Extended Reality

Half-Light

VR exploration of transitional spaces in Unreal Engine 5

A VR experience exploring liminality and transitional spaces, built with Unreal Engine 5.2 using Blueprint visual scripting, OpenXR, and VRExpansionPlugin. Features a snowfall environment with interactive elements, hand tracking, ambient soundscapes, and cinematic sequences.

Explore details

My role: Sole Developer
Period: Oct 2023 – Sep 2024
Platforms: PC VR
Status: delivered

Tools & technologies

Unreal EngineOpenXRVRExpansionPluginBlueprint Visual ScriptingEnhanced Input SystemNiagara Particle SystemSequencer

Impact & Results

Delivered a complete VR experience with seven modular Blueprint subsystems (player control, hand animation, interaction, UI, level streaming, audio, cinematics) as a solo developer
Implemented a custom skeletal hand animation system with six distinct poses driven by an enum state machine for natural controller-to-hand mapping
Designed a layered spatial audio environment with three ambient soundscapes reinforcing the liminal atmosphere
Achieved stable VR frame timing via forward shading, MSAA 4x, instanced stereo rendering, and baked lighting
Revisited the project nine months post-delivery, adding Sequencer-driven cinematic sequences with dynamic time-of-day transitions

Overview

Half-Light is a VR experience exploring liminality: the quality of ambiguity and disorientation found in transitional spaces. The player is immersed in a quiet snowfall environment where they can interact with objects, listen to layered ambient soundscapes, and watch the world shift around them through dynamic lighting and cinematic sequences. The project investigates how VR's inherently liminal quality (being physically in one space while perceptually inhabiting another) can reinforce themes of transition and in-betweenness.

Built in Unreal Engine 5.2 using an entirely Blueprint-based architecture, Half-Light was developed at Shenandoah University and later revisited with a cinematic upgrade that added Sequencer-driven time-of-day transitions to deepen the environmental storytelling.

Role Summary

Sole developer responsible for all aspects of the project across both versions. In the v2.0 upgrade, performed an engine upgrade and designed the Sequencer-driven cinematic system that synchronizes sun movement with narrative sequences. Continued ownership of the VR interaction architecture, hand animation system, spatial UI framework, ambient audio design, and environment assembly. Managed the full project lifecycle across multiple development branches and a post-course revision.

Non-Technical Summary

This project is a virtual reality experience that explores the feeling of being "in between," a concept called liminality. When you put on a VR headset, you find yourself in a quiet snowfall scene where you can interact with objects, listen to ambient sounds, and watch the world change around you.

In this updated version, the experience now includes cinematic sequences where the sun moves across the sky in real time, creating a sense of time passing within this transitional space. The dynamic lighting adds emotional depth to the environment, shifting the mood from one state to another as the experience progresses.

The project was originally built at Shenandoah University, then revisited and upgraded to push the environmental storytelling further through cinematic techniques.

Highlights

Built an immersive VR liminality experience in Unreal Engine 5.2, delivering a snowfall environment with hand tracking, spatial interactions, and dynamic cinematic sequences
Designed and implemented a custom hand animation system with six skeletal poses driven by an enum state machine, enabling natural VR controller-to-hand mapping
Engineered a Sequencer-driven cinematic system with synchronized directional light movement, creating dynamic time-of-day transitions during gameplay
Integrated OpenXR and VRExpansionPlugin for cross-platform VR support with instanced stereo rendering, forward shading, and MSAA 4x for stable frame timing
Created a layered spatial audio system with wind, fireplace, and snowfall ambient soundscapes to reinforce the liminal atmosphere

Quick Highlights

Dynamic sun cinematic: Sequencer-driven directional light that moves in sync with cinematic sequences
Blueprint-only architecture: full VR experience without any C++ code
Custom skeletal hand model with six animation poses driven by enum state machine
Niagara particle system for realistic snowfall effects
Spatial audio design with layered ambient soundscapes (wind, fireplace, snowfall)
Cross-platform VR via OpenXR with instanced stereo rendering

Technical Breakdown

Player System: The VRPlayer_BP Blueprint serves as the core player controller, managing head and hand tracking through VRExpansionPlugin's VR character framework. Controller input is handled via the Enhanced Input System with a dedicated PlayerInput_IMC Input Mapping Context mapping trigger and grip actions to interaction events.

Hand Animation: The BP_HandAnim Blueprint drives a custom skeletal hand mesh (QK_CustomHand) with physics-enabled bones. Enum_HandAnim defines six animation states: grip, open, pointing, thumbs-up, stretched, and quick-grip. The system transitions between states based on controller input, blending between pre-authored skeletal animations.

Interaction Framework: Interactable_BP provides the base class for all interactive objects using an event-driven pattern. Child Blueprints (VRButton_BP, Campfire_BP) override interaction callbacks, while Enum_ObjectType classifies objects for type-specific behavior.

Dynamic Cinematic System: The v2.0 addition uses Unreal's Sequencer to drive cinematic sequences that animate the scene's directional light. The sun movement is synchronized with the cinematic timeline, creating time-of-day transitions that shift the environment's lighting and mood during gameplay. This adds a temporal dimension to the liminal experience, reinforcing the sense of transition.

UI and Level Management: MainMenuUI_WBP handles the spatial main menu, SpawnUIElement_BP manages dynamic world-space UI, and LevelLoader_Blueprint handles streaming between MainMenu_Level and Snowfall_Level.

Rendering: Forward shading with MSAA 4x, Virtual Shadow Maps, instanced stereo rendering, and Nanite mesh management. Niagara drives the snowfall particle system (Snow_NS). Lumen is disabled in favor of baked lighting for consistent VR frame timing.

Systems Used

VR Player Controller: Blueprint-based VR player system with hand tracking and controller input via Enhanced Input
Hand Animation System: Custom skeletal hand mesh with enum-driven animation states for grip, point, open, and thumbs-up poses
Interaction System: Event-driven interactable base class for VR buttons, campfires, and environmental objects
VR UI System: Spatial UI framework with main menu widget and dynamic UI element spawning
Level Loading System: Blueprint-based level loader for streaming between main menu and gameplay environments
Ambient Audio System: Spatial audio soundscapes with wind, fireplace, and snowfall ambient layers
Dynamic Cinematic System: Sequencer-driven cinematic sequences with synchronized sun movement for environmental time-of-day storytelling

Deep Dive

Conceptual Foundation: The project explores liminality, the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in transitional phases. VR is an inherently liminal medium: the user is physically in one space while perceptually inhabiting another. The snowfall environment reinforces this through visual obscurity, muted audio, and a landscape that feels suspended between states. The v2.0 cinematic system adds a temporal dimension, with the sun's movement creating a sense of time passing within the liminal space.

Blueprint Architecture: The project is built entirely in Blueprint visual scripting rather than C++, chosen for rapid iteration. The modular Blueprint organization separates concerns into player control, interaction, UI, animation, audio, and cinematic subsystems. The Interactable_BP base class pattern allows new interactive object types via child Blueprints that override interaction callbacks.

Hand Tracking Implementation: The hand system uses a custom skeletal mesh (QK_CustomHand) with Enum_HandAnim driving a state machine across six animation clips. Controller input events trigger state transitions: trigger activates grip, thumbstick activates pointing. BP_HandAnim handles animation blending and applies the selected pose each frame.

Dynamic Cinematic System (v2.0): The key addition in v2.0 is a Sequencer-driven cinematic system. The directional light (sun) is keyframed within a Sequencer sequence, and its rotation is animated to simulate time-of-day progression synchronized with the cinematic timeline. This creates a visual narrative layer where the environment's lighting shifts from one state to another, reinforcing the liminal theme of transition. The cinematic plays during gameplay, blending environmental storytelling with player agency.

Environment Design: The Snowfall Level combines Polygon Adventure and Polygon Nature asset packs with custom materials and a Niagara snow particle system (Snow_NS). The environment is designed around a central campfire with surrounding structures, creating a focal point while snowfall dissolves visibility at the edges. The terrain uses multiple landscape layers for varied ground surfaces.

Audio Design: The ambient audio system layers spatial sound sources: omnidirectional wind, a fireplace crackle attached to the campfire Blueprint, and a diffuse snowfall ambient track processed with reverb. The sparse mix reinforces the liminal quality of the space.

VR Performance: The project uses forward shading for reduced overdraw, MSAA 4x for clean antialiasing, instanced stereo rendering for batched eye views, and Virtual Shadow Maps. Lumen is disabled in favor of baked lighting for consistent frame timing. Nanite handles mesh complexity management across the environment.

v2.0: Cinematic Upgrade

v2.0 Overview

Half-Light is a VR experience exploring transitional, in-between spaces through an immersive snowfall environment. Originally built at Shenandoah University, the v2.0 upgrade adds dynamic cinematic sequences with synchronized sun movement, enhancing the environmental storytelling with time-of-day transitions.

Built in Unreal Engine 5.2 using Blueprint visual scripting, the project leverages OpenXR and VRExpansionPlugin for cross-platform VR support. The architecture centers on modular Blueprint subsystems for player control, hand animation, object interaction, spatial UI, level streaming, and cinematic playback.

The upgraded experience features Sequencer-driven cinematics that animate the directional light in sync with narrative sequences, creating a sense of temporal progression within the liminal snowfall environment. Players interact through tracked hand controllers with custom skeletal animations, VR buttons, and environmental objects.

v1.0: Original Course Build

v1.0 Highlights

Built an immersive VR liminality experience in Unreal Engine 5.2 using Blueprint visual scripting, delivering a complete snowfall-themed environment with hand tracking and spatial interactions
Designed and implemented a custom hand animation system with six skeletal poses driven by an enum state machine, enabling natural VR controller-to-hand mapping
Engineered a modular interaction framework using an event-driven Interactable_BP base class, supporting VR buttons, environmental objects, and campfire interactions
Integrated OpenXR and VRExpansionPlugin for cross-platform VR support across PC VR headsets with instanced stereo rendering for performance
Created a spatial audio system layering wind, fireplace, and snowfall ambient soundscapes to reinforce the liminal atmosphere

v1.0 Quick Highlights

Blueprint-only architecture: no C++ code, demonstrating full UE5 Blueprint capability for VR development
Custom skeletal hand model with six animation poses driven by enum state machine
Niagara particle system for realistic snowfall effects
Spatial audio design with layered ambient soundscapes (wind, fireplace, snowfall)
Event-driven interaction system supporting multiple object types
Cross-platform VR via OpenXR with instanced stereo rendering

v1.0 Overview

ARVR-280: Liminality is a VR experience built for Shenandoah University's ARVR-280 course, exploring the concept of liminality: transitional, in-between spaces that evoke a sense of threshold and ambiguity. The experience places the user in a snowfall environment with interactive elements, ambient soundscapes, and environmental storytelling.

Built entirely in Unreal Engine 5.2 using Blueprint visual scripting, the project leverages OpenXR and VRExpansionPlugin for cross-platform VR support. The architecture is organized around a modular Blueprint system with dedicated subsystems for player control, hand animation, object interaction, spatial UI, and level streaming.

The experience features two core levels: a main menu environment and the primary Snowfall Level, connected by a Blueprint-based level loader. Players interact with the world through tracked hand controllers with custom skeletal hand animations, VR buttons, and environmental objects like a campfire.

v1.0 Role Summary

Sole developer responsible for all aspects of the project. Designed the VR interaction architecture, built the hand animation system with custom skeletal meshes, implemented the spatial UI framework, created the ambient audio layering, and assembled the snowfall environment using Niagara particles and Polygon asset packs. Configured OpenXR and VRExpansionPlugin for PC VR deployment. Managed the full development lifecycle from concept through iterative builds across three development branches.

v1.0 Technical Breakdown

Player System: The VRPlayer_BP Blueprint serves as the core player controller, managing head and hand tracking through VRExpansionPlugin's VR character framework. Controller input is handled via the Enhanced Input System with a dedicated PlayerInput_IMC Input Mapping Context that maps trigger and grip actions (LeftTrigger_IA, RightTrigger_IA, LeftGrip_IA, RightGrip_IA) to interaction events.

Hand Animation: The BP_HandAnim Blueprint drives a custom skeletal hand mesh (QK_CustomHand) with physics-enabled bones. An Enum_HandAnim enumeration defines six animation states: grip, open, pointing, thumbs-up, stretched, and quick-grip. The system transitions between states based on controller input, blending between pre-authored skeletal animations for each pose.

Interaction Framework: Interactable_BP provides the base class for all interactive objects, using an event-driven pattern where child Blueprints (VRButton_BP, Campfire_BP) override interaction callbacks. Enum_ObjectType classifies objects for type-specific interaction behavior.

UI System: MainMenuUI_WBP handles the spatial main menu interface, while SpawnUIElement_BP manages dynamic UI element creation in world space. The UI is rendered as 3D widgets attached to the VR scene rather than screen-space overlays.

Level Management: LevelLoader_Blueprint handles transitions between MainMenu_Level and Snowfall_Level, managing level streaming and player state persistence across loads.

Rendering: The project uses forward shading with MSAA 4x, Virtual Shadow Maps, and instanced stereo rendering for VR performance. Nanite is enabled for mesh complexity management, while Niagara drives the snowfall particle system (Snow_NS).

v1.0 Systems Used

VR Player Controller: Blueprint-based VR player system with hand tracking and controller input via Enhanced Input
Hand Animation System: Custom skeletal hand mesh with enum-driven animation states for grip, point, open, and thumbs-up poses
Interaction System: Event-driven interactable base class for VR buttons, campfires, and environmental objects
VR UI System: Spatial UI framework with main menu widget and dynamic UI element spawning
Level Loading System: Blueprint-based level loader for streaming between main menu and gameplay environments
Ambient Audio System: Spatial audio soundscapes with wind, fireplace, and snowfall ambient layers

v1.0 Impact Results

Delivered a complete VR experience as a solo developer within one academic semester
Successfully iterated through three development branches (V1, V2, V3), refining the interaction system and environment with each pass
Achieved stable VR performance using forward shading with MSAA 4x and instanced stereo rendering
Demonstrated the viability of Blueprint-only VR development in UE5 without requiring C++ code

v1.0 Deep Dive

Conceptual Foundation: The project explores liminality, a concept from anthropology describing the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in transitional phases. The VR medium was chosen specifically because it creates an inherent liminal state: the user is physically in one space while perceptually inhabiting another. The snowfall environment reinforces this through visual obscurity, muted audio, and a landscape that feels suspended between states.

Blueprint Architecture Decisions: The project was built entirely in Blueprint visual scripting rather than C++. This was a deliberate choice for rapid iteration during a semester-long course. The modular Blueprint organization separates concerns into player control, interaction, UI, animation, and audio subsystems, each encapsulated in its own Blueprint class. The Interactable_BP base class pattern allows new interactive object types to be added by creating child Blueprints that override interaction callbacks, without modifying the core system.

Hand Tracking Implementation: The hand system uses a custom skeletal mesh (QK_CustomHand) rather than the default VRExpansionPlugin hands. The Enum_HandAnim enumeration drives a state machine that selects between six pre-authored animation clips. Controller input events trigger state transitions: pulling the trigger activates the grip pose, pressing the thumbstick activates the pointing pose, and so on. The BP_HandAnim Blueprint handles the animation blending and applies the selected pose to the skeletal mesh each frame.

Environment Design: The Snowfall Level combines Polygon Adventure and Polygon Nature asset packs with custom materials and a Niagara-driven snow particle system (Snow_NS). The environment is designed around a central campfire with surrounding structures, creating a focal point that draws the player's attention while the snowfall creates a sense of boundary dissolution at the edges of visibility. The terrain uses multiple landscape layers for varied ground surfaces.

Audio Design: The ambient audio system layers multiple spatial sound sources: a wind loop that provides omnidirectional atmosphere, a fireplace crackle attached to the campfire Blueprint, and a snowfall ambient track processed with reverb to feel diffuse and directionless. The audio mix is designed to feel sparse, reinforcing the liminal quality of the space.

VR Performance: The project targets PC VR headsets and uses several UE5 optimization strategies: forward shading instead of deferred for reduced overdraw, MSAA 4x for antialiasing without temporal artifacts, instanced stereo rendering to batch both eye views, and Virtual Shadow Maps for efficient shadow rendering. Lumen global illumination is disabled in favor of baked lighting for consistent frame timing.