Linux 3D Input Driver Project Started 92
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."
Re:Tux Racer? (Score:2)
3d input? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:3d input? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:3d input? (Score:2, Informative)
or look here:
Birdman's [planethardware.com]
Spaceball.. rotate and translate in any dimension (Score:5, Informative)
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:Spaceball.. rotate and translate in any dimensi (Score:1)
We finished the code then they let most of the group go.
Insensitive clods.
Re:3d input? (Score:2, Interesting)
The "6 Degree of Freedom" statement is much more important to me than "3D". When you have a 6 DOF controller, you are able to execute every possible motion in 3-space. The 6 DOF controller I used (in a research project associated with the space program) used a sliding controller in the left hand that you could push inward and outward (Z translation), as well as sliding up, down, left, and right (X and Y translation). In the right hand was a conventional joystick, which allowed you to rotate around each a
Re:3d input? (Score:1)
Sounds ambitious... (Score:5, Funny)
Sorry... just doing some morning trolling.
Re:Sounds ambitious... (Score:2)
They also link to the driver on Sourceforge's page.
Re:Sounds ambitious... (Score:2)
For Linux?
I doubt it. That means:
a) the article is wrong and they are not producing drivers for Linux.
b) you are wrong and they have not yet released a driver.
Given the accuracy of slashdot editing either may be true...
Re:Sounds ambitious... (Score:1)
Given a lack of VB for Linux, I wrote one the next day so my driver could be used...
Re:Sounds ambitious... (Score:2)
Re:Sounds ambitious... (Score:1)
For now, here's a direct link [blogspot.com] without the ad-crappiness.
What about a dual-mouse driver (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:What about a dual-mouse driver (Score:1)
I just bought a few optical/usb mini mice from ebuyer (2 quid each) to make myself a 3DOF trackball. I am using a marble mouse [logitech.com] shell and was hoping I could put in the mice guts inside... that's going to take a bit of thinking, eventhough the mice are "mini", the optical bits inside are quite big. Good news is that the mice have no problem detecting the black dots on the ball.
I first tried the trackball
Re:What about a dual-mouse driver (Score:2)
Already exists (Score:2)
Re:Already exists (Score:1)
seriously though, what a cool product. I wonder what kind of typing speeds you can get with proficiency...
More importantly (Score:1)
Seriously though 4D input is nothing special - it's in every FPS game, mouse for 2 of the rotational degrees and WASD or the arrow keys for 2 spacial directions. Plus you get jump/crouch (or up/down if swimming/flying) control from 2 more keys/mouse buttons, so that's 5D and it's been around since Quake. Not quite the same as dual-mouse of course but using a mouse for translation in an infinite space (as opposed to one bounded by t
6-degrees input from a webcam (Score:4, Interesting)
The logarithms to do the calculations are solid - all you need is a better mousetrap than I have for finding the three triangle points in a single image frame (should be very straight forward - mine works but is slow).
Is this old hat, or would there be good value to open-sourcing it? I'll likely never commercialize it on my own.
MadCow.
Solid logarithms (Score:2)
Any suggestions?
Re:Solid logarithms (Score:2)
I'm so used to the sarcasm on Slashdot I may have missed a joke here instead.
If so, let me know.
Kevin.
Re:Solid logarithms (Score:2, Informative)
Algorithm [m-w.com].
Logarrithms / Algorithms... same diff (Score:2)
MadCow.
TrackIR does this already (Score:2, Interesting)
http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/ [naturalpoint.com]
Re:6-degrees input from a webcam (Score:2)
Well, the big VR guys tend to lay out multiple cameras and correlate the visible dots by similar methods, allowing you to track more dots, and also not require rigid known relationships between them. I saw a recent lab set up that uses up to 30 cameras to track the hands and heads of multiple collaborators. They're still refining
Re:6-degrees input from a webcam (Score:1)
This actually sounds pretty interesting to me. I'd be interested in learning how to do this, though I'd probably never get around to doing anything with your code either
Re:6-degrees input from a webcam (Score:1)
Re:6-degrees input from a webcam (Score:2)
By setting the default orientation of the three points sensibly to begin with, you can safely work within the limits of a single-camera field.
I'm not saying it can do everything a $3k solution with multiple sensors/cameras can do, but for the price of a $19 webcam and a c
Re:6-degrees input from a webcam (Score:2)
FYI - I use it with VERY low webcam resolution - 70x100 pixels is lots to work with (of course it depends on your accuracy requirments for movement - gaming, etc. has lots of leeway). Image quality isn't really a factor either, as long as you can make out the three points.
MadCow.
Re:6-degrees input from a webcam (Score:2, Interesting)
Look to the lower right corner of the screen and the desktop slides to the upper right bringing more real estate into view.
I know there is technology that tracks the eyeballs to shift focus, but this sounds like it might be easier to use. You have
Spaceballs? Spacemouse? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Spaceballs? Spacemouse? (Score:1)
What's the problem? I've been playing WC:PR with it quite nicely.
Re:Spaceballs? Spacemouse? (Score:1)
Re:Spaceballs? Spacemouse? (Score:1)
Re:Spaceballs? Spacemouse? (Score:1)
Re:Spaceballs? Spacemouse? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Spaceballs? Spacemouse? (Score:1)
Re:Spaceballs? Spacemouse? (Score:2)
Where's that thing? (Score:2, Insightful)
Everyone and his cat can register a sourceforge project...
I's bit poor to post this on slashdot IMO
Re:Where's that thing? (Score:1)
Funny you should say that, because my cat has this wonderful idea for an automated cat box with environmental sensors and controls based on Debian...
What about the other 7 dimensions? (Score:3, Funny)
What about the 8th Dimension? (Score:2)
Cheers
Stor
Ah, yes. (Score:1)
Also, why is this in
Re:Ah, yes. (Score:4, Informative)
- Wing Commander: Privateer Remake
- Vegastrike
Re:Ah, yes. (Score:2)
Re:Ah, yes. (Score:1)
Re:Ah, yes. (Score:1)
Grafpen (Score:1)
Ba-gooooock? Cluck? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Ba-gooooock? Cluck? (Score:2)
Cheers
Stor
Re:Ba-gooooock? Cluck? (Score:1)
Re:Ba-gooooock? Cluck? (Score:2)
Cheers
Stor
Note to Developers: Include the SpaceOrb (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Note to Developers: Include the SpaceOrb (Score:3, Informative)
Awfull truly awfull, but there is hope (Score:2)
Linux already supports most 6DOFs (Score:5, Interesting)
Linux already supports the:
And most likely also the newer SpaceBall variants, because they all use USB HID.
All the drivers are GPL and included in the standard kernel release. The CyberMan2 is very cool for playing Descent2 on Linux.
I know it. I wrote the drivers.
It seems the project is more about developing and marketing a new 6dof in a world where all gaming-oriented 6dofs (the SpaceOrb, available on e-bay for a few bucks, the CyberMan / CyberMan2) failed miserably.
Re:Linux already supports most 6DOFs (Score:1)
I have a Logitech Magellan Spacemous which works well with the magellan module.
But I need to calibrate it. If I move the pad to the far left my starship in WC:PR starts rotating to the right.
Any idea?
Re:Linux already supports most 6DOFs (Score:3, Interesting)
'jstest' for testing that it operates correctly
and 'jscal' for changing the default calibration
values if needed.
Re:Linux already supports most 6DOFs (Score:1)
The only place I found them was in the ruby package of the linuxconsole project, but asking on their list didn't give me an answer.
The programs there complained about the devices not being joystick devices or something like that.
I'll try again when I'm at the machine again.
My old Logitech Cyberman lives again? (Score:2)
Screw 3D input (Score:2)
It's got (counts) 10 microswitches.
No, this is not a troll. I do want to use all the buttons!
GIMME MY BUTTONS!
--
BMO
Re:Screw 3D input (Score:1)
I don't need 'em (Score:2, Funny)
And now I'm too old to learn them properly. Pah! I don't need them anyway.
I've got a brand new Competition Pro USB stick and play games as I did 15 years ago.
Excuse me while I have a game of Bubble Bobble.
A new step... (Score:1)
This means astroid support - woo hoo (Score:2)
The inventor of both these devices is a guy by the name of John Hilton (an Australian) who invented them in the 1980's. His original design was a monster and he soon came up with a method to put the levers all into a ball.
There was a competing German product in the early 1990's, well, logitech bought the German company and then followed by buying the Spaceball
ARToolkit (Score:1)
It uses a webcam to calculate position of
a physical marker. It could be used for
some cool method of controlling a game..
http://www.hitl.washington.edu/artoolkit/ [washington.edu]
This is bad (Score:1)
I looked at the 'Snowballz' game and it looks pretty bad. I've seen better games on N64 and Windows 3.1. I've seen some 3D 'snowball fight' flash games that are better than this. And they are here, now and playable on Macs, PCs and Linux alike.
I have been using Linux 10+ years now and and have been pushing it at work for almost as long.
DirectInput? (Score:2)