VRDPI

Project Overview

The VRDPI is intended to be a tool for deep packet capture and analysis in Virtual Reality. Using standard virtual reality controls (Oculus Touch, Vive Motion Controllers) users will be able to select a network interface to capture and a duration of the capture. Packet capture will be completed in the background (seperate thread) and the results will be displayed inside VR.

Project Goals

• Render deep packet inspection results in a virtual reality environment. Utilizing the WinPCap library, Unreal Engine 4 with 99% C++ UE4 API.
• Renders each TCP/UDP session in the form of a packet column. The packet columns representing each session’s packet stream are arrayed in front of the user after capture in the form of a semi-arc.
• Users will utilize standard VR motion controller interface patterns to navigate the VR environment. Including VR teleportation, direct controller to object manipulations, and controller to remote object at a distance manipulations.
• User can also resize a packet to make the data displayed on its front face larger and more clear.
• Information inside the packet is divided into layers which represent each layer of the network stack. Frame layer, Ethernet layer, IP layer, TCP layer, and finally the application layer.
• Each layer will be color coded. Each layer will display its data in hexadecimal format.

Developer

• Marlon West

Project Adviser

• Jurgen Schulze

Technologies

• Unreal Engine v4.15.1
• WinPCap Library v4.1.2
• Oculus Rift
• HTC Vive

TODO

• Add PacketBox decals for each Packetbox, indicating packet #, timestamp and if it is an ACK.
• Setup PacketBox information display widget. Widget will have multiple collapsible fields that are inside a scrolling area.
• Setup packet resizing, scaling the height and width of the box while maintaining the same depth.
• Setup session recognition, divide packet column into session columns.
• Attempt a real-time packet capture animation
• Add a statistical output board close by the podium.

Project Development Blog

March

3/23/17

First Screenshot of VRDPI

• Created VRDPI Unreal Engine 4.15.1 Project using the C++ template.
• Imported relevant class files from DemoA project.
• Created large (5km x 5km) floor.
• Created "Target" material in Photoshop (2000x2000) for origin floor indicator. Imported into UE4 as texture.
• Created blender model for podium. Imported into UE4 as static mesh.

First Packet Capture of VRDPI

3/24/17

• Created PacketHelper class and linked the WinPCap static library into the project.
• Extended PacketHelper as a child of FRunnable UE4 class in order to make the packet capture multithreaded.
• Successfully tested packet capture in VR.

3/25/17

• Researched how to properly integrate C style callbacks with UE4.
• Reconfigured PacketHelper class to push data back to PlayerController object.

3/26/17

• Created PacketHolder class to contain individual packets.
• Added static methods for retrieving adapter configuration to PacketHelper.
• Created Podium class and podium widget dialog to let the user setup and initiate the packet capture.

Podium control widget, VRDPI

3/27/17

• Debugged and improved the Podium widget
• Created AdapterButton class to contain the buttons which display the adapter list on the podium.

3/28/17

• Finished widget functionality implementation. Capture packet button will be disabled during a packet captured and re-enabled after.
• Created PacketBox actor class which will hold the virtual representation of a packet in VR.
• Created Blender models for the PacketBox and the handle. Imported into UE4 as static meshes.

Packets represented in VR, VRDPI

3/29/17

• Fleshed out PacketBox class adding the materials and meshes. Added event handling.
• Created a PacketBox generation method in Podium, aligns the packets linearly, pointing in the direction specified.

3/30/17

• Added local and remote movement capabilities to PacketBox.

Packet Chain Labels, VRDPI

3/31/17

• Created Decal images for Cargo Container font. Imported images into UE4
• Created Decal materials for all the Cargo Container font images.
• Created DecalHelper class to store the Decal material instances, and use them to return new decal instances upon demand.
• Added CreateDecalsFromString to Podium class to convert String->Decal actors.

April

4/1/17

• Created algorithm to arrange decals at regular intervals in a Packetbox chain, given a direction vector and origin.

4/2/17

• Debugged process for taking multiple captures, one after the other. VRDPI now can capture more than once and arranges the captures in a line, one after the other.

Remote manipulation of packet via pointer beam, VRDPI

4/3/17

• Researched FStreamableManager to facilitate asynchronis loading of assets.
• Created Loading widget.
• Adapted Podium class to use pool of pre-allocated actor objects.
• Tested 10,000 packets, but allocated 16gb+ and crashed. With 1,000 packets the operation took ~2 seconds.
• Opted for 1,000 packet soft limit, which the user can add to with additional captures.
• Created packet capture indicator animation on the Podium widget.

Packet capture indicator, VRDPI

4/4/17

• Created algorithm for arranging decals on the side of a packet box.

4/5/17

• Tested and debugged algorithm for placing packet box decals on the PacketBoxes. Added variable scaling to packet box labels.
• Filled in PacketBox widget, creating buttons and collapsible text areas.
• Added alphanumeric characters to decal alphabet.
• Aligned PacketBox widget with front of packet.

4/7/17

• Researched how to dynamically resize text areas in a widget. Found the Size widget component which allows you to specify the size.
• Setup the PacketBox widget to display five deep packet analysis layers. The layers are as follows: Frame Layer, Ethernet Layer, IP Layer, TCP Layer and Application Layer.
• Created a method for calculating the lines used by a given frame analysis.
• Created 3 typedefs for storing packet header data, for ethernet, ip, udp and tcp layers.
• Created generateEthernetFrameString(), generateIPFrameString() and generateTCPFrameString(). These methods copys raw values from the packet buffer to their respective typedefs, as well as building a string output of their respective packet headers.

4/7/17

• Performed first deep packet analysis in VR by inspecting captured packets with the PacketBox widget.