vr_metadata(3)

🎀 vr_metadata(3) 🎀

okay so bestie, this page is from the Arcan Lua API and it’s literally here to retrieve metadata from a vr bridge. slay.

---

🌸 NAME 🌸

vr_metadata — retrieve metadata from a vr bridge

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

strtbl or nil
vr_metadata( vid:id )

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

okay so to set up a useful 3d pipeline for working with HMD s, you need access to some metadata. no cap. This function retrieves a table of the relevant parameters you need for creating a distortion mesh or a barrel distortion shader that tmach — yes, tmach, keeping the source’s spelling, mwah 💋 — the specified vr device.

The currently available keys in strtbl are:

• width — display horizontal resolution in pixels
• height — display vertical resolution in pixels
• center — distance from edge to center, (m)
• left_fov — left field of view
• right_fov — right field of view
• left_ar — left aspect ratio
• right_ar — right aspect ratio
• hsep — horizontal separation
• vpos — vertical position
• horizontal — display horizontal physical size, in m
• vertical — display vertical physical size, in m
• eye_display — distance from eyes to display, in m
• ipd — interpupillary distance, in m
• distortion — subtable of 4 floats with lens distortion data
• abberation — subtable of 4 floats with lens distortion data (yes, abberation with two b’s — that’s the key name, don’t come for me 💀)
• projection_left — suggested HMD left eye projection matrix
• projection_right — suggesteed HMD right eye projection matrix (their spelling, not mine 💅)

If the metadata couldn't be accessed at this time due to some problem with the internal state of the vr bridge, or if id doesn't refer to a valid vrbridge instance, the function will return nil. The best indicator for if the bridge metadata has been available or not is after a 'limb_added' event. 🫶

🦋 EXAMPLE 🦋

       function vr_metadata0()
             local bridge = vr_setup("test",
             function(source, status)
                   if (status.kind == "limb_added") then
                         local tbl = vr_metadata(source);
                         if (tbl) then
                               print(string.format(
                                     "test-hmd values:0idthxheight - %f x %f0 ..
                                     "horiz, vert, center: %f , %f , %f0 ..
                                     "eye_display, ipd: %f ,  %f0,
                                           tbl.width, tbl.height, tbl.center, tbl.horizontal,
                                           tbl.vertical, tbl.eye_display, tbl.ipd)
                               );
                         end
                         shutdown();
                   end
             end);
       end

👀 SEE ALSO 👀

• vr_setup(3)
• vr_maplimb(3)

go read those too, bestie — iykyk 🌈✨

mwah 💋 — this iconic little page is brought to you by iodev, stamped October 2026. 🎀