HexRig
The Project
HexRig is a unity project that aims at approximating real life movement and allows physics-based control of a virtual character using a “hexabody” collision model. Allows for a full range of motion in a roomscale environment.
> GitHub Repo
Walking and Running
With HexRig, the player's body is mounted on a sphere that allows them to walk and run over different types of terrain smoothly and easily. The upper body is mounted using a spring-based spine that dampens shocks and vibrations, and ensures that the sphere is in contact with the ground.
Climbing
HexRig's grabbing capabilities allow the player to climb objects using their hands. Grababble objects can be fixed in space to create hand holds that the player can use to physically pull themselves up.
Jumping
The longer the player holds the jump button, the stronger their jump will be. The rig achieves this by compressing its spine based on how long the button was held. The player can also swing their arms while jumping to influence the motion of the jump.
Physical crouching and tiptoeing
The rig's head height follows the actual height of the player's head. This allows the player to physically crouch and crawl under objects in the virual environment. This also allows the player to peek over objects by standing on their tiptoes.
Virtual crouching and tiptoeing
The player can achieve the same crouching and tiptoeing mechanics virtually by manually ajusting the rig's head height with an analog stick. This allows the player to use the rig in a static standing or sitting position if desired.
Roomscale Movement
The player can also navigate the virtual environment by physically moving around in the real world (also known as roomscale movement). This allows the player to finely ajust their position in the virtual environment, allowing for more accurate control of the rig.
Interacting with objects
The rig allows the player to push or grab objects with one or both hands. The physical properties of the objects (mass, volume, etc...) influence the dynamics of these interactions.
Configurable
HexRig's properties such as movement speed, weight and jump strength can be manually tweaked to suit any use case. The player's height is also automatically accounted for with no calibration required.