🚀 go-pugleaf

Hello, I need some advice for a project that I am working on.
I am an experienced programmer but a newbie in Game/Mod programming. 

I have a stand-alone application, reading some Hardware sensors from
an external port (Serial Por, MIDI port, USB). The value from theses
sensors is then translated into a simple floating-point value changing
from 0 to 1.

Now using this value I would like to interact with different kinds of
properties (like the size, the color or the position) of an object in
a 3D scene.

I would like to use a 3D engine to do that. I took a look at Quake and
Unreal because they are open platforms to develop and I would like to
take advantage of their rendering, scripting and map editing
capabilities.


Where should I start  ?
1-	Is Quake more simple then Unreal to program ?
2-	Should I write a MOD or can just Scripting do the Job ?
3-	How do I pass information from one application to a game system ? 
        3.A. – Can I use a socket to pass information from one process
to the another.
        3.B. – Can I directly read an external port inside the Game
environment or are there restriction ?

I realize that Game/MOD programming is very complexe, ANY  information
will be welcome.