[Update] Support Tundra Tracker quirks

[digitalf0x]

UPDATE - merged!

Find downloads from main branch here.

Testing instructions updated below to now point to the main Haptic Pancake branch.

In short

• Detect and adapt to Tundra Trackers' limitations with legacy haptics API
  • Set Tundra Tracker's internal pulse multiplier to 1 (instead of 100)
  • Run haptics loop every 4 ms (instead of 50 ms)
  • Convert pulses from milliseconds to microseconds
  • If pulse exceeds 4 ms, extend into next haptics loop iteration (e.g. Identify button)

Details

Ideally, we'd use the IVRInput API which appears to be handled correctly by Tundra Trackers, allowing for triggering haptics that last multiple seconds.

However, that API is… complex. Lighthouse Console allows you to trigger it exactly like triggerHapticPulse(), which is great. But the SteamVR API wants you to make a bunch of rebindable haptics outputs.

I've documented this here: Migrate to IVRInput's haptic Actions and/or consider OpenXR?

In the meantime, this pull request hacks around Tundra Trackers/etc using microseconds instead of milliseconds for the legacy triggerHapticPulse() command.

On microseconds vs milliseconds…

Incidentally, going by the lighthouse_console help, Vive Trackers are the odd one out:

:~$ "$HOME/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/tools/lighthouse/bin/linux64/lighthouse_console"
lh> help
[…]
haptic [<duration_us>] [<interval_us>] [<repeat_count>] Trigger haptic pulse
haptic2 [<frequency_hz>] [<duration_ms>] [<amplitude_percent>]  Trigger haptics
[…]

The help describes "haptic pulse" (presumably triggerHapticPulse()) as being specified in microseconds, whereas "haptics" (presumably IVRInput) operates in milliseconds.

This could be adjusted so microseconds are the default, and Vive Trackers are the exception..?

Testing

There are builds for Linux and Windows here:
https://github.com/Z4urce/VRC-Haptic-Pancake/actions?query=branch%3Amain+is%3Asuccess

Click the topmost result, then get the downloads below, e.g. hapticpancake_windows_v0.5.2-15-g456a1ab.

If you can't click that text in the Artifacts section, you're not signed into GitHub (if necessary I can look into setting up nightly.link for the project - example of main branch - not this one! - here).

On Linux, I've been setting the pattern to Linear, but that might also not work for you.

[digitalf0x]

I've been thinking on how to emulate the Vive Tracker behavior until there is time to revisit the IVRInput system that replaces the deprecated triggerHapticPulse() function, but to do so…

What does a Vive Tracker do if you call triggerHapticPulse() again before the previous haptic pulse finished?

• Scenario 1: triggerHapticPulse(500 ms), sleep(50 ms), triggerHapticPulse(30 ms)
  • Does the second call replace (shorten) the first (80 ms total vibration)?
• Scenario 2: triggerHapticPulse(500 ms), sleep(450 ms), triggerHapticPulse(500 ms)
  • Does the second call get cut off when the first call would have ended (500 ms total vibration)?
• Scenario 3: triggerHapticPulse(500 ms), sleep(30 ms), triggerHapticPulse(500 ms)
  • Does the second call extend/continue after the first call? (1000 ms total vibration)?

The exact durations don't matter; pick numbers that work with Vive Trackers and are easy enough to measure.

[digitalf0x]

Thanks to preparing Windows as a plan B if Proton fails with Furality (it at least seemed to work in March), I can confirm this appears to work on Windows, too.

Still need to determine if the IVRInput system is the proper way forward, or if it's time to build out the hack described in the source code comments (using tracker model to adjust feedback thread timing and implement a queue to incrementally apply any pulse exceeding 3999 µs or so).

Interestingly, SteamVR's own tracker Identify button appears to have the same issue - it sends several very brief pulses, as if confusing milliseconds (Vive Tracker) with microseconds (Tundra Tracker, possibly other devices).

[digitalf0x]

Good news - Identify button now works! And I've implemented Tundra Tracker model detection (shouldn't mess with Vive Trackers/etc), and a slightly less awful method of converting to/from microseconds or other units.

[digitalf0x]

Note to self: I may want to try modifying this so instead of clipping any vibration intensity above 100%, it extends the pulse beyond a single loop iteration by using the hack_pulse_force_stop_time variable.

That way, quick pokes should trigger the Velocity method to make a longer-than-4ms pulse that has a chance of being felt.

[digitalf0x]

Soo… PySimpleGUI v4 is no longer on PyPy, making the GitHub action fail.

PySimpleGUI v5 is a drop-in upgrade but it's also now a commercial product with a free hobbyist license key option. Everyone who uses it (every end user, not just developers!) has to register their own license key and that key expires after 1 year.

You can still use PySimpleGUI v4 if you have a local copy, but this breaks the automated builds here (necessary for me to make Windows versions) and threatens the ability to build the current Haptic Pancake software.

[digitalf0x]

Might be migrating to FreeSimpleGUI:

• https://www.reddit.com/r/Python/comments/1d8d4iv/psa_pysimplegui_has_deleted_almost_all_old_lgpl/
• https://github.com/spyoungtech/FreeSimpleGUI

[digitalf0x]

This pull request now depends on switching to FreeSimpleGUI, which should be reviewed separately.

EDIT: The above was merged!