Introduction

As part of my final-year project on Digital Twin simulation and virtual commissioning of a Festo Modular Production System (MPS), I developed a complete simulation pipeline using:

• Siemens NX Mechatronics Concept Designer (MCD) for physics-based mechanical modelling

• TIA Portal with PLCSIM Advanced for PLC logic and HMI development

While the integration of these platforms was the project’s core focus, I also explored a non-essential but highly insightful enhancement — connecting Siemens NX to Meta Quest 2 to view the digital twin simulation in virtual reality (VR).

This post presents the optional integration, why it matters in modern engineering workflows, and how it supports enhanced visualisation, debugging, and demonstration.

• Node-RED Under development

Why experiment with VR?

Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming an increasingly valuable tool in engineering due to its ability to enhance the interaction between designers and engineers and complex systems. In product design and prototyping, VR allows teams to evaluate scale, ergonomics, and spatial layout before committing to physical builds, reducing both time and material costs. It plays a critical role in simulation and testing by enabling engineers to immerse themselves in digital twins of machines or production systems, allowing for detailed inspection of motion, clearances, and assembly logic. Industries such as automotive and aerospace use VR for virtual assembly trials, cockpit design validation, and aerodynamics visualisation. In industrial automation, VR supports the development and commissioning of production lines by helping engineers detect design flaws and optimise layouts early in the process. It is also widely used for maintenance planning and operator training, providing a safe environment to rehearse repair procedures or workflow interactions without the risk of damaging real equipment. In education, VR transforms abstract concepts into tangible experiences, helping students better understand automation sequences, mechanical behaviour, and control logic by allowing them to "walk through" systems that would otherwise exist only on-screen. Across these domains, VR fosters more profound understanding, improves collaboration, and supports the design of more efficient, user-centred engineering solutions

What You See in VR

Once connected, the entire Siemens NX workspace becomes viewable in VR. Unlike VR-native design tools, this setup mirrors the existing NX simulation. While not an interactive scene (you can't grab objects with controllers), it allows immersive inspection of the model from any angle and scale.

I was able to:

• Walk around the MPS assembly as if it were a real machine

• Inspect joint movements (e.g., gripper arms, sliders)

• Observe piston travel paths to validate stroke lengths and obstructions

• Spot collision or spacing issues between sensors and workpieces

Setup: Connecting Siemens NX MCD to Meta Quest 2

Tools Used:

• Meta Quest 2 (via Oculus Link for wired setup)

• SteamVR (VR runtime)

• MoreViz VR Bridge by more3D – a tool that enables VR display of supported CAD software, including Siemens NX

• Siemens NX MCD with TIA Portal  (for simulation)

Configuration Process:

• Install MoreViz Launcher and enable Siemens NX integration using the MoreViz Enabler.

• Set a path to the SteamVR launcher.

• In MoreViz settings, set the Output type to SteamVR (HMD) and change the Connection type to Shared Memory.

• In MoreViz Launcher, set the mode to Head Mounted Display.

• Connect the VR headset to SetamVR.

• Load the simulation in NX, ensuring it is in Perspective View and using Shaded rendering.

• Start the moreViz Client, select “Single Client Mode”, and verify the connection status.

• Launch SteamVR, then connect Meta Quest 2 using Oculus Link (or Air Link if wireless).

• Inside the headset, Siemens NX is rendered as a floating scene in VR, including models, assemblies, and interactive camera movement.

Tip: In NX, using the “Perspective” view and resetting the camera position helped position the model correctly in VR space.

Limitations and Considerations

• Limited interactivity: The VR view is passive — you can’t interact directly with NX models using hand gestures or controllers.

• Performance scaling: Very complex assemblies may reduce frame rates. Simplified geometry or level-of-detail adjustments may help.

• License/access constraints: MoreViz is proprietary and may require a license depending on your setup (Demo Available).

• Not natively integrated into TIA Portal: This VR view doesn’t reflect PLC outputs in real-time unless combined with runtime visualisation tools.

Final Thoughts - Experimental but Valuable

The use of VR in my project was experimental, but highly insightful. It provided a more intuitive and engaging way to evaluate the mechanical elements of the digital twin and revealed subtle issues that 2D CAD views could obscure.

If you're working with Siemens NX MCD or building digital twins for automation systems, integrating VR might not be essential, but it’s certainly worth exploring. With just a few additional setup steps, you can gain a new layer of spatial awareness and system insight that enhances how you validate mechanical design and present your work. 

While the demonstration videos included in this project provide a general sense of the VR experience, they don’t fully capture the immersion due to camera shake caused by natural headset movement. In practice, viewing the simulation directly in the Meta Quest 2 headset is much more stable and engaging.

That said, running Siemens NX, TIA Portal with PLCSIM Advanced, VR software (via moreViz and SteamVR), and screen recording simultaneously is demanding—even for high-performance PCs. Occasional stutters and dropped frames are expected under such load. Despite these technical limitations, the integration of VR proved to be a compelling extension that supports a more human-centric and interactive approach to automation engineering, one that aligns well with the goals of Industry 4.0 and digital twin technologies. 

Hardware Configuration:

Operating System: Windows 11 Pro

CPU: Intel Core i5-13400F (13th Gen, 10 cores)

GPU: ASUS ROG Strix NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti OC Edition (12 GB VRAM)

RAM: 32 GB DDR5 6200 MHz CL36

Motherboard: MSI MAG B760 TOMAHAWK WIFI

Storage: PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

VR Headset: Meta Quest 2 256GB (connected via Oculus Link)