Joystick Driver request

Questions and answers about 3Dconnexion devices on Windows.

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Keithlostracco
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Joystick Driver request

Post by Keithlostracco »

Hello, I was wondering when you were planning on releasing a joystick driver for your 3d controllers.

I run various programs on winXP64 and vista 64bit and with the exceptions of Maya and Photoshop I cannot use my controller for any of them even though they are openGL 3d apps.

I know somebody might be updating the driver RBC9 wrote to 64bit, but I'm not sure when and would prefer to have an option in the 3dConnexion control panel to run as a joystick.

On one forum post, the moderator stated that if enough people asked for a driver that you would write one. Since that post, there have been many requests for a driver (especially 64bit). (check out the 35 page RBC9 post)

I would even pay for a software update, to be able to run my space pilot as a joystick, although I think it should just be part of the software. If you could give me a time frame of when a joystick driver will be available, that would be great.

thanks alot

Keith Lostracco
jwick
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Post by jwick »

What specifically are these other apps you mentioned? I'd like to check out the joystick implementation in them.

Thanks.
Jim
3Dx Software Development
Keithlostracco
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Post by Keithlostracco »

I also use Derivative Touch Designer as well as Cycling74's Max 5.0

keith
jovibo
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Post by jovibo »

I would like to use it in specific programs used to visualize and modify biomolecules (the programs I use are mainly Pymol, VMD and Yasara) as well as simulators (FSX). I use Windows Vista 64. I think there is a great potential in using SpaceNavigator (and similar hardware) for those types of programs.
Regards,
José.
APH
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Location: Cheltenham, UK

Joystick driver request

Post by APH »

Hi Jim,

Here's a vote for IL2-Sturmovik from APH junior. :roll:

Cheers,
Andy
Galemp
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Post by Galemp »

Professionally I use the SpaceExplorer in 3DS Max and Blender. I haven't tested it with REVIT yet. In my free time I'm a big fan of 3D flight sims, specifically the Descent and Freespace series. They have full movement in six degrees of freedom and are configured to use a joystick axis/throttle/rudder for any one of them. Both Descent II and Freespace 2 are open-source and has been ported to run on Windows, Linux and Mac OSX. Here are links to the Descent II and Freespace 2 source, binaries, demo assets, and documentation. Both would support a SpaceNavigator device natively if they could recognize it as a six-axis joystick.

As has been demonstrated with Second Life, for over ten years now navigation in virtual worlds has needed the kind of camera control that the SpaceNavigator can provide. A supported six-axis joystick driver for the device would be a tremendous bridge to support in these games, with broader applications, too. It would make the SpaceNavigator a viable controller outside of the CAD community.

With a joystick driver any publisher, including independent and open-source communities, can harness the power of the SpaceNavigator with currently available links to the joystick API instead of relying exclusively on 3Dconnexion's support. To achieve Google Earth-like smoothness and control, all the developers would need to do is implement generic joystick axis support for camera controls instead of tying themselves to specific 3DX hardware which may become outdated and obsolete.

The current, proprietary support through 3DX is either unknown or discouraging to developers in a way that meeting conventional joystick standards is not (Why Multiwinia and not Spore?) The hardware is affordable but the first-party software severely restricts its utility. Please, provide us with more new and wonderful ways to use this amazing tool; the community has demonstrated what can be done, and how, and we all would like first-party support for these features.

Peter O.
Adrian
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Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:00 am

Post by Adrian »

Joystick support would be useful for a lot of games, especially space sims (like X3) and flight sims.

On a more business like note I do find trying to get companies to add support to their applications very frustrating.

I use a lot of 3D and 2D apps for CAD/CAM/CNC work which don't support the SpacePilot, whenever I raise this with the developers the answer is "they're very cool but no-one really uses them so we've got better things to do".

It's a real chicken and egg thing, companies won't put effort into adding support until they're more mainstream and they won't get mainstream until there's more support.

Improving the ability to do simple things like automatic app support for the buttons and simple on-off bindings to the cap would help, I'm sure earlier versions were easier to program than the current one!

At the moment it's just an expensive paperweight for the majority of programs I use.
kgrosser
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Post by kgrosser »

Well said, that... especially if you consder that the mother of invention (Cyberman II) atually was a genric joystick! (unfortunately limited and finally rendered obsolete by it's 15pin gameport connector). Even the NuLOOQ from Logitech, using the same technology, allows for keystroke binding.

- so question' up: "just why simply not?" It's really hardly understandable with HID, Direct Input and more standards layed out and available and the question being asked so many times. A 20 (put in your favourite currency here) gamepad has a more flexible configuration.


So, amongst FSSCP, D2X and any other game out there I'd personally would like to use it for:

- Scope/Pulsar DSP studio host software
- Cubase
- ProTools
- PADS, Eagle and other elcronic design programs
- OpenOffice
- MediaCenter software (any brand)
- Gimp, Picture Publisher etc.

aside with my NuLOOQ, regular mouse keyboard and joystick, hell, even multiple controllers with various configurations. In a music production or sound design environment you just can't have enough controllers unless yiou have a "real" console! So please, go ahead and do it.
kgrosser
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Post by kgrosser »

Did I mention am actually using a NuLOOQ, a Nevigator AND a Traveller? And for gaming in 32 Bit, RBC9's code works well enough. (I am confident, Galemp, you checked that out allready for your FS coding and playing fun?).
It's really the pro applications that call for a OS with more RAM than 3GB and 64 bit definately is the future.

Oh, while being of a wish list of things probably never to come and after having slept over it:

a application sensitive multiple profile layer would be marvelous. Say, you asign 2 buttons to switch up/downwards between configurations, in a audio editing suite you could use a profile for controlling the surround mixer, then toggle profile with a button and use the controller to edit a sample with zoom in/out and scrub/scroll. A Traveller/Navigator could display the layer with corresponding blinks, a Pilto display the selected Layer plus functional description aka "Layer 1: Edit" "Layer2: Surround Pan" etc.

Next suggestion: pressing 2 buttons simultaneously brings up a profile select screen where you can scroll through your application sensitive layers.

3rd suggestion: in the quick launch bar, right clicking the 3DC icon brings up a list 1. generic (the way the controller work now) 2. customized with a submenu of edited profiles and 3. edit profile.

4th: learn MIDI command

Even just a free configuration could sell me a Pilot, but one or 2 of these would do it immediately.
CatPunk
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Post by CatPunk »

It would be great when the "adobe reader"-plugin could work with firefox, paint.net, openoffice and the windows surface in general-
(i'm speaking of zoom-functions and the movement of the screen-content, rotatzing the screen would be cool, too).
Galemp
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Post by Galemp »

kgrosser wrote:I am confident, Galemp, you checked that out allready for your FS coding and playing fun?
Actually I'm an FS artist ( Hard Light Productions ) who does a lot of modeling for the game. RBC9's driver didn't do it for me since I have a SpaceExplorer, and Yos' package didn't work for me either. See this post for details.
jwick
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Post by jwick »

Thanks to all for the general comments. But I'm looking for specific examples of exactly what applications you want to use these devices with--say for instance we wanted to buy applications to test. In fact, if you could list the name and version that would help.

This thread is specifically for applications that already have a joystick interface. Some of the applications people have been mentioning do not have joystick interfaces. If you want, we can start another thread to list applications that don't have joystick or 3D interfaces.

Thanks again.
Smiler
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Post by Smiler »

Mach3 CNC control software http://www.machsupport.com/

Mach has a joystick plugin which is used to jog the CNC mill or router etc. My CNC router is currently a three axis machine but I will inevitably add a fourth and probably fifth axis in time. The Navigator would make a great CNC jog pendant controller.
Regards, Jeff.
kgrosser
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Post by kgrosser »

Galemp: I have tried to send you a PM with a suggestion for fixing your prob, don't know whether it worked, my sentbox is empty...

Jim: I though my first post contained a quite comprehensive list of applications I actually am using my 3DConnexion controllers so far with the fortunate help of RBC9s driver but would like to continue when migrating to 64bit in the near future.
Unfortunately this driver as good as it is has not been succesfully ported to x64 and gives problems on some controllers (see above). I think you should simply try this driver and do something similar.
So, if you ask for the most important application, you could put it as simple as:

"Windows XP/Vista/7 32 and 64 bit"

Just make it appear as a generic joystick in the control panel, the rest is a breeze with GlovePie, Joy"key and PPJoy...However, the more comprehensive the generic solution, the better.
CatPunk
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Post by CatPunk »

the final point in all these requests/posts is: 3dConnexion (as a Logitech Daughter...?) has no interests in supporting users with a general driver for operating systems.

Don't get me wrong: the support for special user-application-software is excellent. Never met a company that puts so much effort in the support of users.

My suggests are: For some reason the head-company doesn't want to support the 3dconnexion-Devices in that way - perhaps because there are several logitech-devices that nearly offer the functions a general driver for 3dCon-devices would do, too.

Anyway, unless its useless to mention some applications in that threat that will be supported (or not) in some month - but still don't feed the general requirement of an win/MAC/Linux general driver, i suppose to close this Subject and put all efforts in the "fan"-developement of an 32bit / 64bit driver.

Sorry Support-Guys from 3dconnexion, your work is really great - but after the 99th threat/post containing
[quote]What specifically are these other apps you mentioned?[quote]
or
[quote]I'm looking for specific examples of exactly what applications you want to use these devices with [quote]
the community of general-operating-system-driver-willing beginns to resign......
Locked