Nub As Mouse.

[Yoyobuae]

But would it be possible to use it as an absolute position ? It would work if the nub has enough travel and precision to cover all the screen, when the nub is at a rest position the mouse pointer would be in the center of the screen.

Sorry, no way. Even if the nubs had enough sensitivity to represent every pixel on the screen (ie, at least ±400), and no dead zone in the centre, there's still only 2mm of travel; trying to pinpoint anywhere on the screen would be a nightmare.

A crazy idea I want to try along this line:

• Moving nub outwards from the center moves cursor (not all the way across the screen)
• Returning nub back to center does nothing
• You reach further in one direction by pressing nub in on that direction, letting it go, pressing again in the same direction and so on

Maybe it would be too much fuzz having to repeat that motion over and over, the sensitivity would need to be adjusted so the full screen could be reachable in 2, 3 or 4 repetitions. It's worth a try, I think.

 

[Gilrad]

I definitely think that, since there are two nubs, one can be used as a trackpoint while the other is used for more finer manipulations. I did this a long time ago with RBJOY and a PSX dualshock. It worked pretty well.

 

[may88]

Yes it is. It's on the to-do list, but hasn't been implemented yet.

Actually it *is* implemented but needs some tweaking.

Then tweak!

 

[WizardStan]

Yes it is. It's on the to-do list, but hasn't been implemented yet.

Actually it *is* implemented but needs some tweaking.

Then tweak!

Oh yeah, tweak those nubs! Tweak them fast, tweak them hard!
...
Oh... uh... h34r:

 

[roberthoward45]

when i get my pandora i am gonna test if my tongue can be used as a stylus now that would be convenient

 

[may88]

WizardStan fails not to disappoint.

 

[CoMiKe]

I would like to see the nubs working as mouse (left nub) and scroll (right one) on a future video, if possible.

 

[BackAssward]

Yes it is. It's on the to-do list, but hasn't been implemented yet.

Actually it *is* implemented but needs some tweaking.

Then tweak!

Oh yeah, tweak those nubs! Tweak them fast, tweak them hard!
...
Oh... uh... h34r:

Yeti Nipples need loving too.

 

[GizmoTheGreen]

Why not just move the mouse in the same direction as the nub, then the farther you push the nub the faster the cursor moves.

letting go of the nub does noething, or slows it down if you only move it a bit more to the center but not dead center.

this is the standard way of moving a cursor with an analog stick

 

[BaDToaD]

this is the standard way of moving a cursor with an analog stick

+1 for this method. It's what i've used on laptops.

 

[skyeyemachine]

I guess what I'm trying to say is you can be more accurate with a stylus/finger but not as efficient because you need to release your device, manipulate, then return hand to position. When not using the keyboard then you'll win with the stylus though.

Think of DS games, do you like games that exclusively use either right hand (left if your a lefty) in one mode: manipulating the stylus or the buttons, or do you like games that have you switch between the buttons and the stylus with the right hand. Switching back and fourth drives me crazy.

That's a good point, I rarely use the keyboard on my HTPC at the same time and it's big enough to sit on my lap. Thumbing will definitely give you a better grip with your fingers free to grasp the back in support. I guess I was also speaking strictly of the analog stick's accuracy. Not sure what use would require simultaneous keyboarding and mousing save for traditional FPS gameplay, but then again on my DS, when playing Picross, I use the DPAD and touchscreen with stylus at the same time but keyboarding would definitely require more releasing than the dpad. It's like, what would hold it up, right? Anyhow, I hope developers will be thinking through these user experience factors when developing apps as thoroughly as we are. :lol:

I think the best and simplest solution would be to wear one of those ring-like guitar frets on your middle or index finger, or something similar. The stylus is great to have for extensive mouse-related sessions, but that way, you would basically turn your finger into a very accurate stylus for most purposes.

Alternately, you could sharpen your fingernails to rather questionable lengths and sharpnesses.

 

[krosfyah]

Yes, we should all become Wolverines.

 

[mali]

Alternately, you could sharpen your fingernails to rather questionable lengths and sharpnesses.

Learn from the best. Check some vids made by JKK. He uses an outside edge of his middle finger nail as a stylus

Edit:
A nice solution might also be one of those short flat stylus with wriststrap that you could attach to the wriststrap hole of Pandora.

 

[JayFoxRox]

I wonder, are the nubs recognized as joysticks (as in /dev/input/jsX)?

No, they are normal events, called "vsense66" and v"sense67". I'm not sure if this has changed yet, but I doubt it.
I made my own driver for it so the analog nubs, together with the game controls, end up in a joystick device using uinput.

You can find it at:
http://jayfoxrox.bplaced.net/pandora/public/Pandora-Input-Drivers/
The common code can be found here: http://jayfoxrox.bplaced.net/pandora/public/JFR-Common/

pandora-joystick-driver will create a joystick from all the events (for example, if you have a game which wasn't made for pandora but can use joystick devices)
pandora-event-driver will create all events from an joystick (for example, while you test your application which is hardcoded to use "vsense66", on your beagleboard with an Xbox controller providing these events)

 

[droneb]

OMG, im the only one here around that is right handed?

Mouse should be implemented on the Right Nub instead of the left one.

so it would be more natural for playing FPS.

left one for movement right one for aiming.


(OK just add an GUI to choose wich one does what)

 

[VRAndy]

OMG, im the only one here around that is right handed?
Mouse should be implemented on the Right Nub instead of the left one.

As a lefty, I agree. I want to hold the device in my off hand (right) leaving my primary hand (left) free to push buttons, tap the screen, etc. So a mouse under my right thumb is ideal.

so it would be more natural for playing FPS.
left one for movement right one for aiming.

I imagine you'd want it to read like a game-pad joystick for this. So nub mouse support is sort of irrelevant to FPS games.

 

[droneb]

OMG, im the only one here around that is right handed?
Mouse should be implemented on the Right Nub instead of the left one.

As a lefty, I agree. I want to hold the device in my off hand (right) leaving my primary hand (left) free to push buttons, tap the screen, etc. So a mouse under my right thumb is ideal.

so it would be more natural for playing FPS.
left one for movement right one for aiming.

I imagine you'd want it to read like a game-pad joystick for this. So nub mouse support is sort of irrelevant to FPS games.

well that would depending the driver and the way the game reads the mouse actions.
but i really expect it to work more like a trackball rather than a stick

 

[skyeyemachine]

Alternately, you could sharpen your fingernails to rather questionable lengths and sharpnesses.

Learn from the best. Check some vids made by JKK. He uses an outside edge of his middle finger nail as a stylus

Edit:
A nice solution might also be one of those short flat stylus with wriststrap that you could attach to the wriststrap hole of Pandora.

I often use the edge of my fingernails that way with touch devices, but that's a bit unweildy. My main point is that a guitar fret is nice since it's more accurate and also stays where it's most useful for touchscreen input when you're not using it. Far less 'switching time' involved than pulling out or putting away the stylus. You could theoretically just leave it on most of the day for convenience.

For avid thumb-typers, it wouldn't get in the way at all, either.

 

[fr4n]

... guitar fret ...

You mean fingerpick.

 

[mindlord]

Yeah, I kept getting this image of someone ripping a metal fret out of their guitar's fretboard and stabbing the Pandora's screen with it. I couldn't imagine how this would be beneficial at all.