How to Use RUV

Creating the session component

The Rapport Session Component can be created wherever you like, as long as you ensure that it is started before any Player Components are started, and stopped after all Player Components have been stopped. This is because Player Components require an active Session to function.

Once you have decided where to place your Session Component, it will need to be added. This can be done by selecting Add in the Components panel of the chosen blueprint.

The Session Component will also have to be configured with the Rapport Project’s deploy token in order to connect. Details on how to to do this can be found here.

Starting the session

The Rapport Session is started by simply calling Start on the component. For example this can be done in the BeginPlay call of a blueprint.

Once the Rapport Session is started, microphone audio will be captured and sent to Rapport in order to communicate with the character.

Creating the player component

The Rapport Player component should be created in the blueprint of the character which is to be driven by Rapport. This can be done in a similar manner to the Session Component, by selecting Add in the Components panel of the character blueprint.

There is one additional step here, the Rapport Player Component has to be attached to the specific skeletal mesh that is to be driven. For example, MetaHuman blueprints consist of multiple skeletal meshes, but for this simple example the face mesh will be animated. To attach the Rapport Player to the desired skeletal mesh, just drag and drop.

Starting the player

To start the Rapport Player, simply call Start on the component. The Player will then begin receiving audio and animation data from the Rapport Session.

At this point if the project is run, the audio should begin playing without any further input, however for the animation there is one more step.

Setting up animation

In order for the character to actually display the received animation, a Rapport Pose node must be used inside of an animation blueprint which is then assigned to the skeletal mesh that the Rapport Player is attached to.

To assign the animation blueprint to the mesh, select the skeletal mesh component in the character blueprint, go to the details panel and find the Animation section. Here, set the Animation Mode to Use Animation Blueprint. Then, set the Anim Class to the animation blueprint which has the Rapport Pose node implemented.

Stopping the player

To stop the Rapport Player, just call Stop. Audio will no longer play and the character will stop animating. This does not end the connection to Rapport, but simply stops driving the character.

Stopping the session

To stop the Rapport Session, call Stop on the component. This should be done after the Rapport Player Component has been stopped. For example here, Stop is called in the blueprint’s EndPlay call. The Rapport Player Component has already been stopped at this point.