Setting up the Grab/Release System

Setting up the SenseGlove Grab/Release System involves two main steps. The first step, configuring the virtual hand meshes for both real and virtual hands, is handled automatically by the plugin. The second step, which is also straightforward, involves setting up any existing actor in the Unreal Blueprint Editor that you want to respond to with haptic feedback when your SenseGlove device comes into contact with it:

  1. Open any existing actor in the Unreal Blueprint Editor that you would like to respond to with haptic feedback when your SenseGlove device comes into contact with it.

  2. In the Components panel, click the + Add button, then type SGGrab into the Search Components input field. Once found, click on SGGrab to add it to the current actor. You can rename the SGGrab component to your desired name.

Setting up the Grab/Release System - Adding the SGGrabComponent to an actor

  1. With the SGGrab component selected in the Components panel, navigate to the Details panel. Under the SenseGlove section, adjust the settings for the grab/release system to suit your needs.

Setting up the Grab/Release System - The SGGrabComponent settings

note

Any property prefixed with Attachment is a parameter directly passed to Unreal's FAttachmentTransformRules during the grab process, while any property prefixed with Detachment is a parameter directly passed to Unreal's FDetachmentTransformRules during the release process.

caution

If AttachmentSocketName is unspecified, or incorrect the grabbable object will be attached to the root bone of the virtual hand mesh, which probably is not ideal.

  1. A key setting for the release system is located within your SGPawn instance. In the Details panel for your SGPawn, find the Max Number of Hand Velocity Samples setting and adjust it according to your needs. This setting determines the velocity of objects released from the hands by averaging the specified number of frames. Optimizing this value depends on the framerate of your simulation at runtime.

Setting up the Grab/Release System - Max number of hand velocity samples on release

  1. One last aspect of the grabbable actors to take into account for the grab system to function properly is the collision settings of their mesh components. If you'd like to prevent the virtual hand meshes from passing through a grabbable actor, it's necessary to set the Collision Presets to Block All inside the Details panel for the actor's mesh components.

Setting up the Grab/Release System - Setting Collision Presets to Block All

  1. Additionally, enabling Simulation Generates Hit Events and Generate Overlap Events on the actors mesh components is mandatory. These settings are crucial for notifying the grab system when the virtual hand meshes come into contact with the actor.

Setting up the Grab/Release System - Enabling Simulation Generates Hit Events and Generate Overlap Events

Video Tutorials

The following tutorials, though for much older releases of the plugin, still provide in-depth guidance on the same process: