Skip to main content
Version: 3.5.x

Haply Inverse Service

The Inverse Service runs as a background process on your machine, connecting Haply haptic devices to your application in real time. It handles everything below your code: device detection, serial communication, safety monitoring, and state streaming — so you can focus on building the experience.

Requirements & Compatibility​

The service runs on the major desktop platforms and can be driven from any language with a WebSocket client and a JSON parser:

  • Platforms: Windows 10+ (MSVC), Linux (.deb package), macOS
  • Languages: Python, JavaScript / TypeScript, C++, C#, Rust, Go, Java, … anything that speaks WebSocket + JSON

Officially supported integrations​

Haply maintains first-party integrations for the Haply Inverse Unity Package, Toia, Geomagic Freeform, and NVIDIA Isaac Lab.

Beyond those, the service is usable from any platform or runtime that ships a WebSocket client and a JSON parser — we've run it alongside Unreal Engine, TouchDesigner, and other real-time or simulation stacks. If your environment can open a WebSocket, it can drive an Inverse device.

For language-specific examples, see the public sample repositories: C++ and Python.

Communication Interfaces​

The service exposes two communication channels:

ChannelPortTransportPurpose
Simulation10001WebSocketReal-time command / state loop (1 message in → 1 state out)
Events10020WebSocket (read-only)System events: safety, battery, connection, rate warnings
HTTP10001RESTStateless config queries, settings, session management, device inspection

All payloads are JSON. See JSON Conventions for the standard envelope, ports, and content-type rules.

Use Cases​

GoalWhere to start
Send forces or position targets to a haptic deviceRealtime Control
Configure basis, mount, preset, or filtersSession Configuration
Navigate a scene (rate-control locomotion)Navigation Module
Listen to system events (safety, battery, connection)Events & Monitoring
Learn by exampleTutorials

Coordinate System​

Haply's internal frame is right-handed, Z-up (+X right, +Y forward, +Z up). You can remap it to your application's frame with a single basis permutation — once set, all inputs and outputs are automatically converted.

Two transforms position the device in your scene:

  • Mount — the physical offset of the device (set via a preset or explicitly)
  • Workspace — a runtime drift for camera/scene navigation (set manually or via the Navigation module)

See Mount & Workspace for the full coordinate pipeline.

Running the Service​

The Inverse Service can run in two modes:

  • Embedded in the Haply Hub (recommended) — the Haply Hub bundles the latest service version and starts it automatically whenever the Hub is open. No manual setup; you always get the latest fixes.
  • Standalone — install a specific service version as a Windows service or Unix daemon using the Inverse Installer. Useful for CI, headless deployments, or machines where the Hub isn't running.

Managing the standalone service​

Windows — open the Services app: press Win+R, type services.msc, find "Haply Inverse Service", right-click → Start / Stop / Restart.

Linux (systemd):

systemctl start haply-inverse-service.service
systemctl stop haply-inverse-service.service
systemctl restart haply-inverse-service.service
systemctl enable haply-inverse-service.service   # auto-start on boot

Full API Reference​

For the complete machine-readable specification of every endpoint and message: