Thread: Is there any inclinometer sw out there?

Originally Posted by XSiveJeff

I would actually find it difficult to charge for the software for a couple of reasons. First, I am a big advocate of Open Source. Almost everything I am currently using is Open Source.... Processing, Arduino, Arduino IDE. Secondly, the main motivation for this project is to have this type of functionality in my own CarPC. If I ever put together a custom hardware solution for it, I could see possibly selling that part.

Gotta give ya props for that. Just would like to see you compensated for you work and effors and see this done, and not see you give up.

Originally Posted by XSiveJeff

I've also been thinking about calibration. Since the sensor package will be mounted in a relatively permanant location, there would only be need for an "set and forget" sort of routine. With portable devices such as a phone or tablet, the orientation is nearly always changed from one use to the next. Just like the simple floating ball mechanical inclinometers, once they are mounted and calibrated, that task is done until it is moved to a new location/orientation.

True. I'm just seeing this from the mouse standpoint because that's your similated input. Wondering of the mouse will never be at the same location on the screen when the app is loaded, so it would never be at the same starting point. As with the Wii remote acting as a mouse, and the touchscreen on a carpc also being a mouse, it would throw it out of wack, no? i guess it's one thing if the user just opened up the Inclinometer and left it, but what if the user went to switch to the GPS or chance songs on the CarPC, than went back to the Inclinometer, wouldnt' it be out of calibration at that point?

Originally Posted by XSiveJeff

Yes, the mouse version simply uses one half the window height and width to set the inclinometer zero point.

Wouldn't this change for people running different resolutions? And going from a window'd move to full screen?

Originally Posted by XSiveJeff

For an accelerometer raw output, I use the total output range and the values given when it is level to convert to degrees of rotation. For a motion sensing joystick, I would need to know what its numerical output range was to figure out what value equals what angle of rotation. Since a USB joystick appears as a separate HID device, I would just read it instead of the mouse. If I can find a Freestyle Pro to test with, I may do a re-write for it. I can't justify buying one though.

I'd say stick with what you want to use, and we'll get what we need to make it work.There's no point making custom software for every hardware that everyone wants to use, that would be endless. Choose what you want and go from there. Maybe use the Wii controller for the cheaper one, and than have the ability to get a more precise, more expensive one for those that want to, but you'll be programming forever if you do it for the 100's of different pieces of hardware that you *could* use.