We touched on this before but I can’t find the posts. Basically, I just want to play around with using VoiceAttack to restart PVRHome. Pitools would still be running, I just want to get back into PVRHome after a game.
Thinking about it, I guess I’m asking what the best way is to end SteamVR?
Thanks!
ps: according to my GoogleFu, this isn’t exactly easy. Apparently, it’s not as simple as just killing vrmonitor.exe…
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PE runs = SteamVR not running.
SteamVR runs = PE not running.
PiTool is always running unless you quit it.
But if you quit PiTool, PE functionality will be halted (settings etc) as it depends on PiTool communication.
Best way to end SteamVR = Click system button on controller (brings up the SteamVR Dashboard) click the Quit icon and then Quit VR. Now PE starts automatically.
PiTool automatically starts PE when SteamVR is quit or if no game is running. But while SteamVR is running, there is no way to force start PE.
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There is one way you could do it.
I could make a batch that kills SteamVR, put it on /appdata/localLow/Pimax/PVRHome/Runtime (where the restart batch is already in Beta 0.40) and you could maybe import that batch as a non-steam game into Steam and add it to SteamVR library.
Click on that “game” and SteamVR quits, your headset restarts in a few seconds and starts PE. Not a pretty solution but might work.
Note: if PiTool is set to start VRHome automatically (the checkbox), then PiService have full control over PE start/quit. There is no way to force PE start outside of PiTool then. This is why I had to create a batch to restart PE. It restarts PiService and then starts PE again.
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That’s just too funny. I’ve been enjoying VR since April of 2016 and I don’t think I’ve ever used that! Not sure that I even knew about it, lol.
Actually, that works just fine, I don’t see any reason to do anything but educate idiots like me! 
Thanks!
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Same here man, April 2016 hehe… but I still learn new stuff everyday. Thats what makes it exciting 
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what’s the best way to do this without a controller? I’d like to be able to change pitool settings on the fly while in a sim (no controller) ideally… can we get to PE via a keyboard shortcut?
Once you’re in your sim, you are in SteamVR. At that point, it’s the SteamVR interactions that you need and those are up to Valve. Without a controller, I think that you are limited to mouse and keyboard. Which means that you need to do your adjustments (which would be SteamVR settings) from the desktop with a mouse and close SteamVR from your desktop with your mouse. PVRHome will automatically start when SteamVR ends.
Pitool settings can be adjusted from there, but SteamVR, and your sim, will be closed.
To be clear: As far as I know, PVRHome and SteamVR cannot exist at the same time.
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Once you are in a game, you cant launch PE simultanously. The application can only run while not being inside of SteamVR or a game. I could have done the PE as a SteamVR overlay, but it wouldnt make any sense, as due to the nature of how settings are applied to the HMD, there is no way to apply settings on the fly while a game is running (with a few exceptions such as brightness, contrast etc).
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Very simply, a SteamVR overlay, in theory, could offer very limited functionality. Like show a message reading out current PE settings, and then close in five seconds.
All of the really useful functionality of PE happens before SteamVR is running though, as you correctly point out. Moreover, every time I read SteamVR overlays specifications, I find it an overwhelming mess of stuff being done in 3D that is inherently only 2D. The software architecture and lack of support is so bad I suspect SteamVR is headed for deprecation by Valve. Just on account of that, it would not merit much development effort.
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Thanks for the response bud, it’s a great step forward regardless so keep up the good work.
On a less but still related note… is there an easy way to bring up SteamVR overlay via keyboard shortcut?