Pattern showing up on the texture for the controller model, controller input seems disabled

[DaveyDangerpants]

We're getting a strange issue with the Vive controllers, which seems to come and go. We've tried a lot of different fixes, but nothing seems to work beyond restarting SteamVR a few times and then relaunching our program.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vi8pz4rYZZmGNQCspgJWuv0sJiIJ6Abu/view?usp=sharing

The link shows a desktop capture of the issue in action. Sometimes, when we launch our program, one or both Vive controllers show a test pattern on the texture for the model. When this happens, the controller is unresponsive to input. Quitting the program, quitting SteamVR and relaunching SteamVR, turning on the Vive trackers and controllers and then relaunching the program often fixes it, but it can come and go unexpectedly.

Any idea what is happening here?

I should note that this happens in a built version of the Unity project as well.

[chengnay]

@DaveyDangerpants What is the SteamVR Plugin version you are using? Do you have any debug log when the issue occurs?

[lupustom]

@DaveyDangerpants have you found a way to keep this from happening? I can second this issue ... relaunching SteamVR, the application or even the computer did not solve it.
@chengnay we are running the latest version of SteamVR (1.6.10) and did not experience the issue beforehand

[DaveyDangerpants]

@chengnay We're using SteamVR 1.5.2, but we've had the same issue with earlier versions of SteamVR as well.

@lupustom The issue arises intermittedly and we have tried many different solutions including:

• Using different versions of Unity
• Using different versions of the VIU plugin
• Using different versions of SteamVR
• Creating custom control bindings
• Using the default control bindings
• Pairing the trackers and controllers in different orders (in SteamVR)

Sometimes it seems like we've solved it, only to have it come up again later. It's very frustrating.

[DaveyDangerpants]

@chengnay I'll see if I can replicate it and attach the debug log.

[DaveyDangerpants]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pcZwa_H7_5zicCU41PRq5meXAu79gw2T/view?usp=sharing

A link to the debug log for this session:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16WBtnfqpGQZgRIu1sqwbrpIWyCncykH9/view?usp=sharing

[chengnay]

@DaveyDangerpants May I know which version of VIU are you using?
From the attached log, it seems like you are still using SteamVR_RenderModel.cs, which VIU is not using in latest version. Attached RenderModelHook.cs from VIU, you will also get the controller model.
When the issue occurs, could you help to double check by running VIU example scene, whether you will also see the same issue?

[grrrwaaa]

The problem comes and goes. It just happened again, after I changed the bindings. Here is a clip from it happening in our project and in the VIU example scene. When I launch the Steam VR scene, the problematic controller disappears completely.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BBBz2_0TLHYttB0g-br_2Y4CoYT8mOos/view?usp=sharing

[chengnay]

@grrrwaaa If even switching to SteamVR sample scene will not fix the issue, I will conclude that SteamVR runtime is causing this issue to happen. And, the way to fix this issue will be closing SteamVR and relaunch again.
You should also post this issue to SteamVR forum for them to check. Thanks!

[DaveyDangerpants]

The problem comes and goes. It just happened again, after I changed the bindings. Here is a clip from it happening in our project and in the VIU example scene. When I launch the Steam VR scene, the problematic controller disappears completely.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BBBz2_0TLHYttB0g-br_2Y4CoYT8mOos/view?usp=sharing

@chengnay This was actually me. I was using a shared computer in a lab and didn't realize that I was logged into someone else's Git account.

The issue only happens when adding the VIU plugin into the project. We never experience this issue in any other project. Closing SteamVR and relaunching does not always fix the issue. As you can see in the quoted video, launching the VIU sample scene shows that the left controller does not work. Any ideas as to what is going on here?

[chengnay]

But from the video you provided, left controller was actually missing when playing SteamVR sample scene. Could you provide separate logs, failed log in scene that uses VIU plugin and failed log in SteamVR sample scene?

[DaveyDangerpants]

Yes, it appears that in our project as well ast he VIU sample scene, the left controller displayed that strange pattern and was unresponsive to input. When the SteamVR sample scene was launched, it disappeared completed (but was still showing up as paired and active in the SteamVR application).

When it happens again, I'll send along logs for both the VIU sample scene and SteamVR sample scene.

[chengnay]

@DaveyDangerpants Thanks, if you can provide error logs that will be helpful.
I will try to replicate this issue myself to see what is actually causing the problem.
In VIU, we actually getting controller's component states from SteamVR, if SteamVR is not responsive, that is why those strange patterns show on the controller model.

but was still showing up as paired and active in the SteamVR application

Do you mean in the scene with VIU plugin it is not paired and inactive? If not paired and inactive, how can your controller shows pose? I don't see why disappeared controller can consider as active?

[lupustom]

@DaveyDangerpants do we know if the issue persists in actual builds or only in the editor?

[DaveyDangerpants]

Do you mean in the scene with VIU plugin it is not paired and inactive? If not paired and inactive, how can your controller shows pose? I don't see why disappeared controller can consider as active?

@chengnay That is what is so strange about this bug. SteamVR is showing the controller as paired and active, but it shows up with that strange pattern in our project as well as the VIU example scene, and disappears completely in the SteamVR sample scene. It is behaving as if it isn't there, but it clearly is, as demonstrated by the appearance of the controller in our project and the VIU example scene.

do we know if the issue persists in actual builds or only in the editor?

@lupustom The issue does persists in actual builds. Sometimes, what happens is that multiple controllers appear on top of each other. As a workaround, for now, we are simply using the controllers' transform for interaction in our project, eschewing any button interaction via the controller altogether. Clearly, this is not an ideal workaround, but at least the positional tracking seems to work, even if the buttons do not.

[DaveyDangerpants]

Here is an error log from the error occurring in all three scenes (our project, the VIU example scene and the SteamVR scene)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19SMU_1WdtM26Zp0d-mka9I05vqgk6dqQ/view?usp=sharing