LightAct 4 Docs
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  • LightAct 4 Documentation
  • Understanding the Basics
    • Overview of Content Pipeline
    • Pushing Content out of LightAct
    • Terminology
    • How to map Content
      • Creating a Canvas
      • Creating a Layer
      • Creating a Video Screen
      • Mapping a Canvas to a Video screen
      • Creating a Perspective Thrower
      • Using Nodes to Set Content
      • Mapping to Outputs
    • Working quickly in LightAct
      • Window docking & workspaces
      • Drag & drop
      • Viewport Navigation
      • Shortcuts
    • Launching LightAct with Arguments
    • Top Bar
    • LightAct Performance
  • Transitioning to LightAct from other media servers
    • Switching to LightAct
    • LightAct for Disguise Operators
      • GUI Overview
      • Content Sequencing
      • Content Mapping
      • Projection Mapping
    • LightAct for Pixera Operators
  • Content mapping
    • Canvas mapping
    • Throwers
      • Thrower Properties
      • Perspective Thrower
      • Cubic thrower
      • Spherical Thrower
    • 3D model
      • Rendering Mode
      • Multiple materials & sources
      • Preparing 3D Models
        • Organize the 3D Scene
        • Materials in 3D models
        • UV Mapping of 3D Models
      • Outputting 3D Model's Texture
  • TIMELINES
    • Overview
    • Timelines Window
    • Timeline Editor Window
      • Sections
      • Markers
      • Curve Editor
    • Cues
      • Cue List
  • LAYERS AND LAYOUTS
    • Overview
    • Stock Layer Templates
      • Content Layer Templates
        • Video
      • Generative Layer Templates
        • Checkerboard
        • Color grid
        • Gradient
        • Mapping ID
        • Render Time
        • Scroll Texture
        • Send Texture
        • Solid Color
        • Strobe
        • Text
        • Texture to Mapping
      • Control Layer Templates
        • Go to Marker
        • Go to Section
        • Receive message
        • Send DMX
        • Send message
        • Set Fade
        • Set Timeline State
        • Set Volume
    • Layers
      • Layer Properties
      • Layer Layouts
      • Cross-fade
    • User Layer Templates
    • Variables
      • Variable Management
      • Control Variables with DMX, OSC, or Curves
    • Nodes
      • Node Connections
      • Node Action Flow
      • Order of Node Execution
      • Texture Processing
        • LUT
        • Luma Key
        • Rotate
      • Computer Vision
        • Optical Flow
        • Find Blobs
        • Mog2 Background Subtraction
        • Combine
        • Convert CV Color
        • Subtract
  • Node reference
    • Node reference
    • Layout nodes
      • Lifeline and actions node category
        • Tick node
      • Texture generators node category
    • Device nodes
  • Content Playback
    • Video Formats & Codecs
    • Playing Video
    • Playing Image Sequences
    • Images
    • Playing Notch Blocks
  • Projection Mapping
    • Projection Mapping
    • Projection Study
    • 2D Projection Mapping Workflow
    • 3D Projection Mapping Workflow
    • 3DCal
    • Iris
      • Setting up Iris Device Node
      • Adjusting Focus
      • Adding and calibrating Iris camera
      • Calibrating projectors using Iris
      • IrisVirtual
    • AutoBlend
    • Warp & Blend
      • Texture Warp & Blend node
      • Texture Mesh Warp node
      • Texture Perspective Warp node
      • Texture Softedge node
      • Warp & Blend Output Window
    • Texture Mask
  • DMX
    • DMX Overview
    • DMX Setup
    • DMX Out
      • Fixture Editor
      • Output to DMX Fixture
      • Set DMX in Layer Layouts
    • DMX In
      • Adjust layer variables with DMX
      • Index manager
      • Get DMX in Layer Layouts
      • Control by DMX
    • DMX by UV
  • Unreal Engine
    • Unreal Engine Integration Overview
    • Required Unreal Engine Plugins
      • Installing LightAct Plugin
      • Setting up the Plugin
        • LightAct Runtime Actor
        • LightAct Custom Time Step
        • LightAct Timecode
    • UnrealLink
    • Texture Sharing
      • Thrower2UCam
      • Projector2UCam
      • ViewportUCam
  • Integrations
    • Camera and object tracking
      • Camera Tracking
        • Stype
        • Mo-Sys
        • FreeD
        • Ncam
        • SPNet
      • Object Tracking
        • PSN
        • BlackTrax
        • OptiTrack
        • Vive
        • Antilatency
      • Tracking Visualizer
      • Tracking Follower
    • Network
      • TCP & UDP
      • OSC
        • OSCLearn
      • TUIO
    • Serial
      • MIDI
    • Audio
    • Content IO
      • NDI
      • Deltacast
        • FLEX Management
      • ZED
      • RealSense
    • OSCIn
    • 10-Bit Displays
  • LightTrack
  • LightNet
    • LightNet Overview
    • LightNet Clusters
      • Scan Network
      • Connect to Secondary Machines
      • Transfer and Open Project
      • Cluster Management
    • LightNet Performance
      • Canvas Distribution
      • Layer Distribution
      • Asset Distribution
      • Viewport Object Distribution
      • VRAM Improvements
    • LightSync
  • WebUI
    • WebUI Setup
  • GPU Management
    • EDID Management
      • Export EDID
      • Load EDID
      • Unload EDID
    • Synchronize GPU Outputs
    • Multiple GPUs
      • Mosaic
        • Set up Mosaic
        • Modify or Disable Mosaic
      • Primary Display
      • Workflow
    • DisplayPort - HDMI converters
  • Licensing
    • Licensing Overview
    • Adding or updating a License
    • Applying a License
    • Transferring a License
  • Troubleshooting
    • Iris Troubleshooting
    • Unreal Engine Integration Troubleshooting
      • Texture Sharing Troubleshooting
    • LightNet Troubleshooting
    • Notch Troubleshooting
    • GPU Management Troubleshooting
    • Asking for support
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On this page
  • UE Editor path
  • Sync
  • Genlock
  • nDisplay Settings
  • Importing Unreal Assets
  • Creating a .nDisplay configuration file
  • Launching nDisplay
  • Killing nDisplay

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  1. Unreal Engine

UnrealLink

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Last updated 1 year ago

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UnrealLink is under intense development, so this page might change in the future. Please contact us at support@lightact.com if you encounter any difficulties.

UnrealLink is a window in LightAct where you can set up most of LightAct's integration with Unreal Engine. Once we set up the UE Editor path, we will describe every section of UnrealLink window one by one.

UE Editor path

This is where you set up the path to UE4Editor.exe or UE5Editor.exe. You can edit this path under Preferences -> UE.

Choosing the UEEditor path also determines which version of Unreal Engine LightAct is going to launch when launching .uproject Unreal assets.

Sync

  • Send timecode to UE: this enables or disables sending of LightAct's TC to Unreal.

Genlock

  • Genlock Unreal Engine determines whether you want to enable Genlocking of Unreal to LightAct and if yes, whether it should be to every LightAct's frame or every second, every third etc. In most cases, you'll want to enable Every frame.

Good to know: If Unreal Engine cannot keep up with LightAct's framerate, you might want to lower LightAct's FPS in Project Settings.

  • Wait for UE texture: this checkbox enables/disables LightAct's sub-frame latency feature.

nDisplay Settings

LightAct's management of nDisplay follows these steps:

  1. import some Unreal Assets,

  2. create an .ndisplay configuration file,

  3. generate launch command,

  4. launch nDisplay,

  5. kill nDisplay (optional).

Importing Unreal Assets

To use UnrealLink you need at least one Unreal asset. Unreal asset can be either an executable of a packaged game or, more commonly, a .uproject file of Unreal Engine project.

To import an Unreal Asset, simply drag .exe or .uproject file into LightAct's window.

Once you've imported them, they will appear as radio buttons in UnrealLink window. Select one of them before proceeding.

Creating a .nDisplay configuration file

nDisplay Throwers or Projectors

To create an .ndisplay config file you need to have at least one Thrower or Project in the Viewport which has nDisplay checkbox enabled. This means it will get used as a template for nDisplay viewport.

Creating .ndisplay file

Click on ... button and select or create an .ndisplay file.

Don't forget to click on Generate config file button in order to generate it.

Launching nDisplay

The simple way to launch nDisplay is to click on Generate command button.

After this, the command will appear in the textbox below.

Then, you can click on Launch nDisplay button.

If you have enabled Every frame in the Lock UE to dropdown, then a few seconds after you've clicked on Launch nDisplay button, you will see real-time stats of Unreal Engine instance.

The stats won't appear if you haven't installed, enabled and set up LightAct plugin correctly.

Additional arguments and console commands

​

​There are 2 textboxes above the Generate command button:

  • Exec cmd line Args: this adds additional command line arguments to the launch command. For example, if you add -trace , Unreal Engine instance will immediately try to connect to UnrealInsights tool.

  • Custom ExecCmds: this passes additional console commands

Advanced settings

If you enable Show advanced settings, you can adjust additional settings of your nDisplay instance. A lot of these are taken from Unreal's default settings, so we won't describe them in detail here.

However, the ones we should explain in a bit more detail are:

  • Render offscreen: this prevents Unreal to create windows and instead renders the content off screen.

  • Enable mGPU: enable this if you use multiple GPUs and want some or all of the nDisplay viewports to render on a different GPU than the one LightAct is rendering on.

There are 2 textboxes above the Generate command button where you can add additional command line arguments or Custom ExecCmds. See Unreal's user docs for more information.

You need an NVidia card with NVLink to enable multiple GPU rendering with Unreal Engine.

Killing nDisplay

To kill an nDisplay instance, just press Kill nDisplay button.

nDisplay instances that were launched by LightAct are also killed when you exit LightAct

More information on Unreal's nDisplay can be found in .

Unreal's User Documentation