Example on how to retrieve the HTC vive controller keypresses using pyopenvr

htc_vive_controller_keypresses.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

import time
import pprint
import openvr


"""
Get the HTC Vive controllers keypresses and print them to screen.

You need to do:
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$HOME/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/linux64:$HOME/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/tools/bin/linux64:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

before executing it.

Expected output:
Left controller:
{   'grip_button': False,
    'menu_button': False,
    'trackpad_pressed': False,
    'trackpad_touched': True,
    'trackpad_x': 0.032959990203380585,
    'trackpad_y': -0.8471328020095825,
    'trigger': 0.0,
    'ulButtonPressed': 0L,
    'ulButtonTouched': 4294967296L,
    'unPacketNum': 2037L}
Right controller:
{   'grip_button': False,
    'menu_button': False,
    'trackpad_pressed': False,
    'trackpad_touched': False,
    'trackpad_x': 0.0,
    'trackpad_y': 0.0,
    'trigger': 0.0,
    'ulButtonPressed': 0L,
    'ulButtonTouched': 0L,
    'unPacketNum': 1146L}



Author: Sammy Pfeiffer <Sammy.Pfeiffer at student.uts.edu.au>
"""


def get_controller_ids(vrsys=None):
    if vrsys is None:
        vrsys = openvr.VRSystem()
    else:
        vrsys = vrsys
    left = None
    right = None
    for i in range(openvr.k_unMaxTrackedDeviceCount):
        device_class = vrsys.getTrackedDeviceClass(i)
        if device_class == openvr.TrackedDeviceClass_Controller:
            role = vrsys.getControllerRoleForTrackedDeviceIndex(i)
            if role == openvr.TrackedControllerRole_RightHand:
                right = i
            if role == openvr.TrackedControllerRole_LeftHand:
                left = i
    return left, right


def from_controller_state_to_dict(pControllerState):
    # docs: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/openvr/wiki/IVRSystem::GetControllerState
    d = {}
    d['unPacketNum'] = pControllerState.unPacketNum
    # on trigger .y is always 0.0 says the docs
    d['trigger'] = pControllerState.rAxis[1].x
    # 0.0 on trigger is fully released
    # -1.0 to 1.0 on joystick and trackpads
    d['trackpad_x'] = pControllerState.rAxis[0].x
    d['trackpad_y'] = pControllerState.rAxis[0].y
    # These are published and always 0.0
    # for i in range(2, 5):
    #     d['unknowns_' + str(i) + '_x'] = pControllerState.rAxis[i].x
    #     d['unknowns_' + str(i) + '_y'] = pControllerState.rAxis[i].y
    d['ulButtonPressed'] = pControllerState.ulButtonPressed
    d['ulButtonTouched'] = pControllerState.ulButtonTouched
    # To make easier to understand what is going on
    # Second bit marks menu button
    d['menu_button'] = bool(pControllerState.ulButtonPressed >> 1 & 1)
    # 32 bit marks trackpad
    d['trackpad_pressed'] = bool(pControllerState.ulButtonPressed >> 32 & 1)
    d['trackpad_touched'] = bool(pControllerState.ulButtonTouched >> 32 & 1)
    # third bit marks grip button
    d['grip_button'] = bool(pControllerState.ulButtonPressed >> 2 & 1)
    # System button can't be read, if you press it
    # the controllers stop reporting
    return d


if __name__ == '__main__':
    max_init_retries = 4
    retries = 0
    print("===========================")
    print("Initializing OpenVR...")
    while retries < max_init_retries:
        try:
            openvr.init(openvr.VRApplication_Scene)
            break
        except openvr.OpenVRError as e:
            print("Error when initializing OpenVR (try {} / {})".format(
                  retries + 1, max_init_retries))
            print(e)
            retries += 1
            time.sleep(2.0)
    else:
        print("Could not initialize OpenVR, aborting.")
        print("Make sure the system is correctly plugged, you can also try")
        print("to do:")
        print("killall -9 vrcompositor vrmonitor vrdashboard")
        print("Before running this program again.")
        exit(0)

    print("Success!")
    print("===========================")
    vrsystem = openvr.VRSystem()

    left_id, right_id = None, None
    print("===========================")
    print("Waiting for controllers...")
    try:
        while left_id is None or right_id is None:
            left_id, right_id = get_controller_ids(vrsystem)
            if left_id and right_id:
                break
            print("Waiting for controllers...")
            time.sleep(1.0)
    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        print("Control+C pressed, shutting down...")
        openvr.shutdown()

    print("Left controller ID: " + str(left_id))
    print("Right controller ID: " + str(right_id))
    print("===========================")

    pp = pprint.PrettyPrinter(indent=4)

    reading_rate_hz = 250
    show_only_new_events = True
    last_unPacketNum_left = 0
    last_unPacketNum_right = 0

    print("===========================")
    print("Printing controller events!")
    try:
        while True:
            time.sleep(1.0 / reading_rate_hz)
            result, pControllerState = vrsystem.getControllerState(left_id)
            d = from_controller_state_to_dict(pControllerState)
            if show_only_new_events and last_unPacketNum_left != d['unPacketNum']:
                last_unPacketNum_left = d['unPacketNum']
                print("Left controller:")
                pp.pprint(d)

            result, pControllerState = vrsystem.getControllerState(right_id)
            d = from_controller_state_to_dict(pControllerState)
            if show_only_new_events and last_unPacketNum_right != d['unPacketNum']:
                last_unPacketNum_right = d['unPacketNum']
                print("Right controller:")
                pp.pprint(d)

    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        print("Control+C pressed, shutting down...")
        openvr.shutdown()