Unreal Engine 5 - DeepSpace-Starter

Unreal Engine 5.7 project template for interactive installations with Pharus laser tracking and nDisplay cluster rendering.

Overview

UE-DeepSpace-Starter is a Blueprint-based project template developed by Ars Electronica Futurelab for the Deep Space 8K installation at the Ars Electronica Center. It integrates Pharus laser tracking hardware with Unreal's nDisplay system for multi-projector setups on floor and wall surfaces.

This is a Blueprint project with included C++ plugins. All core functionality is accessible via Blueprints without compilation. The AefPharus plugin is included with pre-compiled binaries for Pharus laser tracking.

Requirements

• Unreal Engine: 5.7
• Platform: Windows 64-bit / Linux

Quick Links

Download UE DeepSpace Starter (Zips). [Deprecated] versions should still work but are not maintained anymore.

Version	Status	Download
UE 5.7	Current	This repository
UE 5.3	Experimental	Download
UE 5.1	Deprecated	Download
UE 5.0	Deprecated	Download
UE 4.27	Deprecated	Download

Project Structure

UE-DeepSpace-Starter/
├── DeepSpaceStarter/
│   ├── Project/
│   │   ├── DeepSpaceStarter.uproject  # Unreal Engine project file
│   │   ├── Content/                   # Game assets and blueprints
│   │   │   └── DeepSpace/             # Deep Space specific content
│   │   │       ├── Library/           # Blueprint libraries
│   │   │       ├── Maps/              # Level maps
│   │   │       ├── Materials/         # Materials and shaders
│   │   │       ├── Models/            # 3D models
│   │   │       └── Switchboard/       # nDisplay configuration assets
│   │   ├── Config/                    # Project configuration
│   │   │   ├── AefConfig.ini          # Pharus tracking configuration
│   │   │   └── Default*.ini           # Engine/Input/Game settings
│   │   └── Plugins/                   # C++ plugins (optional)
│   │       └── AefPharus/             # Pharus laser tracking plugin
│   ├── Pharus/                        # Pharus simulator tools
│   │   └── DeepSpace/                 # Preconfigured simulators
│   │       ├── TrackLinkSimulator_*/  # TrackLink simulators (multicast/unicast)
│   │       └── pharus-rec-sim-*/      # Pharus recording simulators
│   ├── Deploy/                        # Deep Space deployment folder
│   │   ├── Build/                     # Packaged application (generated)
│   │   ├── Switchboard/               # nDisplay configuration files
│   │   │   └── nDisplay_Deep_Space_8K.ndisplay
│   │   └── project.json               # Deployment configuration
│   └── project.json                   # Development configuration
└── LICENSE

Plugins

AefPharus

C++ plugin for Pharus laser tracking integration (included with pre-compiled binaries).

Features:

• Multi-instance tracking (Floor + Wall)
• 3D room mapping (Floor + 4 walls)
• nDisplay cluster synchronization
• Thread-safe operation
• Blueprint API for runtime control

Documentation: See AefPharus README for detailed configuration.

Engine Plugins

The project uses the following Unreal Engine plugins:

• nDisplay - Multi-projector cluster rendering
• Switchboard - Cluster management and deployment

Getting Started

Prerequisites

1. Install Unreal Engine 5.7

   • Download from Epic Games Launcher
   • Associate .uproject files with UE 5.7

2. Clone or download the repository

   git clone https://github.com/ArsElectronicaFuturelab/UE-DeepSpace-Starter.git
   cd UE-DeepSpace-Starter

   Or download as ZIP from the Quick Links section.

Opening the Project

1. Navigate to DeepSpaceStarter/Project/
2. Double-click DeepSpaceStarter.uproject
3. Unreal Editor will open the project

Running with Switchboard

1. Install Switchboard Dependencies

   • In Unreal Editor: Edit → Editor Preferences → Plugins → Switchboard
   • Click "Install Prerequisites" if prompted
   • Create desktop shortcuts for "Switchboard" and "Switchboard Listener"

2. Start the Application

   • Keep Unreal Editor running with the project open
   • Launch Switchboard from the desktop shortcut
   • Create a new config (Configs → New Config)
   • Run Switchboard Listener from desktop or Tools → Listener

3. Configure nDisplay

   • Add Device → nDisplay Cluster
   • Click "Populate"
   • Choose nDisplay_Desktop.uasset for local testing
   • Click the Plugin-Icon in the table header to connect to listener
   • Click "Start all connected Display devices"

Configuration

Pharus Tracking Configuration

Configuration file: Project/Config/AefConfig.ini

See the AefPharus Plugin Documentation for detailed configuration options.

Pharus Simulator

Preconfigured simulators are available in DeepSpaceStarter/Pharus/DeepSpace/:

• TrackLinkSimulator_MultiCast_Floor/ - TrackLink multicast simulator
• TrackLinkSimulator_UniCast_Floor/ - TrackLink unicast simulator
• pharus-rec-sim-v2.4.0-s0-release_MultiCast_Floor/ - Pharus recording simulator (multicast)
• pharus-rec-sim-v2.4.0-s0-release_UniCast_Floor/ - Pharus recording simulator (unicast)

nDisplay Configuration

Configuration files in Content/DeepSpace/Switchboard/:

• nDisplay_Desktop.uasset - Local development configuration (single screen)
• nDisplay_DeepSpace.uasset - Deep Space 8K production configuration

Important: Do not modify the Deep Space nDisplay configurations. Changes may cause the project to malfunction in the Deep Space environment.

Development

Content Structure

Main content is located in Content/DeepSpace/:

• Maps/ - Level maps for various scenarios
• Library/ - Reusable Blueprint libraries
• Materials/ - Materials and shaders
• Models/ - 3D meshes including projection surfaces
• Switchboard/ - nDisplay configuration assets

Switchboard Settings

Recommended settings for local development:

Setting	Value	Notes
IP Address	127.0.0.1
Render API	DirectX 12
Render Mode	Mono	Use Stereo for 3D output
Render Sync Policy	Config
Texture Streaming	Disabled

Learning Resources

If you're new to nDisplay, check out these tutorials:

• Simple nDisplay Setup in Unreal 5.6
• Unreal Engine 5.4 | Improving nDisplay Rendering
• Unreal Engine 4.27 In-Camera VFX: Introduction
• Unreal Engine 4.27 In-Camera VFX: Switchboard
• Unreal Engine 4.27 In-Camera VFX: nDisplay Config

Production

Packaging the Project

1. Open Project Launcher (File → Project Launcher)
2. Create a custom profile with an appropriate name
3. Configure build options:
   • Build: Development or Shipping
   • Cooking: "By the book"
   • Cooked Platforms: Windows
   • Cooked Maps: Select all used maps
4. Package to DeepSpaceStarter/Deploy/Build/

For more details, see Build Operations Documentation.

Deployment Folder Structure

The Deploy/ folder contains everything needed for Deep Space deployment:

DeepSpaceStarter/Deploy/
├── Build/                              # Packaged application
│   └── Windows/
│       └── DeepSpaceStarter.exe
├── Switchboard/                        # nDisplay configuration
│   └── nDisplay_Deep_Space_8K.ndisplay
└── project.json                        # Deployment configuration

project.json Configuration

Update DeepSpaceStarter/Deploy/project.json for production deployment:

{
    "startMap": "Deep_Space_8K",
    "version": "UE5.7",
    "type": "unreal",
    "wall": {
        "executable": "\\Build\\Windows\\DeepSpaceStarter.exe",
        "nDisplay": "\\Switchboard\\nDisplay_Deep_Space_8K.ndisplay"
    },
    "floor": {
        "executable": "\\Build\\Windows\\DeepSpaceStarter.exe",
        "nDisplay": "\\Switchboard\\nDisplay_Deep_Space_8K.ndisplay"
    }
}

Field	Description
startMap	Name of the level to load at startup
version	Unreal Engine version (UE5.7)
type	Project type (unreal)
wall.executable	Path to packaged executable (relative to Deploy/)
wall.nDisplay	Path to nDisplay configuration for wall projection
floor.executable	Path to packaged executable (relative to Deploy/)
floor.nDisplay	Path to nDisplay configuration for floor projection

Handover / Deployment Package

For Deep Space deployment, zip the entire Deploy/ folder with a descriptive filename:

Naming Convention:

[ProjectName]_[Date]_[2D|3D]_[Version].zip

Examples:

• DeepSpaceStarter_2026-02-05_2D_v1.0.zip
• MyProject_2026-03-15_3D_v2.1.zip
• ArsExhibition_2026-04-20_3D_final.zip

Package Contents:

Deploy/
├── Build/          # Packaged application (Windows/)
├── Switchboard/    # nDisplay configuration (.ndisplay)
└── project.json    # Deployment configuration

Checklist before handover:

• project.json updated with correct startMap and version
• nDisplay configuration exported to Switchboard/
• Application packaged to Build/Windows/
• ZIP filename includes 2D or 3D mode
• ZIP filename includes unique version/date

Important Notes

• Fixed Framerate: Use 30 or 60 FPS to avoid syncing issues
• nDisplay Actor: Always include in maps intended for Deep Space playback
• DirectX 12: Full support for DirectX 12 rendering in UE 5.7
• Stereoscopic 3D: Set Render Mode to Stereo for active 3D output
• Configuration Export: When modifying DeepSpace nDisplay actors, export the .ndisplay file to /Switchboard/

Performance Recommendations

For optimal performance in Deep Space:

Setting	Recommended Value
Ambient Occlusion	Disabled
Anti-Aliasing	FXAA
Dynamic Global Illumination	None
Reflection Method	None
Shadow Map Method	Shadow Maps

License

MIT License - See LICENSE for details.

Credits

Developed by: Ars Electronica Futurelab

Website: https://ars.electronica.art/futurelab/

Support

For technical support or questions:

• Ars Electronica Futurelab
• Unreal Engine nDisplay Documentation
• Switchboard Quick Start Guide