Space Navigator PE Driver Development Thread

[cherrybomb]

Quote: Originally Posted by intervex

Hey Ryan, just checking in to see if there's been any progress on the context switching? Seems like this thread died rather quickly....

Hey man,

It's still alive, believe it or not.

I've been super busy with work, and some personal stuff over the past few weeks.

There really isn't a ton of work left to do, and I'll probably be able to finish things up in a few days once I dig back in to it. Probably some time next week.

Meanwhile, is it at all usable in it's current state?

[scotty562]

The driver works well for me. I basically have a fancy glowing blue mouse at the moment . The volume up and down works excellently.

I didn't really read the .xml file at first and was surprised when 30 notepads started appearing haha. But anyway, great job! Your hard work is much appreciated.

Also, did anyone make a more advanced .xml file they wouldn't mind sharing?

[intervex]

Here is the config.xml I am currently using in conjunction with the iDrive skin for RoadRunner. It is pretty self explanatory but here is a little guide...

Rotate Hat L-R = Select Next/Previous Button
Push Hat Down = Activate Current Button
Slide Hat L-R = Next/Previous Track
Slide Hat F-B = Volume Up/Down
Pull Hat Up = Go Back 1 Screen
Left Button = Play/Pause
Right Button = Mute

I've had great luck with this config and have yet to run in to a problem with it, in conjunction with a touchscreen for the occasional odd screen or long list, you should be golden... I'm hoping we get the context switching via window messages soon as this would allow for much greater customization for specific screens. Anywho, let me know what you think of this conifg.

config.xml

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>

<snConfig>

  <contexts>

    <defaultContext>

      <panFB threshold="300"

        type="linear"

        startPulse="1"

        endPulse="4"

        posAction="RR Volume Down"

        negAction="RR Volume Up"/>

      <twist threshold="300"

        type="binary"

        posAction="RR SelectNext"

        negAction="RR SelectPrev"/>

      <pushPull threshold="300"

        type="binary"

        posAction="RR SelectCur"

        negAction="RR Cancel"/>

      <panLR threshold="300"

        type="binary"

        posAction="RR Next"

        negAction="RR Prev"/>

      <buttons>

        <button

          downAction="RR Play"

          upAction=""/>

        <button

          downAction="RR Mute"

          upAction=""/>

      </buttons>

<!--Unassigned axes, they can't appear in uncommented text

      <tiltLR simulateMouseMove="x"

        threshold="50"

        divisor="15"/>

      <tiltFB simulateMouseMove="y"

        threshold="50"

        divisor="15"/>

        <button simulateMouseButton="left" />

        <button simulateMouseButton="right" />

-->



    </defaultContext>

  </contexts>

  <actions>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Volume Up"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="VOL+"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Volume Down"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="VOL-"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR SelectNext"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="CTRLRIGHT"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR SelectPrev"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="CTRLLEFT"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR SelectCur"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="CTRLEXEC"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Cancel"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="CANCEL"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Next"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="NEXT"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Prev"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="PREV2"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Play"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="PLAY"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Mute"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="MUTE"/>

  </actions>

</snConfig>

Don't be afraid to experiment, and if you think of a better way to do something, please share so that all may benefit from it.

[sama]

nice to see this is working I'll soon have a flat that I can work in, so I can finally put this thing in the car!

[cherrybomb]

Glad to hear some of you are getting some use out of it. :-)

Intervex;

While you're waiting for context switching, realize that on different screens/skins of RR, you can have messages do different things.

For instance, instead of sending VOL+ when you pan forward, you could send "SN PAN FORWARD" or something similar, then in RR's ExecTBL.ini file, you can specify what that message means on any particular skin.

I promise context switching will be added, but in the meantime, you could play with that functionality. :-)

[scotty562]

Using intervex's .xml as a guideline I fabbed up this monster. The biggest peeve I've found so far is that to get the RR to go back to the play list screen after adding songs to the play list you have to click Music > Play list when you first start RoadRunner. If you don't do this it won't take you to the play list screen after adding songs which for me is frustrating.

It's a little awkward at fist but it gets most of the tasks done (until context switching of course ).

Push Hat Down = Play/pause
Tilt L-R = Play previous/next song

Tilt F-B = Move up down list
Slide Hat F-B = Page up/Page down list

Rotate Hat L-R = Music volume up and down

Slide Hat L-R = Left takes you to the browser right doesn't do anything <-- I couldn't find a better place for it
Left Button = Enters a folder while browsing
Right Button = Deletes current play list and adds all songs in folder to play list
Pull Hat Up = Goes back a level while browsing folders


Here's my .xml file

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>

<snConfig>

  <contexts>

    <defaultContext>


      <twist threshold="250"

        type="binary"

        posAction="RR Volume Up"

        negAction="RR Volume Down"/>

      <tiltFB threshold="250"
	
        startPulse="1"

        endPulse="4"

        type="linear"

        posAction="RR Scroll Up One"

        negAction="RR Scroll Down One"/>

      <pushPull threshold="300"

        type="binary"

        posAction="RR Play"

        negAction="RR Back"/>

      <tiltLR threshold="250"

        type="binary"

        posAction="RR Prev"

        negAction="RR Next"/>
	
      <panLR threshold="250"

        type="binary"

        posAction=""

        negAction="RR Go To Music Browser"/>

     <panFB threshold="250"

        type="binary"

        posAction="RR Page Down"

        negAction="RR Page Up"/>

      <buttons>

        <button

          downAction="RR Browse Folder"

          upAction=""/>

        <button

          downAction="RR Clear and Add To Playlist"

          upAction=""/>

      </buttons>

<!--Unassigned axes, they can't appear in uncommented text

      <tiltLR simulateMouseMove="x"

        threshold="50"

        divisor="15"/>

      <tiltFB simulateMouseMove="y"

        threshold="50"

        divisor="15"/>

        <button simulateMouseButton="left" />

        <button simulateMouseButton="right" />

-->



    </defaultContext>

  </contexts>

  <actions>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Volume Up"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="VOL+"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Volume Down"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="VOL-"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Scroll Up One"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="DOWN"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Scroll Down One"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="UP"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Browse Folder"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="BROWSE"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Back"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="BACK"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Next"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="NEXT"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Prev"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="PREV2"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Play"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="PLAY"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Mute"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="MUTE"/>
	

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Go To Music Browser"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="LIST"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Clear and Add To Playlist"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="SELECT"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Page Down"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="PGDOWN"/>

    <sendWindowMessage name="RR Page Up"

      window="RoadRunner"

      message="PGUP"/>

  </actions>

</snConfig>

[kujosan]

Quote: Originally Posted by cherrybomb

For instance, instead of sending VOL+ when you pan forward, you could send "SN PAN FORWARD" or something similar, then in RR's ExecTBL.ini file, you can specify what that message means on any particular skin.

I promise context switching will be added, but in the meantime, you could play with that functionality. :-)

Could you give me an example of the commands I would put in ExecTBL? I'm having a hard time figuring it out just by looking at other skins.

[cherrybomb]

Hey kujosan,

Here's an answer I've sent to a couple people who've PM'ed me about this.

I haven't actually applied this technique yet, but it should be something like this.

config.xml

Code:

<sendWindowMessage name="SN PAN UP"
      window="RoadRunner"
      message="SN_PAN_UP"/>

ExecTBL.ini

Code:

"SN_PAN_UP","PREV",Audio_Player.skin
"SN_PAN_UP","AUDIO",menu.skin

So, if you assigned that message to the pan up action in the config file, when you panned up with the SN, on the audio skin, it would go to the previous track, and on the menu, it would launch the audio plugin.

That's basically the skeleton of it, not a ton more to it. :-)

[kujosan]

Hey thanks, that's pretty easy.

I'm working on a skin that will be designed around the functionality of the SN (because I dont like using the touchscreen, its distracting and fingerprints are yuck.) Its kind of inspired by the TIVO interface and the way it navigates everything with pretty much a D-pad, select button, and the channel up/down. I'm really new to skinning so it wont be the best, but maybe someone can expand upon it.

Do you know if theres a way to make it so that RR doesnt select an object in the skin. So if say I tilt the SN to the right, it selects the next object; but I only want it to select from say AUDIO | VIDEO | GPS etc... and not select from my clock and every other label... The only idea I had was to make a popup screen that only has what I want to select from and then have everything else cutaway and on a background screen. But i'm hoping there's an easier way...

[Churchill]

Quote: Originally Posted by sama

nice to see this is working I'll soon have a flat that I can work in, so I can finally put this thing in the car!

how are you getting on with it Mr Sama?

[sama]

1 month and a half later, I'm in the flat! been doing lots of DIY. carpc has really taken a back seat these days. I've promised myself to resume sometime.

what's missing that you'd like done?

[Churchill]

just wondering how you were getting on with the interface and with the hardware. someone had one in work the other day and it reminded me to look you up. it has a very nice weight to it. But i was disapointed by the lack of rotation.

[sama]

yeah, I thought it would be a rotate and click mechanism, but I can understand why it isn't when used in a 3D application like Google Earth, which is what it's sort of designed for.

I'll be hacking off the weighted part to fit it into the place I have in mind, when I finally get around to it. I'm actually thinking of buying another one, because it really is nice with Google Earth!

[ironfinger]

hey,

just wanted to give a thanks . I installed the SN in my car and am using it for the audio part of road runner. Works awesome. I'm looking forward to running the other screens with it.

[cherrybomb]

Quote: Originally Posted by ironfinger

hey,

just wanted to give a thanks . I installed the SN in my car and am using it for the audio part of road runner. Works awesome. I'm looking forward to running the other screens with it.

Heya Iron,

Glad you're enjoying it. The project is still underway. I'm actually making some significant changes/improvements to it as a result of another project I took on, which has similar needs. Expect to see a new binary version with context switching fairly soon. :-)