ChilloutVR News

We have just released a new update for ChilloutVR on the Stable branch.



[h2] Gravity [/h2]
A new way for players to create, move, and interact with Worlds and Props
Accessibility Settings are available for a more comfortable and tailored experience
The Gravity Zone component will be freely available for creators in the Content Creation Kit
[h2] Camera Indicator [/h2]
A Camera lens has been added to indicate where a remote players camera is
Nameplate Customization is available as a Graphics Settings
[h2] Better Cache Management [/h2]
All content Cache has been moved to a unified directory
Now limited to 20GB
[h2] New Character Controller [/h2]
Physics based controller that allows for object collision where possible
Adjusted automatic step height to take avatar height into account
Improved Holoport to allow both the local and remote users to see smooth player movement
[h2] Desktop IK [/h2]
Animated and realistic leg movement for Desktop players
[h2] First Person Render Exclusion Component [/h2]
Show objects that would normally be hidden from your first person view, such as hair, hats, and accessories.
Note: Currently incompatible with the experimental Visual Clone setting
[h2] BodyControl StateBehaviour [/h2]
Allows for better tracking control over parts of the IK solver of an avatar in specific cases
The following can be toggled: Head, Pelvis, Left/Right Arm, Left/Right Leg, and Locomotion
[h2] Refactored Avatar Eye Movement [/h2]
Eye movement is now much more reliable, consistent, and adheres to set limits
A new setting is available to force all subjects to look at the Portable Camera when held
[h2] New Shadow Clone Implementation [/h2]
Reworked the local player Shadow Clone utilizing new tech afforded to us with the update to Unity 2021.
It now respects Unity/Magica Cloth & material swaps, while also being more performant.
[h2] Experimental Visual Clone Alternative [/h2]
Available under Experimental settings, this idea builds off of the same tech as the new Shadow Clones.
Turns the local player into a "Visual Clone", which is basically a Shadow Clone, but visible in first person, and does head-hiding within the same pass.
[h2] Voice Audio and Attenuation Improvements [/h2]
Improvements in voice stability and reconnection handling
New Focus Attenuation settings including: Nearby, Speaker, Forward, Backward, and Angle adjustment
[h2] libVLC Implementation [/h2]
Alternative experimental rendering method for videos
Enable using the --enable-libvlc launch option
[h2] Experimental support for Virtual Desktop OpenXR [/h2]
Allows native Quest hand tracking to be use with CVR on PCVR
How to use:

1. Enable the OpenXR runtime for ChilloutVR using the launch option `--force-openxr` in Steam
   
2. Enable Forward tracking data to PC in the Streaming tab of Virtual Desktop
   
3. Set the OpenXR Runtime in the Virtual Desktop Streamer to VDXR
   
4. Launch ChilloutVR from Virtual Desktop’s Game tab

Note: This implementation is still a work in progress in both Virtual Desktop and ChilloutVR. Experiences may vary as this feature is further developed.




[h2] Additions: [/h2]

• Added Automatic Role Assignment IK calibration option
  • With this enabled, there is no need to select which tracker roles to calibrate in IK Tracking Settings
• Added BodyControl StateBehaviour
  
• Added Camera Lenses to indicate where remote player cameras are
  • Camera nameplate behavior may be configured in the Graphics Settings
• Added Camera setting to start Drone aligned with the Gravity (default)
  
• Added Display FPR Exclusions option as expert Portable Camera setting
  
• Added FBT toggle in Quick Menu
  
• Added Drone Controls for controlling the roll
  • Control the Drone roll in VR by holding right trigger, then moving the left thumbstick to either side
• Added experimental libVLC video player as a launch option: `--enable-libvlc`
  • This video player introduces a new decoding method that may currently be unstable
• Added experimental support for Virtual Desktop OpenXR Runtime VDXR
  
• Exposed First Person Render settings in new foldout on CVRAvatar component
  
• Added fluid volume streams that affect players
  • When being affected by multiple streams, it will average them out (fluid volumes without stream strength are ignored)
    
  • The water drag is reduced when swimming in the same direction as the stream
• Added Gravity Interaction setting to Dynamic Bone Interactions
  
• Added General setting to change Main Menu anchor behavior in VR
  • If enabled, the main menu will maintain its position in the world when open
    
  • If disabled, the main menu will maintain its position in your VR playspace when open (default)
    
  • Existing users will be unaffected from this new default behavior
• Added new FPRExclusion CCK component
  • Place on a transform to have control over if the chain is visible or not in first person
  • This affects any SkinnedMeshRenderers or MeshRenderers using affected transforms
    
  • An FPRExclusion is automatically added to the avatars head bone if it does not exist
    
  • This allows you to specify your own FPRExclusion to take control over this behavior
• Added player Gravity Rotation Setting
  
• Added size-related blending for box gravity corners
  
• Added sliding footstep pass to IK to prevent huge steps when being pushed/pulled
  
• Avatar Overrender UI experimental setting now has basic support for UDIM discard (Poiyomi & Liltoon Standard)
  
• Changed the default of Left and Right Ear Focus to false
  
• Configurable Gravity Zone alignment speed
  • Made camera Player Face Tracking respect the player orientation
• Exposed WorldAnchorMenu option under General settings
  • You may uncheck it to have the Main Menu anchored to you
• Implemented new Focus Mode Attenuation and Settings (Special Thanks to Nirvash :D)
  • Nearby Focus
    
  • Speaker Focus
    
  • Forward Focus
    
  • Backward Focus
    
  • Ear Focus Angle
• Implemented a new Shadow Clone solution for the local player avatar
  • Shadow Clone is now more performant, especially while using the Avatar Overrender UI option
    
  • Shadow Clone now displays Magica Cloth & Unity Cloth properly
    
  • Shadow Clone now displays material-based toggles properly (ex: UDIM discard)
• Implemented an experimental Visual Clone solution for the local player avatar
  • This solution can provide even more of a performance improvement depending on the avatar, and can be enabled under Experimental settings
    
  • Includes the improvements of the new Shadow Clone solution mixed into an alternative method of head-hiding
    
  • There is no more explicit shadow clone, but instead a “visual clone” that you now see in first person- i.e. you are now the clone, and your true-self is only visible in your reflection
• Improved Zero Gravity Controls
  
• Increased deceleration while swimming
  
• New Formula for Calculating Attenuation
  
• Orbit World Space on Orbit Mode is now false by default
  
• Prevent toggling crouch when using the Drone Camera
  
• Implemented AdditiveContentScene to house Players, Props, and Portals so they can be easily differentiated from world objects
  
• Implemented Flight without No-Clip
  
• Implemented Include Mature Content search option
  
• Implemented login in VR (takes you to the login Room)
  • Logging out will take you into the Login Room instead of exiting the game
• Implemented new HUD Customization option to Fade When Idle in Graphics Setting
  
• Implemented new TransformHiderManager
  • Reworked legacy head-hiding to allow for runtime toggling
• Implemented VRIK for Desktop avatars, configurable in IK Solver Settings Desktop subcategory
  • Animation position correction & diving pitch control will also now affect Desktop avatars
• Made HUD shard pulse rate increase briefly when an update is received
  • This should help signify which shard received an update when stacked

[h2] Adjustments: [/h2]

• Added cooldown to search refresh of 3 seconds
  
• Added distance limit to QM reposition mode (1m scaled)
  
• Added isValidForVrIk check before attempting to initialize IK for an avatar
  
• Added the default avatar/world as fallbacks when failing to load into an avatar/world
  
• Added vehicle boost control to XR Input module (right thumbstick forward)
  
• Adjusted “cannot spawn prop” notification to be different for Local & Network users
  • Added HUD config to disable network user prop blocked notification
• Adjusted controller disconnect to disable IK for that hand
  • Behaviour can be disabled with the FreezeControllerOnDisconnect IK setting
• Added CVRAudioDriver methods to AnimationEvent whitelist
  
• Adjusted default smooth turn speed to 50
  
• Adjusted “Disabled” Head Bobbing mode to change HeadIKTarget parent while on Desktop
  
• Adjusted Head Ray to only enable if both controllers are not tracking
  
• Adjusted intercollision logic, so collider on sub gameObjects from Humanybody bones should be counted as such (e.g. bone on a child gameObject of the Hand should now be considered for hand placement and not only in Everything)
  
• Adjusted MaxTrackerDistance to 0.5f from 1f (meters)
  
• Adjusted menus to not be considered as world anchored while sitting
  
• Adjusted menus to not close when forcefully respawned (Combat System / Respawn Plane)
  
• Adjusted Opacity of Center Hex Hub on HUD
  
• Adjusted OpenXR hand tracking
  
• Adjusted PassPlayer layer to interact with IgnoreRaycast
  
• Adjusted physics update rate on Desktop & OpenXR to match OpenVR default settings
  
• Adjusted Portal/Prop Drop to place in front of you instead of in front of your view
  
• Adjusted search box to immediately open to a details page when fed a proper GUID
  • Valid prefixes are `w+`, `a+`, `p+`, `i+`, `u+` with GUID postfix
• Adjust Seated Play offset to 97% of height
  
• Adjusted ShadowCloneManager to fallback if mesh topology is not set to triangles
  
• Adjusted the max images to load in cohtml per animation frame to 25
  
• Adjusted TransformHiderForMainCamera to hide unneeded clones when Avatar Overrender UI is disabled
  
• Adjusted TransformHiderManager to disable head-hiding if the players camera is too far away (This should be a measurable improvement in performance)
  • This replaces the explicit check for head-hiding to not run while in Holoport, as well as missing heads in VR while in chairs
• Adjusted UI to be hidden in camera by default
  
• Adjusted VR switching to recalibrate active avatar instead of reloading it
  
• Adjusted world anchored menus to offset with the player when forcefully respawned or while on a movement parent
  
• Adjusted world load to set respawn height below all spawns as a safety measure
  
• Changed advanced tagging to be more accurate with the definition in the CCK
  • Added missing "Loud Audio", "Long Range Audio", "Horror" mechanic for advanced tagging
• Changed finger tracking sync to allow for more intricate movement
  
• Changed IKCalibrationMode to be set to Full by default
  
• Changed IKEnableUniversalCalibration & IKEnableSaveCalibration to be enabled by default
  
• Cleaned up redundant "Enable" text for setting names in IK menu
  
• Disabled physical interaction with the menus. This will need to be revisited later
  
• Enforced faster updating of QM buttons such as Mute, Flight, Seated Play, etc…
  
• Experimental option for small player collider was removed, and now the collider of the players will scale down to a minimum height of 0.05 units by default.
  
• Improved the default placement and scale of the default placed pointers for humanoid avatars
  
• Made Universal Calibration persist through restarts
  • Reintroduces the previously unintended behavior present before when Saved & Universal calibration were enabled together
• Moved Show HUD option to Graphics settings
  
• Moved Smooth Mic Meter setting higher in the HUD Customizations section
  
• Nameplate material and shader updates
  • Adjusted nameplate up vector to align with playspace up
    
  • Readded outline to nameplate username text to improve legibility
    
  • Fixed culling of nameplates in mirrors
    
  • Fixed nameplate behavior when camera forward aligned with player up vector
• Portable Camera image processing rewrite
  
• Rewrote Focus Attenuation
  • Added Left and Right Ear Focus Customization
• Rewrote Vivox Connection Handling and Persistence
  
• Updated Magica Cloth 2 to 2.5.2
  • Release Notes available here

[h2] Fixes: [/h2]

• Crouch and Prone should no longer affect the player capsule radius
  
• Fixed 4pt being considered FBT on calibration
  
• Fixed a few issues with VRIKRootController not respecting avatar up vector
  
• Fixed an error when calling PlaySound on a CVRAudioDriver when its gameobject is disabled
  
• Fixed an issue allowing you to calibrate up to 3x in a frame
  
• Fixed an issue where avatar root would still have velocity despite solver Reset
  
• Fixed an issue where active offset didn't account for root up vector
  
• Fixed an issue where TTS Messages would continue playback after Communication Services connection loss
  
• Fixed an issue where VR Switching would not Calibrate the player into FBT if available
  
• Fixed an issue with certain props (like piano fall lol) not able to be dropped using the raycast
  
• Fixed an issue with CVRBlitter running for each camera in the scene
  
• Fixed an issue with CVRGameEventSystem.Microphone not being called
  
• Fixed an issue with Interactable SpawnObject not being ran through the World Filter
  
• Fixed an issue with Microphone appearing Unmuted in Menus while using TTS
  
• Fixed an issue with Microphone not resetting to the proper Mute state after Reloading CoHTML
  
• Fixed an issue with remote avatar visibility changes applying AAS buffer when not valid
  
• Fixed an issue with selecting QM AAS Profiles causing the MM to display the AAS Settings page when next opened
  
• Fixed an issue with SteamVR_RenderModel throwing an error when starting in VR
  
• Fixed an issue with Vivox SetPosition being called too fast (now adjusted to 200ms)
  
• Fixed an issue with world spawnables being eligible for deletion by user using Delete All Props button
  
• Fixed any possibility of enabling Seated Play prior to calibration
  
• Fixed applyOriginalHipRotation not being reset when toggling from FBT to Halfbody
  
• Fixed Avatar Upright not accounting for avatar up vector
  
• Fixed Avatars without CVRAvatar breaking the object loader
  
• Fixed being able to grab the camera while scaling it
  
• Fixed being able to sit down in disabled CVRSeat
  
• Fixed Box Fluid Volume not respecting the placeFromCenter for physics influencers
  
• Fixed calibrating in FBT while player was rotated
  
• Fixed calibration mirror not scaling with avatar while in calibration mode
  
• Fixed CameraAttachment VisualMod not being disabled on new world load
  
• Fixed clapping disabling the camera indicator in the menu
  
• Fixed ControllerRay line renderer being delayed a frame when interacting with the UI
  
• Fixed ControllerRay line renderer being wrongfully affected by other objects when using UI
  
• Fixed ControllerRay not calling OnPointerExit when no longer highlighting any other UI elements of the same type
  
• Fixed CVRAttachment TrackerType.LeftHand & TrackerType.RightHand not using Controller transform
  
• Fixed CVRAudioDriver erroring when setting a negative value
  
• Fixed CVRGlobalMaterialPropertyUpdater child materials not being populated in worlds
  
• Fixed CVRInteractable method call not being filtered when disabled
  
• Fixed CVRObjectLoader destroying PlayerAvatar container instead of avatar itself if no CVRAvatar component is found
  • Fixes avatars getting stuck at 0%
    Fixed CVRParticleSound for local and custom space particles
    
  • Parent the CVRParticleAudio audio sources to the correct transform depending on the simulation space
• Fixed CVRPickupObject not forcing a drop on disable
  
• Fixed CVRVisemeController JawBone mode can break IK when not actually mapped
  
• Fixed CVRXRModule_SteamVR.trackingValid being false while in SteamVR overlay
  
• Fixed DroneMode from receiving input when CVRInputManager.inputEnabled is false
  
• Fixed emotes not playing in the direction of your view
  
• Fixed entering a seat causes you to get stuck in a falling animation sometimes
  
• Fixed error about Update_Emotes() that always showed up when starting the game in VR
  
• Fixed event filtering and instance id on video players
  
• Fixed FBT limbs reverting to t-pose when IK for a limb was disabled
  
• Fixed feet freaking out while on a movement parent that can rotate on every axis (e.g. a boat in water)
  
• Fixed feet in Halfbody always pointing in direction of view
  
• Fixed feet sliding when moving in your playspace while on a movement parent in Halfbody
  
• Fixed Friends, Vote, and Invite HUD events being triggered constantly & while disabled
  
• Fixed game menus colliding with PassPlayer and BlockPlayer layers
  
• Fixed hang on Exit issue
  
• Fixed height adjustment -+1 -+5 buttons from applying twice the values (while displaying it once)
  
• Fixed hold and drag the scroll view to scroll
  
• Fixed HUD opacity being applied twice
  
• Fixed IKSolverVRSpine applying rootHeadingOffset with world up
  
• Fixed IKSolverVRSpine.ApplyOffsets sending you to space when upside-down
  
• Fixed interactable OnTimer action creating a timer for every other timer action
  
• Fixed Interactable OnTimer action not stopping when component was disabled
  
• Fixed Locomotion IK being enabled without checking Upright
  
• Fixed Main & Quick Menus opening upside down when a MinimumMenuTilt was specified, and player was rotated
  
• Fixed MaxTrackerDistance check not taking play space scale into account
  
• Fixed menu not exiting head turn mode when sitting in a chair on Desktop
  
• Fixed MetaPort.OnPostVRModeSwitch being called twice
  
• Fixed mirror shaders not writing to depth
  
• Fixed mouse cursor getting stolen on launch while in background / in VR
  
• Fixed “None” Head Bobbing mode not returning to standing height when playing an emote
  
• Fixed not being able to calibrate just one foot
  
• Fixed not being able to calibrate without hip tracking being enabled
  
• Fixed not being able to swim down using crouch if on the surface
  
• Fixed not being centered in the initial Login scene in VR
  
• Fixed occluded controllers being considered invalid and defaulting to one-handed mode
  
• Fixed opening camera via menu or gesture not aligning with playspace up
  
• Fixed OpenXR with index not working (can't move or use menus)
  
• Fixed parameter stream LocalPlayerNameplatesEnabled so it respects the settings to only show when menu is opened, and also respect the world setting whether nameplates are enabled or not
  
• Fixed PlayerAvatarPoint.GetPointPosition returning incorrect value when avatar was hidden
  
• Fixed PortableCamera AutoFocus being occluded by layers it could not see
  
• Fixed PortableCamera AutoFocus failing to get correct distance when attempting to focus on the players eyes
  
• Fixed PortableCamera not being able to see PlayerClone layer (local player shadows)
  
• Fixed PortableCamera Take Photo from receiving input when CVRInputManager.inputEnabled is false
  
• Fixed prop details page displaying "Avatar"
  
• Fixed prop drop button not being greyed out when you do not have access to the prop
  
• Fixed prop list sub-category bottom margin
  
• Fixed Props without CVRSpawnable being impossible to destroy (wrapper & primitives never unloaded)
  
• Fixed PuppetMaster _initialAvatarHeight being incorrect when remote user was at an angle
  
• Fixed RawLookVector being clamped on Y axis
  • This fixes Look Y entry on CVRParameterStream
• Fixed RCC AudioMixerGroup being set to worldSfx when component was not on same object as Spawnable component
  
• Fixed running animations in FBT while swimming disabling leg IK when standing still
  
• Fixed search cursor being forced to the beginning of the field
  
• Fixed seated play breaking between Avatar switches
  
• Fixed several Viseme issues
  
• Fixed sitting in a chair from another chair to keep you in a falling state
  
• Fixed some gestures not working when using quest controllers in OpenXR
  
• Fixed spamming Enter on the game start breaking the game
  
• Fixed search refresh button
  
• Fixed Tracker line renderers getting stuck when tracker exited MaxTrackerDistance
  
• Fixed tracking point visibility not being updated on tracking point connect/disconnect
  
• Fixed TrackingModules, InputModules, and VR camera position not being updated prior to avatar - reinitialization
  
• Fixed Unity UI Scroll views going beyond their max limit
  
• Fixed universal calibration resaving calibration data every avatar switch
  
• Fixed Video Player pausing with audio becoming desynced
  
• Fixed VR Switching in a Legacy world incorrectly shader replacing ALL remote Avatars & Props
  
• Fixed VRIKRootController incurring a slight drift along local Y axis when the player rotated
  
• Fixed VRIKRootController when there were no hips/feet trackers
  
• Fixed world anchored Quick Menu not respecting MinimumMenuTilt
  
• Fixed world scrolling making worlds disappear
  
• Fixed _initialAvatarHeight being incorrect when loading an avatar while upside down
  
• Ignore alpha channel on lag-less screenshot method
  
• Prevent being able to spawn invalid sync precision props
  
• Removed period from "cannot spawn prop" notification
  
• Removed the requirement of rigid bodies in movement parents
  
• Rewrote Focus Attenuation
  
• Use movement parent deltas from new player controller
  

Along with this update, CCK 3.8 will release tomorrow.

Hello there, and thank you so much for checking in!

During the month of February, we released two new public Experimental builds for members of the community to test out brand new features coming to ChilloutVR ahead of the official Stable release. We’re very happy with the reception we’ve received thus far, and have seen some amazing use of the new creator tools!

Here are some of the highlights currently available:

• Camera Indicator
  Camera Lens to indicate where other users’ camera is located
  
• Desktop IK
  Provides more animated leg movement for Desktop players
  
• Gravity Zones
  A new way for players to create, move, and interact with Worlds and Props
  The Gravity Zone component is freely available in the CCK
  
• Improved Content Cache Management
  Content Cache has been moved to a unified directory
  Now limited to 20GB
  
• libVLC Implementation
  Alternative, experimental, rendering method for videos
  May be enabled via the launch option: --enable-libvlc
  
• New Character Controller
  Physics based controller that allows for object collision where possible
  Adjusted automatic step height to take avatar height into account
  Improved Holoport to allow both the local and remote users to see smooth player movement
  
• New Shadow Clone and alternative Visual Clone implementations
  Reworked local player Shadow Clone to be more robust and performant
  
• Refactored Avatar Eye Movement
  Eye movement is now much more reliable, consistent, and adheres to set limits
  A new setting is available to force all subjects to look at the Portable Camera when held

… and much more! The full changelog, and beta access code, for ChilloutVR 2024r174 Ex1, Ex2, and future updates can be found in our community Discord using the invite link available at the end of this post.


Since the release of the new Gravity Component, creators have already been putting it to good use in both Props and Worlds. Gravity allows for new experiences and interactions never before seen in ChilloutVR, such as those shown below.

”Relativity” by Racush - Makes use of individual input for self-controlled Gravity

“Gravity Applicator” by Noachi is a prop that enables Gravity to be used just about anywhere


Since the introduction of the Vivox voice chat system, many issues were identified and reported to us by the community regarding inconsistent voice communication. In response, several hotfixes have been issued in an attempt to resolve these issues, but unfortunately they still persist.

As such, we are currently investigating other viable solutions. Ideally, unlike the current solution, we do not wish to continue relying on third-party hosting services, but rather one which we can take full control of to host and maintain ourselves.

We hope to share more information soon, when a final decision has been made. Thank you for being patient with us throughout this process, and we hope to deliver the reliable experience that the community deserves.


For the past 6 months, we have been monitoring and analyzing the game traffic and disconnects frequently in order to locate possible issues. We have since started to rework parts of our network protocol and incorporate those changes alongside many other improvements such as partial prop sync, better reconnection handling, etc… into a new version of our game server software.

We are nearly ready to begin internal testing and evaluation of the changes and will keep you informed about further changes and possible downtimes when the update goes live.


As always, thank you for your continued interest and support of ChilloutVR's development.

[h3]Social media[/h3]
Find us on social media with the links below:
Discord: https://discord.gg/abi Twitter (company): https://twitter.com/AlphaBlendNET Twitter (status): https://twitter.com/AbiStatus YouTube: https://youtube.com/@AlphaBlendInteractive Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ChilloutVR

[h3]Support Alpha Blend Interactive[/h3]
Like every company, we need financial support to be able to push updates and improve our product. We are grateful for every bit of support we get.
If you want to support us you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/AlphaBlendInteractive

We are more than thankful for your support!

[h3]Not in our Discord server yet?[/h3]
Use the link above to join our discord server and get in touch with our wonderful community, get help with creation-related topics and find people to play with.

Hello there, and Happy New Year!

Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating this New Years Eve in ChilloutVR. From community events, to group meetups, it was certainly a night to remember. We’ve had the pleasure of seeing photos that many of you posted in our community Discord server, and are incredibly happy that we could provide a place for everyone to enjoy this special time of the year.

For those who participated in any way for a short time, a badge has been added to your profile to show our appreciation and commemorate the event. Consider it a memento to look back on.

Speaking of looking back, we’ve made so many improvements throughout 2023. Starting with a game engine upgrade, introducing a new voice chat system, providing more tools for creators and modders, general improvements and optimizations, fully functional swimming and buoyancy system for water in worlds and props, and so much more in-between.

I highly recommend checking out our last few patch notes. There’s far too much to briefly mention here, but the development team has been doing an amazing job. Give them some love if you see them around!

[h3]ChilloutVR 2023r171 Patch Notes[/h3]
[h3]ChilloutVR 2023r172 Patch Notes[/h3]
[h3]ChilloutVR 2023r173 Patch Notes[/h3]



Applications for Standalone Testing, which include Quest and Pico versions of ChilloutVR, are still open! If interested, please contact us using the address below:

Email: [email protected]

Your application should contain at least the following information:

• Specify if you intend to test with the standalone hardware, content creation, or both.
  
• If testing on standalone hardware, what devices are owned.
  
• Why you should be accepted.

Don’t wait to apply, spots are limited!


Over the next week, as of posting, players may experience service interruptions as we work to improve and deploy changes to ChilloutVR’s network. These updates are intended to finally resolve some long-standing connectivity issues, which we hope will provide a significantly more stable experience for the community. It’ll be a huge step forward for us as well.

Lengthy delays are not expected, but the community will be notified of any relevant information during this ongoing process.

If you wish to receive such notifications now, and in the future, please join our community Discord server at the end of this post. A role may also be assigned to receive pings containing important information.

We apologize for any inconveniences that may occur.


As always, thank you for your continued interest and support of ChilloutVR's development.

[h3]Social media[/h3]
Find us on social media with the links below:
Discord: https://discord.gg/abi Twitter (company): https://twitter.com/AlphaBlendNET Twitter (status): https://twitter.com/AbiStatus YouTube: https://youtube.com/@AlphaBlendInteractive Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ChilloutVR

[h3]Support Alpha Blend Interactive[/h3]
Like every company, we need financial support to be able to push updates and improve our product. We are grateful for every bit of support we get.
If you want to support us you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/AlphaBlendInteractive

We are more than thankful for your support!

[h3]Not in our Discord server yet?[/h3]
Use the link above to join our discord server and get in touch with our wonderful community, get help with creation-related topics and find people to play with.

Hello there, and thank you so much for checking in!

This month’s Status Report includes information on the development of a new Gravity system, progress for standalone headsets, and further improvements.



ABI will be on a company-wide Winter break between December 22nd and January 2nd. Support will be limited during this time, but urgent reports and requests will be handled as soon as possible.

We hope everyone is able to enjoy the holidays with friends, family, and loved ones, much as we intend to do as well.

Now, on to the fun stuff…


Since its initial announcement back in October, in a series of 3 new major physics systems, Buoyancy and Swimming have been implemented. So naturally, next up was Gravity.

CCK 3.8 will introduce the new Gravity Zone component, which will allow for the following customization in worlds and on props:

Some Settings below are only available depending on the selected Zone Shape

General Settings (available to all zone shapes):

• Zone Shape: Box, Sphere (+ Half & Quarter), Capsule (+ Half & Quarter), Cylinder (+ Half & Quarter)
  
• Center: x, y, z values
  
• Mix: Override, Additive
  
• Priority: (Int value)
  
• Type: Absolute, Relative
  
• Strength: (Float value)
  
• Effected Objects: Nothing, Everything, Objects, Players
  
• Falloff: (Curve adjustment)

Box Zone Shape:

• Size: x, y, z values
  
• GravityDirection: Direction X, Direction Y, Direction Z, Towards Center

Sphere (+ Half & Quarter) Zone Shape:

• Radius: (Float value)

Capsule (+ Half & Quarter), Cylinder (+ Half & Quarter) Zone Shapes:

• Radius: (Float value)
  
• Height: (Float value)

Short preview of Gravity in action:




Prop filter settings will be available for Gravity Zones to show for all, only show for friends, or hide for everyone.

We hope to provide creators with an Experimental version to play around with very soon, and can’t wait to see how the community makes use of it!


Standalone development for Pico and Quest headsets have been proceeding smoothly, and we’ve made quite a lot of progress in the past few months.

We’re happy to say that recent builds have been much more stable, and we’ve even been looking at potentially adding some new features that take advantage of the Standalone hardware.

There is still more work to be done before a public release will be possible, but our testing group has already assisted in identifying numerous issues that are currently being fixed.

Speaking of testing, we would like to once again open the door for additional applications to test the standalone version of ChilloutVR on Quest and Pico headsets. If interested, please contact us using the address below:

Email: [email protected]


Your application should contain at least the following information:

• Specify if you intend to test with the standalone hardware, content creation, or both.
  
• If testing on standalone hardware, what devices are owned.
  
• Why you should be accepted.

Once the main issues are resolved, we plan to provide a public experimental build as soon as possible. Stay tuned for further news and information in the near future!


Desktop IK has been updated to allow for realistic leg movement when the player rotates, just like 3-point tracking in VR. This will work with all humanoid avatars, and does not require any updates to the content itself.




A new StateBehavior will soon be available for creators that will allow for better tracking control over parts of the IK solver of an avatar in specific cases.

The following can be toggled:

• Head
  
• Pelvis
  
• Left Arm
  
• Right Arm
  
• Left Leg
  
• Right Leg
  
• Locomotion

As always, thank you for your continued interest and support of ChilloutVR's development.

[h3]Social media[/h3]
Find us on social media with the links below:
Discord: https://discord.gg/abi Twitter (company): https://twitter.com/AlphaBlendNET Twitter (status): https://twitter.com/AbiStatus YouTube: https://youtube.com/@AlphaBlendInteractive Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ChilloutVR

[h3]Support Alpha Blend Interactive[/h3]
Like every company, we need financial support to be able to push updates and improve our product. We are grateful for every bit of support we get.
If you want to support us you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/AlphaBlendInteractive

We are more than thankful for your support!

[h3]Not on our Discord server yet?[/h3]
Use the link above to join our discord server and get in touch with our wonderful community, get help with creation-related topics and find people to play with.

We have just released a new update for ChilloutVR on the stable branch.



[h2] Complete rework of the Voice System: [/h2]
With the recent changes Unity has done with Vivox, we have reworked our implementation to address and reduce the high delay in the current voice system, as well as ensure higher stability and fidelity, while also reducing load on the audio processing system.
We also introduce a native Text-To-Speech System that lets you send TTS messages over voice chat.

[h2] Native Desktop/VR switch: [/h2]
Desktop and VR modes can now be switched without requiring a game restart. A new setting for this is available in the Experimental Settings menu, and can be toggled by using the key combination Ctrl + F6, or by pressing the shortcut in the main menu.

[h2] Magica Cloth 2 support: [/h2]
Magica Cloth 2 is now supported in-game. Intercollision for avatars and props is also implemented.
An additional CCK module is not required to upload content with Magica Cloth 2.
Requires purchasing Magica Cloth 2 from the Unity Asset Store.

[h2] Buoyancy System: [/h2]
It is now possible to define FluidVolumes, as well as Objects that are influenced by buoyancy using the PhysicsInfluencer Component. The physics calculation uses Archimedes’ Principle, which can be expected to behave relatively realistically, given realistic values.
The new Runtime Gizmo feature can be used to better understand how it works within the game.
Players are also able to swim and dive in FluidVolumes. To display swimming animations, new animations are required in the Avatar’s Animator. An example is provided with the CCK 3.7 preview.

[h2] ForceApplicator Component: [/h2]
The new ForceApplicator component will allow you to apply force to a Rigidbody from a given position and thereby induce torque forces. This component also has the option to only work while being submerged in a FluidVolume.
This can be used together with the new CarInput ParameterStreams to make custom propulsion systems for boats.

[h2] Runtime Gizmo System: [/h2]
The following components have received Runtime Gizmos, which can be enabled in the experimental settings:

• PhysicsInfluencer
  
• CVRPointer
  
• CVRSpawnableTrigger
  
• CVRAdvancedAvatarSettingsTrigger
  
• CVRInteractable (with interact down actions)
  
• CVRMovementParent
  
• CVRPickupObject
  
• ForceApplicator
  

This feature will assist with debugging content and will provide a better understanding of how these systems are working internally. More components will be supported in the future.

[h2] New ParameterStream Variables: [/h2]
We added more Parameter Stream Variables with regard to:

• The Transform of the GameObject
  
• CarInput controls
  
• The current avatar height
  
• The new fluid mechanics
  

[h2] Rotating of pickup objects in Desktop [/h2]
Objects can now be rotated when held in Desktop mode by holding down the middle mouse button if the pickup GripOrigin is set to Free.

[h2] Image Cache for the Main Menu [/h2]
Avatar, World, Prop, and User images are now cached on the local machine to significantly reduce image load time. It is enabled by default, but may be toggled, configured, and cleared from the Experimental Settings menu.

[h2] Dual Controller Keyboard interaction [/h2]
This allows the use of both controllers to interact with the main menu Keyboard.

And many smaller changes and adjustments

CCK 3.7 will be required to use new creation features, which will be available shortly.
Please note that starting with this CCK, Unity projects using 2019 will no longer be supported.

• Added independent head turn while in menus on Desktop
  
  • Desktop reticle is now disabled while in menus unless using head turn
• Added ExperimentalAvatarOverrenderUI setting. This allows your avatar to render over the UI when in front of it in most cases.
  
• Added Magica 2 support for props, avatars, and worlds
  
• Added support for FluidVolumes
  
• Added support for PhysicsInfluencers
  
• Added new parameter stream inputs
  • TransformGlobalPositionX
    
  • TransformGlobalPositionY
    
  • TransformGlobalPositionZ
    
  • TransformGlobalRotationX
    
  • TransformGlobalRotationY
    
  • TransformGlobalRotationZ
    
  • TransformLocalPositionX
    
  • TransformLocalPositionY
    
  • TransformLocalPositionZ
    
  • TransformLocalRotationX
    
  • TransformLocalRotationY
    
  • TransformLocalRotationZ
    
  • InputCarSteering
    
  • InputCarAccelerate
    
  • InputCarBrake
    
  • InputCarHandbrake
    
  • InputCarBoost
    
  • InputMovementX
    
  • InputMovementY
    
  • InputLookX
    
  • InputLookY
    
  • InputJump
    
  • AvatarHeight
    
  • AvatarUpright
    
  • FluidVolumeSubmerged
    
  • FluidVolumeDepth
    
  • FluidVolumeTimeSinceEntered
    
  • FluidVolumeTimeSinceExit
• Added min & max range support for CVRAdvancesAvatarSettingJoystick2D
  
• Added min & max range support for CVRAdvancesAvatarSettingJoystick3D
  
• Added double click to reset joystick
  
• Added a basic Swimming System while the Player is in a fluid volume
  
• Added support for Damage Falloff so you can modify the amount of damage received relative to your distance to the component
  
• Added experimental Desktop VR switch (option must be enabled in the experimental settings, `ctrl + F6` to switch or the button in the main menu)
  
• Added Runtime Gizmos for the following components
  
  • PhysicsInfluencer
    
  • CVRPointer
    
  • CVRSpawnableTrigger
    
  • CVRAdvancedAvatarSettingsTrigger
    
  • CVRInteractable (with interact down actions)
    
  • CVRMovementParent
    
  • CVRPickupObject
    
  • ForceApplicator
  • These can be enabled in the experimental settings
    
  • CVRPointer and CVRAdvancedAvatarSettingsTrigger on avatars should only be visible for self and friends
    
  • If a GameObject should not receive Gizmos, you can add "[NoGizmo]" to the GameObject name
    
  • Gizmos for other components will follow in the future
• Added Component ForceApplicator: Adds the option to apply force from a specified point and also gives the option to only work while in a fluid volume. This component is Whitelisted for props
  
• Added Desktop pickup rotation while holding the middle mouse.
  
  • This will only work if GripOrigin is set to Free
• Added component filtering on world initialization. Please let us know if any complicated world setups have suffered
  
• Added Show User Interface option to PortableCamera (nameplates, world UI, etc)
  
• Added new shader global CVRRenderingCam
  
  • 0 = Normal Camera, 1 = Portable Camera, 2 = CVRMirror Camera
• Added Image cache for the main menu
  
• Added microphone VR Mode aware settings
  
• Added Button to access Instance Details from within User Details
  
• Added new world options
  
  • Object gravity
    
  • Allow Extreme far clip plane
• Added remembering of last instance type/region checked between restarts
  
• Added active body offset while in Halfbody
  
  • Animations no longer need to be modified to pivot from the head/eyes
    
  • This should fix avatar animations appearing crushed in VR
• Added dual-ray interaction for the main menu keyboard
  
• Added Unity UI Slider to the prop component whitelist
  
• Added placeFromCenter option to box FluidVolumes
  
• Added Vivox TTS support
  
  • Added TTS buttons to Main Menu and Quick Menu
    
  • Added TTS Voice selection to Implementation settings
    
  • TTS messages are restricted to 200 characters
    
  • Added togglable Hud indicator for TTS
• Added prop removable filter for fluid volumes
  
• Added ControllerRay Smoothing (reduced jitter in VR)
  

• Adjusted the main menu to be more responsive while moving
  
• Adjusted nameplate facing behavior. In VR it faces you, on Desktop it is aligned with the view
  
• Adjusted TransformHiderForMainCamera to always create a shadow clone for UI culling
  
• Adjusted Interact bind to Gamepad Button West
  
• Adjusted Grab bind to Gamepad Left Shoulder
  
• Adjusted Crouch to Gamepad Button East
  
• Adjusted Prone to Gamepad Hold Button East
  
• Adjusted Grab with Gamepad Left Shoulder bind to be disabled when not in Seat
  
• Adjusted Grab with Gamepad Left Trigger bind to be disabled when in Controlled Seat
  
• Adjusted Interact with Gamepad Right Trigger bind to be disabled when in Controlled Seat
  
• Adjusted prop blocked by content filter notification to display the block reason
  
• Adjusted VR flight to use VR Fast Flight speed while holding Jump
  
• Adjusted Bundle Verifier blocks to display "Avatar failed validation" on the block avatar
  
• Adjusted order of GetClosestTracker to find the nearest tracker for Chest before Hips
  
  • This is to mitigate an issue where Hips would consistently bind to your preferred Chest tracker, as the tracking point can be closer with certain setups, leaving your Chest to bind to the remaining Hip tracker
• Adjusted player controller tracking to use SteamVR_TrackedObject
  
  • This fixes controllers not tracking in overlay, and render models not displaying after switching to VR
• Adjusted DroneMode not to accept input while in independent head turn
  
• Adjusted CVRSeat to ignore initial movement input when checking for exit
  
• Adjusted the rendering of the nameplate
  
  • Nameplates are now flipped and properly displayed in mirrors
• Adjusted VR binding to use threshold for grab start, but have a lower threshold for grip release (don't need to keep pressing hard to continue holding an object)
  
• Adjusted Kick to now have a confirm prompt instead of requiring holding the button for 3 seconds
  
• Adjusted bHaptics, Tobii Eye Tracking, and Vive Face Tracking implementation setting subcategories to use a dropdown to separate Desktop/VR settings
  
• Adjusted prop spawn to only target colliders except for fluid volumes
  
• Adjusted prop delete to show the ray to easier target props
  
• Adjusted prop delete to also show aura highlight now
  
• Adjusted the VR login screen to show more helpful information instead of taking your headset to log in using the Desktop UI
  
• Adjusted self-moderation to automatically block prop spawns from blocked players
  
• Adjusted the rendering of nameplates to be more effecient
  
• Adjusted the handling of disabled prop collision
  
• Adjusted Main Menu's Home tab to allow for 6 additional buttons
  

• Renamed Input Device Threshold to Input Device Sensitivity
  
• Renamed and Reworked Muted Speech Detection Threshold into Muted Speech Detection Sensitivity
  

• Fixed drop bind for auto-hold not working in VR
  
• Fixed user image on nameplate fading to white when distance hidden
  
• Fixed scaling while using Main Menu in VR causing weird menu offsets
  
• Fixed remote player collider height not updating when they scale
  
• Fixed mouse rotating player in VR when the cursor was unlocked
  
• Fixed inherited velocity from movement parents persisting once exiting flight mode
  
• Fixed scrolling with scroll wheel not canceling out velocity scroll for both menus
  
• Fixed clicking in QM sometimes causing the menu to velocity scroll. Now requires 10px drag
  
• Fixed QM clicking not resetting velocity scroll
  
• Fixed QM drag scrolling being active while using an AAS option
  
• Fixed QM custom offset not being saved properly
  
• Fixed CVRSeat not restoring original avatar sitting animation on exit
  
• Fixed Joystick3D height slider dragging being inverted in Quick Menu
  
• Fixed player culling mask not being reset to default when copying reference camera values
  
• Fixed chest tracking
  
• Fixed locomotion animations in FBT
  
• Fixed animations root rotation bleeding into IK in FBT
  
• Fixed HalfbodyIK feet always pointing in the head direction
  
• Fixed HalfbodyIK feet while on a Movement Parent
  
• Fixed CVRParameterStream LocalPlayerMuted
  
• Fixed CVRParameterStream GrippedObjectLeft and GrippedObjectRight
  
• Fixed the SteamVR XR Module missing a validation check
  
• Fixed CVRParameterStream HeadsetOnHead not outputting correctly in SteamVR
  
• Fixed CVRParameterStream HeadsetOnHead not defaulting to true when on Desktop
  
• Fixed CVRParameterStream LocalFPS, LocalPing, and LocalWorldDownloadPercentage not updating properly unless a menu is open
  
• Fixed IK bend goal offsets not respecting playspace scale
  
• Fixed Advanced Safety forcing audio source volume to max
  
• Fixed calibration line renderers not scaling with playspace scale
  
• Fixed Custom Audio Source output being placed incorrectly for the video player
  
• Fixed path camera excluding player
  
• Fixed not being able to scroll UnityUI ScrollViews in VR
  
• Fixed RenderTextures being shared between instances of the same props and avatars
  
• Fixed Toggling Portable Camera in QM no longer closes the menu
  
• Fixed being unable to scroll in the settings of the camera in VR
  
• Fixed Vote Kick prompt to be in front of user details page
  
• Fixed keyboard not opening while instance details panel is opened
  
• Fixed Vote Kick not appearing in the big menu
  
• Fixed auto-generated mouth pointer not respecting avatar voice parent setting
  
• Fixed DroneMode improperly resetting camera angle when being enabled
  
• Fixed Keyboard not showing sometimes when pressing a text input in VR
  
• Fixed the user tab displaying incorrect data when clicking on users in the world
  
• Fixed the calculation for initial Seat offset in VR
  
• Fixed Sub-Sync IDs breaking in some Interactable setups
  
• Fixed menu not jumping to a newly created instance when finished creating
  
• Fixed losing tracking should no longer reset/trigger inaccurate gestures
  
• Fixed dynamic bone intercollision for default colliders and props
  
• Fixed crashing issues with the video player caused by HDR videos
  
• Fixed scroll elasticity from Portable Camera
  
• Fixed the current instance details page not opening world details when clicking the world image
  
• Fixed gamepad input module overwriting grip and interact inputs
  
• Fixed some avatar materials being caught by Garbage Collection in some cases on world switch
  
• Fixed prop filtering breaking in some cases
  
• Fixed player collision being applied when exiting Flight Mode while inside collision
  
• Fixed Auto Focus & Auto Exposure visual modifications for the Portable Camera
  
• Fixed prop deletions occasionally not functioning correctly