C# : Wii Nunchuk Interface

I looked at connecting the Wii Nunchuk to GH via an Arduino and have attached a working test example. The joystick moves a box in the XY-Plane and the accelerometer varies the XYZ dims of the box and changes the XYZ offset of a sphere relative to the latter. The C and Z buttons toggle the objects surfaces from translucent to opaque. The novelty wears off after about half a minute so I leave it to others to do something intelligent with the interface.

Nunchuk :-
Double-sided PCB board 1.6mm(1/16") thick is used for slotting into the connector.
Wiring configuration can be found at
http://wiire.org/Wii/protocols/wiimote_bus
the connections need to be mirrored for the Nunchuk - and
http://todbot.com/blog/2008/02/18/wiichuck-wii-nunchuck-adapter-ava...
analog pins 2 and 3 have been re-configured for power/ground - I've kept to the standard setup leaving the pins free for other inputs

Arduino (NG + v0017) :-
The code is adapted from
http://www.windmeadow.com/node/42
I've simply re-formatted the serial output to provide a consistent 20-digit 'number'. Regarding notes on altering the twi.h file I just uncommented #define ATEMEGA8 and left #define TWI_FREQ 100000L as is - my setup didn't work with the higher speed recommended.

GH (0.6.0019)
I've included the serial port code in the C# component by adding the System.dll referenced assembly from from my C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\ directory - the namespace already exists in the component but didn't seem to recognise the functions.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Fabiano Friedrich on September 7, 2009 at 8:34am

Sweet

Permalink Reply by Guilherme Ressel on September 7, 2009 at 8:39am

Awesome! Any movies?

Permalink Reply by Ritchie Jackson on September 8, 2009 at 3:37am

Movie? Of a ball chasing a box? Not my ticket into Pixar or ILM !

Seriously though, I'll post something when I connect it to a proper design project. From my experience in commercial architectural practice I'm aware that the GH user is seldom the design lead and that the latter will invariably want to make over-the-shoulder changes to suit an aesthetic goal.

By providing a more tactile and intuitive interface it might be possible for the designer to effect the changes themselves after the GH specialist has set the project up. I'm perfectly at home using a mouse and keyboard but there're plenty of professionals who view this type of interface as creatively restrictive.

Permalink Reply by Damien Alomar on September 8, 2009 at 9:17am

This seams pretty darn cool...I'd certainly like to see it in action even if it is something that is rather "mundane" at first.

BTW each person has their "medium" of choice. Just because people choose one medium over another doesn't make it better or worse. Unfortunately that's something that a number of architects don't seam to be able to accept as there's a constant deflation of people who choose to express their creativity through overly digital means.

Permalink Reply by Ritchie Jackson on September 8, 2009 at 1:49pm

I'll try to get something online soon.

I don't think the mainstream architectural profession really intends to deflate people who create via a digital environment. I believe it's more a case of them being uncomfortable with using the interface rather than dismissing the visual product. Having said that, I've been to a few interviews where, after showing a 3D digital portfolio, I've been asked where my preliminary 2D sketches (pencil and paper) are. After replying that there aren't any, I use the computer as a primary design tool, an awkward, disbelieving silence ensues.

I think the reason Nintendo have been so successful with the Wii is that they've focussed on an interface which allows people to connect in a more natural way. Maybe architecture should have its own counterpart in this regard. Or maybe we should just wait for Microsoft's Natal project to launch. Then we could literally conjure up designs out of thin air.

Permalink Reply by Andy Payne on September 8, 2009 at 9:42am

Congrats Ritchie...Looks like we're researching some of the same topics. I have also created a Wii nunchuck definition (only using VB) and plan on shooting a video of it tonight if I can find a video camera. Again... I don't have a great example definition either, but I'm using the accelerometer data to drive a mechanized arm in GH (similar to a pan/tilt servo setup). Congrats on getting yours up and running. I hope to post a video in the next day or so.

Permalink Reply by Ritchie Jackson on September 8, 2009 at 1:54pm

Thanks.
I think it's good to experiment with a variety of interfaces - some will be more beneficial than others depending on the type of project and ...er... type of user.
Look forward to seeing your video.

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