Touchscreen Game Controller? 122
DARTH25 sent us a review of a fairly clever little
USB touchscreen controller. Think of it as a keyboard where you can move the buttons around and dynamically change graphics. And the "buttons" are a 320x240 12 bit LCD screen.
So switching to the railgun involves pressing the railgun icon on the screen. I'm not sure how well I'd like it for action games but for a lot of
games with many options, this could be really cool. Of course, its windows only, but maybe not for long.
Re:Why just games? (Score:1)
Re:http://gotapex.com ?? (Score:1)
Wipe the jizz-stains off those Coke Bottles!
Re:Two things... (Score:2)
Why just games? (Score:2)
I touch "insert into" and it shows me a list of tables in the current database.
It could do all of that without having to make everything into a GUI or taking away the ability to use the keyboard as well.
I'm not much of a gamer, but I think this would be incredibly cool to get my hands on.
-- Zack
Re:Cool for machine rooms (Score:1)
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zero tactile feedback (Score:4)
When you have your hands on a traditional controller, the bumpy buttons let you know your hands are in the correct position. You know when you press down, you will hit the right button. Accuracy is everything. With this, you can try to keep your hands in the same position, but the only way to know for sure is to make a mistake or look down. Forget it.
As an example, how often do you start typing with your hands one key to the left or right? You didn't even look at they keyboard, you used the bumpy keys to position your hands.
Maybe not for games (Score:4)
This could be used for all sorts of things though. You might even program your windowmanager to stick your root menu on the thing so you don't have to find an open spot on your desktop (or have to reach for the F12 key).
Strangely they are marketing this towards games where speed is of the essence. I don't know about you, but averting my eyes from the screen to press a touchpad with no tactile feedback doesn't seem like the way to speed up my game. How long does it take for your finger to learn the position of the "build peon" key anyway?
Down that path lies madness. On the other hand, the road to hell is paved with melting snowballs.
Programmable macro buttons (Score:1)
Re:Programmable macro buttons (Score:1)
Re:Keyboard Overlays:TNG (Score:1)
Re:Can you say... (Score:1)
What is really needed for a car is voice input. Put an activation button on the wheel to enable the microphone, then speak what you want to do. That way you're not looking at the display when you should be looking at the road. If you have enough of a computer to decode compressed audio, you should have enough power to interpret voice input.
Not really suited for action games (Score:5)
A frag hurts a lot more in real life.
What you'll find is that any control that has a combat function - things like vehicle manoevering, weapons selection, and triggers - are one-button-per-function, tactile-feedback items. Controls for communications and information systems tend to be placed on multi-use displays with changing menus - sometimes iconic, but mostly text.
This little gadget sounds like the latter, not the former. Good for keys and functions not heavily used, but not suitable for rapid action games like Quake and friends.
Re:Maybe not for games (Score:1)
Re:Screw game control! General Purpose Interface (Score:1)
For example, I have my entire CD collection stored in MP3s on a linux box, running some homebrew jukebox type software. If I had one of these devices to use as a remote, I could select "mp3" from an audio source menu, and it could bring up a list of albums, selected live from the DB on the server. Just touch the album you want, and the HTPC sends out the appropriate IR to switch the stereo reciever's input, and instructs the jukebox to begin playing the album. Hard to justify the $300, but it sounds damn nifty
Re:Good..but (OT - grammar nazi'ing the grammar n (Score:1)
subjunctive
some of your other comments fall into subjectivity
rather than grammar
next time you correct someone, you should try to
be correcter
-Kevin
Re:Can you say... (Score:2)
Cool for machine rooms (Score:1)
do from time to time need access to a desplay + keyboard.
I don't care about gaming with it
Re:Two things... (Score:2)
IM Helper (Score:1)
I've often had the desire for something like this as an instant messenger helper: I'm in the middle of a full-screen game and I'm expecting a IM from a friend when they get online, so I'm Alt-Entering between full-screen and windowed mode. It would be nice to see IMs pop-up on the helper.
Re:IM Helper (Score:1)
I just actually read the article and sure enough they mentioned having ICQ on the "controller", and that's a great idea. In fact carry that over to Winamp controls, etc: All those little apps that we run in concert with an app that functionally takes over the PC.
Why not use PalmAMP? (Score:2)
Re:Why not use PalmAMP? (Score:1)
Also, the software design I have in mind for selecting things mostly uses the hardware buttons (so I don't have to take my eyes off the road) and the screen interface is more like the Nomad Jukebox in that it's hierarchical and categorized by artist, album, and song, or by playlist.
the future is near (Score:2)
This will be the 'alternate' input device, where you can use your mouse, your keyboard or put all your grubby little paws over your screen and get nice little oil prints everywhere ... totally cool..
I don't want a lot, I just want it all!
Flame away, I have a hose!
Re:Good..but (Score:3)
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Re:Two things... (Score:1)
2) I dunno. I think that if you could get enough controls onto the thing to move the keyboard off to the side and move the LCD under the monitor, you could play a game using it as your Perry Ferrell vision would pick it up, at least a bit, which might be enough if there were something to feel....
hmm, how about a clear plastic sheet (like those membrane plastic keyboard covers for standard keyboards) that can sit over the display with "buttons" moulded into it. So you could have a standard one with, say, 10 square regions for controls, or could ship a keyboard "skin" with a game if you wanted a different layout of button spaces... then just drop your graphics and controls into the spaces on the LCD underneath.
Or whatever. I've got to change the cat box.
Cognitive dissonance, anyone? (Score:5)
Just like your scanner, right?
:)
Re:All of a sudden... (Score:2)
Re:Two things... (Score:1)
fucking sweet (Score:1)
Re:RTS! (Score:5)
Re:Two things... (Score:5)
In addition, you don't (I would not / do not) put time-critical functions on it; those are for your joystick/spaceorb/mouse/trackball/etc where your hand usually stays during melee combat.
I have an advanced form of this: I have a 15" LCD touchscreen computer that is designed to do exactly the same thing. I use a spaceball/trackball combo with the TSC just below the front of my screen and my keyboard below that. I can program the TSC to provide a template with all the menus/controls I need to play a particular game. Primarily, I put non-combat functions on the TSC (like the inventory loadouts and the (V)oice actions in Tribes 2). Switching weapons, firing, throwing grenades, jumping, jetting, etc are on my spaceball/trackball. Pretty soon I will be adding a set of foot switches as well (might as well get the rest of my limbs in on the action); I'll probably assign jumping, jetting, running, etc to those.
SWEET! (Score:1)
I would buy it in a heartbeat.
http://gotapex.com ?? (Score:4)
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Similar devices have been attempted... (Score:2)
You might be able to roll you own: (Score:1)
With some PHP and a little thought you could do the a similar thing using my Linux based ETC [mindbent.org] software and a $50 surplus touchscreen computer. Monochrome only, unfortunetly.
If there is demand for this I might be able to wire the touchscreen inline between the keyboard and PC (for compatibility with Windows and Linux).
Lack of tactile feedback (Score:2)
"Dammit, why did they put the 'Console Self-Destruct' button so frickin' close to the 'Raise Shields' button?"
Re:good idea...but (Score:5)
Dude, upgrade to a color monitor already, it's way more realis...
Oh. Wait. You meant the game...
Err, nevermind.
Re:Looks cool but... (Score:2)
However, when I went to use it with SC3K a couple months ago (after having the thing for maybe 6 months), I found the sensors for rotation were broken. And I never even got to play a game where I could make use of them.
Oh well, I still use it for most of my gaming. 24 hotkeys for Diablo II at my fingertips - I don't even have them all programmed (I still have 2 free slots). Has to be 10 times easier then dealing with the keyboard.
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Not fantastic (Score:5)
I know where the A and B buttons are located on my mouse and joystick, not by sight, but by sense of touch. There is a clear, tactile line that seperates them, either by raising or lowering the sides, or by differing textures. An LCD panel won't do that, so I have to LOOK at the controller to figure out where the buttons are, each time I pick it up after drinking / petting the dog / taking a wizz. blech.
I also have the problem of lazy fingers that refuse to interpret visual information. That means that they can't read the controller and, as they are prone to fidgeting between turns, I will lose a lot of game play repeatedly dedicating 0.00000001 second each turn to visually confirming the layout.
Re:Cool uses: (Score:2)
That's true... And when the fuel gauge is very low, you can tap on it to make sure that it's working
Re:zero tactile feedback (Score:2)
Actually, this controller has a lot of potential for many types of games.
Since you can make the profiles yourself, and seeing as how the controller is only about 5 inches diag... it would be trivial to make a simple "zones" type of profile for a game. Perhaps dead center, the four sides, and the four corners.
Keeping your hand rested over it, you wouldn't need to actually look at controller to hit the appropriate area, and with wide enough dead zones around wide enough live zones, it could be quite intuitive.
This would not be any more useful than the numeric keypad, of course, but coupled with a few custome images, and perhaps simulated "slider" type buttons (say for throttles or what-have-you) the wide programability of this device can far exceed the usefulness of a keyboard. Also, since it's programmable, games could be developed to make special use of it which in and of it's self might open possibilities.
The real question here isn't if the device is useful. The question is will anyone make proper use of it?
Properly used, this device COULD revolutionize game input the way the mouse did. But it probably won't.
"Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"
dirty mind! (Score:1)
So I'm still happy about the $20 APC surge protectors.
Re:Can you say... (Score:1)
OH!
ev0l
Re:Cool for machine rooms (Score:2)
USB touchpad: $300
Begin to see a reason why this is a bad idea?
Re:Maybe not for games (Score:2)
You might even program your windowmanager to stick your root menu on the thing so you don't have to find an open spot on your desktop (or have to reach for the F12 key).
So instead I have to find an open slot on my desk? The desktop is easier to find space on. :)
--Ty
Re:Cool for machine rooms (Score:2)
USB touchpad: $300
Pointy-Haired Boss authorizing the $300 because he likes the "USB" buzzword: Priceless.
-Legion
Re:Just because it has a couple of TLAs (Score:1)
So, does having a program to change the display rather than sliding in a different bit of card justify a $300 price tag?
Of course it does. The things are probably practically hand-made by their original designer. Start shifting product volume, get them to be the "must have" for the next hot game, and they'll be $50 from Taiwan.
The great advantage of this over the BBC strip, is that it's context sensitive. Why have 15 incomprehensible buttons, when you can make it display a relevant set of 4, as you need them.
Don't underestimate funny keyboards though. We've just receievd a video edit suite built out of a bog-standard Mac, but with a keyboard that looks like a bag of coloured Lego. The gimmick is that it matches the colours of an industry-standard Avid edit suite, with resultant savings in training etc.
it would make... (Score:1)
Re:RTS! (Score:2)
Wonder if you can get carpel tunnel from touching your screen too often...
Hell, I know people who probably developed carpal tunnel syndrome from touching themselves too often....
Re:I hate touchscreens! (Score:1)
Err, shouldn't that be "$ chown -R us.us yourbase"?
Or for the NT Fans:
Right click YourBase->Properties->Security->Ownership->Take Ownership
Shayne (yes, I'm being pedantic) ;-)
This puppy could be good for a lot more than games (Score:2)
Re:Can you say... (Score:1)
Screw game control! General Purpose Interface (Score:2)
Home Theater Control
Server Information and Automation
Tactile feedback? (Score:1)
Re:Can you say... (Score:1)
Lots of good ideas there. Palm Pilot control is just one
Re:Cool X10 interface (Score:1)
Re:Just because it has a couple of TLAs (Score:2)
Re:Looks cool but... (Score:1)
Terminal Functionality (Score:2)
Of course, this kind of innovation never seems to be exploited to its full potential. In spite of my 'wait-and-see' attitude, I really like the possibilities.
Star Trek, Anyone? (Score:1)
Palm Pilot? (Score:2)
Re:RTS! (Score:1)
No more one handed game play!
Ok, that comment was a dead giveaway, or a badly disguised rorschach.. Uh.. So how about that onehanded quake, eh?Re:Two things... (Score:2)
Scary name on the link.. (Score:2)
gotapex.com
For *just a second* I thought, "Wow, the trolls actually got a story posted with that goatsex URL."
How about portables? (Score:1)
It seems to me that something like this might be good as the main display area in the portable market.
For example, use this as the display for a laptop. You could have a detachable keyboard for "regular" use. When detached, the display would work sort of like a PADD from Star Trek. Just slip a stylus in for good messure.
"I'm here for my sanity..." Train "I Am"
bad for FPS, good for RTS (Score:1)
Something like Red Alert or Starcraft would probably be better suited to the touch-screen inventory access of the gamepad...
Re:HUDs and Windshields (Score:2)
Re:RTS! (Score:3)
Actually, I had a concept a while ago about a multiple player game with all the players controlling one person, but just different aspects of the person. One person could deal with inventory, and another with strength etc...there could be struggles between the different parts of the person, which would make it slightly competitive between the players playing the game. This probably makes no sense to anyone else, but it makes perfect sense in my brain.
ps- working at Camp Susque [susque.org] really takes time away from cruising
Keyboard Overlays:TNG (Score:2)
Not knowing much about electronics, how expensive would it be to have a standard keyboard with little (7mm x 7mm) LCD or LED displays on each key? I did a quick search through Radio Shack's web site but they seemed to be limited to those little numeric LED displays that only have 7 lights.
I could see a lot of uses; allow someone to switch back and forth between Dvorak/Qwerty or between some bastard combination (e.g. I just chopped off my left hand, oops, let's put all of the most common keys in the RH home row.) Or, how about a custom C++ keyboad with ';', '{' and '}' in the homerow? Imagine how much stress you'd save with the braces placed where the 'g' and 'h' keys are.
Anyway, enough musing. The only way it would be useful is if keyboard had a way to show the current keyboard settings. So back to my origional question. Is this technically feasible?
P.S. I was going to patent the idea ;), but I'd really be just as happy if someone else would develop it and let me buy one.
P.P.S. I realize the cheap option is to buy a cheap keyboard and paint over the letters...
Re:Keyboard Overlays:TNG (Score:2)
Re:Keyboard Overlays:TNG (Score:2)
I'm not sure I understand your point. If the capslocks was pressed then all the keys would show capitol letters.
Currently your indicator that the caps lock key is pressed is 1. the little light on the keyborad, 2. the fact that THE LETTERS YOU ARE TYPING are capitalized.
This would simply add a third indication; the fact that all the keys now show CAPITAL letters. Caps Locks key gets turned off, all the keys revert to lowercase.
Re:Keyboard Overlays:TNG (Score:2)
I guess I see it as a learning tool. If you type on any configuration for 8 hours a day you are going to take your cues from the screen not the keyboard. But if I set up my custom C++ optimized keyboard layout and Joe comes over to use my computer he can spend hours learning my layout or, if the keyboard were interactive, simply look at the keys.
Also, if a five year old were using a keyboard he/she gets instant feedback. "Ohhh, holding the [shift] gets me capital letters and the punctuation over the numbers, but [caps lock] only gives me capital letters and the numbers aren't affected."
Re:Keyboard Overlays:TNG (Score:2)
That's exactly it. Any names, links, other info?
Re:Two things... (Score:1)
Just wondering
CAD uses (Score:1)
lots of potentials (Score:2)
But as everything new its always expensive and cool. If it is a good idea price will go down and quality will improve. I wouldn't be surprised to see such keyboards in the future. It sure gives the "keymap" a new dimension. Just toggle the symbols of the keys whenever you use another keymap.
Can you say... (Score:5)
Abstainer: a weak person who yields to the temptation of denying himself a pleasure.
Re:Two things... (Score:1)
Say, a row of icons to select armor, a row for weapons, a row for packs, a row for grenades, a row for presets... Now just select your loadout by tapping icons. Seems pretty slick in concept.
Re:Two things... (Score:2)
Re:Good..but (Score:3)
I believe in custom controls, where you could place the controls on the touch-screen however you want, but I'm sure that too many games would break the useability by changing the controls too much throughout the game.
That's new ?? (Score:1)
Re:All of a sudden... (Score:2)
Re:Two things... (Score:1)
Cool uses: (Score:5)
Personally, I think the coolest use would be to have a terminal open at all times so I could always have it at my disposal.
Multimedia Machine (Score:1)
Re:Can you say... (Score:1)
Just because it has a couple of TLAs (Score:1)
I've also seen devices almost identical to this one but again using a piece of cardboard in front of the buttons rather than an LCD.
So, does having a program to change the display rather than sliding in a different bit of card justify a $300 price tag?
I think not.
Besides, we all know CLIs are the best, right?
I'd probably jam my thumb through the LCD (Score:2)
Perhaps a warning on the box... Not intended for easily excitable players. Risk of severe thumb abrasions from sharp shards of plastic.
--CTH
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Long reach... (Score:1)
Saitek Game Controllers (Score:2)
I had one of the first generations of these, and loved it loved it loved it. 35 programmable keys (they were the little bubble-wrap type deals, which had some of the tactile feedback everybody's talking about), each key could be programmed for up to 4 functions using a simple latched-shift system... It even had a gamepad-style 8-way hat.
One of the truly nifty features was that it didn't require a driver to be installed - it perfectly emulated a keyboard, repeat rates and all. Configurations could be programmed in via a driver, but for folks who wanted to take their PC Dash around, there was a very cool barcode scanner built in. When you printed out a layout to cover the buttons with, a barcode would go on the page. Plug the dash in, swipe the barcode, and you were off.
The PC Dash 2 is not quite as cool, and I think it took a step backward, but it was USB... the first gen used a PS/2 passthrough. Still, I have very fond memories.
Yea verily, Saitek doth make some of the swiftiest peripherals on the planet. The X-36 throttle is possibly the perfect interface for flight games.
Meanwhile...
Since the Touchscreen can display new screens for each game automatically, I suggest taking it a step further and make it totally dynamic throughout the application. Instead of one screen that stays static for the entire game (requiring you to either make tiny little icons to cover the retinue of commands, or forego commands in favor of bigger icons), give the option for the user to create drill-down style menus which temporarily replace unrelated controls. Press the Inventory button, all the related inventory controls pop up. Press the Weapons button... well, you get the idea. This wouldn't be much good in fast-paced games, but for those of us who prefer our games a little slower-paced, it would truly rock. For the folks who are thinking of dynamic LCARS control panels, there you have it.
Tatsujin
Visit Unclebear.com [unclebear.com] for all your roleplaying needs that don't involve leather.
Re:Keyboard Overlays:TNG (Score:1)
> LCD or LED displays on each key?
...
> P.S. I was going to patent the idea
:) or not, there's prior art, maybe patented already, but patent should have already expired: I've seen the thing live in hardware, COTS, in late 1980s, connected to a PC running MS Windows 1.0 (the one that couldn't overlay windows!) The guy told me his boss paid more than $1000 for it.
Pushing SHIFT changed displays on all the buttons. It was strange.
You could download any font to it. The one I've seen had Cyrillic set up on Caps Lock.
HUDs and Windshields (Score:3)
More than games? (Score:2)
Someone who is disabled could use this to put the keys where they need them. Maybe they can't use the current keyboard since the buttons are too close together.
Would there be 'screen' savers for this device? Could I use xlock? The screensaver cycles through different languages/character sets and no one has a clue what to hit?
Of course i'd like to pipe X onto it and keep my root console/x session there so I can change stuff really really on the fly.
Looks cool but... (Score:2)
If you're really looking for a cheaper "do-all" controller check out the MS Strategic Commander [microsoft.com]. It's pitched as a controller for "strategic" games, but I use it for FPS games too...its nice to be able to move, jump and change weapons at the same time without double-jointed fingers.
I hate touchscreens! (Score:2)
And btw, I much prefer the switches and dials and blinking lights and levers from Star Wars as opposed to the sleek touchscreen controls of Star Trek.
Two things... (Score:5)
2) The biggest problem with LCD touchpads (this one included) is the absolute lack of tactile feedback. To know which button you are about to press (and to make sure you only hit one) you have to look at the controler. That is time that you spend not looking at the action on the computer screen. Bad idea in a firefight.
The concept is cool though...
All of a sudden... (Score:4)
Re:RTS! (Score:2)
good idea...but (Score:2)
Good idea for a nifty gadget, but way too expensive.
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Re:bad for FPS, good for RTS (Score:2)
Amen, brother.
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