UE3 - UT3 Custom Oculus Rift UT3 Level wanted - can share my rift

[greenknight]

What I would like to offer is the chance for any UT modder who lives in the DFW area to try out my oculus rift headset when it arrives in late april. I understand their is still a decent amount of warranted skepticism for VR gaming, and perhaps UT3 is not the ideal environment.

I dunno, as I have never played any VR games. I just know this is the best thing to happen to games since the jump to 3d with the N64.

Anyway, if their are skeptical modders that do not plan on modding for the rift, but would like to try out my headset in late April (or whenever I get it, still not sure) message me!

I would love to play a Ut3 level designed for VR, not for the normal interface of the PC or xbox.

For example, often levels are not designed to a human scale - the actors might be 4 feet tall. There are many many other factors to consider. I plan on watching Valve's presentation at GDC 13 to gain more insight in to the problems and promise of VR games.

-Matthew

 

[ambershee]

You are aware that there's so much more to getting something like Rift to work in a game than 'making a level', right?

 

[greenknight]

I take it that means you don't have the requisite knowledge?

 

[ambershee]

I worked with Unreal Engine 3 before UT3 made it to shelves, worked with UT3 for the larger part of it's lifespan, shipped games using Unreal Engine 3, and now work on Unreal Engine 4 as a core systems programmer.

So if by 'requisite knowledge' you mean access to the UT3 native source code. Unreal Tournament 3 does not support Occulus Rift, and probably can't because there's no way to integrate it using UnrealScript alone, and I don't think Rift has a layer between your hardware output and the headset.

A much better bet would be building some kind of integration into UDK, if at all possible. I suspect you'd still need the engine source to get the right visual output to the headset.

Building a map isn't the issue, really.

 

[greenknight]

Well, I don't mean to sound like a know it all given your knowledge and experience, but the oculus rift is supported by unity and unreal engine and comes with an SDK to ease integration.

Valve already has an early version of it working with tf2.

But you are right, this isn't something someone would do to be nice. They would have to really want to make a level in VR for the oculus rift. And kits won't be arriving for another month (for me anyway).

 

[ambershee]

oculus rift is supported by unity and unreal engine

Sorry to be a downer, but there's the kicker; it's supported by the Unreal Engine - meaning that there is an integration you can obtain from them, available for those who have access to the source code. I don't know if UDK has this integrated by default (my current guess would be no).

UT3 doesn't support this at all and couldn't. It's last update was years before Rift existed.

 

[greenknight]

sigh

I think you are pulling teeth at this point.

I am simply talking about making a level to scale and with slower motion of the players so as to not get sick. It's probably true that the SDK hasn't been updated yet (or maybe it has) but again, I don't think you are telling me or anyone on this thread anything that I didn't know.


Just in case someone gets confused and thinks making an oculus rift enabled ut3 level is a waste of time due to lack of UDK support, here ya go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN-m3e41iOI

 

[Sir_Brizz]

That video unfortunately doesn't prove anything. The Rift guys probably have an Unreal Engine 3 license, which comes with the full UT3 source code.

 

[greenknight]

sigh

Guys, i get all of my info from MTBS where if you dig around, you can read about the history of oculus.

But I do understand your skepticism.

 

[ambershee]

I've seen that video before - it's not Unreal Tournament 3. Notice what the commentator says he's demoing: it's an integration with Unreal Engine 3. That means a full source code license of the engine, it's not UDK, and it's not UT3.

I'd like to see the integration made available within UDK, and if the integration is completed to a reasonable standard it's certainly possible that that will happen (even more so since Hawken is supposed to include support) - but at this present point in time it doesn't exist and it's possible that it may never happen. Until there's official word from Epic, this exercise could be a complete waste of time.

In any case, even if that does happen, Unreal Tournament 3 will not support it. The only way to get Rift working with UT3 would be to spoof input from the device, and even then I'm not sure could get the right output for the headset.

 

[greenknight]

I get it now

I get it now. All development so far has proceeded from games that have had the source code released.

CliffyB is on the board of directors or is an early investor/advisor at oculusvr.

He has also stated publicly that he likes the idea of an open world shooter rpg, and now he is involved with oculus, so who knows where that could lead.

Thanks for the posts ambershee and the skepticism Sir_Brizz. I've changed my mind about the idea.

 

[ambershee]

I get it now. All development so far has proceeded from games that have had the source code released.

Not quite - the Rift guys have access to the UE3 source code and have built an integration - but if you also wanted to use it you also have to have licensed the UE3 source (at this time), much like Hawken.

I've changed my mind about the idea.

You really just need to wait and see what happens

 

[Sir_Brizz]

Nothing wrong with the idea, it just likely won't work for UT3 and we'll have to see what happens next.

 

[greenknight]

hmm

Not quite - the Rift guys have access to the UE3 source code and have built an integration - but if you also wanted to use it you also have to have licensed the UE3 source (at this time), much like Hawken.



You really just need to wait and see what happens

Yep, and yep.

When the mid console cycle refresh occurs, one can only hope they include oculus or some other VR peripheral as an upgrade. I kinda doubt it, but who knows what will happen in the next few years.

 

[greenknight]

Announced today:

Today, we're announcing that we've partnered with Epic Games to release a custom, Oculus-ready version of the Unreal Development Kit (UDK), the free edition of Unreal Engine 3 (UE3). The Oculus-ready UDK will be available to all Oculus developers. We're also releasing an Oculus integration for UE3, available to the full source Unreal Engine 3 licensees out there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpTSK9aBP1c


We've also added a "VR Mode" to the Unreal Tournament sample game, included with this exclusive UDK release, to help you get started quickly.


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"ohhhhh I get it" so ummm, I new it was an assumption but frankly I am not surprised based upon the wait and see comment.