What does the plugin bring to the table?
The plugin is relying on the TouchEngine API, which is the same library that enables the Engine COMP within TouchDesigner.
The plugin allows users to load TouchDesigner components saved as .tox files within Unreal Engine.
The TouchEngine process becomes a subprocess of Unreal and can pass CHOP, DAT or TOP data from Unreal to TouchDesigner, or retrieve CHOP, DAT or TOP data from the loaded TouchEngine component to be used in Unreal blueprints. Additionally, all custom parameters on the top level of the .tox component can be adjusted in Unreal’s interface or accessed in blueprints.
What does it mean for TouchDesigner users?
TouchDesigner users can follow a workflow they are familiar with - you develop your custom components within TouchDesigner and set them up similarly to what you would do when setting up your components in a “black box” setup with the Engine COMP.
All the features you are familiar with are here, whether it is using CHOPs data processing, writing custom GLSL shaders to drive particle systems or connecting to hardware with TouchDesigner’s extensive list of supported devices.
Anything you can use in the Engine COMP can now be used in Unreal through TouchEngine, input and output devices, protocols and external tools that TouchDesigner supports, Palette components, and TouchDesigner’s Python environment are all at your fingertips.
What does it mean for Unreal Engine users?
TouchDesigner becomes an extra tool in your Unreal toolbox that can speed up part of your development process, reducing production time and cost. Use TouchEngine to solve technical hurdles, connect to the world around you, add features that could be missing from Unreal, are difficult to implement or time consuming.
You get access to our data flow and signal processing with CHOPs and DATs, while also opening the door of a full compositing suite with our GPU TOPs and access to the Python world with our full featured Python API.
Furthermore, Unreal projects can now can access the hundreds of input and output devices that TouchDesigner supports boosting the interoperability of Unreal projects realized with the TouchEngine plugin.
Where to get started ?
To get started with the TouchEngine Plugin for Unreal Engine, visit the samples project hosted in our GitHub repository here.
The actual plugin is located here. It is referenced in the Samples repository via a submodule.
You are welcome to post your questions and give us feedback in the dedicated forum thread.
Last but not the least, we are eager to see what you come up with! Let us know in the comments and if you have something to share, you can jump into our GitHub samples project repository to have your prototypes shared with the rest of the community.
