[Help Needed] OPC UA Signal Direction Imported Incorrectly (Inputs recognized as Outputs and vice versa)

Hi everyone,

I'm working with the OPCUAInterface component in realvirtual.io to connect Unity to a Siemens S7-1500 PLC via OPC UA, and I'm running into a frustrating issue with signal direction mapping.

Setup:

• PLC: Siemens S7-1500

• Unity side: Using OPCUAInterface from realvirtual.io

• In the PLC (TIA Portal), I've configured:

  • .inputs variables as Read-Only (HMI accessible: Read only)

  • .outputs variables as Read/Write

• In Unity:

  • I've tried enabling/disabling Automatically Input On Write Signals

  • I've set Regex Write Nodes = (?i)\.outputs to match output variables

However, no matter what combination I try, the imported signal directions are reversed:

• .outputs are imported as Input ❌ (they should be Output)

• .inputs are imported as Output ❌ (they should be Input)

 What I Expect:

Based on my understanding of realvirtual.io's signal model:

• Input = Unity reads from the PLC (e.g., sensors, status)

• Output = Unity writes to the PLC (e.g., buttons, control commands)

I expect .inputs to be imported as Input, and .outputs as Output.

 Temporary Workaround:

I'm currently using a custom Unity script that runs after import and forcibly sets the signal direction based on the variable name (.inputs → Input, .outputs → Output).

This works, but feels like a hack and not a long-term or scalable solution.

What I'm Asking:

1. Is this a known limitation of Siemens OPC UA Server? (Does it misreport variable access rights?)

2. Is there a way to fully customize signal direction logic during import in OPCUAInterface?

3. What’s the recommended best practice for Siemens OPC UA + Unity signal mapping?