Controllers
Familiarise yourself with the controllers before you get started and make sure you are comfortable with the buttons.
Vive
Valve Index
User Interface Functionality
Menu / B
Use this button to access the Tool Wheel and change tools.
- Press and hold the button to summon a radial menu, then twist your hand to align with the tool, and release.
- Click the Menu Button to toggle between the current tool and the primary tool (Grabber on your main hand, Navigator on your off hand).
- Click the Menu Buttons on both controllers at the same time to go to the Asset Library.
ThumbPad / ThumbStick
The ThumbPad tracks the position of your thumb and provides access to functionality relative to your selected tool via a radial menu of up to four options – left, right, top and bottom.
Tool |
Left |
Right |
Top |
Bottom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navigator | Undo | Redo | Show menu | Reset position |
| Grabber | Undo | Redo | Show menu | Reset position |
| Animator | Go to Start | Forward a beat | Record | Shuttle |
| Sketcher | Undo | Redo | Show menu | Show menu |
| Airbrush | – | – | Smaller spread | Bigger spread |
| Tape Measure | Distance left | Distance right | Distance up | Distance down |
| Destroyer | Undo | Redo | – | – |
| Multiple Select | Cancel Selection | Cancel Selection | Cancel Selection | Cancel Selection |
| Duplicator | Undo | Redo | 1 or Multiple | – |
Some tools use the thumb tracking for additional control, e.g. the Airbrush uses it to adjust the spray width, the Navigator uses it to determine your facing after teleport.
Tapping (not clicking) the ThumbPad will identify the target in the WristPad (see the Inspector tool for details).
Trigger
Pulling the trigger performs the primary action for the tool, e.g. teleporting with the Navigator, moving something with the Grabber, etc.
Tool | Trigger |
|---|---|
| Navigator | Undo (Click) |
| Grabber | Grab (Hold) |
| Animator | Animate (Click) |
| Sketcher | Draw Shapes (Click) |
| Airbrush | Paint (Hold) |
| Tape Measure | Measure (Click) |
| Destroyer | Destroy (Hold) |
| Multiple Select | Select (Click) |
| Duplicator | Copy (Hold) |
The Vive trigger is sensitive to how far it is pushed and some tools use this. For example, the Viewfinder targets something with a soft squeeze and creates a camera with a hard squeeze.
Grip
This can be an awkward button to locate, but with 1st finger on the trigger you should find it on the side of the controller under your 2nd & 3rd fingertips (Vive) and 2nd,3rd & 4th fingertips (Index).
Tool | Grip |
|---|---|
| Navigator | |
| Grabber | |
| Animator | |
| Sketcher | Toggle Snap |
| Airbrush | |
| Tape Measure | |
| Destroyer | |
| Multiple Select | |
| Duplicator |
The main use of the grip buttons is to move around the stage:
-
Press and hold the grip button on one controller to move horizontally or vertically (but not both at the same time).
-
Press and hold the grip button on both controllers to turn or scale yourself.
See also: Getting around the stage
In many contexts, clicking the grip button will toggle alternative behaviour for the current action. For example, clicking the grip button while holding something will toggle whether the thing should be kept vertical.
Other Buttons
The System Menu button is not used by FirstStage (except to wake the controllers).
The other features are the charging indicator, USB socket and Lighthouse detectors, and also do not have FirstStage functionality.