Date: Sun, 04 Oct 1998 12:50:12 +0100 (BST) From: Duncan Barclay <dmlb@ragnet.demon.co.uk> To: Luigi Rizzo <luigi@labinfo.iet.unipi.it> Cc: hackers@FreeBSD.ORG, itojun@iijlab.net Subject: Re: (mgp-users 00027) graphic tablet experiecne ? Message-ID: <XFMail.981004125012.dmlb@computer.my.domain> In-Reply-To: <199810040903.KAA02149@labinfo.iet.unipi.it>
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On 04-Oct-98 Luigi Rizzo wrote: ... > > ok, i managed to modify moused (was relatively simple) to talk to my > unit, which happens to be made by "Genius" and has an apparently > documented protocol. The mods are at > > http://www.iet.unipi.it/~luigi/moused.diffs I'll have a look at this and see if I can integrate my Wacom code (well most of it is just a wrapper around the code in the XF86 library, but it can be compiled standalone). ... >> PS. Using absolute mode to move around the display is very strange >> but you get used to it! > > you bet! in fact, moused only allows relative mouse motion events > which is a bit unconvenient. After 1/2 hour working with it i have the > following feelings: > > * using a pen is WAY more convenient than a mouse and buttons for > menu selection etc. And for drawing there is absolutely no > comparison. > > * i think a few buttons on the stylus would be extremely convenient to > use. My unit has only one button (the tip) and one near the pad. > I am mapping the tip as button 1, which is ok for most things, > but double-click etc. are not very easy. > Plus, when you put back the stylus, the cursor follows you... The plan I have is to map some regions of the tablet as "function" areas. Pressing the tip generates some user defined event. At present these are function key button presses which I then set up my window manager to fire up xterms etc. on. X allows one to change the mapping of the physical to logical buttons. I have thrown together a small app (in TK) to toggle the settings. > * In many occasions, i really miss the ability to map the whole > tablet (or a fraction) within a window, so i don't have to > "imagine" the boundaries of the working area while drawing. > In order to do this, however, i do need two things: > + absolute coordinates > + feedback from the server on the window's geometry This is already availalbe in X (for the Wacom tablets). A number of virtual tablets can be created. I would suggest that you look at xf86Wacom.c somewhere in the XFree86 source tree. Also look at gsumi-1.0.1 from http://www.gtk.org/~otaylor/i for a application that does this (only for Wacom I think but may be able to do any of the tablets). XFree86 has additions to the X input code, it appears that the standard XsendEvent interface isn't really up to the job of sending the required information. The XIE modules use these extensions to multiplex any number of input devices to the mouse. > Any idea on how to improve moused communication with its consumers > (the X server, or syscons) ? We could pretend to be an extended input device, via a pty?. This can then be opened by any of the XIE devices. The moused code would need to be a pass through to the real device. Duncan --- ________________________________________________________________________ Duncan Barclay | God smiles upon the little children, dmlb@ragnet.demon.co.uk | the alcoholics, and the permanently stoned. ________________________________________________________________________ To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message
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