VAServerLauncher

This holds prebuild VAServers for Windows which can be launched from Unreal using a python script. Additionally, this allows to specify all rendering settings for VA within the Unreal project, while costumizing the hardware and reproduction settings on the target machine running the VAServer.

Requiremirents

• Python version 3.X
• An Unreal project using the Unreal VA plugin

Quick guide for local usage

VAServer and Unreal project are running on same computer

VAServerLauncher:

• Checkout this repository to your computer, use the default folder name VAServerLauncher

Unreal project:

• Your project (e.g. this demo-project) should be placed next to the VAServerLauncher folder
• Make sure the Use VAServerLauncher option of your VAReceiverActor is enabled
• Run the project: The VAServerLauncher should be automatically started launching a VAServer instance. Unreal connets to this instance and an audio stream should be audible (default output should be headphones on channels 1 & 2).

Quick guide for remote usage

VAServer and Unreal project on different computers

Computer running VAServer:

• Checkout this repository
• Manually start the VAServerLauncher by running ./LaunchScripts/VirtualAcousticsStarterServer.py via python

Computer running Unreal:

• Make sure the Use VAServerLauncher option of your VAReceiverActor is enabled
• Run the project: The VAServerLauncher should start a VAServer instance. Unreal connets to this instance and an audio stream should be audible (default output should be headphones on channels 1 & 2).

Launcher configuration

The VAServerLauncher can be configured by adjusting the settings in ./LaunchScripts/VirtualAcousticStarterConfig.json.

Setting	Description	Default
sLocalIP	IP of this computer. Specify for remote usage	"localhost"
nLauncherPort	Port used for communication with launcher	41578
nVAServerPort	Port used for communication with VAServer	12340
nWaitForVAServerStart	Time to wait for VAServer to start [seconds]	3
sVASetupIni	Name of VA ini-file with audio hardware settings located in conf folder	"VASetup.Launcher.ini"
lsBinauralReproductionModules	Reproduction modules used for binaural input signals	["TalkthroughHP"]
lsAmbisonicsReproductionModules	Reproduction modules used for ambisonics input signals	["AmbisonicsBinauralMixdown"]
lsCustomReproductionModules	Reproduction modules used for custom purposes (e.g. multiple renderers with different signal types)	e.g. ["TalkthroughHP", "AmbisonicsBinauralMixdown"]
dVAServerDirectories	Dictionary connecting a VAServer Version ID with the respective directory	e.g. "2022.a": "../v2022.a"

If you want to use other VAServer versions than provided, you can extend the dVAServerDirectories dictionary.

VAServer configuration

A set of .ini files is provided in the ./conf directory. The VAServerLauncher will automatically combine them before starting the VAServer. For this to work, you should not change those files with the following exceptions.

Audio hardware

The audio hardware settings are specific to each computer and typically have to be modified in the VASetup ini file (see sVASetupIni in Launcher config, default VASetup.Launcher.ini). Those include audio driver and output device settings including the respective channels (e.g. headphones on channels 1 & 2).

Audio reproduction

The audio reproduction settings can to be modified in the VAReproduction.Prototype.ini. VA uses reproduction modules to specify how the audio stream is processed before being sent to the output devices. For examples binaural signals can be reproduced using a direct routing to headphones or using cross-talk cancellation (CTC) and loudspeakers.

Per default the following reproduction modules are defined

• TalkthroughHP
• Headphones
• CTC
• TalkthroughLS
• AmbisonicsLS
• AmbisonicsBinauralMixdown

You can add additional modules, if you want. However, you should not rename the existing ones. Furthermore, all modules must be disbaled [Enabled = false]. The VAServerLauncher will automatically enable the reproduction modules specified in the VirtualAcousticStarterConfig.json (see Launcher configuration) when starting the VAServer.

In any case, especially for the loudspeaker-based modules, you will have to update the Outputs setting according to what you defined in the VASetup.Launcher.ini.

Audio rendering

The rendering settings specify, how audio is rendered based on the virtual sources and the receiver in your scene. Typically, this should live in your Unreal project (see Unreal project configuration). However, the file VARenderer.Default.ini is provided in case the Unreal project does not provide such a file.

Unreal project configuration

When working with the Unreal VA plugin, all settings regarding the VAServerLauncher can be found in the VAReceiverActor under the VAServer Launcher category.

Setting	Description	Default
Use VAServerLauncher	Switch to de-/activate usage	True
VAServerLauncher Port	Port used for communication with launcher	41578
VAServer Version ID	ID used to specify which VAServer version should be started. This must match a value in the dictionary dVAServerDirectories in the Launcher config.	"2022.a"
VARenderer.ini file	Filename of the ini file including the audio rendering settings for this project. If specified, the file will be sent to the VAServerLauncher on startup.	""
Reproduction input signal type	Depending on this setting a different set of reproduction modules (see Launcher config) is used by the VAServerLauncher, the group [Binaural / Ambisonics / Custom]	Binaural