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Enhanced Locomotion In Unreal Engine 5 VR: Head Mounted VR Plugin Update 2.6🚀

Introduction

We're excited to announce the release of Update 2.6 for the Head Mounted VR Plugin! This update brings significant improvements to locomotion flexibility, physics stability, and addresses critical bugs to enhance your VR development experience in Unreal Engine 5.5.


Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Shift Teleport
Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Shift Teleport

What's New in Update 2.6: Enhanced Locomotion In Unreal Engine 5 VR

1. Door Physics Issue Fixed 🛠️

  • Issue: Previously, when the VR hands collided with doors, it caused the doors to jiggle uncontrollably. Additionally, there was a grab component issue making it difficult to interact with door handles.

  • Resolution: We've improved the hand constraints and added an additional condition to the hand grab algorithm. This ensures that the grab component correctly identifies the primitive component it belongs to, resulting in smooth and realistic door interactions.



VR Door Collision
VR Door Collision


2. Improved Teleport Hands/Physics Stability 🌟

  • Issue: Hands and grabbed objects were not teleporting relative to the player, leading to unexpected physics behaviors. Objects sometimes received additional impulses, causing them to fly forward unpredictably.

  • Resolution: Hands and grabbed objects now teleport relative to the player without applying unwanted physics forces. This results in smoother gameplay and eliminates unexpected physics glitches during teleportation.



Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Teleport With Objects
Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Teleport With Objects


Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Teleport With Objects
Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Teleport With Objects


3. Inventory Crash Fixed 🛡️

  • Issue: The plugin experienced crashes when the inventory was accessed using the thumbstick press.

  • Resolution: Hand inventory parameters are now accessible within the VR Hand Component settings, and the inventory feature can be disabled if not needed. This fix ensures stable inventory access without crashes.


4. Locomotion Settings Added Inside the Player 🎮

  • Enhancement: Developers can now change locomotion modes directly within the VR Player Blueprint by setting the Movement Type and related parameters:

    • Movement Types: Continuous, Teleport Blink (previously Teleport), Teleport Shift

    • Turn Types: Smooth, Quick Turn

    • Quick Turn Angle: Adjustable between 15-90 degrees

    • Movement Source: HMD, Left Controller, Right Controller, Hip

  • Benefit: This change allows developers to avoid the pre-built save system and customize movement types per project requirements, providing greater flexibility and control.


Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Locomotion Movement Settings
Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Locomotion Movement Settings

Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Continuous Movement
Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Continuous Movement

Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Blink Teleport
Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Blink Teleport

Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Shift Teleport
Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Shift Teleport

5. Shift Teleport Added 🚀

  • Feature: Shift Teleport functions similarly to the teleportation system in Half-Life: Alyx.

  • Usage: It offers an alternative teleportation method that can be selected based on player preference, enhancing the movement mechanics available to developers.


6. Movement Enums Renamed 🔄

  • Details: Movement enums now start with an "E" prefix for consistency:

    • Previous Names: MovementType, TurnType, Quick_Turn_Angle

    • New Names: EMovementType, ETurnType, EQuick_Turn_Angle

    • Movement Types: Continuous, Teleport Blink, Teleport Shift (replacing Smooth, Teleport)

  • Impact: This change improves code clarity and may require developers to update enum references in C++ projects accordingly.


7. Hand PD Lock Added 🔒

  • Feature: Introduced the ability to lock the Hand Parent Dominant (PD) Constraint or set custom values:

bool PD_IsLocked; 
float PDAngularPositionStrength; 
float PDAngularVelocityStrength; 
float PDAngularForceLimit; 
float PDLinearPositionStrength; 
float PDLinearVelocityStrength; 
float PDLinearForceLimit;
  • Benefit: Provides more flexible settings for hand physics. Locking the PD constraint ensures a 1:1 hand position with the controller when the hand is not colliding, improving precision in non-collision scenarios.


Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Hand PD Settings
Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Hand PD Settings

Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Hand Physics
Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Hand Physics

8. Camera Fade Update 🎥

  • Enhancement: Added parameters to specify camera fade color and durations for both teleportation and collision events:

float TeleportFadeOutDuration; 
float TeleportFadeInDuration; 
bool EnableCameraFadeOnColliding; 
float CameraFadeOutDuration; 
float CameraFadeInDuration; 
float RealignCollisionFadeInDuration; 
FLinearColor TeleportFadeColor;
  • Benefit: Developers can now customize visual transitions to enhance user comfort and immersion during teleportation and when the camera collides with objects.


Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Camera Fade Settings
Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Camera Fade Settings


VR Camera Fade
VR Camera Fade


9. Teleport Physics Types ⚙️

  • Feature: Introduced new physics behaviors for teleportation through the ETeleportType enum:

    • None: Do not teleport physics bodies. Velocity reflects movement between positions, and collisions occur along the way.

    • TeleportPhysics: Teleport physics bodies so that velocity remains the same, and no collision occurs.

    • ResetPhysics: Teleport physics bodies and reset physics state completely.

  • Usage: Developers can specify how physics should behave after teleportation, allowing for more controlled and predictable interactions.


Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Teleport Fade Settings
Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Teleport Fade Settings

10. Teleport as Jump Option 🦘

  • Feature: Added the option to use Shift Teleport as a jump action (bool bTeleportAsJump).

  • Benefit: This provides an alternative movement mechanic similar to features found in Half-Life: Alyx, offering more dynamic gameplay options.


Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Jump Settings
Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Jump Settings

11. Menu Map Issue Fixed 🗺️

  • Issue: Opening the menu level was causing the engine to crash.

  • Resolution: The underlying issue has been resolved, ensuring stable navigation and menu functionality within the plugin.


VR Menu
VR Menu


12. Algorithm to Prevent Hands Passing Through Walls 🧱

  • Feature: Implemented an algorithm that checks for obstacles at the hand's desired teleport location.

  • Benefit: Hands and grabbed objects will no longer get stuck in walls, enhancing interaction realism and user immersion by preventing objects from unintentionally passing through solid surfaces.


Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Teleport
Unreal Engine 5 | Head Mounted VR | VR Teleport

Benefits and Impact

  • Enhanced Locomotion Flexibility: With new movement types and customizable settings, developers can create more engaging and comfortable VR experiences tailored to their projects.

  • Improved Physics Stability: Updates to hand constraints and teleportation physics eliminate glitches, resulting in smoother interactions and a more polished user experience.

  • Bug Fixes: Addressing critical issues like the inventory crash and menu map crash ensures that developers can work without interruptions, increasing productivity.

  • Realism and Immersion: Preventing hands from passing through walls and adding camera fade effects enhance the realism of VR interactions, making experiences more immersive for users.


Migration Notes

  • Smooth Transition: The update is designed for smooth integration. However, C++ projects will need to update enum names in the code to align with the new naming convention.

  • Backup Recommended: While not required, it's good practice to back up your project before applying major updates.


Compatibility and Requirements

  • Unreal Engine Version: Update 2.6 is compatible with Unreal Engine 5.5.

  • Plugin Dependencies: Ensure that you have the latest versions of any required plugins.

  • No Known Compatibility Issues: There are no known issues with other plugins or assets.


Accessing the Update

Important Notice: We've encountered an issue on the FAB marketplace where the “Publish” button is currently unavailable. As a result, we're temporarily distributing all fixes and updates through the Head Mounted VR website.


How to Access Updates:

  1. Register on our website ✍️

  2. Provide your correct Order ID in the registration form ✅

  3. Approval Process: We personally review and approve each request daily (Kyiv time zone 🕐).

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work with FAB support to resolve this issue.


  • Get Update 2.6: Enhance your VR projects by downloading the latest update.

  • Rate Us on FAB Marketplace: If you're enjoying the plugin, please consider rating us on the FAB Marketplace to support our work.

  • Join Our Community: Connect with us and other developers on our Discord server.

  • Follow Us on Social Media:

  • Read Our Latest News: Stay updated with new features and tutorials on our Blog.


Looking Ahead

Stay tuned for more enhancements and new features that will continue to improve your VR development experience.


Conclusion

Update 2.6 brings significant improvements to the Head Mounted VR Plugin, focusing on locomotion flexibility, physics stability, and critical bug fixes. These enhancements aim to provide a smoother, more immersive VR experience for both developers and users.

Thank you for your continued support and feedback. We're committed to making the Head Mounted VR Plugin the best choice for VR development in Unreal Engine.

Need Help or Have Questions?

Feel free to reach out to our support team or join the community discussion on our Discord server. We're here to help you make the most of the Head Mounted VR Plugin.

Happy Developing! 🚀

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