Space Navigator PE Driver Development Thread

[shotgunefx]

Its been awhile since I've looked at the SN all disassembled (had to put it back together for its trip over here) But I'm pretty sure a hoel of the correct size would mount it perfectly, and you really shouldnt have to worry about screw posts breaking off if you size the hole right, and use some kind of washer on the screws..

I thought about that briefly, but the piece I've got it in is odd shaped, has some structural ribbing and a big square opening where the SN centered goes, so using something like a holesaw to make a neat hole doesn't look too promising. But if you could, how would you stop the whole assembly from rotating?

[shotgunefx]

I don't know if this is helpful or not, but I just posted a new version of the 'nix software here

Still a lot to do, but calibration is there, primary axis mode, input scaling, axis sensitivity, debouncing and the skeleton for generating events. It would be pretty easy to rewrite in C using structs instead of the hashes.

I very well might change it to a Perl=>C XS module for speed considerations in the future.

[inh]

I thought about that briefly, but the piece I've got it in is odd shaped, has some structural ribbing and a big square opening where the SN centered goes, so using something like a holesaw to make a neat hole doesn't look too promising. But if you could, how would you stop the whole assembly from rotating?

I would cut a section of ribbing out, and use som eplastic weld (or jsut reculare acetone if the plastic is ABS) and weld a small brace across the opening to the center console, with holes in it for the screws to go through. THen i'd jsue a much larger piece of plastic or something sturdy, to screw to the bottom of the spacenav, to support it and keep it from coming out, and make sure at least two of the screws go through that brace, which will keep it from rotating.

*makes a note to subscribe to my own threads*

EDIT: Also, i downloaded the latest from the sourceforge site, and when i try and start the app i get a missing xerces_c_7_someothercrap.dll (obviously the someothercrap i added because i cant remember the rest of the filename)

[ik632]

I'm a big fan of using silicon caulk to hold it together. You can use a hole saw to cut it just a little smaller than you need then dremel out the corners to make the hole a little square and so the fit is tight. Slide the parts together and caulk it up nice on the back. The great thing is that the silicon is good with the high temperatures in the car and can be removed if desired (be sure to use water based so it's easy to clean up).

[shotgunefx]

I would cut a section of ribbing out, and use som eplastic weld (or jsut reculare acetone if the plastic is ABS) and weld a small brace across the opening to the center console, with holes in it for the screws to go through. THen i'd jsue a much larger piece of plastic or something sturdy, to screw to the bottom of the spacenav, to support it and keep it from coming out, and make sure at least two of the screws go through that brace, which will keep it from rotating.
...

One of the "ribs" if you will, in the way (if the base was included) is what gives the floor console lateral strength, so I don't want to cut that. I'm actually less of the mind that it will break as is now for a couple reasons. In the car, (as opposed to dev in my house), as the console is rooted, and the limited range of motion from the seated position, you don't have to press as hard (as opposed to holding the piece and operating it where you get putting force on it at odd angles).

I did find something that seemed to be the right size for a collar though. A 3" Copper coupling , (3" copper tubing might just make it) unfortunately with today's copper prices, that runs about the price of the space navigator. One of my brother's is a plumber, have to go over and raid his supply, if he has one, I'll just cut off a ring from the end.

I'm a big fan of using silicon caulk to hold it together. You can use a hole saw to cut it just a little smaller than you need then dremel out the corners to make the hole a little square and so the fit is tight. Slide the parts together and caulk it up nice on the back. The great thing is that the silicon is good with the high temperatures in the car and can be removed if desired (be sure to use water based so it's easy to clean up).

I was thinking of either finding a O-ring or gasket in the appropriate size or making one out of black windshield silicone. I used it to mount the antennas on my rear deck and it's held up great in the heat/sun.

Maybe I'll grab another tube today, now that you got me thinking, seems easy enough to make one the right size, just fill the metal base of the Navigator (after plugging the holes) and then when it's dry, pop it out and cut out the center.

[ironfinger]

anyone get to use the new release? Is so, could you post your script? I'd like get a sample I can work with. Thanks!

[inh]

Did a search on my computer for xerces.. It turned up xerces-c_2_6.dll, but not the 2_7.dll the app wanted. Found a couple copies online by searching though. Hopefully this will let me run the driver =]

[inh]

So the .dll file worked, and I got the app running correctly, kinda...

Having a bit of an issue.. I changed up the device contexts because i only want the spacenav to send commands
to RR,not my mouse as well. Below is my code:

<deviceContexts>
<deviceContext name="Mouse Gestures" device="SpaceNavigator" gestures="true">
      <axe threshold="10" sendCenter="false"/>
      <gesture action="RR Volume Up">
        <motion position="positive" axe="5" />
        <wait length="1000" />
        <motion position="positive" axe="5" />
      </gesture>
      <buttons>
        <button downAction="RR Volume Down"
          upAction="" />
        <button downAction="RR Volume Up"
          upAction="" />
      </buttons>
    </deviceContext>
  </deviceContexts>
  
   <contexts>
    <context name="Default"
      deviceContext="Mouse Gestures" />
  </contexts>

Problem is, while the buttons work, the gesture doesnt.. No matter what i set the axe to, or the threshold, no change..

All i want my spacenav to do is control volume for right now.. Any ideas guys?

[cherrybomb]

So the .dll file worked, and I got the app running correctly, kinda...

Having a bit of an issue.. I changed up the device contexts because i only want the spacenav to send commands
to RR,not my mouse as well. Below is my code:

<deviceContexts>
<deviceContext name="Mouse Gestures" device="SpaceNavigator" gestures="true">
      <axe threshold="10" sendCenter="false"/>
      <gesture action="RR Volume Up">
        <motion position="positive" axe="5" />
        <wait length="1000" />
        <motion position="positive" axe="5" />
      </gesture>
      <buttons>
        <button downAction="RR Volume Down"
          upAction="" />
        <button downAction="RR Volume Up"
          upAction="" />
      </buttons>
    </deviceContext>
  </deviceContexts>
  
   <contexts>
    <context name="Default"
      deviceContext="Mouse Gestures" />
  </contexts>

Problem is, while the buttons work, the gesture doesnt.. No matter what i set the axe to, or the threshold, no change..

All i want my spacenav to do is control volume for right now.. Any ideas guys?

The gesture you've defined there will only perform the volume up 1 time after the SN has been held in the "positive" direction of axe 5 for one second.

I think what you want, instead of a gesture, is just an action on the axis. So it would look something more like...

<deviceContexts>
<deviceContext name="Mouse Gestures" device="SpaceNavigator">
      <axe threshold="10" sendCenter="false"/> <!-- axe 0 un-used -->
      <axe threshold="10" sendCenter="false"/> <!-- axe 1 un-used -->
      <axe threshold="10" sendCenter="false"/> <!-- axe 2 un-used -->
      <axe threshold="10" sendCenter="false"/> <!-- axe 3 un-used -->      
      <axe threshold="10" sendCenter="false"/> <!-- axe 5 un-used -->
      <axe threshold="10"
        type="linear"
        startPulse="1"
        endPulse="1"
        posAction="RR Volume Up"
        negAction="RR Volume Down" />
      <buttons>
        <button downAction="RR Volume Down"
          upAction="" />
        <button downAction="RR Volume Up"
          upAction="" />
      </buttons>
    </deviceContext>
  </deviceContexts>
  
   <contexts>
    <context name="Default"
      deviceContext="Mouse Gestures" />
  </contexts>

[cherrybomb]

Did a search on my computer for xerces.. It turned up xerces-c_2_6.dll, but not the 2_7.dll the app wanted. Found a couple copies online by searching though. Hopefully this will let me run the driver =]

Yeah, sorry about this, should probably document that better somewhere. Technically I can't redistribute the DLL's or I'd just include them in the .zip file.

You can download them directly from the xercesc project site.

http://xml.apache.org/xerces-c/download.cgi