get rid of SGPawn::Tick, introduce SGPawn::HandVelocitySamplerFramerate, and make hand velocity sampler timer-based instead of tick-based

Handbook/src/appendix/changelog.md

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ This minor release focuses on delivering performance improvements, made possible
 - Added third-party module `SGLogThirdPartyLibs`.
 - Added third-party module `SGLoguruThirdPartyLibs`.
 - Added third-party module `SGWjwwoodSerialThirdPartyLibs` to replace `SGSerialThirdPartyLibs` while retaining `SGSerialThirdPartyLibs` for a different purpose. See the relevant comment in the Changed section below.
+- Added UPROPERTY `SGPawn::HandVelocitySamplerFramerate` to control the hand velocity sampler's timer interval. This allows getting rid of  `SGPawn::Tick()` for improved performance and reliability, which also improves chopiness on low frame-rates.
 
 ### Fixed
 
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ This minor release focuses on delivering performance improvements, made possible
 - As a result of SenseGlove libraries >= `v2.300.0` changing it's directory structure, the `ThirdParty` folder's directory structure has been revamped.
 - Renamed third-party module `SGSerialThirdPartyLibs` to `SGWjwwoodSerialThirdPartyLibs` since SenseGlove libraries >= `v2.300.0` ships a new static library named `sgserial`. Thus, to avoid confusion and naming conflicts the third-party `serial` static library is now provided by the `SGWjwwoodSerialThirdPartyLibs` module and `sgserial` is provided by the `SGSerialThirdPartyLibs` module.
 - `FSGGloveTrackingSettings::GloveConnectivityCheckInterval` settings have been renamed to `FSGGloveTrackingSettings::DataRetrievalRefreshRate` for adoption other than glove connectivity use cases.
+- The hand velocity sampler is now timer-based instead of being tick-based and the update interval is controlled via `SGPawn::HandVelocitySamplerFramerate`.
 
 ### Removed
 
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@ This minor release focuses on delivering performance improvements, made possible
 - Cleaned up remnants of the long-removed Unreal Engine `5.2` from third-party module `*.Build.cs` files.
 - Cleaned up remnants of the long-removed Unreal Engine `5.2` from `SenseGlove.Build.cs`, `SenseGloveKismet.Build.cs`, `SenseGloveTracking.Build.cs`, files.
 - Cleaned up remnants of the long-removed Unreal Engine `5.2` from `SenseGloveTracking` module.
+- `SGPawn::Tick()` is no longer handled in order to improve performance and reliability. The hand velocity sampler is now timer-based instead of being tick-based and the update interval is controlled via `SGPawn::HandVelocitySamplerFramerate`.
 
 ### Documentation
 

Source/SenseGlove/Private/SenseGlove/GameFramework/SGPawn.cpp

@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include "Components/SphereComponent.h"
 #include "Kismet/KismetMathLibrary.h"
 #include "Runtime/Launch/Resources/Version.h"
+#include "TimerManager.h"
 #include "UObject/UObjectGlobals.h"
 #include "XRDeviceVisualizationComponent.h"
 
@@ -47,8 +48,9 @@
 #include "SenseGlove/Components/SGTouchComponent.h"
 #include "SenseGlove/Components/SGVirtualHandComponent.h"
 #include "SenseGlove/Components/SGWristTrackerComponent.h"
-#include "SGSettings/SGSettings.h"
+#include "SGBuildHacks/SGPlatform.h"
 #include "SGLog/SGLog.h"
+#include "SGSettings/SGSettings.h"
 
 struct ASGPawn::FImpl
 {
@@ -56,6 +58,12 @@ struct ASGPawn::FImpl
      * Static methods
      ************************/
 
+    /************************
+     * Member variables
+     ************************/
+
+    FTimerHandle HandVelocitySamplerTimer;
+
     /************************
      * Owner object
      ************************/
@@ -146,6 +154,7 @@ struct ASGPawn::FImpl
     void SetRightHandGrabbedActor(AActor* Actor) const;
 
     void RecordHandVelocity(FSGGrabState& GrabState, const float DeltaSeconds) const;
+    void StartHandVelocitySamplerTimer();
 
     void Release(FSGGrabState& GrabState) const;
 
@@ -491,6 +500,7 @@ ASGPawn::ASGPawn(const FObjectInitializer& ObjectInitializer)
     RightPinkyFingertipTouchCollider->SetCollisionObjectType(ECC_Pawn);
     Pimpl->SetFingerColliderCollisionEnabled(RightPinkyFingertipTouchCollider, true);
 
+    HandVelocitySamplerFramerate = 60.0f;
     MaxNumberOfHandVelocitySamples = 10;
 
     LeftHandGrabState = FSGGrabState{
@@ -577,6 +587,8 @@ void ASGPawn::BeginPlay()
 
     Pimpl->BindFingerGrabOverlapEvents();
     Pimpl->BindFingerTouchOverlapEvents();
+
+    Pimpl->StartHandVelocitySamplerTimer();
 }
 
 void ASGPawn::EndPlay(const EEndPlayReason::Type EndPlayReason)
@@ -589,14 +601,6 @@ void ASGPawn::EndPlay(const EEndPlayReason::Type EndPlayReason)
     Pimpl->UnbindFingerTouchOverlapEvents();
 }
 
-void ASGPawn::Tick(const float DeltaSeconds)
-{
-    Super::Tick(DeltaSeconds);
-
-    Pimpl->RecordHandVelocity(LeftHandGrabState, DeltaSeconds);
-    Pimpl->RecordHandVelocity(RightHandGrabState, DeltaSeconds);
-}
-
 void ASGPawn::PreInitializeComponents()
 {
     Super::PreInitializeComponents();
@@ -2211,6 +2215,44 @@ void ASGPawn::FImpl::RecordHandVelocity(FSGGrabState& GrabState, const float Del
     GrabState.PreviousHandLocation = GrabState.Hand->GetComponentLocation();
 }
 
+void ASGPawn::FImpl::StartHandVelocitySamplerTimer()
+{
+    const UWorld* World{Owner->GetWorld()};
+    if (!ensureAlwaysMsgf(World, TEXT("Invalid world!")))
+    {
+        SGLOG_ERROR("The SGPawn hand velocity sampler timer has failed to start!");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    SGLOG("Starting SGPawn's hand-velocity sampler timer...");
+
+    FTimerDelegate Handler;
+    Handler.BindLambda([= SG_CAPTURE_THIS]()-> void
+    {
+        const float DeltaSeconds = World->GetDeltaSeconds();
+        RecordHandVelocity(Owner->LeftHandGrabState, DeltaSeconds);
+        RecordHandVelocity(Owner->RightHandGrabState, DeltaSeconds);
+    });
+
+    const float Interval = 1.0f / Owner->HandVelocitySamplerFramerate;
+
+    FTimerManager& TimerManager = World->GetTimerManager();
+    TimerManager.SetTimer(
+        HandVelocitySamplerTimer, Handler, Interval,
+        true, -1.0f);
+
+    if (ensureAlwaysMsgf(TimerManager.IsTimerActive(HandVelocitySamplerTimer),
+                         TEXT("HandVelocitySamplerTimer is not active")))
+    {
+        SGLOG("The SGPawn hand velocity sampler timer has been started successfully!");
+        SGLOG("The SGPawn hand velocity sampler interval is: ", Interval);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        SGLOG_ERROR("The SGPawn hand velocity sampler timer has failed to start!");
+    }
+}
+
 void ASGPawn::FImpl::Release(FSGGrabState& GrabState) const
 {
     if (!IsValid(GrabState.GrabbedActor))

Source/SenseGlove/Public/SenseGlove/GameFramework/SGPawn.h

@@ -199,6 +199,9 @@ private:
     UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, Category="SenseGlove", meta=(AllowPrivateAccess="false"))
     USphereComponent* RightPinkyFingertipTouchCollider;
 
+    UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, Category="SenseGlove", meta=(AllowPrivateAccess="false"))
+    float HandVelocitySamplerFramerate;
+
     UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, Category="SenseGlove", meta=(AllowPrivateAccess="false"))
     int32 MaxNumberOfHandVelocitySamples;
 
@@ -379,7 +382,6 @@ public:
 public:
     virtual void BeginPlay() override;
     virtual void EndPlay(const EEndPlayReason::Type EndPlayReason) override;
-    virtual void Tick(float DeltaSeconds) override;
     virtual void PreInitializeComponents() override;
     virtual void PostInitializeComponents() override;