SpaceNavigator huge price drop - Page 4

sama · 01-05-2007, 08:44 PM

Girder 4 can see the SpaceNavigator in the HID plugins, but it can't detect any button presses etc. I'm not that handy with Girder, last I used it was version 2!

Any ideas anyone?

inh · 01-07-2007, 08:22 PM

bump, really interested in getting this working

sama · 01-07-2007, 08:24 PM

me too! like I said, i could see it as an HID device, but girder does not response to any buttons/movements. I've tried this with both the 3dxware driver started and not. no luck either way.

anyone got any ideas?

cherrybomb · 01-08-2007, 12:23 PM

Hmmmn.. I just loaded girder up on my machine again, and tested the device I'd built, and it's not behaving. I'm not getting an HID events either.

The only difference that I'm aware of, is that I'm using an unlicensed version of Girder (the trial), though when I was building my device, and testing, I had a licensed version.

I'll try to get the license key from home at lunch, and see if registering makes any difference.

sama · 01-08-2007, 01:23 PM

I guess in a way that's good news, to know that once it worked, and now you're seeing a similar problem.

If all the easy avenues, I will be writing a driver for this myself (behind a reasonably sized que of other development!)

cherrybomb · 01-08-2007, 04:41 PM

Seems to be a bug in Girder. I've reported it here.

It works fine in 4.0.1, the original build I was using when developing my device and script code. Version 4.0.14 which is the currently downloadable version however, does not work. Must have been some change in their HID code.

Not sure if it's the same issue you're experiencing with the SpaceNavigator. The checklist for making sure that HID works (if it's going to) is to be sure to go to;

Settings->Plug-in Settings->Plugins Tab, and check the "HID" plugin.

A new tab will become available "HID". On that tab, the SpaceNavigator should be listed as an HID device. Select it, and click "Edit OnRead". This shows some LUA script indicating what to do with the input, and has some default code there.

Be sure to check the "Enabled" checkbox, click OK, then OK for the settings dialog.

If your device is going to work, it will work under these circumstances.

You might also look into getting an older version, as I stated 4.0.1 works with my HID device.

sama · 01-08-2007, 05:20 PM

that's exactly what i did. I also disabled every other plugin, so only the HID was active.

sama · 01-08-2007, 05:52 PM

you're right on the money cherry bomb.

I'm getting a huge amount of data coming in when I barely touch the thing, but that's 'cos the stream is not being filtered.

I guess now I have to mess with that code to filter the data and make it a little more effective.

fantasticles... this is very exciting

sama · 01-08-2007, 06:13 PM

looks like I'll have to learn lua to create a definition for this device.

In Girder, I can see that manipulating the device, the following is displayed:

00 00 00 00 00 00

pressing buttons 1 or 2, give definitive values, but things move way too fast to be able to determine how the different axis affect the numbers. I can already see though that moving one axis, sets one of those to FF, and others start playing.

I'll play some more and let you guys know soon.

cherrybomb · 01-08-2007, 06:14 PM

I just ordered my SpaceNavigator and it should arrive in the next week or so.

I'll be more than happy to work with you on whatever LUA code and Girder files you may have created by then. Probably be able to turn these into window messages sent to RR, which would allow you to map those messages to commands depending on the skin.

I'm planning to use RR, though I'm sure the HID messages could be translated into something a little more generic in Girder for use with other front ends.

cherrybomb · 01-08-2007, 06:17 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by sama

looks like I'll have to learn lua to create a definition for this device.

In Girder, I can see that manipulating the device, the following is displayed:

00 00 00 00 00 00

pressing buttons 1 or 2, give definitive values, but things move way too fast to be able to determine how the different axis affect the numbers. I can already see though that moving one axis, sets one of those to FF, and others start playing.

I'll play some more and let you guys know soon.

You'll want to use the "print" function of LUA to print the data string to the console, this should hopefully allow you to identify some sort of pattern. I suspect this device will spew TONS of input since it's analog in nearly every direction.

We might need to "dumb it down" a bit, and make it behave a bit more like a digital device. If I understand correctly, none of the motion directions have detents, it's just a fluid analog motion?

sama · 01-08-2007, 06:27 PM

that's correct. It's like a hat on a stick, that returns to center with little resistance.

You can tilt the hat lef/right or up/down, you can pan or strafe the hat forward or sideways, you can twist, and you can pull/push. There are also two buttons.

dumbing it down is exactly what I was thinking. Perhaps translate the analogue to steps. For twisting for example, you want slow repeat rate when barely twistsed, and perhaps 3 levels of speed for that.

inh · 01-08-2007, 06:29 PM

i think just detecting the direction the knob is pushed, ie up or down, the amount is not neccessarily important. at least for now to get SOMETHIGN working..

sama · 01-08-2007, 06:35 PM

well, it is

it's just that so much data comes back, that if you map anything (except the two buttons, whcih work fine with anything you like), you'll get a billion events being fired!

just needs a little work, but it's not (EDIT: oops!) doable for sure.

I think we should probably start a new thread for this.

inh · 01-08-2007, 06:50 PM

Looks liek i'll order my space nav on payday

start that new thread already!