SteamVR Tracking Hardware

Section 8. SteamVR Harwdare.

SteamVR is a tracking solution in which you use commercially available BaseStations paired with ViveTrackers to create ad hoc tracking volumes of any shape and size. Since this is not a permanent setup, users are free to set up and customize their tracking volumes any way they wish so long as they follow several guidelines which you can find within Track_RoomSetup Section.

Section 8.11 SteamVR Hardware Requirements.

Aside from requiring the SteamVRLink software itself (and in turn, Steam to download it from), here are the hardware requirements of using SteamVR.

2x Valve Index Base Station 2.0 Larger spaces than 4.2m x 4.2m (or 13.7ft x 13.7ft) will require 4 or more (up to 16 total).

Important
Base Station 1.0s are still viable but are limited in scope. They have a slightly narrower range and are no longer in production, meaning you’ll likely get them used. You can tell the difference between 1.0 and 2.0 by their design. 1.0 base stations are boxy in design whereas the 2.0 base stations have a smooth curved front to better spread its IR beams.

2x VIVE Tracker 3.0. You can get by with just one tracker, however it is easier with a second dedicated for calibration purposes.

Link: ViveTracker

Important
Vive Tracker 2.0s also work. The difference between them is their size and battery life (3.0s are smaller, all black, and have longer battery life). Both tracker’s forward direction is always opposite the charge port.

2x Vive Tracker Dongle. These allow your Vive Trackers to connect wirelessly to your host machine via 2.4Gz connection. Recommended to use active USB 3.0 extension cables to bring the dongle as close to your tracking volume as possible.

Important
Alternatively you can connect your Vive Trackers directly to your host machine via USB cable. Again it is recommended to use active USB 3.0 extension cables, but bear in mind cable length limitations. For lengths beyond 4.8m (16ft) it is required to use expensive fiber optic USB extension cables instead.

Section 8.12 The Required SteamVR Change.

SteamVR will initially load to show you a message like this with a blank screen. It will not recognize any VR hardware until it recognizes a headset plugged into the system.

Because SteamVR is purpose-built for entertainment VR, it assumes that your installation and use will be for a setup and will not work immediately until you disable this requirement. Thankfully, we have three different ways to do so.

Using The SteamVR Component’s One-Click Button.

If SteamVR is still set to require an HMD, then this button will enable you to use it.

You can find it by selecting/adding the SteamVR Tracking component to your ARFX Camera. At the very top of the list of settings in the ARwall section will be a button labeled “Patch HDM Req.” This button, once clicked, will find your SteamVR install and edit the configuration file to disable the default HMD requirement to use SteamVR, reporting either success or failure when complete. If the operation succeeds, you will have to restart SteamVR if it is running already for the setting to take effect. If the operation fails, it is recommended you make sure SteamVR is installed and you run it at least once before trying again.

If it continues to fail or you do not have access to this option, you have two more options.

Using The Patch SteamVR Button in the Options Menu.

Found within the SteamVR section of Setup in the Options Menu, the highlighted button and its status text below it will ensure that SteamVR is ready to use.

If you are using one of ARwall’s built scenes or are in Unreal Editor, you can access the options menu at any time by pressing Escape, Backslash, or Start on your gamepad. Within the SteamVR Setup section, you’ll find a button with some status text below it, as shown in the image above.

If the system detects that you already have disabled the HMD requirement, then the button will be unusable, and the status text will be green. If it is not, then the button will be clickable, and the status text will show a yellow text saying, “SteamVR is unpatched!”

This button, once clicked, will find your SteamVR install and edit the configuration file to disable the default HMD requirement to use SteamVR, reporting either success or failure when complete. If the operation succeeds, you will have to restart SteamVR if it is running already for the setting to take effect. If the operation fails, it is recommended you make sure SteamVR is installed and you run it at least once before trying again.

If it continues to fail or you do not have access to this option, then you will have to modify it manually.

Important
The SteamVR section will not be present if you are using FreeD tracking or if there is no SteamVR component in your ARFX Camera in Unreal Editor.

Manually Editing the Configuration File to Disable the HMD Requirement

This will require some file explorer navigation to do.

Start by finding the install directory of Steam, typically found within __”C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam”__
Open the __config__ folder.
Find the file named __steamvr.vrsettings__
Create a backup of the file and then open the file in Notepad
Find and replace "requireHmd" :true__ with __"requireHmd":false__
Save and reopen SteamVR

It may still show that an HMD is not connected; however, as soon as your trackers are on and connected, those messages will go away and you are free to start tracking without the HMD.

Section 8.13 Base Stations.

BaseStations(s) for SteamVR and Vive Mars are easy to use and operate and we will go over the key points for their setup.

Powering Base Stations.

A BaseStation or Lighthouse is a device that contains a spinning reflective lens and an IR emitter that bathes the area in a 120° cone. Because of the speed it must achieve, the base stations have a bit of a boot-up when initially turned on. Due to their delicate nature, be careful not to drop or move the base station violently -- especially when the devices are on and operating!

When you turn on your Base Stations, you will see its light indicator go through a boot-up process, starting with a blinking blue light indicator. Once the device is up to speed, the light will either turn white or green to indicate that it is active.

Important
Due to how base stations work, it is important to prevent them from being disturbed or vibrated by its own spinning motor. When you are done, ensure that you unplug their source of power to preserve their operation lifetime. It is recommended to keep a few base stations as back up when preparing for a film production.

Section 8.14 Connecting Multiple Base Stations.

There is a chance that your base stations may be operating on the same wireless channel -- especially if each one was purchased separately. This issue can prevent two or more base stations from communicating with SteamVR and disrupt tracking within their field of view. So before you take the time to set up and place your base stations, it is important to find out what channel each base station is operating at and correct any conflicts found.

Typically, each Base Station will report channel 1 or 10 by default, which can lead to problems.

Important
If you only have 2 base stations then you are free to ignore this. However, issues arise as more base stations are added to the tracking volume, so be sure to continue if you have or plan to have more than 2!

To set each base station its own unique channel, do the following:

Locate the SteamVR on your PC and open it.
Turn on and connect a Vive Tracker to your machine via a USB cable.
Plug in one Base Station.
Place the Vive Tracker in view of the Base Station and wait for SteamVR to show both the tracker and Base Station in its status display. This step can sometimes take several seconds before the SteamVR recognizes the Base Station, but moving the tracker in front of the Base Station can help the system recognize it faster.
Hover over the (newly turned on) Base Station icon tracked on SteamVR to record which channel is taken.
Plug in another Base Station and repeat steps 4 and 5.
If any Base Station is set to the same channel as the other Base Station(s), use a paperclip or thumbtack and press the Channel button at the back of the Base Station to set a different channel (there are a total of 16 channels).
Make sure the new Base Station’s channel does not overlap with the existing Base Stations’ channels.
Repeat steps 4-7 until all Base Stations have their own channels and are tracked by SteamVR.

You only need to hit the button once to change the channel of the base station while it is on. The hole is awkward and small, but the button itself has tactile feedback to it. Just be careful not to hold the button down, as that could cause it to do a factory reset instead!

Important
It is recommended to label each base station with their channel number when troubleshooting problems or when introducing new base stations into the system.

Section 8.15 Base Station Placement (2x Base Stations).

In a typical SteamVR or Vive Mars setup, you must be sure to have at least one base station oriented so that the screen can be seen within its 120° field of view. It is also important that both base stations can “see” the other station. As for their placement, they should be at a height of around 2 meters/6.5 feet tall either by using light stands with proper adapters or attached directly to higher walls and ceilings. You can even use set pieces if needed – just make sure that whatever the base stations are attached to is not easily disturbed, moved, or shaken during filming.

This is a representation of a physical setup, not one you do for real. Note that this is not a full representation as each base station has a 120° field of view!

A top-down view of the above example setup. Two important notes: they will always be able to see each other and one tracker must include a view of the screen’s surface.

Important
Two base Stations are the minimum requirement to have accurate tracking within a 4.2m x 4.2m (13.7ft x 13.7ft) tracking volume space. You need more to accommodate larger volumes!

Section 8.16 Base Station Placement (Large Tracking Volumes)

If your tracking volume is larger than what two base stations can provide, then you will need to use more base stations (up to a limit of 16). The same rules apply in this setup as before. Each base station must be able to see at least one or more of the other base stations while one or more of them are placed and oriented to include the screen you will be using ARFX on.

As for their placement, they should be at a height of around 2 meters/6.5 feet tall either by using light stands with proper adapters or attached directly to higher walls and ceilings. You can even use set pieces if needed – just make sure that whatever the base stations are attached to is not easily disturbed, moved, or shaken during filming.

A representation of a physical setup with 6 Base Stations. Note how they can see each other. In more extreme setups, you can have them spread out to cover an entire room, but they still need to be able to see at least two or more base stations.

Important
The more base stations you add, the higher the chance of your base stations using conflicting wireless channels to communicate. Please check the Connecting Multiple Base Stations section above on how to fix this conflict.

Section 8.17 Some More Placement Notes

The goal is to make sure the Trackers will always be seen by at least one Base Station regardless of where it is in the intended tracking/play area.
Each Base Station should be placed at a height of around 2 meters/6.5 feet tall (light stands with proper adapters are recommended, but Base Stations can be attached directly to higher walls, ceilings, or set pieces if needed – just make sure that whatever the base stations are attached to is not easily disturbed, moved, or shaken during filming).
Each Base Station field of view should be tilted slightly down toward the intended tracking/play area.
Each Base Station field of view should slightly overlap the other Base Stations’ field of view, and all Base Stations should cover the tracking area that you expect the Trackers to be active in. Keep in mind that each Base Station has a 120-degree field of view, but with creative daisy-chaining, a few Base Stations can create a sizeable play area for the tracked camera.
Be sure that at least one Base Station can see the screen that you are using (the center of the screen, where you will be calibrating with a tracker).
Make sure that Base Stations and tracking/play areas are away from sunlight or other reflective surfaces such as mirrors or glass if possible. These factors can affect tracking and should be minimized as much as possible on set.
Some onset lights can cause IR radiation to interfere with tracking stability with Base Stations. It is recommended to turn one light on at a time while testing tracking to see if lights are causing tracking issues. The most common lights that cause issues are older ones.

For more general information on tracking volumes, please visit [Track_RoomSetup]

Section 8.18 Vive Trackers

ViveTrackers are the core of tracking in SteamVR, with screw adapters made specifically for use on cameras. Alternatively, you can make use of common VR controllers such as the ones found on Valve Index and HTC Vive. Unlike the Base Stations, there is nothing much to set up when it comes to the trackers.

Section 8.19 Vive Tracker Operation

All operations involving the Vive Tracker are done by this single button.

Turn On - Press and hold for 2 seconds
Pairing Mode - When on, press and hold until the indicator light starts blinking
Turn Off - Press and hold until the indicator light turns off (it will go into pairing mode first before turning off)

Section 8.20 Vive Tracker Indicator Colors

Blinking Red - Low battery
Amber while plugged in - Charging (does not indicate that it is paired/active!)
White while plugged in - Fully charged (does not indicate that it is paired/active!)
Blue or Green - Paired/active (wirelessly)

Important
The indicator while plugged into the host machine can be deceiving as it has no way of indicating whether it is actually on and tracking or not. Therefore it is always recommended to turn it on first then plug it in.

Section 8.21 Connecting the Vive Tracker (Wired)

First, turn on the Vive Tracker by pressing and holding the center button for 2 seconds, then letting go.
Plug in a ViveTracker to the machine with USB cables and place it within view of at least one Base Station that is powered on.
Locate SteamVR on your PC and run it.
After a while, you should see SteamVR update to show your tracker as being connected.
-Then a little bit after you should see SteamVR update to show your Base Station as well.
-Hover your mouse over the tracker icon to see if it is indicating that it is on and tracking.

Section 8.22 Pairing the Vive Tracker to a Dongle

Pairing a Tracker is fairly easy. Just remember to charge them!

Plug a ViveDongle directly into your PC and wait for a grey hexagonal icon to appear in SteamVR.
Press and hold the button on a ViveTracker until a blue indicator light starts to blink for pairing mode.
Right-click the grey hexagon and click on Pair Tracker.
Follow the on-screen prompts to pair your tracker to your Dongle. Your tracker's indicator light should turn green.
Place your tracker within view of at least one Base Station that is powered on.
After a bit, SteamVR should update to show your Base Station along with your Tracker, which should now be a solid color.
Hover your mouse over your tracker icon to verify that it is on and tracking.

It is recommended that you label both the tracker and dongle to identify that they have been paired together.

Section 8.23 SteamVR Display Indicators

When you first connect your tracker, SteamVR will try to find base stations that are in sight of the tracker.

With the trackers in the view of some Base Stations, SteamVR will eventually show indicators for the base stations themselves.

Hovering over the tracker icon in SteamVR will give you information on its status and battery life.

Troubleshooting the Vive Tracker & Base Stations

When you see this message, it could mean that the base station is simply not on or that you cannot see the Vive Tracker.

When you see this message, it is likely that the tracker is not connected or plugged in. If you use a USB extension cable, try using an active USB cable and make sure you are connected DIRECTLY to the host machine. USB hubs are notorious for causing this issue.

You will see this message for several reasons. The base station could be off. The tracker could be off. The base station could be broken (not a solid green or white indicator). Or the base station could be too far to be seen by others in the tracking volume. Try to use a process of elimination to figure out what could be wrong with it.

This message can be misleading. If you know that the base stations are on and that the tracker is within sight of them, then more than likely the tracker is simply not on despite having an amber or white indicator light. Simply unplug the tracker, turn it on, then plug it back in again.