Distributors - Video Distributors

The Video Distributor module in HoloMIT SDK is designed to independently route, stream, and receive video feeds (either from a Webcam or a custom RenderTexture) outside the standard User Representation pipeline. This is highly useful for streaming external media, screens, or secondary cameras into a session.

Overview

The primary script driving this feature is VideoDistributor.cs, located at Assets\Distributors\Video\. It allows a GameObject to act as either a Producer (broadcasting video) or a Consumer (receiving video) based on a shared videoID.

Modes of Operation

1. Producer (VideoDistributorMode.Producer)

   • Captures frames from a VideoSourceType (either WebCam or a Unity RenderTexture).
   • Uses VideoEncoder (with optional hardware acceleration like CUDA) to compress the video.
   • Pushes the stream to the network orchestrator via MediaWriter using the specific videoID.
   • Automatically displays the local feed on the assigned targetRenderer.

2. Consumer (VideoDistributorMode.Consumer)

   • Subscribes to a stream matching its configured videoID using MediaReader.
   • Decompresses the incoming feed via VideoDecoder.
   • Applies the resulting Texture2D directly onto its targetRenderer in the LateUpdate() loop.

Sample Scene Walkthrough

You can find an example implementation in Assets\DevelopmentTests\Distributors\. This scene demonstrates a closed-loop test of the distributor.

Step-by-step functionality of the sample:

1. Setup the Producer:

   • A GameObject is equipped with the VideoDistributor component set to Producer mode.
   • The sourceType is configured (e.g., RenderTexture playing a sample video via a VideoPlayer, or WebCam).
   • A targetRenderer (like a Plane or Quad) is assigned so you can see what is being broadcasted.
   • A unique videoID (e.g., 123) is set.

2. Setup the Consumer:

   • Another GameObject in the scene has the VideoDistributor component, but set to Consumer mode.
   • It is configured with the exact same videoID (123) as the Producer.
   • A separate targetRenderer is assigned to display the incoming stream.

3. Runtime Execution:

   • When you press Play, the Producer initializes its reader, encodes the frames, and sends them to the network layer (or loopback).
   • Simultaneously, the Consumer connects, decodes the packets matching its ID, and dynamically updates its material to show the live video.

Example of the Video Distributor Producer and Consumer side-by-side in a scene.