I'm looking for idea feedback and some testers here with touchscreens (USB and Serial alike).
Features so far:
- Runs on Windows PC (single and multi monitor supported).
- Supports every game and application. STO, WOW, EVE, Home control apps, Photoshop, 3D Studio...
- Fully customizable layouts. Create and use as many layouts as you like. Create buttons of any shape and size (not just rectangles). Add button text and multiple button graphics dinamically.
- Fast interface layout change, like Ground layout, Space Combat layout, virtual keyboard...
- Powerfull, quick and easy to use macro support. Chain, switch, loop, console commands, mouse movement... you name it.
- Customizable visual and audio feedback. You can add a pool of sounds and the app plays one randomly (immersion). You can also add visible "macro running" markers t buttons.
- Works with simple mouse clicks.
- Works with every touchscreen in mouse mode. Problem is that STO messes up you mouse control big time. For example mouse mode doesn't work while you are in mouse look in STO.
- Native support for various USB and Serial touchsreens to fully support STO and other apps, that mess up your mouse control. So the touch screen will work even if you are in mouse look. The video above is made in native mode.
- No messing with registry and shady System32 DLL files. Works as a standalone executable. No install needed, just run it.
- Full networking is in.
- Android 1.6 and up is supported, WM6, WM6.5 is supported
Unlimited time, full feature trial version is available. It will, however, shut itself down after 10 minutes.
The full version is $9.9.
This post has been edited to remove content which violates the Cryptic Studios Forum Usage Guidelines and Cryptic Studios Infraction Policy ~WishStone
Comments
I made this LCARS up, just to test the app. The circular buttons are the powers 1-10, the arrows are for control, hit the rectangles the arrows point and the ship turns constantly. Hit the arrow and it turns just a little bit. The +/- are speed control, the mode select is high impulse. The 341 is the F. The 38 is fire all, 72 fires torpedoes and 99 fires beam weapons. Ext set is Scan. 160 is next target, 172 is previous target.
Great... now I have to buy a touchscreen
You can get them pretty cheap now like ~10" screens for around or under $200 and an Acer 22" for around $300.
- Runs on Windows PC
- Customizable interface layout. You can load up any picture and use it as an interface.
- You can easily assign commands to buttons on your layout picture.
- Complete macro control included, button Press/Up/Down/Wait/Switch and duration.
- Same button can control multiple apps simultaniously.
- Add multiple sound files as a feedback and the app will randomly play one after you press the button or the action is finished.
- Change the layout completely in 2 clicks.
- It is compatible with any PC touch screen displays.
- It can be placed over the main game window so 2nd screen is not required (but come in handy if you want full immersion).
I still want to add the Command input method and ability to Launch apps.
i dont see a link to see any screenies though....
btw...i use and like the LCARS you did to replce the bland blue...awesome job.
will there be a tutorial on how to assign keybinds for thos of us not far into programming?
I'm thinking this one right here...
not a bad price, but it is small.
What do you think?
Oooooooo! I like it. Now to find the money.......
That's pretty hot. I wonder how sensitive it is... like... could it be used for drawing, too? Probably not--and cool all the same--but it'd definitely be on my shopping list since my drawing pad recently broke.
Though a programmer myself, I have no idea what would be involved in this and it may simply not be worth it, but....
If this can have a similar functionality as the IPad version in which the commands can channel over USB from a laptop/secondary computer, and effectively work as a controller, you might increase the "customer" base, as it were.
Then anyone who has a laptop but not a secondary monitor can use it, and it sounds like it could be customized for any game by the user? You'd have just one-upped the IPad application. Especially if it can run on an IPad through a Windows emulator of some sort.
I stand by the comments I made about the IPad app that I think a touchscreen interface will never be ideal for fast-paced MMOs where your eyes need to be on the main game screen, but with customization your app can scale far beyond use in MMOs and games.
I could totally see myself designing and mapping a custom desktop to sit beside my main monitor. There's really a lot of potential here, and it could be quite marketable.
Here is a review about it on Youtube...
It does look like a nice monitor..
Agreed. Just to note this from the FAQ, though:
An important limitation to note and to make sure expectations are set right.
We should make sure this little app isn't using one of those. I doubt it is... but better safe than sorry.
I think that'd be cool.
That is the main reason I decided to make this. The app is designed to be an universal, easy to use on screen controller which can work with mouse clicks and touchscreen as well. It can macro control anything you specify. EVE, WOW, Photoshop etc, even multiple app simultaniously with the same button.
Someone has to make a layout UI and map the commands first. After that, of course. It would not change automatically thou, you would need to press a button first.
If the MiMo can display Calc.exe, it can display this app as well. Adding animated surfaces is a cool idea thou. I will see to it, but the compatibility will remain.
Sorry, it would not work that way at the moment. It is not all that hard to implement. My problem is that, it would create a slight security concern. You would need to allow your desktop to accept control commands through the network.
Press a button to turn on and off your impulse trail. Press another button and you will see the correct viewscreen image on your bridge. Even the matching loadscreens may work with this.
Also I started to implement an ambient sound mode. Add sound clips and the app will randomly play them at random intervals.
Could you add it as an option? I'd love to be able to run this on a second PC. It would need a client app running on the main PC.
The PC version is almost ready and works great! I just need to add a copy protection and set up the distribution infrastructure. After that I will make a video and port it to smartphones and pads like Android, Win6, Win7 and maybe IPhone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0C-YvOGWXg
And these are the command sheets I made so far. You can see them in the video.
Space:
http://www.sto-advanced.com/new_lcars.jpg
Ground:
http://www.sto-advanced.com/new_lcars_gr.jpg
The feedback sounds are from Star Trek Armada 1. I didn't use ambient chatter at the end. ST Armada has only a tiny amount of generic sound.
I have to admit, the whole experience was much better then expected. This was the very first time I actually played the game this way and it felt pretty natural. Since I mapped everything I need in this game into the console I didn't have to use the keyboard at all.
:cool:
The only thing that would stop me from getting a touch screen is the same reason I don't get sophisticated keyboards. I'd be afraid to brake it (I tend to abuse keyboards when I'm getting really into a game...not angry German kid, just pushing buttons harder than necessary), and I'd have to wonder when else I'd use it.
Plus the turn is switched anyway. I press the button and the ship turns until I press again.
Today, I played STO with keyboard again just to feel the difference. I hated it after 10 minutes and switched back to touchscreen LCARS.
The application still needs some polish, but I feel there is no going back. I even made an on screen keyboard (the app is so powerfull it took only 10 minutes) and made it as my primary keyboard.