UE-DeepSpace-Pharus Lasertracking

Table of Contents

1. Quick links
2. Overview
3. Folder Structure
4. Prerequisites
5. Configuration
6. Quickstart Project
7. Quickstart Project and Plugin with Switchboard
8. Development
9. Production

Quick links

Download UE DeepSpace Starter (Zips)

• UE 4.27 DeepSpace Starter
• UE 5.0 DeepSpace Starter
• UE 5.1 DeepSpace Starter

Download UE Pharus DeepSpace Plugin

• UE 4.27 Pharus Lasertracking
• UE 5.0 Pharus Lasertracking
• UE 5.1 Pharus Lasertracking

Overview

The Pharus tracking system, developed by researcher and artist Otto Naderer at Ars Electronica Futurelab enables interaction opportunities for groups of any size in various environments. Learn more ...

The Plugin serves as an extension for UE-DeepSpace Starter. Additionally, the project includes simulation software to aid in the development process.

Folder Structure

\PharusSimulators           -> Simulators for testing
\Plugins                    -> Contains a file manager and the pharus plugin

Prerequisites

• Download/Install DBJson Plugin from the Unreal Engine Market-Place DBJson. This plugin is required to load a custom json file, which is located in /Content/DeepSpace/Settings/pharus-config.json
• Download DeepSpace Starter template to integrate this plugin

Configuration

• Customize the Pharus config file "\DeepSpaceStarter\Content\DeepSpace\Settings\pharus-config.json" according to your needs.

Quickstart Project

• Run "PharusSimulators/PharusRecSimulator/bin/start_limelight1.bat"
• Enable "Show Plugin Content" in Unreal Engine Content Browser Settings
• Load Map "/Plugins/PharusLasertracking/Content/Pharus/Maps/Pharus_SpawnAndUpdate_Map.umap"
• Hit Play in the Editor

Quickstart Project and Plugin with Switchboard

Follow these steps Quickstart Project with Switchboard:

• Switchboard
  • Choose the "Pharus_StartMap" in the "Level" select option
  • Add Device/nDisplay Cluster
    • Click "Populate"
    • Choose "nDisplay_Desktop.uasset" or "nDisplay_Desktop_2_Views.uasset"
  • Click the Plugin-Icon in the table header (connects to listener)

Development

In the "Plugins/PharusLasertracking/core", you'll find the "BP_PharusTracker_Manager". This Blueprint needs to be dropped into the world. If you have a custom map, please refer to "Pharus_StartMap" to see how and where the tracking manager is placed. The default settings should work out of the box.

When changes are made to the Pharus-Tracker-Manager, enter the following values to reset to the default.

• DebugPublicInt: 0
• PharusTrackerIsMultiCast: [x]
• PharusTrackerUDPPort: 44345
• PharusTrackerBindNIC: 127.0.0.1
• XSize: 80.0
• YSize: 100.0 This settings are only used as fallback, when the pharus config file "\DeepSpaceStarter\Content\DeepSpace\Settings\pharus-config.json" is not found.

To spawn objects, it is necessary to set the spawn class in the Pharus tracker panel group in the details. A spawned actor must implement the "PharusActorInterface". The interface is responsible to set the actor track id to a spawned actor You find some example spawn actors in "/Plugins/PharusLasertracking/SpawnExampleActors"

Production

To make use of your project with the Pharus plugin in the Ars Electronica DeepSpace, you should update the configuration file located at "\DeepSpaceStarter\Content\DeepSpace\Settings\pharus-config.json". Configure the pharusTrackerBindNIC to be either 192.168.19.114 (Wall) or 192.168.19.115 (Floor) before packaging the project.