FrameAssistant

Steam Frame companion for Home Assistant.

FrameAssistant runs on the Steam Frame (and on x86_64 Linux PCs with SteamVR). It connects the headset to Home Assistant in both directions:

• Sensors: it reports the state of the headset and its surroundings to Home Assistant.
• Services: Home Assistant can call it, e.g. to show notifications in the headset.
• Dashboard: a SteamVR dashboard tab to view and control Home Assistant from inside VR.

Status: early development. The overlay platform works on the Frame; the Home Assistant parts are being planned; see docs/REQUIREMENTS.md and docs/PROGRESS.md.

Platform

FrameAssistant grew out of a SteamVR dashboard-overlay template, which it still builds on:

• Plain QML UI: rendered off-screen and shown as a SteamVR dashboard tab. Users can float or pin the tab anywhere, and it stays visible in games.
• Input: SteamVR's laser (as mouse), thumbstick scrolling, the SteamVR keyboard (opens for text fields), and D-pad/button navigation via rebindable SteamVR Input actions.
• Vulkan by default, with OpenGL as an automatic fallback. On the Frame, Vulkan is about 1.9× faster, since OpenGL runs through zink there.
• Several views per app ("surfaces"), e.g. several dashboard tabs sharing one QML engine and its data.
• Develop without a headset: desktop preview window, offscreen snapshots, benchmark.
• Frame packages of about 3 MB, using SteamOS's own Qt; a self-contained variant with Qt bundled is also available. Packages come with install.sh/uninstall.sh and a deploy script.

Quick start

Requirements:

• CMake ≥ 3.22, Ninja, a C++20 compiler, and Qt ≥ 6.5 (Quick, QuickControls2, OpenGL; Test for the tests)
• Vulkan headers (optional; without them the build is OpenGL only)
• Docker or Podman, for the Frame builds

The OpenVR SDK files are downloaded automatically when CMake configures the build (-DOPENVR_ROOT=<sdk> to build offline).

cmake --preset native-debug && cmake --build --preset native-debug
ctest --preset native-debug

build/native-debug/bin/frame-assistant --desktop            # UI in a window, no SteamVR
build/native-debug/bin/frame-assistant --snapshot out.png   # one frame through the VR path
build/native-debug/bin/frame-assistant                      # as dashboard tab (SteamVR running)
build/native-debug/bin/frame-assistant --install-manifest   # register + auto-start with SteamVR

On the Steam Frame:

scripts/package-release.sh                 # → dist/frame-assistant-0.1.0-linux-arm64.tar.gz
scripts/deploy-to-frame.sh <user>@<frame>  # copy over SSH and install (SteamVR must run)

Details are in docs/STEAM-FRAME.md.

Development

• App identity (app key net.matzman.frameassistant, tab name, executable name frame-assistant, texture size) is set in the root CMakeLists.txt. The executable must not be named like a SteamVR process such as vrdashboard (CMake checks this).
• UI: src/qml/, with Main.qml as the root. List new QML files under QML_FILES in vrdash_add_dashboard() in src/CMakeLists.txt. Iterate with --desktop and --snapshot.
• C++ logic: the app class src/Dashboard.h/.cpp derives from DashboardApplication. It adds views in its constructor (addSurface()), keeps its objects as members and wires them up in the loading()/started() overrides.
• Controller buttons: actions and default bindings are in resources/input/.
• Ship it: scripts/package-release.sh and scripts/deploy-to-frame.sh, see docs/STEAM-FRAME.md.

How the pieces fit together: docs/ARCHITECTURE.md.

Command line

frame-assistant understands:

Option	Meaning
(none)	Run as SteamVR dashboard overlay (SteamVR must be running)
--desktop	Show the UI in desktop windows, one per surface; no SteamVR
--snapshot <png>	Render one frame per surface off-screen and save it (<name>-<id>.png with several surfaces)
--benchmark <frames>	Render frames back to back with a full GPU wait each and print frame times
--graphics-api vulkan|opengl	Render backend. Default: Vulkan, falling back to OpenGL if Vulkan doesn't start; an explicit choice never falls back
--app-key <key>, --app-name <name>	Override app key and name, e.g. to run a second instance
--max-fps <fps>	Frame-rate cap (default 60); rendering only happens on change
--install-manifest [--launch]	Register with SteamVR (auto-start) and optionally start it now; works over SSH
--uninstall-manifest	Unregister
--manifest <path>	Manifest for the two options above (default: the app's own)
--log-file <path>	Also log to a file (relative paths: relative to the install folder)

Testing

ctest --preset native-debug     # unit + render tests (GPU tests skip without a GPU context)
scripts/container-test.sh       # all tests in Debian incl. Vulkan with validation layers
VK_DRIVER=lvp scripts/container-test.sh   # same on the lavapipe software driver

Repository layout

Path	Content
src/main.cpp, src/Dashboard.*, src/qml/	The app
src/app/	DashboardApplication (app base class), Surface (one view)
src/render/	Off-screen Qt Quick renderer; Vulkan and OpenGL backends
src/vr/	SteamVR connection, overlays (dashboard tab)
src/input/	Laser/scroll/keyboard → Qt events; SteamVR Input navigation
resources/	SteamVR manifest template, input actions and bindings
tests/	Unit and render tests
cmake/	vrdash_add_dashboard(), OpenVR download, Qt bundling, toolchain
docker/, scripts/	Build containers; build, package, deploy and test scripts
docs/	Requirements, progress, architecture, Steam Frame notes

License

MIT, see LICENSE. Third-party components (OpenVR SDK, Qt; in bundled builds also their dependencies) are listed in THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.