Experimental changes in VR camera control
Happy New Year to everybody, btw!
Ok, the first cut is in GitHub:
https://github.com/Oculus-VR/UnrealEngine/tree/4.7-np
This is 4.7-preview with re-factored plugin and improved (I hope) camera control. I haven't added new Blueprint functions yet (like raw accel data or player's metrics, still in work). I am going to document all the changes (documentation is long due anyway)...
So, briefly. I've added PlayerController.bFollowHmd property, which is by default set to 'true' (for compatibility reasons). When it is set in 'true' then the behavior is the same as it was before: HMD drives PlayerController. You can either set it to 'false' or just don't bother, it will be set to false automatically, once you use PlayerCameraManager or CameraComponent approach.
The main approach you guys care the most (I think) is to enable HMD via CameraComponent. This class now has two additional boolean properties - bFollowHmdOrientation and bFollowHmdPosition. In addition, the scale of the CameraComponent now will be a scale of the position change / ipd. The bigger scale is set, the smaller world is perceived. Camera's origin is located in-between eyes, i.e. IPD will be applied at the camera's origin, half of IPD in positive Y-axis direction and another half in negative Y-axis direction (in camera coordinate system).
Besides CameraComponent, the PlayerCameraManager also has boolean properties bFollowHmdOrientation and bFollowHmdPosition. Thus, any camera attached to this PlayerCameraManager via SetViewTarget method will follow the HMD orientation and/or position.
In addition, the HeadMountedDisplay::GetOrientationAndPosition method now has two additional boolean parameters: bUseOrienationForPlayerCamera and bUsePositionForPlayerCamera (by default - both a set to 'false'). Set these to true, if you use this method to get HMD orientation/position to change the camera orientation / position manually. This is necessary to correctly calculate delta orientation/position for timewarp later on a render thread. However, there is no way to specify the proper scale to position in this case (should I add one more parameter to this method? With default value vector(1,1,1)? Probably, will think about this.)
So, if you, guys, have a look on these changes and try them I'd be grateful. I'll meet with Epic Games guys later this month and we will discuss these changes (however, Epic may suggest different approaches, different names for function/parameters, etc), so these changes are not final in any sense. Your opinion will be very important and will be considered in that discussion.
Ok, the first cut is in GitHub:
https://github.com/Oculus-VR/UnrealEngine/tree/4.7-np
This is 4.7-preview with re-factored plugin and improved (I hope) camera control. I haven't added new Blueprint functions yet (like raw accel data or player's metrics, still in work). I am going to document all the changes (documentation is long due anyway)...
So, briefly. I've added PlayerController.bFollowHmd property, which is by default set to 'true' (for compatibility reasons). When it is set in 'true' then the behavior is the same as it was before: HMD drives PlayerController. You can either set it to 'false' or just don't bother, it will be set to false automatically, once you use PlayerCameraManager or CameraComponent approach.
The main approach you guys care the most (I think) is to enable HMD via CameraComponent. This class now has two additional boolean properties - bFollowHmdOrientation and bFollowHmdPosition. In addition, the scale of the CameraComponent now will be a scale of the position change / ipd. The bigger scale is set, the smaller world is perceived. Camera's origin is located in-between eyes, i.e. IPD will be applied at the camera's origin, half of IPD in positive Y-axis direction and another half in negative Y-axis direction (in camera coordinate system).
Besides CameraComponent, the PlayerCameraManager also has boolean properties bFollowHmdOrientation and bFollowHmdPosition. Thus, any camera attached to this PlayerCameraManager via SetViewTarget method will follow the HMD orientation and/or position.
In addition, the HeadMountedDisplay::GetOrientationAndPosition method now has two additional boolean parameters: bUseOrienationForPlayerCamera and bUsePositionForPlayerCamera (by default - both a set to 'false'). Set these to true, if you use this method to get HMD orientation/position to change the camera orientation / position manually. This is necessary to correctly calculate delta orientation/position for timewarp later on a render thread. However, there is no way to specify the proper scale to position in this case (should I add one more parameter to this method? With default value vector(1,1,1)? Probably, will think about this.)
So, if you, guys, have a look on these changes and try them I'd be grateful. I'll meet with Epic Games guys later this month and we will discuss these changes (however, Epic may suggest different approaches, different names for function/parameters, etc), so these changes are not final in any sense. Your opinion will be very important and will be considered in that discussion.