Dark Lab

• About the Dark Lab
• Dark Lab Equipment
• Virtual Reality
• Which VR headsets does CCI have?
• Using the VIVE Pro 2 Full Kit
• Connecting Vive Trackers to Unreal Engine

About the Dark Lab

The Dark Lab is located on the Ground floor of Greencoat Building, in GB_G05.

Opening Hours

	Open	Staffed
Weekdays	08:00–21:00	09:00–19:00
Saturday	10:00–17:00	Unstaffed
Sunday	Closed	Closed

Staff

Lieven van Velthoven

he/him

Dark Lab Equipment

Virtual Reality

Which VR headsets does CCI have?

• Valve Index VR headset
• Vive Pro Eye Wireless
• Vive Focus 3

Using the VIVE Pro 2 Full Kit

We got the VIVE Pro 2 headset and base stations, controllers (HTC Vive Controllers and VALVE INDEX Controllers), and trackers in the lab.

Setup

For the full official tutorial, please refer to: VIVE Pro 2 Setup Video

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1. Hardware Connections & Power Check

Before powering on your PC: Ensure all devices are powered and connected

• Headset, controllers, Lighthouse base stations, and the Vive link box should all be connected and displaying a solid green light.
• Link box connections:
  • DisplayPort cable → Graphics card port
  • USB 3.0 cable → PC USB port
  • Power adapter → Mains socket (requires 9V/1.5A or above)

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2. Software Setup

Essential Installations

1. Steam & SteamVR

   • Download and install the Steam client.
   • Search for and install SteamVR from your Steam library.

2. Room Tracking Configuration

   • Open SteamVR > Room Setup
   • Base stations should be mounted at a height of at least 2m, positioned diagonally across the play area.
   • Controller pairing: Press and hold the system button until the LED flashes blue → complete pairing via the SteamVR interface.

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3. Unreal Engine 5 Integration

Initial Project Setup

1. Create a New VR Project

   • Template: Games > Virtual Reality
   • Select Blueprint and Starter Content (for quick testing)
   • Tip: Begin with a simple scene (e.g., an empty template) and gradually increase complexity.

2. Enable Key Plugins

   • Go to Edit > Plugins and enable the following:
     • OpenXR (recommended for SteamVR compatibility and future-proofing)
     • OpenXR Hand Tracking
     • OpenXR Vive Tracker (if using external trackers)
     • SteamVR (required for the Vive Pro 2)
     • Oculus VR (if Oculus headset compatibility is needed)
     • VR Expansion Plugin (for advanced interaction features)
   • Restart UE5 to apply changes.

3. Optimise Project Settings

   • Open Edit > Project Settings and adjust the following:
     • Rendering: Enable Forward Rendering and disable Mobile HDR.
     • XR Settings: Tick Start in VR and enable Motion Controller Support.

These settings improve performance and ensure VR input responsiveness.

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4. Testing & Troubleshooting

Launching VR Preview

1. Click the dropdown next to the Play button (⚠️ not the default Play mode) and select VR Preview.
2. Put on the headset to test real-time scene rendering.

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❗ Common Issues & Checks

• Device Not Detected:

  • Confirm cables are securely connected and devices are powered.
  • Restart SteamVR or the PC if necessary.

• Tracking Issues:

  • Ensure base stations are unobstructed and correctly positioned.
  • Check for reflective surfaces or direct sunlight interfering with the sensors.

• Performance Lag:

  • Lower rendering resolution or disable unnecessary plugins.
  • Update graphics drivers and Unreal Engine to the latest stable version.

With these steps completed, your HTC Vive Pro 2 should be ready for Unreal Engine 5.2+

Connecting Vive Trackers to Unreal Engine

For the full official tutorial, please refer to:

• Pairing Vive Trackers (3.0)
• Fixing Live Link XR in Unreal Engine 5.2 and 5.3

1. Get Your Trackers Ready

First things first—make sure each Vive Tracker is turned on and paired through SteamVR. SteamVR Settings > Devices > Pair Controllers > I want to pair a different type of controller.. > HTC Vive Tracker. You’ll know it’s good to go when the LED light is solid green.

• Click the 3 little lines on the top left of the SteamVR desktop dashboard window to open the SETTINGS.
• Then go to Devices, chose pair your contrllers, click on I want to pair a different type of controller, then select HTC Vive Tracker.
• Turn on the Tracker.

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2. Set Up the Plugin

• Double-check that SteamVR is running.
• Open Unreal Engine and go to Edit > Plugins.
• Find and enable OpenXR Vive Tracker.

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3. Assign Tracker Roles

After pairing your trackers you will need to assign them to the correct body part in SteamVR's Manage Trackers section, Left foot, Right Foot, ect. Its best to do them one at a time and label the tracker in some way so you know which body part is paired with that tacker.

Now let’s tell SteamVR which tracker does what:

• SteamVR Settings > Controllers > Manage Trackers
• Assign the roles like this:
  • Waist → waist
  • Left Foot → left_foot
  • Right Foot → right_foot

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4. Integrate with Unreal Engine

• Open your project’s blueprint.
• Locate the Motion Controller component.
• Add a Live Link component to stream tracker data.
• Make sure the Role matches the SteamVR assignments.

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5. Find and Link the Prawn Asset

• Connect the prawn’s motion controllers to the corresponding trackers. You could check here for more details Fixing Live Link XR in Unreal Engine 5.2 and 5.3
• Open the Content Browser.
• Search for prawn, and follow the tutorial video.

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6. Test and Calibrate

• Run your project in VR Preview.
• Do some basic movements to check if everything tracks correctly.