How to implement SteamVR Laser Pointer

Questions & Answers
1

I’m relatively new to VR dev in Unity and I’m building a project based on the SteamVR plugin. I’m specifically asking for help using the SteamVR_LaserPointer.cs (pasted below).

My setup:

  • SteamVR Player pre-fab in scene
  • SteamVR_LaserPointer.cs script attached to each controller (which are children of the Player called LeftHand and RightHand)
  • I’m using an HTC Vive Pro

What I think I need to do is create a separate handler script that instantiates a SteamVR_LaserPointer and somehow uses the public virtual void methods (OnPointerIn, OnPointerClick, and OnPointer) to interact with what the laser pointer is colliding with… but I’m riding the struggle bus trying to figure that out. Has anyone successfully implemented this script before or have some pointers / references that you can point me to?

//======= Copyright (c) Valve Corporation, All rights reserved. ====
using UnityEngine;
using System.Collections;

namespace Valve.VR.Extras
{
    public class SteamVR_LaserPointer : MonoBehaviour
    {
        public SteamVR_Behaviour_Pose pose;

        //public SteamVR_Action_Boolean interactWithUI = SteamVR_Input.__actions_default_in_InteractUI;
        public SteamVR_Action_Boolean interactWithUI = SteamVR_Input.GetBooleanAction("InteractUI");

        public bool active = true;
        public Color color;
        public float thickness = 0.002f;
        public Color clickColor = Color.green;
        public GameObject holder;
        public GameObject pointer;
        bool isActive = false;
        public bool addRigidBody = false;
        public Transform reference;
        public event PointerEventHandler PointerIn;
        public event PointerEventHandler PointerOut;
        public event PointerEventHandler PointerClick;

        Transform previousContact = null;


        private void Start()
        {
            if (pose == null)
                pose = this.GetComponent<SteamVR_Behaviour_Pose>();
            if (pose == null)
                Debug.LogError("No SteamVR_Behaviour_Pose component found on this object");
            
            if (interactWithUI == null)
                Debug.LogError("No ui interaction action has been set on this component.");
            

            holder = new GameObject();
            holder.transform.parent = this.transform;
            holder.transform.localPosition = Vector3.zero;
            holder.transform.localRotation = Quaternion.identity;

            pointer = GameObject.CreatePrimitive(PrimitiveType.Cube);
            pointer.transform.parent = holder.transform;
            pointer.transform.localScale = new Vector3(thickness, thickness, 100f);
            pointer.transform.localPosition = new Vector3(0f, 0f, 50f);
            pointer.transform.localRotation = Quaternion.identity;
            BoxCollider collider = pointer.GetComponent<BoxCollider>();
            if (addRigidBody)
            {
                if (collider)
                {
                    collider.isTrigger = true;
                }
                Rigidbody rigidBody = pointer.AddComponent<Rigidbody>();
                rigidBody.isKinematic = true;
            }
            else
            {
                if (collider)
                {
                    Object.Destroy(collider);
                }
            }
            Material newMaterial = new Material(Shader.Find("Unlit/Color"));
            newMaterial.SetColor("_Color", color);
            pointer.GetComponent<MeshRenderer>().material = newMaterial;
        }

        public virtual void OnPointerIn(PointerEventArgs e)
        {
            if (PointerIn != null)
                PointerIn(this, e);
        }

        public virtual void OnPointerClick(PointerEventArgs e)
        {
            if (PointerClick != null)
                PointerClick(this, e);
        }

        public virtual void OnPointerOut(PointerEventArgs e)
        {
            if (PointerOut != null)
                PointerOut(this, e);
        }

        
        private void Update()
        {
            if (!isActive)
            {
                isActive = true;
                this.transform.GetChild(0).gameObject.SetActive(true);
            }

            float dist = 100f;

            Ray raycast = new Ray(transform.position, transform.forward);
            RaycastHit hit;
            bool bHit = Physics.Raycast(raycast, out hit);

            if (previousContact && previousContact != hit.transform)
            {
                PointerEventArgs args = new PointerEventArgs();
                args.fromInputSource = pose.inputSource;
                args.distance = 0f;
                args.flags = 0;
                args.target = previousContact;
                OnPointerOut(args);
                previousContact = null;
            }
            if (bHit && previousContact != hit.transform)
            {
                PointerEventArgs argsIn = new PointerEventArgs();
                argsIn.fromInputSource = pose.inputSource;
                argsIn.distance = hit.distance;
                argsIn.flags = 0;
                argsIn.target = hit.transform;
                OnPointerIn(argsIn);
                previousContact = hit.transform;
            }
            if (!bHit)
            {
                previousContact = null;
            }
            if (bHit && hit.distance < 100f)
            {
                dist = hit.distance;
            }

            if (bHit && interactWithUI.GetStateUp(pose.inputSource))
            {
                PointerEventArgs argsClick = new PointerEventArgs();
                argsClick.fromInputSource = pose.inputSource;
                argsClick.distance = hit.distance;
                argsClick.flags = 0;
                argsClick.target = hit.transform;
                OnPointerClick(argsClick);
            }

            if (interactWithUI != null && interactWithUI.GetState(pose.inputSource))
            {
                pointer.transform.localScale = new Vector3(thickness * 5f, thickness * 5f, dist);
                pointer.GetComponent<MeshRenderer>().material.color = clickColor;
            }
            else
            {
                pointer.transform.localScale = new Vector3(thickness, thickness, dist);
                pointer.GetComponent<MeshRenderer>().material.color = color;
            }
            pointer.transform.localPosition = new Vector3(0f, 0f, dist / 2f);
        }
    }

    public struct PointerEventArgs
    {
        public SteamVR_Input_Sources fromInputSource;
        public uint flags;
        public float distance;
        public Transform target;
    }

    public delegate void PointerEventHandler(object sender, PointerEventArgs e);
}
3

I created a wrapper class around the pre-existing SteamVR_LaserPointer

using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.EventSystems;
using Valve.VR.Extras;

public class SteamVRLaserWrapper : MonoBehaviour
{
    private SteamVR_LaserPointer steamVrLaserPointer;

    private void Awake()
    {
        steamVrLaserPointer = gameObject.GetComponent<SteamVR_LaserPointer>();
        steamVrLaserPointer.PointerIn += OnPointerIn;
        steamVrLaserPointer.PointerOut += OnPointerOut;
        steamVrLaserPointer.PointerClick += OnPointerClick;
    }

    private void OnPointerClick(object sender, PointerEventArgs e)
    {
        IPointerClickHandler clickHandler = e.target.GetComponent<IPointerClickHandler>();
        if (clickHandler == null)
        {
            return;
        }


        clickHandler.OnPointerClick(new PointerEventData(EventSystem.current));
    }

    private void OnPointerOut(object sender, PointerEventArgs e)
    {
        IPointerExitHandler pointerExitHandler = e.target.GetComponent<IPointerExitHandler>();
        if (pointerExitHandler == null)
        {
            return;
        }

        pointerExitHandler.OnPointerExit(new PointerEventData(EventSystem.current));
    }

    private void OnPointerIn(object sender, PointerEventArgs e)
    {
        IPointerEnterHandler pointerEnterHandler = e.target.GetComponent<IPointerEnterHandler>();
        if (pointerEnterHandler == null)
        {
            return;
        }

        pointerEnterHandler.OnPointerEnter(new PointerEventData(EventSystem.current));
    }
}

then, on any object with a UI element or a collider, just use regular Unity Interaction Events.

2

Attach this script to an object that you are trying to interact with. This script will tell you when the pointer is inside the object and when it goes outside.

public class LaserPointerHandler : MonoBehaviour
{
public SteamVR_LaserPointer laserPointer;

public bool selected;
// Start is called before the first frame update
void Start()
{
    laserPointer.PointerIn += PointerInside;
    laserPointer.PointerOut += PointerOutside;
    selected = false;
}

// Update is called once per frame
void Update()
{
    
}

public void PointerInside(object sender, PointerEventArgs e)
{
    
    if (e.target.name == this.gameObject.name && selected==false)
    {
        selected = true;
        Debug.Log("pointer is inside this object" + e.target.name);
    }        
}

public void PointerOutside(object sender, PointerEventArgs e)
{
    
    if (e.target.name == this.gameObject.name && selected == true)
    {
        selected = false;
        Debug.Log("pointer is outside this object" + e.target.name);
    }
}

public bool get_selected_value()
{
    return selected;
}

}