The **SenseGlove Unreal Engine Plugin** registers itself as an `OpenXRHandTracking` provider, making it a fully compatible, drop-in replacement for Epic’s own **OpenXRHandTracking** plugin in Unreal Engine. This allows it to integrate seamlessly with any third-party system or plugin that can consume OpenXR hand-tracking data.
One notable example is the open-source, MIT-licensed [VR Expansion Plugin (VRE)](#vr-expansion-plugin).
> or any third-party OpenXR-compatible interaction plugin altogether.
>
> If your project requires finer-grained control than what these solutions
> offer, the tutorials in that section will guide you through understanding the
> OpenXR hand-tracking data format in Unreal Engine and help you implement a
> fully tailored interaction system from the ground up in a few hours.
As the SenseGlove Unreal Engine Plugin is fully OpenXR-compliant, it provides OpenXR hand-tracking data in the expected format and takes over as the active provider within Unreal. If your existing interaction system (e.g. VRE plugin) already uses OpenXR hand-tracking, SenseGlove will function as a direct tracking source instead of a real hand.
> [!NOTE]
> Since most hand-tracking systems are not capable of haptics feedback,
> integrating SenseGlove's haptic feedback requires a small amount of additional
> effort.
>
> The SenseGlove API is fully exposed to Unreal Engine via C++ and Blueprint,
> so triggering haptic feedback is as simple as calling a function.
> For more information, refer to the [Blueprint Changes](#blueprint-changes)
> section below.
> [!IMPORTANT]
> If you're using a third-party OpenXR hand interaction system, configuring the
| **SGPawn** | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Most beginer-friendly | ✅ Very easy | ⚠️ Very basic | ⚠️ Very limited | ❌ Not yet, maybe added in the future |
| **SenseGlove OpenXR** | ✅ Yes | ❌ Requires Blueprint or C++ coding | ✅ Requires a few hours of watching tutotrials | ✅ Moderate | ❌ You need to develop your own features and functionalities from scratch | ✅ Your imagination, creativity, and skill level are your limits | ✅ You have to implement your own recognition logic; example pinch detection algorithm is taught in the tutorial series |
| **VR Expansion Plugin** | ❌ No | ⚠️ Partially – requires setup | ❌ Best suited for intermediate or advanced users | ⚠️ Steep | ✅ Diverse features and functionalities | ✅ Highly customizable | ✅ Via custom logic |
| **Other OpenXR-compatible Plugins** | ❌ No | ❓ Check their documentation | ❓ Check their documentation | ❓ Check their documentation | ❓ Check their documentation | ❓ Check their documentation | ❓ Check their documentation |
## VR Expansion Plugin
The [**VR Expansion Plugin (VRE)**](https://vreue4.com/) is a robust, community-driven plugin for Unreal Engine that focuses on advanced VR interaction and gameplay mechanics. It is open-source (MIT licensed), actively maintained, and has received support from Epic via the [MegaGrants program](https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/megagrants).
Designed to extend Unreal’s capabilities for virtual reality, VRE offers a modular set of tools covering:
- Multiplayer and networking
- Locomotion systems
- Object gripping and interaction
- Custom movement and physics handling
The plugin is particularly useful for teams building sophisticated VR experiences. While it's beginner-friendly to an extent, its depth and flexibility are **best suited for intermediate to advanced Unreal Engine developers**. Whether you're prototyping with built-in features or extracting specific systems for your own framework, VRE offers a rich foundation for VR development.
> [!NOTE]
> For support and assistance with the VRE plugin, you can join
> [its active and welcoming Discord community](https://discord.gg/P4V7TY8BQy),
> known for being responsive and supportive.
### SGVRETemplate Demo Scene
To showcase how SenseGlove can be integrated with OpenXR-compatible third-party interaction systems, SenseGlove provides a ready-to-use [VR Expansion Plugin Integration Demo for Unreal Engine 5.4](https://dev.azure.com/SenseGlove/_git/SGVRETemplate).
This repository includes UE `5.4`–compatible versions of both the **SenseGlove** and **VR Expansion** plugins, with all necessary setup and configuration already in place. Simply download the project and it should run out of the box, allowing you to explore the integration without additional setup.
> [!NOTE]
> SenseGlove provides this demo to demonstrate the potential for integrating
> with third-party OpenXR-based hand interaction systems.
> Please note that the **VR Expansion Plugin** is a third-party solution, and as
> such, **we do not offer official support for it**.
>
> For help with the VRE plugin, refer to its documentation at
> [**vreue4.com**](https://vreue4.com/) and consider joining the
> which is active, supportive, and very responsive.
### SGVRETemplate Modifications
The [**SGVRETemplate**](https://dev.azure.com/SenseGlove/_git/SGVRETemplate) is built on top of the [VR Expansion Plugin Example Template](https://github.com/mordentral/VRExpPluginExample). However, since the original template is not directly compatible with SenseGlove, several adjustments were necessary.
In addition, a few known issues with OpenXR support in the VR Expansion Plugin for Unreal Engine `5.4` required us to modify the plugin itself to ensure smooth integration.
Below is an overview of the key modifications made to both the project template and this version of the VRE plugin.
#### Blueprint Changes
- **Content/VRE/Core/Character/BP_VRCharacter**: Four functions were added: `SendVibration`, `SendFFB`, `SendSqueeze`, and `ResetHaptics`. These functions retrieve the glove instance and send the appropriate haptic command to it. In the `OnPossessed` event, `Load Controller by Name` was added along with a string uproperty `Tracking Offset`, which is used to load the correct tracking offsets based on the selected profile.
> [!NOTE]
> If you'd like to implement your own haptic functions, the most convenient
> approach is to
> [safely acquire a glove instance](../../../advanced-topics/safe-glove-access-blueprint/).
> Once you have the glove instance, applying haptic feedback is as simple as
> calling the appropriate function.
>
> SenseGlove supports three types of haptics: Vibrations, Force-feedback, and
> Wrist-squeeze.
>
> - Using `Send Custom Waveform`, you can send vibrations to the glove instance.
> - Using `Queue Command Force Feedback Levels`, you can send force-feedback.
> - Using `Queue Command Wrist Squeeze`, you can send a wrist-squeeze command to
> the glove.
>
> Each of these functions can be called directly on the glove instance to
> trigger the desired haptic feedback.
- **Content/VRE/Core/GraspingHands/GraspingHandManny**: In the `SetupFingerAnimations` function, replace the hardcoded check for `HandType == Left` with a string comparison: convert the enum to a string and check if it contains `"Left"`. This allows compatibility with alternative tracking sources such as `"Left Foot"`.
#### C++ Changes
- **Plugins/VRExpansionPlugin/Source/VRExpansionPlugin/Public/Grippables/HandSocketComponent.h**: The following line was added as a public `UPROPERTY` in the header file:
- **Plugins/VRExpansionPlugin/Source/VRExpansionPlugin/Private/Grippables/HandSocketComponent.cpp**: In the function `bool UHandSocketComponent::GetBlendedPoseSnapShot(FPoseSnapshot& PoseSnapShot, USkeletalMeshComponent* TargetMesh, bool bSkipRootBone, bool bFlipHand)`, the `TrackLocation` calculation was modified from:
- **Plugins/VRExpansionPlugin/Source/VRExpansionPlugin/Private/GripMotionControllerComponent.cpp**: In the function `void UGripMotionControllerComponent::GetCurrentProfileTransform(bool bBindToNoticationDelegate)`, the following logic was updated from:
If you are using wrist-tracking hardware supported by the SenseGlove plugin, you can change the offsets inside `BP_VRCharacter` using the uproperty `Tracking Offset` typing or copying any of the following, depending on your hardware:
- **SenseGlove_Quest3**: The wrist-tracking controller profile for for Meta Quest3.
- **SenseGlove_ViveWristTrackers**: The wrist-tracking controller profile for HTC VIVE wrist trackers.
#### Changing Motion Source
In `BP_VRCharacter`, you can change the wrist-tracking motion source for each hand. This is required depending on which tracker you are using.
#### Adding More Gestures
In the `GraspingHandManny` Blueprint, we’ve created a simple function called `SaveHandPose`. If you press the `Space Bar` while the game is running, it will save the current pose of the corresponding hand. The pose is stored in a gestures database located under `Content/SenseGlove` with the default name `NewHandPose`. You should rename the pose to something meaningful when you intend to use it.
It’s helpful to add an Event Dispatcher to the `GraspingHandManny` Blueprint, which is triggered in the Event Graph by the `On New Gesture Detected` event from the `OpenXRHandPose` component. This system is index-based rather than name-based, so keep that in mind when adding more dispatchers. By default, we’ve included examples for `Teleport`, `Grab`, `Release`, and `Use`.
#### Video Summary
This short video provides an overview of some of the key changes and modifications behind the SGVRETemplate demo scene, mentioned above.
The SGVRETemplate includes a basic Calibration Scene located at `Content/SenseGlove/Maps/Calibration`. Inside this level, you’ll find a copy of `Content/SenseGlove/Blueprints/Calibration/BP_Calibrator` Blueprint responsible for transitioning to your desired target map after the calibration process is complete. You can configure the target map directly within this Blueprint by adjusting the `Level to Load` uproperty.
"Description": "Integrating the SenseGlove haptic controller into Unreal Engine",
"Category": "Virtual Reality",
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