VamNavigator allows for Forward, Backward, Left, Right, Up, Down, Clockwise, and Counter Clockwise movement using hotkeys or UI triggers, which can be mapped to buttons or utilized within Timeline with continuous trigger movement options. It features smooth, eased transitions for a natural and fluid navigation experience.
For VAM filmmakers using OBS to record, VamNavigator enables smooth tracking shots, fluid panning shots, and glider-like movements using either hotkeys or Timeline-based key frames. The plugin’s easing and smoothing algorithms reduce abrupt transitions, allowing for controlled acceleration and deceleration, resulting in professional-grade camera motion that mimics real-world cinematic techniques.
Additionally, it supports three different Player Height Adjust settings, ideal for general use scenarios where you can seamlessly switch between standing, sitting, or lying down.
This plugin can be added either to a scene on an Empty Atom or as a Session Plugin. For some features that involve integration with other plugins, it may be necessary to add it to the scene on an Empty Atom.
VamNavigator has a Player Height Adjuster that supports three different Player Height Adjust settings, making it ideal for scenarios like Stand, Sit, and Lay height positioning.
Left Side of UI
Forward, Backward, Left, Right, Up, Down, Clockwise, Counter Clockwise trigger buttons and HotKey mapping.
Right Side of UI
Speed Slider with Speed Increase/Decrease HotKeys
Player Height 1, 2, 3 (Active): Store 3 height position settings. This could be used to have different heights for Standing, Sitting or Laying for example. Checking active switches to that position and the Up/Down buttons, triggers, and hotkeys adjust just the section slider value that is active.
Stop All button and HotKey:
On UI Buttons or in Timeline you will find trigger options for Continuous movement. If you don't trigger Continuous Stop, it will move continuously. This is a catch all trigger to stop all movement if needed. You can use it as a trigger or HotKey.
How do I setup and use this plugin?
Add it on an Empty Atom in a scene or as a Session Plugin.
You can then move Forward (↑), Backward (↓), Left (←), and Right (→) with the arrow keys on your keyboard.
You can move Up (Page Up) and Down (Page Down) and rotate Clockwise (Home) and Counter Clockwise (End).
You can modify the Speed with Speed Increase (+) and Speed Decrease (-).
The location of these buttons may be slightly different based on you keyboard. You can change the default HotKeys based on your preference in the UI.
How do I use this on a UI Button or with Timeline?
Incremental Movement Changes
For UI button triggers or with Timeline, you can trigger incremental changes by searching for the movement keyword like "Up" or "Down".
This could be useful if you wanted to create a UI that allowed you to switch between 3 different player height settings for Stand, Sit, Lay. You could connect the slider to the the Player Height Adjust slider and have + and - buttons that do incremental Up and Down movements to fine tune it.
Continuous Movement Changes
The problem with incremental changes is they are not smooth and you have to keep clicking the trigger. Instead you can use a trigger for continuous. Search for continuous and you will see pairs for Forward Continuous and Forward Continuous Stop for example.
You could add Timeline to an Empty Atom or to a Person, set the length to something like 5 seconds, and add a trigger track. From there you can add a trigger for Forward Continuous at 0 seconds and then Forward Continuous Stop or Stop All at 4 seconds and then click play and watch it move and stop.
Problem this Plugin Solves
While viewing a scene in VR on a development version of VAM, I tried to adjust the models height to position them on my lap while creating a VR UI. With my VR controllers I could move Forward and Back and Left and Right but not Up and Down. I had to first go to the Navigation tab and uncheck Navigate Lock Height. This is checked by default and prevents you from moving up and down in VR with your controllers. Unchecking it then allowed me to move the height of the model up and down with my controller thumb sticks to find a good starting POV position for the scene. To fine tune it I could use the Player Height Adjust slider on this same Navigation tab.
Doing some searching into this I had found multiple threads and posts on VAM Discord asking about how to move up and down in VR and people saying it is locked by default and you have to uncheck it. This seems to be a common issue for new users.
While working on a VR UI I thought it would be nice if you could have a slider for that on a UI to adjust the Player Height Adjust slider so you don't have to use both controllers to adjust the position but could use a slider in the UI instead. If a user did not know how to go to Navigation tab or didn't want to go through all those menus to get to it when they are already in a VR scene, the slider could be a fast alternative. I tried to find a good trigger to connect to this Player Height Adjust slider on the Navigation tab and was not able to locate it.
Solution
VamNavigator plugin connects to this Player Height Adjust slider on the Navigation tab and lets you adjust it. It does not matter if the user has Navigate Lock Height checked or unchecked, that is only if they want to move up and down with their controllers. This lets you help them bypass that and you can also then add it on a VR UI as a slider or fine tune it based on your testing to give them better height positioning for your specific scene.
This plugin includes 3 instances (Player Height Adjust 1, 2, 3) so you can have a version for Standing, Sitting, Laying if needed for example. Whichever one is toggled on for Active, is the one that the Up/Down buttons and hotkeys will adjust. So you can use the same Up/Down hotkey for any of them once they are toggled on. Toggling one on also switches you to that setting automatically so they can be put on buttons to switch to that mode or setting.
Hotkeys
VAM's default movement hotkeys are:
W: Forward
S: Backward
A: Left
D: Right
Z: Up
X: Down
VamNavigator gives you the flexibility to customize your movement controls based on keys you prefer and will remember. It also allows you to save up to three different player height settings per instance, making it easy to switch between standing, sitting, and lying down. This means you can also store it with a scene so it's got your preferred height settings for that scene ready to go.
In addition to enhanced movement control, VamNavigator also introduces navigation options designed to create smooth, cinematic shots, giving you more creative freedom. If you want to create a scene that requires users to explore or follow another character, or moves from room to room, you can use the continuous movement options to move the player along in the scene or to the next location or have VamNavigator ready to use in your scene.
For VAM filmmakers using OBS to record, VamNavigator enables smooth tracking shots, fluid panning shots, and glider-like movements using either hotkeys or Timeline-based key frames. The plugin’s easing and smoothing algorithms reduce abrupt transitions, allowing for controlled acceleration and deceleration, resulting in professional-grade camera motion that mimics real-world cinematic techniques.
Additionally, it supports three different Player Height Adjust settings, ideal for general use scenarios where you can seamlessly switch between standing, sitting, or lying down.
This plugin can be added either to a scene on an Empty Atom or as a Session Plugin. For some features that involve integration with other plugins, it may be necessary to add it to the scene on an Empty Atom.
VamNavigator has a Player Height Adjuster that supports three different Player Height Adjust settings, making it ideal for scenarios like Stand, Sit, and Lay height positioning.
Left Side of UI
Forward, Backward, Left, Right, Up, Down, Clockwise, Counter Clockwise trigger buttons and HotKey mapping.
Right Side of UI
Speed Slider with Speed Increase/Decrease HotKeys
Player Height 1, 2, 3 (Active): Store 3 height position settings. This could be used to have different heights for Standing, Sitting or Laying for example. Checking active switches to that position and the Up/Down buttons, triggers, and hotkeys adjust just the section slider value that is active.
Stop All button and HotKey:
On UI Buttons or in Timeline you will find trigger options for Continuous movement. If you don't trigger Continuous Stop, it will move continuously. This is a catch all trigger to stop all movement if needed. You can use it as a trigger or HotKey.
Add it on an Empty Atom in a scene or as a Session Plugin.
You can then move Forward (↑), Backward (↓), Left (←), and Right (→) with the arrow keys on your keyboard.
You can move Up (Page Up) and Down (Page Down) and rotate Clockwise (Home) and Counter Clockwise (End).
You can modify the Speed with Speed Increase (+) and Speed Decrease (-).
The location of these buttons may be slightly different based on you keyboard. You can change the default HotKeys based on your preference in the UI.
Incremental Movement Changes
For UI button triggers or with Timeline, you can trigger incremental changes by searching for the movement keyword like "Up" or "Down".
This could be useful if you wanted to create a UI that allowed you to switch between 3 different player height settings for Stand, Sit, Lay. You could connect the slider to the the Player Height Adjust slider and have + and - buttons that do incremental Up and Down movements to fine tune it.
Continuous Movement Changes
The problem with incremental changes is they are not smooth and you have to keep clicking the trigger. Instead you can use a trigger for continuous. Search for continuous and you will see pairs for Forward Continuous and Forward Continuous Stop for example.
You could add Timeline to an Empty Atom or to a Person, set the length to something like 5 seconds, and add a trigger track. From there you can add a trigger for Forward Continuous at 0 seconds and then Forward Continuous Stop or Stop All at 4 seconds and then click play and watch it move and stop.
Problem this Plugin Solves
While viewing a scene in VR on a development version of VAM, I tried to adjust the models height to position them on my lap while creating a VR UI. With my VR controllers I could move Forward and Back and Left and Right but not Up and Down. I had to first go to the Navigation tab and uncheck Navigate Lock Height. This is checked by default and prevents you from moving up and down in VR with your controllers. Unchecking it then allowed me to move the height of the model up and down with my controller thumb sticks to find a good starting POV position for the scene. To fine tune it I could use the Player Height Adjust slider on this same Navigation tab.
Doing some searching into this I had found multiple threads and posts on VAM Discord asking about how to move up and down in VR and people saying it is locked by default and you have to uncheck it. This seems to be a common issue for new users.
While working on a VR UI I thought it would be nice if you could have a slider for that on a UI to adjust the Player Height Adjust slider so you don't have to use both controllers to adjust the position but could use a slider in the UI instead. If a user did not know how to go to Navigation tab or didn't want to go through all those menus to get to it when they are already in a VR scene, the slider could be a fast alternative. I tried to find a good trigger to connect to this Player Height Adjust slider on the Navigation tab and was not able to locate it.
Solution
VamNavigator plugin connects to this Player Height Adjust slider on the Navigation tab and lets you adjust it. It does not matter if the user has Navigate Lock Height checked or unchecked, that is only if they want to move up and down with their controllers. This lets you help them bypass that and you can also then add it on a VR UI as a slider or fine tune it based on your testing to give them better height positioning for your specific scene.
This plugin includes 3 instances (Player Height Adjust 1, 2, 3) so you can have a version for Standing, Sitting, Laying if needed for example. Whichever one is toggled on for Active, is the one that the Up/Down buttons and hotkeys will adjust. So you can use the same Up/Down hotkey for any of them once they are toggled on. Toggling one on also switches you to that setting automatically so they can be put on buttons to switch to that mode or setting.
Hotkeys
VAM's default movement hotkeys are:
W: Forward
S: Backward
A: Left
D: Right
Z: Up
X: Down
VamNavigator gives you the flexibility to customize your movement controls based on keys you prefer and will remember. It also allows you to save up to three different player height settings per instance, making it easy to switch between standing, sitting, and lying down. This means you can also store it with a scene so it's got your preferred height settings for that scene ready to go.
In addition to enhanced movement control, VamNavigator also introduces navigation options designed to create smooth, cinematic shots, giving you more creative freedom. If you want to create a scene that requires users to explore or follow another character, or moves from room to room, you can use the continuous movement options to move the player along in the scene or to the next location or have VamNavigator ready to use in your scene.
