Laser pointer in SteamVR

[crencirs]

Thanks for the amazing project. I have one question. It doesn't seem to be easy to use SteamVR without a VR-specific controller. The problem is, when using PhoneVR, there is no laser pointer or dot to determine (or show) which part of the screen I click on. So it's hard to actually use SteamVR. I'm not looking for VR controller-level action. In particular, when I open the SteamVR dashboard, I can't click anything because there is no pointer equivalent.

Any updates in this regard? For example, VRidge gives you a little blue dot. After focusing this point over the button, you can perform a 'click' on the controller's R trigger button with Xbox Controller.

[ShootingKing-AM]

Screenshots would be awesome !

[crencirs]

Hi, I have attached a screenshot and a video. You can see the blue dots on both screens. The blue dot is not always there, it appears when you are in an area where input is possible.

Looking at the captured image, the logo of VRidge is displayed in SteamVR. And since I have an Xbox controller, the controller logo is also shown on the right. The right trigger button on the Xbox controller acts as a click. So you can move (or look at) the blue dot where you want to click and click with the right trigger button.

a.pointer.in.the.steamvr_480p.mp4

[ShootingKing-AM]

Looks very friendly blue dot. But i don't think it's possible on PhoneVR.
Yes it's possible to make blue dot at the center of screen on PhoneVR level but i don't think it's possible to hide it on non-input area.

Will need to research a little bit more.

[crencirs]

Thank you. I didn't mean to ask you to implement that feature quickly. The blue dot seemed to be some kind of interface. So I thought there would be something in Steam's OpenVR Driver SDK, so I looked for it, but it's hard because there are too many documents..

Hope the project goes well.

[atesin]

this suggestion, would work perfectly together with "answer call" vr-action button = #77

[NintyS]

Maybe adding a controller in head will do something similar

[ShootingKing-AM]

Maybe adding a controller in head will do something similar

Nice idea, need more concerete research in OpenVR API, drivers and input controllers to find a easy way to implement this. But most probably it will be added to ALVR. But still we need to emulate a controllor like quest or something, and then send Trigger button for volume click and align its pointing angles with head projection.

I was also thinking about where, if you look at a input button for sometime, it will click it automatically : 3

@zarik5 pointers please : 3

[zarik5]

From experience, when controllers are disabled in the ALVR server, SteamVR home will switch to head laser pointer mode. But i'm not sure if this works on every game. Most games expect to work with motion controllers.

[ShootingKing-AM]

From experience, when controllers are disabled in the ALVR server, SteamVR home will switch to head laser pointer mode. But i'm not sure if this works on every game. Most games expect to work with motion controllers.

This actually works ! Thanks! Tested with latest PhoneVR + ALVR, but if there is a controller, the dot would not appear.