Vlc on Linux with UE4.13.2

Hello,

I’m using UE4.13.2 for a project that needs to run on Ubuntu. The project needs to be able to play videos. To achieve this, I’ve added the 3rd-party plugin that wraps Vlc 3:

Now, I’ve added lots of logging to Unreal and the Plugin, and it looks like:

  • Vlc and its libraries are being found and instantiated
  • The target videos I’m using to test are being found when running on
    Ubuntu
  • Vlc/Plugin are reporting no errors and a status of “Playing”. (*
    “Playing” reappears after the video
    finishes playing as it loops, and
    given the timing of when it
    reappears, it does in fact seem to be
    correct).
  • I used Editor to “auto create” the material/texture like all the various
    tutorials show for other video
    players
  • The video path is relative, and is present when deployed.
  • The test videos being used do play with the same standalone Vlc player
    on Ubuntu, so the codecs/plugins seem
    okay.
  • The video player for the various videos is set to Vlc in the Editor,
    and from the logging I’ve added, it
    is being used.
  • I’ve dragged the auto-created material/texture onto a plane (that
    has UVs) in the test level, which
    itself successfully shows on Windows in-Editor.

The reason I’ve posted a question here is from the various logging/debugging I’ve done (including with “strace” which seems to be Ubuntu’s “filemon” equivelent) is all the parts from Vlc/Ubuntu through to the level appear to be fine. The video seems to be playing, but it’s just not visible - the plane stays black/gray.

The same code successfully plays the videos in-Editor and Editor-standalone.

Question is: How do I debug why the material/texture isn’t showing the apparently ‘playing’ video, JUST on Linux when there appears to be no errors anywhere else? How do I debug this?

Many thanks!