Linux 3D Input Driver Project Started

zratchet writes "Mikey Lubker reports in his blog that a new project has been started to create drivers for 6-degree-of-freedom 3D input devices. The project hopes to support SDL_Input, XNA, DirectInput, and other major controller API's including game consoles and embedded systems, including controllers for home entertainment systems, robots, modeling clay, games, home automation, and more. Check out the project here and the (soon to be) tech-demo Snowball Surprise: Adventures in Avatarctica."

Spaceballs? Spacemouse?

[morgan_greywolf]

Any support for these 3D input devices [3dconnexion.com]? I mean, there are Linux drivers, but as of yet no open source drivers (to my knowledge) for these devices.

Re:3d input?

[Anonymous Coward]

A mouse with a scroll wheel may have 3 axis of movement but it doesn't have 3 dimensions of movement. Use some common sense.

Re:3d input?

[BigDumbAnimal]

Google for "Spaceorb 360"

or look here:

Birdman's [planethardware.com]

Re:Solid logarithms

[Anonymous Coward]

log to the base 2 of 16 is 4.

Algorithm [m-w.com].

Re:Ah, yes.

[blindcoder]

Well, here's two:
- Wing Commander: Privateer Remake
- Vegastrike

Re:Spaceballs? Spacemouse?

[morgan_greywolf]

I take that back... It IS in there. Nevermind. (goes off grumbling...)

Note to Developers: Include the SpaceOrb

[Filmwatcher888]

Please include support for the SpaceOrb [3dgamers.com]. It is the best controller for 3D games, ever. Six degrees of movement and rotation from a very responsive controller ball, with 6 buttons that also support chording. They don't make the SpaceOrb any more, but you can still find new ones occasionally on Ebay. I would recommend buying two at a time because the controller can break easily if you don't treat it with respect... Don't yank the controller by its chord, and don't twist give the controller ball extreme twists.

If you are a 3D gamer, you must try the controller at least once. You might never go back to keyboard and mouse!

I've included the top links for info on its drivers [sunysb.edu], use [jaycrowe.com], and interface [bmc.uu.se].

Spaceball.. rotate and translate in any dimension

[jkeegan]

I used to work down the hall from Spaceball (Technologies? I forget the full name), in Lowell MA. They had a product called the Spaceball which was a sphere mounted on a base, that you could twist around any of the three axes, and push in the direction of any of the three axes..

So it didn't actually twist much - it sensed your desire to rotate it (the ball stayed in pretty much the same position).. And it didn't move much in either direction either, but it knew when you were lifting it, or pushing it left, or pulling it back, etc.

Anyway, those are your six dimensions.. rotate x,y,z, translate x,y,z.

They made some game controller of it later, but the original was used in high-end cadcam applications etc. Cool device!

Re:Note to Developers: Include the SpaceOrb

[vojtech]

The SpaceOrb is supported as an input device and a joystick (so it's possible to use in any game that supports a multi-axis joystick) in Linux natively.