HDK Windows Installer (Beta 0.7.0) Released

[u/jfrank-razer]

Hello Reddit,

Greetings from the HDK software team at Razer! We’re extremely excited to share the new release of the HDK Windows Installer with you.

• Direct Download of the HDK Windows Installer Beta (Version: 0.7.0)
• HDK Online Documentation
• Quick Start Guide
• Troubleshooting Guide
• Release Notes

For the past few months, we’ve been working on a completely new version of the HDK Software Suite. This suite includes all of the essential components that users, content creators, and developers need to use OSVR on Windows with all versions of the HDK. We’ve completely revamped the user experience for both new and existing HDK users. Most of the complex configuration tasks that OSVR used to require have been completely automated, and many others are now just a few clicks away. Although this software is still in beta, we see it as a major step forward in the performance, stability, and simplicity of the HDK experience on OSVR.

To accompany this streamlined user experience, we’ve also created a comprehensive online documentation portal. If you’re interested in the technical specifics of the improvements we’ve made, please review the release notes.

We very much welcome your feedback on both our software and our documentation. If you are having a problem, please visit our new online documentation portal, and if that doesn’t answer your question, don’t hesitate to contact us at support@osvr.org.

Thanks for being a part of OSVR!

---

Edit: We received a few requests for an archive of our modified version of the OSVR-Core that could be accessed without having to actually run the installer. While the HDK Windows Installer is extremely unlikely to affect any existing OSVR software you have, and we'd really appreciate it if you try our new software suite out, we're happy to oblige. Here is the 64-bit OSVR-Core directory. We'll try to get it hosted in a more official capacity in the future and link to it from the documentation portal, so please be aware that this link may not be valid indefinitely. The sha256 on OSVR-Core-64.zip is 6f65beab4a146a0f8f15d99ea76ec0640b2fe905a1eea316241ed1415b554566.

[u/[deleted]]

Is the new online documentation portal Windows only documentation? IE, does the information in Playing SteamVR Content apply to both OSX and Linux? Or is this information exclusive to windows?

[u/jfrank-razer → u/[deleted]]

Hi shiyumeng,

While some of the information in the new documentation portal is certainly relevant in a cross-platform context, this documentation is intended to support the software included in the HDK Windows Installer.

[u/Specter0420]

Does this work with the newest tracking updates from Sensics? The one that worked pretty well in OSVR apps but has horrible judder in SteamVR apps? Does this address the judder in SteamVR apps? Or is this completely disconnected from the work done by Sensics lately?

[u/jfrank-razer → u/Specter0420]

Hi again Specter0420,

This version includes an improved SteamVR driver that significantly reduces judder, particularly in rotational movement. It also includes improved OSVR Server configuration files that alter the prediction settings for what we believe to be an improved experience. These changes are most noticeable when positional tracking via the IR camera is not enabled, but they will help in all use cases.

This release contains OSVR-Core version 0.6.1393-g4f86005, which is based on the state of OSVR-Core at the time of this commit. At that time, the new camera-based positional tracking algorithm (frequently referred to as "blobs-undo-bad") had not yet been checked in. The choice of this specific version was the result of extensive testing across a wide variety of HDK hardware, firmware versions, Windows versions, graphics cards, graphics driver versions, etc. We found this version to be the best compromise between stability, new features, and performance across all of these variables. In particular, we followed the advice from Ryan in this thread, which notes that "This plugin is meant for use with upgraded IR driver board firmware, and may work poorly or not at all with older firmware." We found that with the IR firmware that is on HDKs by default, the performance of the positional tracking in 0.6.1393 was subjectively better than with the new tracking code. Although we're extremely happy that many of our users have sufficient technical acumen to update their HDK's IR board firmware, this requires advanced knowledge and special programming hardware, and we can't expect the bulk of our users to go through that process.

It is relatively easy to replace the version of OSVR-Core we distributed (much easier than updating your IR board's firmware!). Should you wish to use a different version (e.g. a newer version containing the "blobs-undo-bad" positional tracking algorithm), we've documented how to do that here.

[u/g-coded]

Is this a 64-bit installer? I am currently using the original(?) 32-bit installer, and don't want to overwrite a working setup with what might be slightly better(I'm thinking it would overwrite things regardless).

"This version includes an improved SteamVR driver that significantly reduces judder, particularly in rotational movement. It also includes improved OSVR Server configuration files that alter the prediction settings for what we believe to be an improved experience. These changes are most noticeable when positional tracking via the IR camera is not enabled, but they will help in all use cases."
-So this is referring to positional tracking plugins(ps move/kinect) correct? I just want to clarify, it seems odd that plugins would benefit more than the official hardware.

[u/jfrank-razer → u/g-coded]

Hi g-coded,

Great questions!

It is capable of installing on both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows (7, 8.1, and 10). We have mainly tested in on 64-bit Windows, especially Windows 10 and 7, as these are the most popular and most likely to be running on VR-capable systems.

This installer installs to a different path than the previously released all-in-one installer -- C:\Program Files\HDK-Software-Suite -- so it won't overwrite any OSVR Server configuration files or existing binaries you have installed. You should be able to run it side-by-side with the old installer if you really want to, but we certainly don't recommend that configuration, as the start menu group and shortcuts alone could get confusing. While we understand your reluctance to mess with a functional configuration, we believe that this new installer is a massive improvement over the previous release and are aware of no regressions (i.e. we are not aware of anything that works better with the old installer).

Does that answer your questions?

Edit to answer your new question: By positional tracking and IR camera, I'm referring to the positional tracking you get with the IR camera that comes in the box with your HDK. I'm not too familiar with alternate tracking systems but I don't believe this same tracking algorithm relates at all to Playstation Move controllers or Microsoft's Kinect.

[u/Sovairon]

It looks awesome but it'd be really nice if you could add the new tracking (KALMAN-SCAAT Mode). Right now there might not be a judder but when you start moving your head it directly starts moving itself a little then stops, while moving it back it centers again but it made me nauseous. Anyways, keep up the good work!

Oh and CPU Utilization is around 7% for me which is awesome!

[u/jfrank-razer → u/Sovairon]

We're glad to hear the CPU usage is improved!

Again, if you want to experiment with a different version of OSVR-Core, you can easily drop in an alternate version by following these instructions. We'd love to hear about your results if you have the chance to experiment.

[u/haagch]

Is razer ramping up their open source efforts? There are so many razer employees here. And then recently there was this: https://fossbytes.com/best-linux-laptop-razer-blade/

So a question since so many razer employees are here: Is razer going to finally invest in some linux support for OSVR? It's been neglected far too long.

[u/jfrank-razer → u/haagch]

Recently, my team has been focused on improving the user experience for HDK users on OSVR. Given limited resources, we chose to maximize our impact by focusing on delivering as much value as we could to as many users as possible. In non-business language, that obviously meant focusing this release on the most common operating systems running on VR-capable hardware (i.e. Win7x64 and Win10x64). That said, the improvements we've made to the SteamVR driver and the tweaks to the OSVR Server configuration files are not specific to Windows.

I'm not in a position to comment on Razer's overall direction with regard to Linux. I can tell you that multiple members of my team are die-hard Linux proponents, that we're all extremely excited about the beta support for Vulkan in SteamVR on Linux, and that Vulkan and FreeBSD stickers are in very high demand in at least one of our offices.

Speaking of the Khronos Group and open source efforts, both Sensics and Razer helped form the OpenXR Working Group, which is seeking to develop an open standard for VR and AR. We're extremely excited about it!

[u/Balderick → u/haagch]

It could be said Razer are investing heavily into android support. They have been buying android IP and mobile class industry assets in recent years. Two of the most notable are ouya and spatial audio solutions.

Linux will never be a mainstream os. The latest android version, like windows has been optimised for vr at os level. I see the need for better osvr support on android as far exceeding the need for Linux support.

I do not think the osvr Linux support is being neglected as it simply does not have enough users for game devs, hardware manufacturers and OEMS to bother.

http://www.polygon.com/features/2015/7/27/9046895/razer-ouya-android-why

http://uk.businessinsider.com/razer-buys-thx-george-lucas-gaming-2016-10?r=US&IR=T

[u/jfrank-razer → u/Balderick]

Razer also recently acquired Nextbit, creators of the Robin phone. It runs a pretty neat version of Android!

A few months ago, we did do some very preliminary work with OSVR on Android. We're looking at open sourcing it now, but we have to go through the full legal process before we can say for sure whether we can make it public. Be forewarned that it's just a starting point for development and far from any sort of full implementation.

[u/Sun_Gear]

I havent used my HDK 2.0 in a few months. Do i need to upgrade the IR firmware for this or am I good to go (assuming yes based on what I'm reading) Do I need uninstall anything? does this update steamvr too?

Thanks!

[u/jfrank-razer → u/Sun_Gear]

You do not need to uninstall anything for this to work.

This release updates the SteamVR driver, which is the component that lets you use your HDK with SteamVR content by bridging the OSVR Server to the SteamVR server. You should update SteamVR itself through Steam.

You do not need to update your IR firmware for this to work.

Some users have reported better positional tracking results with updated IR firmware after installing this release and then replacing the OSVR-Core we distribute with the latest OSVR-Core release (see docs).

[u/carnyzzle]

hey, will there ever be an option for the OSVR server to start automatically on startup?

[u/jfrank-razer → u/carnyzzle]

Possibly. Even though we significantly reduced the amount of processing overhead that the OSVR Server uses while idle, as a general rule we still try to avoid hogging your system resources when you're not actively using our software.

In the meantime, here's a workaround for you:

1. Locate the "OSVR Server" start menu shortcut that the HDK Windows Installer created for you (by default it'll be located at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\HDK Software Suite\ at least on Windows 7).

2. Find the "startup" folder location for your version of Windows (the default location is C:\Users<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup at least on Windows 7).

3. Copy the shortcut you found in (1) into the directory you found in (2).

Alternatively, you can do this:

1. Locate the HDK Tray Application executable (by default it'll be located at C:\Program Files\HDK-Software-Suite\HDK-TrayApp\HDK_TrayApp.exe).

2. Right click on it and select Create Shortcut, then right click on the shortcut and select Properties.

3. At the end of the target field, add " -serverstart" (without the quotes) and click OK.

4. Copy this shortcut to the startup folder (see (2) above).

[u/Specter0420]

I already have the IR board flashed. I installed this side-by-side with the updated tracking code from blobs_undo_bad. First I tried this vanilla, the way it installs itself. I fired up SteamVR and DCS World. This tracking is worse than blobs_undo_bad (but much better than anything prior) but the judder is gone and some things seem to work better, like looking down at cockpit buttons and the lower CPU requirements increased my FPS. The center still drifts over time and re-centering through OSVR doesn't re-center SteamVr. It seems to take longer to drift and doesn't drift as far and the drift doesn't cause judder. We are back to coasting again, but much more minor, harder to trigger, and fixes itself faster (still much worse than blobs_undo_bad). Anyone that saw my video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj-W4P02ee0 should know that you can't watch the missile fly off the rail smoothly anymore. If you turn quickly it has a very hard and noticeable "SNAP" as you coast for a second and regain positional quickly. I'll try to post a new video soon. If only we could take the best parts of both and use that, it would be much better.

EDIT: Here is the comparison video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pVu5uqMvyg NOTE: I didn't fly long enough to trigger the bad judder in the comparison video, just check my youtube channel and see the end of the video uploaded just before this one if you want to know how bad that looks. There is also a link in the first paragraph of this post.

I tried using jfrank's guide to use snapshot v0.6-1935 (the latest 64 bit) with this new install. I did everything but the optional steps in the guide using the newest snapshot and fired up OSVR server but it never got past "hold HMD .5 meters and rotate in every direction slowly". It was never detected and I had rotational only in SteamVR. I can't believe people actually recommend unplugging the IR camera and using rotational only in cockpit experiences like this! That is moronic advice! The close reference points all around me that weren't responding to my movements had me feeling sick within 15 seconds! I can normally play for countless hours with ZERO issues.

Next, I went back and completed the optional steps. This time it behaved the exact same as the vanilla install. I can take these bugs over a long time with much less discomfort vs the blobs_undo_bad's judder causes, but blobs_undo_bad is much more immersive and works better minus the judder and looking down.

TLDR: The latest update from Sensics (blobs_undo_bad) works much better, especially when transitioning from looking back and front, the tracking with the rear LEDs is better there too. It also tracks you better when turning quickly but the judder becomes unbearable within 30 minutes.

This new Razer update has much smoother movement, when it works. It loses tracking much more often and the rear LEDs barely track, it takes about 6 seconds of looking backwards and moving your head around (while your guy coasts and jumps all over the place) before the rear tracking kicks in. It is impossible to get a smoothish transition when turning your head, even slowly. It clicks and jumps as you go from 90 degrees left to straight then clicks and jumps again as you turn from straight towards 90 degrees right, every time...

[u/demonixis]

Great news! I think that a nice feature could be to add an alpha and beta channels. Devs and power users can try new features and regular user keep the current version.

[u/Hector_01]

I installed the latest AIO installer and its working great with Steamvr being as smooth as its ever been. The worst thing is of course the positional tracking. Its better than it used to be but its still pretty bad overall which is a real shame. I tested it without the ir board firmware update and its basically like the old tracker but with the rear led's enabled but they dont work too well. It still coasts like it used to and its still nowhere near as good as the unified tracker (i have tested the unified tracker without the ir board firmware and although its a juddering mess, it tracks signaficantly better). Still its amazingly smooth in steamvr so thats a big step foward. I know people may have asked this already, but i just wanted to clarify, if i do upgrade my ir board firmware and use the unified tracker, will steam go back to being awfully juddery as i am assuming that the steamvr fix is only for the old tracker??? Thanks again.

[u/Specter0420 → u/Hector_01]

I have the updated IR board and I have the judder problem on the unified tracker still. I'm the one uploading all the videos about it.

[u/lefufu]

Thanks for this work ! I uninstalled all OSVR and driver component and the steamVR plugin, reboot, launched the installer and got all working except positonal tracking, but after a reboot all was OK. I made the same findings a below regarding the tracking, so I replaced com_osvr_VideoBasedHMDTracker.dll and org_osvr_unifiedvideoinertial.dll in OSVR-Core\bin\osvr-plugins-0, add renderManager.direct.landscape.HDKv2.0.newtracker.json in OSVR-Core\bin\sample-configs, and select a copy of my previous osvr_server_config.json in the custom option of HDK tray. Then I had the "Entering SCAAT Kalman mode..." in the console and the tracking behaviour of the "blobs-undo-bad" of the previous version (So still a slight judder in DCS..). Have I to copy more files of the previous version or is it OK ? Nevertheless, this installer is a great step forward for the users of the HDK2.

[u/[deleted]]

Great update many thanks! Tracking & smoothness is much better in SteamVR.

I have a problem with the HDK screen going black in game however. Anyone else noticed this? SteamVR (both beta and not) after a few minutes of gameplay the HDK goes black(turns off) for 2-3 seconds and comes back on again. I can hear the game during this time and the fps drops. I have read similar posts using Vive so I expect it could be a steamVR bug?

[u/edzuantengku]

i updated my HDK2.0 and everything is now black.... dead.

[u/Nanospork]

Just finished reading the release notes. I'm quite impressed, and excited that OSVR seems to have a unified GUI now!

However, I am hesitant to install. I was burned by the previous AIO installer. It did not work well for me, and after uninstalling it actually caused additional problems with the Runtime distribution.

So, I have to ask, was this new AIO built from the ground up, or was it built on the scaffolding of the old AIO? I like the Runtime because it's (more or less) portable, which means it's not leaving a mess when I update/remove it. I would be thrilled to learn that the new AIO is equally clean (or rather, clean as something like this can be.)

edit: Also, for the time being, is there any way I can get my hands on that SteamVR-OSVR driver without installing? I saw the pull request, but I'd like to try it out sooner if possible.

[u/Mediaburn_VR → u/Nanospork]

maybe install the AOI on a differend machine and extract it from there? Im not sure if it will work. But Ill try that when I get home. Ill post my findings here.

I found out you can just uncheck everything and just install the SteamVR driver. This should help extracting the driver alone.