
- Tips: If your project was open you may need to restart Unreal to load the plugin
- In the Settings/Plugins menu in the Unreal Editor make sure the plugin is loaded and enabled
- In order to see the Plugin Content, in the Content Browser (in the bottom right corner) select “View Options” and check “Show Plugin Content”
- After this you should see the following directories in the Content Broswer
- DataGloveSDK Content
- DataGloveSDK C++ Classes
2. Set the Controller Platform for the Hand Blueprints
Each Hand Blueprint (Left and Right) has a controller platform, that can be set to support Vive and Oculus. In order to use the tracked location, first open the LeftHand Blueprint:
Then set the Controller Platform dropdown menu to SteamVR Tracker:
Next, hit the compile and save buttons on the modified LeftHand Blueprint.
Do the same steps for the RightHand Blueprint.
3. Set the Vive Tracker Roles to “Held In Hand”
Set your Tracker roles to ‘Held In Hand’ – Left (or Right) In the Steam VR application.
From the SteamVR Menu, select Devices -> Manage Vive Trackers:
Then select “Held In Hand” for both Trackers and set one track to Left Hand and the other to Right Hand.
Note: Vive Controllers must be turned off for the Trackers to work properly.
4. Select the TableTop Map
Select a map by going to the Content Browser -> DataGloveSDK Content -> Maps -> TableTop Interactions.
In the scene you will see a table with:
- Cubes that can be picked up, stacked, or thrown
- A bowl of marbles that can be picked up with a pinch motion
- A lamp with an on/off button
- A hammer with pegs that can be hammered into a board
- A panel with buttons and knobs that controls a floating cube
5. Select VR Preview on Play in Unreal Editor
In order to use the HMD in Unreal select “VR Preview” in the Unreal Editor.
Location Tracking will work in either Play mode.
6. Select the Glove Names in the Glove Selection Window
The example Map utilizes a GloveSelectionMenu Blueprint that creates a new Slate UI menu on Play to make selecting a Data Glove Bluetooth device easier. In order to select from multiple gloves the CreateDataGlove function in the Hand Blueprints must NOT be given a Bluetooth name or else it will only scan for a glove with the provided name. By default, the Data Glove Unreal SDK is setup to use the Selection Menu (since no Bluetooth name is given in the Hand Blueprints).
Select the the left and right glove names in the glove selection window by clicking on the drop down menus:
7. Calibration Process
Press the space bar to initiate the calibration UI process (which utilizes the Blueprint CalibrationVR). This button will walk you through the setup to calibrate the glove, which is 3 different poses while wearing the glove.
Note: space bar functionality is defined in the CalibrationVR Blueprint. Other calibration functions for the Oculus controller are defined in the TableTopInteractions Level Blueprint.
Flat Calibration: All fingers are out straight
Fist Calibration: All fingers are in, except thumb
Thumb Calibration: Thumb curled in, while the other fingers are out
There are also hotkeys for calibrating:
Windows controls:
F: Flat Calibration
K: Fist Calibration
T: Thumb Calibration
Space Bar: Full Calibration UI menu from the CalibrationVR Blueprint
8. Packaging for Windows 64-bit
- Make sure your Unreal Project contains a Visual Studio solution. This will guarantee the C++ components in the DataGloveSDK Unreal Plugin are compiled when making a build.
- (Optional) To generate a Visual Studio either create a new C++ class or right-click the .uproject file and click “Generate Visual Studio project files”
- Select the Windows 64-bit option (since the Data Glove API Windows DLL is 64-bit).
