FAQ / Summary of best bets for Input (In this Thread)

[MarX]

Hey I'm thinking about using a joystick as a mouse and integrating it into the center console somehow so just the stick is protruding from the console along with surface mounted buttons. The joystick in question is the Saitek Cyborg 3D(picture attached) and the car is an 1989 Jeep Cherokee LTD.
Would this be a possible route or would I be better off going with a wireless mouse/trackball?

[Mic4]

I have found this on newegg not to bad.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817114134

[thanatos106]

2thread resurrection :P

Thanatos.

[GizmoQ]

Quote: Originally Posted by MarX

Hey I'm thinking about using a joystick as a mouse and integrating it into the center console somehow so just the stick is protruding from the console along with surface mounted buttons. The joystick in question is the Saitek Cyborg 3D(picture attached) and the car is an 1989 Jeep Cherokee LTD.
Would this be a possible route or would I be better off going with a wireless mouse/trackball?

I thought about the cyborg, too, for a minute. I think I had an issue the wiring and signal muxing so I went with the Logitech. It was an almost perfect fit over my gear shifter in my Eldorado. I use the 8-way hat for mouse movement and between the 6 buttons on the joystick and four more external I can contrl virtually anything on the computer. My son and I like it so much I've done comparable mods to his mustang convertable, too.

[Fububutsy]

Quote: Originally Posted by ptk

just bought 1. fantastic except for no support for F11 and F12

How has it been since you have gotten a few more days to play with it? I ended up finding this post after I ordered one yesterday and was wondering if it does pretty much everything you need it to do or if there are some other shortcomings besides the F keys thing you said.

[ptk]

Quote: Originally Posted by Fububutsy

How has it been since you have gotten a few more days to play with it? I ended up finding this post after I ordered one yesterday and was wondering if it does pretty much everything you need it to do or if there are some other shortcomings besides the F keys thing you said.

hi
apart from the no F keys issue, it's fantastic. it pairs up within 5 sec upon power up. very nice backlight (orange). batt life slightly limited (1 week i think). oh, one more, it doesn't do combination key (ctlr-alt)

am going to see if i can mount it nicely on my steering wheel :P

[Fububutsy]

Quote: Originally Posted by ptk

hi
apart from the no F keys issue, it's fantastic. it pairs up within 5 sec upon power up. very nice backlight (orange). batt life slightly limited (1 week i think). oh, one more, it doesn't do combination key (ctlr-alt)

am going to see if i can mount it nicely on my steering wheel :P

good to know I didn't waste 60 bucks, although it was kinda steep for a keyboard. But what are you gonna do?

[Mobtown]

Quote: Originally Posted by GizmoQ

I thought about the cyborg, too, for a minute. I think I had an issue the wiring and signal muxing so I went with the Logitech. It was an almost perfect fit over my gear shifter in my Eldorado. I use the 8-way hat for mouse movement and between the 6 buttons on the joystick and four more external I can contrl virtually anything on the computer. My son and I like it so much I've done comparable mods to his mustang convertable, too.

I love the joystick as shifter idea and have looked through almost all of your past posts looking for more information on the setup...any chance you give some more detail? I am especially interested in how you mounted the stick.

[GizmoQ]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mobtown

I love the joystick as shifter idea and have looked through almost all of your past posts looking for more information on the setup...any chance you give some more detail? I am especially interested in how you mounted the stick.

Not to try and create a work log or anything, but the short answer is I guess I got lucky. All three of my cars: 91 mustang vert, 95 Eldorado, 95 MB 320SL had sticks in the center console. Each has a different angle and handle, but basically if you can figure out how to remove the handle (mustang had 1 screw underneath, Eldo had to cut leather off to find allen screw, Benz I don't remember it was so long ago) and you carefully remove the base and preserve maximum shaft length from the joystick, the shifter shaft and joystick handle mate up fairly well.

The joystick handle will allow you some leeway in enlarging it to fit the shaft and if its opening is too big, you can always create another shaft that fits inside the joystick and outside the shifter shaft (try the joystick's own shaft first).

To regain shifter functionality, I went with the simplest methodology - I created a seat inside the joystick for the inner push rod from the shifter. this seat must be located such that the joystick can slide down the shaft 1/4 - 1/2 inches. (With the logitech, I preserved as much of the joystick shaft as possible rerouted the wires out the front bottom of the handle, used a drill press to open up the joystick shaft and it matched up beautifully). Grasping the joystick with my hand resting on the base of the handle, I move my whole hand down toward the shaft till it stops, then I can shift into whatever gear, and removing the pressure from my hand, the joystick pops back up and the shifter locks into gear.

With some cars the spring action of the pushrod is enough to return the joystick back up to the locked (in gear) position, if not an external spring will be required. Keeping as much of the joystick shaft intact was beneficial in the Eldorado cause once I got it to fit over the shaft, I cut a 1 inch line 1/8 inch wide in the joystick shaft, tapped a screw in the least visible location on the shifter shaft and put the screw through the line(this keeps the joystick from twisting round and around or coming off and allows me to use the handle twist action as volume control).

Then I just routed the wires along the shaft, through the shifter, and connected the joystick brains to the handle (i.e., the bulk of the joystick electronics resides inside the shifter) routed the usb cable to the computer and programmed Joy2Mouse.

My hat is my mouse control (8-way HAT is a must), trigger is left mouse, thumbswitch on left is right mouse. My software (Joy2Mouse) automatically switches profiles depending on whats in focus on the screen. So I have profiles setup for most of the software I use often. Fore example, in RoadRunner the two leftmost buttons on top control GPS/Exit, video/music, and scroll up/down, two righttop buttons are play/pause, prev/next, and phone/radio select. My FreeDrive and Map Monkey profiles inlude map zoom, rotation, routing, etc. Explorer and FireFox have scroll, pan, refresh, favorites, etc. Other buttons will be molded into shifter console.

Hope that helps.

[Mobtown]

It does, thank you very much.

I have a slight bend in my shifter that might create some issues, but now I have a good visual to work from. Thanks again.

Quote: Originally Posted by GizmoQ

Not to try and create a work log or anything, but the short answer is I guess I got lucky. All three of my cars: 91 mustang vert, 95 Eldorado, 95 MB 320SL had sticks in the center console. Each has a different angle and handle, but basically if you can figure out how to remove the handle (mustang had 1 screw underneath, Eldo had to cut leather off to find allen screw, Benz I don't remember it was so long ago) and you carefully remove the base and preserve maximum shaft length from the joystick, the shifter shaft and joystick handle mate up fairly well.

The joystick handle will allow you some leeway in enlarging it to fit the shaft and if its opening is too big, you can always create another shaft that fits inside the joystick and outside the shifter shaft (try the joystick's own shaft first).

To regain shifter functionality, I went with the simplest methodology - I created a seat inside the joystick for the inner push rod from the shifter. this seat must be located such that the joystick can slide down the shaft 1/4 - 1/2 inches. (With the logitech, I preserved as much of the joystick shaft as possible rerouted the wires out the front bottom of the handle, used a drill press to open up the joystick shaft and it matched up beautifully). Grasping the joystick with my hand resting on the base of the handle, I move my whole hand down toward the shaft till it stops, then I can shift into whatever gear, and removing the pressure from my hand, the joystick pops back up and the shifter locks into gear.

With some cars the spring action of the pushrod is enough to return the joystick back up to the locked (in gear) position, if not an external spring will be required. Keeping as much of the joystick shaft intact was beneficial in the Eldorado cause once I got it to fit over the shaft, I cut a 1 inch line 1/8 inch wide in the joystick shaft, tapped a screw in the least visible location on the shifter shaft and put the screw through the line(this keeps the joystick from twisting round and around or coming off and allows me to use the handle twist action as volume control).

Then I just routed the wires along the shaft, through the shifter, and connected the joystick brains to the handle (i.e., the bulk of the joystick electronics resides inside the shifter) routed the usb cable to the computer and programmed Joy2Mouse.

My hat is my mouse control (8-way HAT is a must), trigger is left mouse, thumbswitch on left is right mouse. My software (Joy2Mouse) automatically switches profiles depending on whats in focus on the screen. So I have profiles setup for most of the software I use often. Fore example, in RoadRunner the two leftmost buttons on top control GPS/Exit, video/music, and scroll up/down, two righttop buttons are play/pause, prev/next, and phone/radio select. My FreeDrive and Map Monkey profiles inlude map zoom, rotation, routing, etc. Explorer and FireFox have scroll, pan, refresh, favorites, etc. Other buttons will be molded into shifter console.

Hope that helps.

[Un_discovered]

I hate you guys...
I love the idea of the joystick as a shifter.
But here in Aus, they're on the other side >.<
No fair..
It's almost enough to make me want to import an LHD...
Almost.

EDIT: Come to think of it, I wouldn't be too fond of the joystick shifter option on a triptronic transmission.

[Un_discovered]

Also, thought this might be of interest to people looking for inputs (let's face it, we all are).

http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive...ake_a_w_1.html

It could also be adapted to use on an actual screen instread of a PDA.
In fact, some very interesting modifications could come from it.
Definately worth a look.

[tjsharktank]

Quote: Originally Posted by hd54321

As you requested maaaasta.....

Modded NES Powerglove

Enjoy!

WOW... that thing is, um, freaky.

[Nismo2006]

Hey guys, new to the board, but very interested with everything on it.

I have Motorola Q Smartphone which can Bluetooth link to the pc as a remote, it's really neat. Obviously you have to have your phone with you when u want to use it. It fully functions as a mouse, and I haven't done it yet, but I *think* you can use it as a keyboard also.

[AndyLcgy]

Anyone considered / tried one of these?

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/8193/