Half-Life 2 VR mod with head tracking (download now)

[RoadKillGrill]

I need to reintegrate the hillcrest and YEI tracking back in, I pulled them because I wanted to have the narrowest footprint to debug when working on the stability issues last weekend. I don't have a build that does both the rift dev kit and yei tracking at the moment, if you want to play in the short term I'd just try the hydra for now but I'll add back in YEI support soon.

Cool! Also I have a new C API for the trackers that allows for data streaming and a few other cool things. Sadly its pretty much a rewrite so it might take you some time to get used to. This one has streaming, timestamps and it also has a callback for new data. I will get you a beta build of this on Monday.

The micro USB prototype models have been assembled and we are going into production! We should have them available for purchase shortly. I'll get some pics up on Monday if anyone is interested. There is pads on the bottom to add buttons to the sensor, this should make creating custom accessories easier.

[gray]

Looking great, but is vertical head tracking supposed to be disabled or is something wrong with my setup? Just seem to have yaw and rotation at the moment (1.03, Vireio Beta 12, Rift + Hydra).

[adoral84]

Here's a highlight of some of the new stuff that's been done this week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmOh8WVTVtA

Looking great, but is vertical head tracking supposed to be disabled or is something wrong with my setup? Just seem to have yaw and rotation at the moment (1.03, Vireio Beta 12, Rift + Hydra).

Sounds like you're doing mouse emulation through vireio rather than the in game headtracking. Make sure you choose no tracking from the vireio menu.

[jf031]

Here's a highlight of some of the new stuff that's been done this week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmOh8WVTVtA

Looking great, but is vertical head tracking supposed to be disabled or is something wrong with my setup? Just seem to have yaw and rotation at the moment (1.03, Vireio Beta 12, Rift + Hydra).

Sounds like you're doing mouse emulation through vireio rather than the in game headtracking. Make sure you choose no tracking from the vireio menu.

To me, THIS is a killer app for VR (for FPS fans, at least). Full arm freedom of movement (limited by the Hydra's wires - that is, not very) that is represented in-game*, good NPC interaction, awesome gameplay, etc.

As I said on MTBS3D, thank you so much for adding the laser pointer and matching up the viewmodel with aiming! I CANNOT WAIT TO GET MY RIFT TO PLAY THIS!

* I assume doing inverse kinetics to add in dynamically-animated arms would be nigh-impossible using the source SDK. Regardless, it's literally impossible to perfectly match up with realworld arm positions by just using data from a hand's location and orientation. To those who don't believe me: put your hand out, then bend your arm around while keeping your hand in the same position and orientation; there you go. Yes, you could train yourself to match whatever is being rendered in the Rift. I'm expecting to do so in The Gallery.

edit: Adoral84, you should update your thread in the Rift forum, as this forum is ignored/unknown to most of the people who visit MTBS3D.

[adoral84]

* I assume doing inverse kinetics to add in dynamically-animated arms would be nigh-impossible using the source SDK. Regardless, it's literally impossible to perfectly match up with realworld arm positions by just using data from a hand's location and orientation. To those who don't believe me: put your hand out, then bend your arm around while keeping your hand in the same position and orientation; there you go. Yes, you could train yourself to match whatever is being rendered in the Rift. I'm expecting to do so in The Gallery.

edit: Adoral84, you should update your thread in the Rift forum, as this forum is ignored/unknown to most of the people who visit MTBS3D.

Yeah, subforums are definitely .. something I'll cross-post this over there

As far as the IK arms etc, I do think it's possible but I'm betting it'll be quite an undertaking. Different people react differently to the detached hands, I'd definitely like to get them fixed (and a body model as well) but I want to get the primary game mechanics really nailed down first. There is literally an infinite list of probably cool things that could be done just in this one game

[Omarzuqo]

My yaw literally dropped the moment you used the crowbar . I can't possibly express how amazed and grateful I am for your work.

Oh, and to make my post relevant to the thread: how about making the flashlight so you can aim it with the left hydra?

[scriptacus]

I've been trying to get this working, but my screen locks up any time I look towards the station during the opening train ride. This only happens when Perception is enabled. Anyone else had this kind of issue?

[adoral84]

I've been trying to get this working, but my screen locks up any time I look towards the station during the opening train ride. This only happens when Perception is enabled. Anyone else had this kind of issue?

Yeah, there's a weird bug where when there is no crosshair on screen and no viewmodel to render (at the beginning when you have no weapon or other various transitions) vireio frame locks. The latest version I'm working on gets around this by painting a small crosshair in the upper left corner out of the viewing area within the rift which prevents this from happening.

[Guygasm]

Any progress on implementing the left Hydra for positional head tracking?

Excellent work! Thank you so much.

[gray]

Sounds like you're doing mouse emulation through vireio rather than the in game headtracking. Make sure you choose no tracking from the vireio menu.

Got it in one, thank you.

...There is literally an infinite list of probably cool things that could be done just in this one game

This is shaping up to be one of the showpieces for consumer Rift.

If you're looking for ideas, here's some random suggestions;
- Optional Hydra positional tracking with left handset strapped to User's head.
- Pick things up with hands as opposed to crosshair + 'USE' key (Sixsense Tuscany Style).
- Open doors with hands as opposed to crosshair + 'USE' key (Pushing motion on non-hinge side of door).
- Climb ladders with Hydra alternating left-right up-down motion.

EDIT;

- Pipboy/wristwatch with health/shields data.

[donkaradiablo]

With all the planned changes like Tuscany style physic interactions, the full body model, the model changes to weapons, in-game rift support etc, this mod deserves it's own KS thingy. I would support it

[zalo]

Any progress on implementing the left Hydra for positional head tracking?

While that would be neat, you still have to control the game somehow. Maybe hold an Xbox Controller just with your left hand for the joysticks...

[drgroove101]

I agree with gray, looking at the your left wrist (just like you would check your watch) to check your health/shields/ammo would be badass. Or looking down at your body would be cool too. Remember the game Trespasser? Where you looked down at your giant cleavage to check your health (in the form of a heart tattoo) man that game was WAY ahead of its time. Those developers would have killed for a Hydra back then.

[adoral84]

There are some really cool ideas being posted here (and on reddit). I still need to get the basic mechanics a bit more polished, finishing up the remaining weapons, and things like improving the UI to be more suitable for the rift, making the hydra setup easier, etc. Once that's all nailed down I think there are a lot of fun experimentation with the motion controls.

[GameDev]

There are some really cool ideas being posted here (and on reddit). I still need to get the basic mechanics a bit more polished, finishing up the remaining weapons, and things like improving the UI to be more suitable for the rift, making the hydra setup easier, etc. Once that's all nailed down I think there are a lot of fun experimentation with the motion controls.

Awesome, thanks again adoral84 for all your hard work on this game! Really can not wait to play it with the Rift and Hydra, going to be playing this as soon as my new pc comes friday! Just a question, when do you think you (approx.) will update the build with new changes?

and lastly, does this mod update (hydra+rift) work with the Cinematic Mod? Or is there extra changes required in that area?

Thanks.

[gray]

Awesome, thanks again adoral84 for all your hard work on this game! ...

I think this is probably the best example so far of Rift use in an actual game. Found myself yesterday creeping along with my back against a wall and the pistol outstreched in my right hand along the wall without even realising. Just feels so natural.

[GameDev]

Awesome, thanks again adoral84 for all your hard work on this game! ...

I think this is probably the best example so far of Rift use in an actual game. Found myself yesterday creeping along with my back against a wall and the pistol outstreched in my right hand along the wall without even realising. Just feels so natural.

Hahah, i can imagine myself doing that too!

Yes your right, i havnt tried it yet but i can see how with the hydra it will make it even more immersive! Ive been playing doom 3 with the rift and it works well, but im not sure what it is but after 10-15mins i start feeling sick because of the motion blur and the fact you cant see objects clearly that are in the distance! Not sure if this also happens to everyone or only me? Maybe i need to adjust some settings?!

[yunti]

Yes your right, i havnt tried it yet but i can see how with the hydra it will make it even more immersive! Ive been playing doom 3 with the rift and it works well, but im not sure what it is but after 10-15mins i start feeling sick because of the motion blur and the fact you cant see objects clearly that are in the distance! Not sure if this also happens to everyone or only me? Maybe i need to adjust some settings?!

I get sick as a dog with the Tuscany demo after a very short amount of time too. I read in another thread that someone else gets this in the Tuscany demo but not in other demos or games - don't think they had tried doom 3. I have only had the chance to try the Tuscany demo so far, will be able to do more this weekend so I don't know yet if I'll feel sick with anything else.

It may have something with setting IPD, which there isn't the option to in the Tuscany demo, but there is with TF2 and anything using the Virerio driver?

[TheHolyChicken]

It may have something with setting IPD, which there isn't the option to in the Tuscany demo, but there is with TF2 and anything using the Virerio driver?

I'm 95% sure you can set the IPD in Tuscany. Don't have the ability to tell you the hotkeys for it right now, but I'm sure it's possible.

[GameDev]

Wierdly, i dont witness any sickness during Tuscany demo. However, with Doom 3 there is so much detail and objects in the levels etc.. that blurring them during motion causes motion sickness, its a little hard to explain - this also happens when objects are too far for the eyes in the rift. Even though in the game they are actually just on the other side of the room!

To be honest i don't really ever get sickness, i love roller-coasters etc.. However, the only things that do make me sick are reading in a car and going on rides that go round/spin continuously. Im usually fine with everything else!

[Marulu]

I just now got around to installing this mod, and I have to say it is very well done!

[SteveB]

So far this is the only game I've been able to get working, and boy does it work!

...except the Hydra...well just not entirely.

I for the life of me cannot get a proper configuration, and so I'm having a hard time calibrating my play experience since I can't see find the L key while wearing the the Rift and holding the hydra at the proper angle to find the 'sweet spot'.

Every time I start HL2, it's using some phantom config, as I've either disabled or deleted any HL2 configuration in either the Hydra config tool (hardly a "tool") and in MotionCreator, so I'm at a complete loss.

Is it possible to get both some guidance and perhaps the configuration file you use Adoral?

Thank you!

[Krisper]

Is it possible to get both some guidance and perhaps the configuration file you use Adoral?

Thank you!

Here's a copy of my motion creator profile if you want to use it:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/HLVR/halflifevr.mce

[SteveB]

Thanks Krisper! I'll give this a go but when I bring your MCE into Creator, I see no names for the Bindings and in fact it looks largely empty. I do see that there are bindings as the Conditions/Actions having entries, but I don't know for what HL commands (tho I'll figure it out I'm sure).

Did I do something wrong or did you just not name them?

Thanks man

[Krisper]

Thanks Krisper! I'll give this a go but when I bring your MCE into Creator, I see no names for the Bindings and in fact it looks largely empty. I do see that there are bindings as the Conditions/Actions having entries, but I don't know for what HL commands (tho I'll figure it out I'm sure).

Did I do something wrong or did you just not name them?

Thanks man

That's adoral84's config sorry, I was just passing on the quote with the link.

[Jose]

Every time I start HL2, it's using some phantom config, ...

Maybe it's defaulting to the mouse pointer profile. Try forcing the Half Life VR profile, right-click it in the list and choose force.

motioncreator.png

[moomin]

Adoral84, this is just awesome!
I have two questions related to multiplayer experience:
Will it work with multiplayer (dm) at all?
Will it work with multuplayer and multiple hydras? I know hydra has issues when another hydra is located nearby however sdk seems to be ready to overtake such a case too.

[SteveB]

Oh no problem Krisper, that was exactly what I was looking for either way...

...and Jose yes, that seems perfect!

Thanks both of you!

[3trip]

Here's a highlight of some of the new stuff that's been done this week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmOh8WVTVtA

Looking great, but is vertical head tracking supposed to be disabled or is something wrong with my setup? Just seem to have yaw and rotation at the moment (1.03, Vireio Beta 12, Rift + Hydra).

Sounds like you're doing mouse emulation through vireio rather than the in game headtracking. Make sure you choose no tracking from the vireio menu.

Amazing! Very impressive! Though the crowbar seems a bit wonky. Do you have any plans to fix it so it's actually hitting the object? Edit: after a second look, it doesn't seem so bad, perhaps it's because the crowbar isn't stopped by the wall?

Also, for the firearms it would be interesting if players had to move the controller to replace the magazine, or pump the shotgun.

Again, I love what you've done so far!

[bizarrobrian]

Thanks Krisper! I'll give this a go but when I bring your MCE into Creator, I see no names for the Bindings and in fact it looks largely empty. I do see that there are bindings as the Conditions/Actions having entries, but I don't know for what HL commands (tho I'll figure it out I'm sure).

Did I do something wrong or did you just not name them?

Thanks man

That's adoral84's config sorry, I was just passing on the quote with the link.

I think there is something wrong with that mce because I see the same thing. In game I can only swing via trigger and I can't walk or look via the hydra. Am I doing something wrong? Can someone else post their working mce?

BTW, this is freaking awesome...great work!

I'm going to try it with the Cinematic mod eventually, but I want to get basic hydra support working first

EDIT: Actually I sorta got it working. I didn't know that I was supposed to launch the HL2 mod directly and was just launching the normal HL2 app. Still have a bit of weirdness though...it looks like my left and right hydra controllers are mixed up and I can't figure out how to get them switched

[TheHolyChicken]

Still have a bit of weirdness though...it looks like my left and right hydra controllers are mixed up and I can't figure out how to get them switched

I haven't used my hydras much (yet), but.... aren't both controllers identical? Could you not, you know, just swap hands?

[bizarrobrian]

Still have a bit of weirdness though...it looks like my left and right hydra controllers are mixed up and I can't figure out how to get them switched

I haven't used my hydras much (yet), but.... aren't both controllers identical? Could you not, you know, just swap hands?

Unfortunately it's not that easy because each controller uses the other one to calculate its position in space

[gray]

Still have a bit of weirdness though...it looks like my left and right hydra controllers are mixed up and I can't figure out how to get them switched

I haven't used my hydras much (yet), but.... aren't both controllers identical? Could you not, you know, just swap hands?

Unfortunately it's not that easy because each controller uses the other one to calculate its position in space

It's possible that there is some kind of dynamic positioning going on. I had an odd glitch when I put the hydra down mid-game, whereby the motion control swapped sides but the buttons didn't, so I ended up aiming the pistol with right hydra and using the trigger on left. Fortunately restarting the process fixed it.

[LordJuanlo]

They are not identical. Triggers have LT and RT etched

[Xerion]

But apart from that they are identical. The workaround is not only to use the left controller in the right hand and vice versa, but also to restart MotionCreator 2 and when it says to press the button on the left controller to use the one on the right controller instead and when asked for the right controller press the one on the left controller. That way you will have all the buttons and aiming on the correct hands.

Considering I have to do this 100% of the time and I see all these other people reporting the same thing, I think adoral84 just has the controller for aiming swapped in the mod. I'd think this would be easy to fix?

On another note: I'd advise everyone to get completely rid of the razer software and only install the MotionCreator 2 by sixense, since it is by far superior and the two might interfere. Also I think adoral84's and perhaps others' mce files seem so weird in the MotionCreator, because they were either made with the razer software or by manually creating it in a text editor (as it's really just an xml file).

[LordJuanlo]

But apart from that they are identical. The workaround is not only to use the left controller in the right hand and vice versa, but also to restart MotionCreator 2 and when it says to press the button on the left controller to use the one on the right controller instead and when asked for the right controller press the one on the left controller. That way you will have all the buttons and aiming on the correct hands.

Considering I have to do this 100% of the time and I see all these other people reporting the same thing, I think adoral84 just has the controller for aiming swapped in the mod. I'd think this would be easy to fix?

I just had the same problem. I've been playing fine for half an hour, I exited the game, entered again and now the game aims with left hydra instead of right. However I must fire using the right trigger. I can't make it work again unless I reverse my controllers doing what Xerion said.

EDIT: Unplugging and plugging the Hydra fixes it for me

[mscoder610]

Maybe there should just be a new key binding / action added to the mod to flip the Razer Hydras (left and right).

The Sixense SDK gives you an array of 2 controllers, but also has a which_hand field (so the controller index [0] isn't necessarily "left").

However, it also seems like which_hand isn't always set. So it seems like the best approach is to look at which_hand, and use that if set (to 1 or 2); otherwise fall back to 0=left and 1=right, but give the user a way to flip that assumption either way.

[LordJuanlo]

Adoral, your mod is a blast! I have played at Nova Prospekt and damn, my heart was beating loudly after every turn. I had never lived Half Life in this way. My words can't describe how much I'm enjoying this.

Now that you have decoupled looking from aiming... do you think it would be possible to decouple walking from looking? It would be very cool to be able to walk forward while looking left, like Tuscan Sixense demo or Museum of the Microstar.

Another cool adition would be positional tracking. Maybe you could use a third party app like ftnoir, that emulates TrackIR via the Oculus Tracker (not usable in this case) or even a simple webcam.

What you are doing is changing the way we play and feel games. You have my respect and admiration sir.

[bobv5]

Will it be possible to have independent head and gun with a wiimote as the gun tracker, using a mouse emulator with the wiimote?

[drgroove101]

Here's my MCE file for HL2 VR mod for the Razer Hydra.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/457 ... 20Mode.mce

Note all hydra keys are matched to the default keyboard settings. So make sure you hit 'reset to default' in-game if you changed your keyboard buttons at all.

All the keys are properly labeled and binded except for suit zoom and main menu. I haven't really played around with it too much so the Razer bindings may not be the most intuitive, but since they are all labeled it's really easy to change it to whatever you want. Don't forget to hit file->save after making any changes, as it won't save your changes unless you do. Let me know if there is any issues, I'm happy to help!