Software

TouchInjector

Hello world, Today I proudly present: TouchInjector TouchInjector is a Windows 8 Desktop application that translates TUIO into Windows Touch messages. It’s lightweight, easy to use and does not get in the way. No installation is required and with one click you can customize it to autorun with the system (on logon). As I frequently change my display settings, TouchInjector observes them and reacts accordingly. You can download it here. There are no further software requirements than a Windows 8 system. Just unzip, unblock and run it. (Allow access through the firewall and make sure that no other TUIO clients block the port.) Have fun! ~theCake

C#

Windows 8 TouchInjection with C#

The Windows 8 platform provides an API to inject touch events (WM_TOUCH..) via a C++ API. The API is relatively easy to use, but not available in C#, unless you do DllImport/PInvoke. I found this to be kind of tricky, but finally I succeeded to make a C# library that can be used to use the TouchInjection API from C#. You can find TCD.System.TouchInjection on NuGet, or have a look at the TouchInjection.cs file itself. You may notice that I renamed all the strucs, enums and classes to look nicer than their C++ counterparts. The IntelliSense descriptions are available for almost everything! (I got them from the documentation on msdn..) I’ve made a sample application for the MSDN Code Gallery as well. Here’s a small collection of useful resources regarding the TouchInjection API: C++ sample application C++ TouchInjection API walkthrough

Hardware

Touchwand–Progress Report

wie in dem nachfolgenden Video zu sehen ist, verliefen die ersten Tests der Touchwand bereits erfolgreich: TouchViewer in Aktion… Das Video ist jetzt ein paar Wochen alt, denn zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt ist der Rahmen (Glasscheibe + Lasertechnik) aus dem Gehäuse ausgebaut. Auch am Rest des Gehäuses musste in den letzten paar Wochen noch weitergearbeitet werden. Zu den Veränderungen gehört die Stromversorgung… Der Strom kommt von außen über eine Kaltgeräte-Buchse …sowie eine Serviceklappe an der Vorderseite, die durch ein Schloss gesichert wird. Sie beherbergt Maus und Tastatur, sowie einen USB-Port. Ein An/Aus-Knopf wird auch durch diese Klappe erreichbar sein. Da die Klappe senkrecht zugeklappt wird, müssen Maus und Tastatur Halterungen haben.. Als Nächstes steht an, das Gehäuse vollständig auseinanderzubauen, um die Bretter von beiden Seiten mit Holzlasur anzustreichen.   PS.: Hoffentlich habe ich beim nächsten Post nicht wieder so eine Schreibblockade…

Software

Simple Launcher 2

As some of you may know, I have done an application called ‘Simple Launcher’. It’s purpose is to provide an easy way to have a multitouch user interface to start other applications. By pressing a small button on one of the controls it switches between container and bar-mode. In container-mode the user can drag’n’drop an application to a different container (or bar) and in bar-mode he can scroll through or launch applications. Empty containers will be remove automatically and new ones can be created via a button on the top. The user may also change the background by selecting a .jpg file. (Backgrounds are stored in ./Backgrounds and the selection is saved.) Here is a video of the application running on a HP Touchsmart notebook: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsZMSKe9h2k&w=448&h=252&hd=1] Simple Launcher 2 Demo   As all of the controls used in Simple Launcher are derived from MS Surface you need to install the…

Software

Status Report: It’s done :)

After the last package arrived all work was done within less than 24 hours. Take some 24 hours more and even the software is working. (Trust me, making a .exe to a Windows service and run it with admin privileges automatically is not that simple…) The Multitouchvista HID-driver is running in background after automatic logon, started by the task-scheduler (taskschd.exe). The Reactivision software is started from the Autostart-folder, so –sadly- it’s always visible, but the user may toggle the frame equalizer. I got some other software installed as well, e.g.: Firefox 4 Beta, Internet Explorer 9 Beta, Winamp, Windows Live Essentials 2011, VLC, Windows Home Server Connector …and a x64 driver for a low-cost webcam (presently without infrared blocker) ..and some more, of course. Also I changed the Windows Logon-Screen-background with a tool called BackgroundChanger to some self-made image. Below is the table as seen by the webcam: While the…

UI

Frustrated Total Internal Reflection II (EN)

Twitter is over capacity, so .. lets go. After a giant discussion on the colors (4days) of the table we’ve decided to make it look like alder (Erle). But before covering the table with the foil we had to spray it black on the inside. (both together took about two days of diaphoretic work…) Last week I explained the new FTIR modification in the simple version—so here’s the extreme (complicated) one: Basically this is a lot like the simple one, but it’s a lot prettier. But there’s a high price we had to pay for the better look: Drilling holes in a specific angle into a ~1/2” or ~1.5cm piece of acrylic is very tough. Anyway—we did it and glued 96 LEDs in there. (a few days later—today—when everything was wired we noticed that 8 LEDs remained dark b/c they were inverted. It took about 2hours to fix this >.<)…

UI

Frustrated Total Internal Reflection I (EN)

Hooray! The test arrangement for ‘getting the IR into the acrylic from below to get an FTIR-effect’ works. In theory this is how it looks like: The silicone enables the light to travel into the acrylic.. and in reallife.. :/ Place the LEDs with a foam/polystyrene-mount in a flat angle (~30°) on the acrylic and glue them with some transparent silicone (I got some for 7.30€). (the yellow –thing- is from a non-permanent marker…) A few minutes later you can wire the LEDs and turn them and your camera on: Your hand gets lightened up by the LEDs, so place a ‘Hunt for Red October’-DVD-Case in front of them. (turn your head to find Sean Connery in the images ) We get beautiful blobs – even through the 5mm 7D006 projection acrylic   All this is done by 8 LEDs. Planned are 48 each side/96 total. Though it is much…

UI

Frustrated Total Internal Reflection I (DE)

Es ist geschafft. Der Testaufbau zum Einkoppeln des Infrarotlichts in die Scheibe zur Erzeugung eines FTIR-Effekts funktioniert. In der Theorie sieht das so aus: An der Grezschicht zwischen Silikon und Plexiglas wird der kritische Winkel für die Totalreflexion verringert und das Licht kann diese passieren. Auf der Gegenüberliegenden Seite der Plexiglasscheibe bleibt der kritische Winkel unverändert und das flach auftreffende Licht wird reflektiert. Dort wo ein Finger die Oberfläche berührt ist der kritische Winkel ebenfalls verringert und das Licht passiert in den Finger hinein, wo es stark gestreut wird –> Der Finger leuchtet infrarot und wird von der Kamera gesehen. und in der Praxis… :/ Die LEDs werden mit einer Schaumstoff/Styrophor-Halterung in einem flachen Winkel (~30°) auf die Plexiglasscheibe fixiert. Anschließend wird ein großer Tropfen transparentes Silikon (300ml 7.30€) vor der LED aufgebracht und diese hineingesteckt. (das Gelbe kommt von einem wasserlöslichen Folienstift…) Nachdem das Silikon angetrocknet ist werden die…