Connect to Vicon Datastream

This page covers how to connect to a Vicon Datastream within Unreal Engine. This involves creating a Link Link source and there are several ways to do this, all of which are covered in the following sections.

Prerequisites

To create a Live Link source, ensure you have set up and installed the following components:

1 x PC with Vicon software (Shogun) installed
- You will need the IP address of this PC
1 x PC with Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) installed
Vicon Live Link Datastream plugin is installed and enabled on Unreal Engine 5 (see Install and set up Live Link)
The PCs are connected via LAN
An Unreal Engine 5 project is open

Connect to Vicon Datastream using Live Link

Open Unreal Engine 5 and open a project.
Go to Window > Virtual Production > Live Link.
Click Source and select Vicon Datastream Source.
In the Vicon Server Name field, enter the IP address of the Vicon machine.
In the Port Number field, enter 801 (the Vicon default) or 804 (the Evoke Low Latency output or Shogun Always Live output). For more information, see Unreal Plugin source machine settings.
Click Create to create the Live Link connection.

The Live Link connection is now displayed in the Source pane of the Live Link dialog box, with the subjects displayed in the Subject pane.

Connect to Vicon Datastream using blueprint functions

Connecting to a Vicon Datastream using blueprint functions involves the following stages:

Create a new blueprint

Open Unreal Engine 5 and open a project.
Go to Window > Content Browser > Content Browser 01.
In the content browser window (or dialog box), click Add.
Under Create Basic Asset, click Blueprint Class.
In the dialog box, select Actor so that it can be spawned or placed in the level.
Name the actor blueprint and add it to your project.
In the new blueprint dialog box, in the toolbar along the top, click Event Graph.

Set up the blueprint function

In the new blueprint dialog box, right-click an empty space in the graph to create a new node.
In the All Actions for this Blueprint dialog box, search for Create Vicon Live Link Source.
Select Create Vicon Live Link Source to spawn a node in the graph.
Connect an event trigger to the input of the node. This example uses the event EventBeginPlay as this creates a Live Link connection when play starts.
Enter the following parameters into the Link Link node:
- The IP address of the Vicon machine.
- In Port Number enter either - 801 (the Vicon default) or 804 (the Evoke Low Latency output or Shogun Always Live output).
Compile and save the blueprint.
Drag the blueprint from the content browser directly into the level.

Tip
When a source has been created, it continues to exist until it is manually removed, so you may accidentally create multiple sources during your work. Ensure the final node graph looks like this screenshot:

Check the source has been created successfully

With the blueprint placed in the level, go to the toolbar at the top and click Simulate.
Go to Window >Virtual Production >Live Link.
In the Source panel, check that a source has been successfully created.
Go to Window > Developer Tools > Output Log.
Ensure the output log reports the same input parameters for Unreal Engine and the source at creation.

Connect to Vicon Datastream using Live Link Presets

Connecting to a Vicon Datastream using Presets involves the following stages:

Create a Preset in Unreal Engine

Create a Live Link source in Unreal Engine. For more information, see Connect to Vicon Datastream using Live Link.
When an active Live Link source has been created, in the Live Link dialog box, click the Presets button next to Add Source.
Click Save As Preset and enter an appropriate name.

Add a source to the Preset

Remove all existing Live Link connections.
Click the Presets button.
Select the preset you just created.
After selecting the preset, click on the Source panel to ensure the Live Link source has been added to the preset.