3D Animation using HTML5 GamePad API, HID descriptor wows

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eadan
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Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2015 3:17 am

3D Animation using HTML5 GamePad API, HID descriptor wows

Post by eadan »

Hi there,

We are a company based in England that produce life size robots - see http://www.robothespian.com

As part of our product we provide access to a Browser based 3D animation suite.

We have investigated using the 3DConnexion SpaveNavigator via the HTML5 GamePAD API as an aid to using this tool, however we have run into a snag, which I see others have reported elsewhere.

For robot development Ubuntu/GNU Linux is the preferred platform of choice, and as such if we are to recommend or even provide this device with our products it must work effortlessly on this platform. Whilst there are existing working drivers at the operating system level, some small quirk with the HID descriptors in the device prevent it from working with the API in the web browser, as seen elsewhere in this forum there are 2 problems:

1) The device reports itself as something other than a joystick,
2) The device reports relative axis when they are in fact absolute.

This together with the fact Google Chrome (at least in the linux version) checks that the device reports itself as a joystick (it actually looks for the device node starting with "/dev/input/js" , whereas it appears as /dev/input/eventN), prevents the device from being recognised.

We would be very grateful if you could provide is with an alternative firmware (or some other solution) that would allow this product to work in this way - as I understand from other posts there are literally 2 bits to flip in the HID descriptors.

Many Thanks

Dan Squies

Engineered Arts Ltd.
UtaSH
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Re: 3D Animation using HTML5 GamePad API, HID descriptor wow

Post by UtaSH »

Hi eadan,

our current firmware would solve the absolute/relative issue. But our devices are not joysticks. That's why they don't report themselves as joystick. :)

Our SpaceMouse Module is a Joystick. See here for information about it.

The solution you are looking for would that be one out of these?
  • You implement the 3D Mouse and sell it with your product.
    • You need just a few of them.
    • You need many of them.
  • You need a solution where your customer gets the 3D Mouse from somewhere else and it should work as you described.
  • You need just something working only for you - a one time solution.
eadan
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2015 3:17 am

Re: 3D Animation using HTML5 GamePad API, HID descriptor wow

Post by eadan »

Hi there,

Thanks for the speedy reply,

Regarding volume, our product is a high value, low volume one, shipping 10's, not 100's or 1000's a year.

Whether we will buy the devices in ourselves and ship as a part of the product package or simply recommend to our customers is yet to be determined.

I will checkout the new firmware, thanks for the pointer.

I will have a look at the SpaceMouse.

Thanks and Regards

Dan Squires

Engineered Arts Ltd.
eadan
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2015 3:17 am

Re: 3D Animation using HTML5 GamePad API, HID descriptor wow

Post by eadan »

Hi Again,

I cannot find any download for the firmware update, and by looks for other forum posts it is something I would receive via PM?

Regarding the SpaceMouse, There seems to be various options but the link provided seems to refer to something intended for industrial type machines.

The Space Mouse Pro seems overly large and complex for our requirements, where as the Navigator fits the job perfectly.

Whilst we are using the Navigator to animate a robot, it is done so from a normal user PC type environment, rather than an industrial type setting.

I have found a utility that allows the Navigator to appear as a "GamePad" and show up in Chrome as it does in windows, however due to the relative axis problem it will not map these as it stands, either the firmware update or some modification to the utility would fix this issue.

If the device is purposefully not presented as a GamePad or joystick, any idea why it shows up as such under Chrome in windows? In windows does it not use the standard USB HID driver but some custom / device specific ones?
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