Sixense MotionCreator Beta Release Notes

[Dan]

Links to the latest SMCE Razer Hydra beta software are attached to this post.


INSTALLATION

1. Download the .zip at http://www.sixense.com/MotionCreator. Unzip it using your compression utility. (Free utilities: 7-Zip, WinRar)

2. Delete any old builds you may have downloaded in the past. This will help to ensure you're always running the latest software and reduce the instances of false bug reports we get. Thanks in advance.

NOTE: If you have worked on or created any MCEs in your configs directory of your current build, you'll have to back them up and move them to the new one if you'd like to keep them.

3. Run the MotionCreatorEngineSDK.exe in the folder you unzipped.


RELEASE NOTES

01/12/12 - 1.1.0.3634.3621
- Fixed foreground window issue when restoring from system tray
- Added the ability to <force_off_bindings>true</force_off_bindings> when disabling a binding group
- Fixed bug where the binding start_disabled paramater was being ignored
- Added <disable_mouselook/> action
- Added new action <spin_view> which takes a angle or speed and a duration
- Fixed on_rise filters bug with multiple conditions.
- Changed the global.mce so that it only requires a roll and a trigger tap to activate the global.


01/03/12 - 1.1.0.3555.3524
If you don't follow the instructions above and install over a previous build, you should at the very least reset your sensitivity sliders by clicking the defaults button.
- When disabling a binding group, joystick_configs will look at the base to see if it should disable itself.
- Added logging debug modes
- Added <allow_mouse_move_test_conditions> boolean to joystick_configs which will allow mouse_move joystick_configs to trigger joytick conditions as well.
- Always show the tray icon
- Use unicode (ooh pretty ui)
- Velocity gestures fixed for controller index 1
- Fixed cursor moving when adjusting the mouse sensitivity slider
- Sensitivity sliders use tool tips and are not fractional values.

12/20/11 - 1.1.0.3384.3282
- Fix joystick_config dead_zone values being ignored
- Added calibration_steps in mouse_pointer for further support for calibrating the cursor for games that have the absolute bug.
- Added pause virtual key code
- Added new action center_and_enable_mouse

12/15/11 - 1.1.0.3217.3051
- Increase Global.mce activation angle to 135 degrees (it was checked in at 20 degrees by mistake).

12/09/11 - 1.1.0.3217.3051
- Added tool tips
- Added View Mode descritptions in help
- Added tutorial links in help
- Fixed bug where double clicking an mce wouldn't open the file
- Fixed bug with binding_groups allowing all game childeren as valid childeren
- All mce's updated with proper xml version and schema

12/06/11 - 1.1.0.3125.2951
- Fixed a bug with exclusive holds with the same button as an excluseive hold with the global mce causing the app to crash
- Fixed the default and global mce not getting disabled when unchecked in the gamelist.
- Fixed a bug with xml attributes causing the app to crash.

11/22/11 - 1.1.0. 3062.2886
- reset_binding now works as a quick binding
- added "any" direction for joystick
- added support to change dead_zone on joystick conditions
- fixed global bindings accidentaly getting enabled when used with the active game and exclusive holds.
- made it so if you are disabling a group_binding that has a mouse_pointer, it will enable the mouse_pointer that is not in a binding_group
- fixed columns sorting so they sort correctly regardless of casing
- added author parameter for a game config which shows up in the gui and when viewing the configuration
- added description paramter for a game config when viewing the configuration
- fixed enabling and disabling bindings messing up with the binding_groups enabled state.
- added 1 handed Skyrim mce

With the addition of "any" joystick direction and dead_zone/condition support, I was able to have the player walk until pressing the stick outside of a deadzone in Skyrim.

<binding>
	<name>Initial Walk</name>
	<description/>
	<conditions>
		<joystick>
			<controller>P1L</controller>
			<direction>any</direction>
			<filter>normal</filter>
			<dead_zone>0.04</dead_zone>
		</joystick>
	</conditions>
	<actions>
		<key>left_shift</key>
	</actions>
</binding>


<binding>
	<name>Walk</name>
	<description/>
	<conditions>
		<joystick>
			<controller>P1L</controller>
			<direction>any</direction>
			<filter>inverted</filter>
			<dead_zone>0.65</dead_zone>
		</joystick>
	</conditions>
	<actions>
		<key>left_shift</key>
	</actions>
</binding>


<binding>
	<name>Run</name>
	<description/>
	<conditions>
		<joystick>
			<controller>P1L</controller>
			<direction>any</direction>
			<filter>on_rise</filter>
			<dead_zone>0.65</dead_zone>
		</joystick>
	</conditions>
	<actions>
		<key>left_shift</key>
	</actions>
</binding>

11/15/11 - 1.1.0. 3018 2841
- fixed left handed checkbox not getting applied to the global mce
- fixed buttons and tilt gestures not displaying correctly when left handed checkbox is checked.
- fixed filters showing up incorrectly on view configuration
- mouselook is now a valid mouse_pointer mode fps is still supported.
- added <hand> flag for bindings to help put them in the appropriate hand when viewing the game configuration.
- fixed exclusive holds not working on both controllers if the same button was designated.
- added binding_groups that can be enabled/disabled. See below.

Battlefield 3 brought up a desire to be able to change bindings for different modes. Now we have a bit easier more powerful way to do that with binding groups.

A binding group can contain a mouse_pointer, joystick_configs, quick bindings, and complex bindings.

Binding groups can be enabled and disabled:
<enable_binding_group>Primary mode</enable_binding_group>
<disable_binding_group>Alternate mode</disable_binding_group>

Here is an example of a binding_group that starts enabled:

<binding_group>
	<name>Primary mode</name>
	<enabled>true</enabled>
			
			
	<mouse_pointer>
		<controller>P1R</controller>
		<mode>fps</mode>
		<enabled>true</enabled>
		<slide_sides>false</slide_sides>
		<sensitivity>1.0</sensitivity>
	</mouse_pointer>
			
	
	<joystick_config>
		<name>Movement1</name>
		<controller>P1L</controller>
		<mode>blend</mode>
		<auto_bind>wasd</auto_bind>
	</joystick_config>
 
	
	<joystick_config>
		<name>Arrows1</name>
		<controller>P1R</controller>
		<mode>4_way</mode>
		<auto_bind>arrows</auto_bind>
		<dead_zone>.3</dead_zone>
	</joystick_config>
 
	<quick_bindings>
				
		
		<controller>
			<which>P1R</which>
					
			<name>Primary Press s</name>
			<button>2</button>
			<key>s</key>
				
		</controller>
				
		
		<controller>
			<which>P1L</which>
					
			<name>Primary Press w</name>
			<button>2</button>
			<key>w</key>
			
		</controller>
	</quick_bindings>
			
	
	<binding>
		<name>Press m</name>
		<conditions>
			<trigger>
				<controller>P1L</controller>
				<action>press</action>
			</trigger>
		</conditions>
		<actions>
			<key>m</key>
		</actions>
	</binding>
			
</binding_group>

[Dan]

10/18/11 - 1.1.0. 2940 2762
- Fixed <trigger></trigger> firing on release instead of press in a quick bind
- View Game Configuration Update
- Fixed a bug that forced users to use a US keyboard layout


10/10/11 - 1.1.0. 2630 2437
- Added the ability to disable the global mce. Add <global_mce_disabled>true</global_mce_disabled> to the <game> block
- Fixed exclusive_locks for tilt gestures
- Added <exclusive_hold> paramter for conditions that need to be held. If set to true, the MotionEngine will try and make any other bindings on that key not trigger when activating a hold. This way you won't need a bunch of logic to have a button press and a button hold on the same button. It will be handled internally.
- "Fixed" grids so they work in other modes besides wand.
- <toggle> has been removed from conditions, as they never were wired up to anything.
- A filter type has been added to most conditions.

The filter type will control how the actions are fired. We have been using the <inverted>true</inverted> parameter for checking when buttons or gestures aren't "pressed' and also for checking when a button has been "released", which of course is not the same thing. A button not being pressed doesn't necessarily mean that it was just released. This is problematic in some cases, and not in others.

Here is a bad case:

<binding>
     <name>Run</name>
     <conditions>
           <button>
                <controller>P1L</controller>
                <which>1</which>
                <inverted>true</inverted>
          </button>
      </conditions>
      <actions>
          <key>left_windows</key>
          <key>r</key>
      </actions>
</binding>

In the case above, the windows key and r key are pressed when the 1 button on the left controller is released. But the keys are never unpressed. This is obviously very bad with the windows key being left pressed and unintentionally firing other windows hot keys. This can be fixed by replacing <inverted>true</inverted> with <filter>on_fall</filter>

Conditions that use this parameter:
button
trigger
joystick
point_gesture
tilt_gesture
key_press

The following is an example of how to use the filter parameter.

<binding>
     <name>Press A on button press, release a on button release</name>
     <conditions>
          <button>
               <controller>P1L</controller>
               <which>1</which>
               <filter>normal</filter>
          </button>
     </conditions>
     <actions>
          <key>a</key>
     </actions>
</binding>

Filter Definitions:
normal (default behavior)
Turns on Actions on "press" and Turns off actions on "release"

inverted
Turns on Actions on "release" and Turns off actions on "press"

on_rise
Turns on Actions and immediately turns them off on "press"

on_fall
Turns on Actions and immediately turns them off on "release"

hold
Turns on Actions on "hold" and turns them off on "release"

on_hold
Turns on Actions and immediately turns them off on "hold"

double_tap
Turns on Actions on "double_tap" and turns them off on "release"

on_double_tap
Turns on Actions and immediately turns them off on "double_tap"


These new filters allow for some pretty cool options. For example, in Rage I noticed that the activate/use key was being triggered on release of the key. You'd walk up to a dead body and loot it by releasing the key, not by pressing. Now you can actually have the key press/release by only pressing a controller button.
I've included a TestFilters.mce which demonstrates all filter types.

About Trigger Conditions:
We have been using the <action> parameter in a trigger condition, specifying "press" or "release". That of course still works, but now you can just use the filter type.

About <inverted>
Inverted still works as it has functionally in the past. Now you can combine inverted with the filter type, which basically inverts the results of the condition. For example if you had a <filter>hold</filter> and an <inverted>true</inverted> then the actions would be on while not holding the button, and will turn off after the hold duration has been reached.

I've also updated the default.mce to fix the bug mentioned above.

(Notes from our MotionCreator Software Developer, Danny.)


09/30/11 - 1.1.0. 2339 2138
- Fixed some memory leaks.
- Added balloon tips for when active games change. ( No balloon tip if it is the default pointer )
- Added the ability to disable/enable a binding indefinitely, see below.

Disable Binding
<disable_binding>bindingName</disable_binding>

OR

<disable_binding>
<name>bindingName</name>
<duration>-1</duration>
</disable_binding>

Enable Binding
<enable_binding>bindingName</enable_binding>

09/22/11 - 1.1.0. 2062 2133
- Fixed a bug where the cursor would jump when undocking the controllers in Freelook mode.
- Fixed a bug where <sensitivity_multiplier> would cause the view to pop when using Hybrid or Akimbo mode.
- Added <disable_exclusive_check> condition for Tilt Gestures. This is the bug where cw or ccw bindings would disable tilt gestures in that hand until the cw or ccw gesture was turned off.
- Running the MotionCreatorEngineSDK.exe will close older version of app currently running.
- Fixed bug where sliders were getting reset.
- Added <disable_freelook> action which disables freelook spin while active. This is useful for Akimbo mode so you can use point_gestures in that hand.
- Updated View_2 of the auto generate Configuration Sheet.
- Hybrid and Akimbo modes added to preferred mode list.


09/20/11 - 1.1.0. 2001 2067
- Fixed a bug causing the default.mces on screen keyboard bind to crash WinXP.
- Updated auto-calibration.
- Added ability to delay the type_string after pressing the chat_key.
- Added the ability to set the type string interval from action grid.
- Fixed bugs with enabled by default and alt+tabbing.
- Added an alternative "view configuration" mode that has color codes.
- Recalibrated "forward" position for controllers.
- Added Akimbo (May also be called two_controller) mode. This is a new experimental mode with FreeLook on the left controller and MouseLook on the right.
- Added Hybrid mode. This is a new experimental mode with FreeLook on the outer edges of the look zone and MouseLook active on the center of the right controller.
- Fixed a centering issue with Defy Gravity.

NOTE: New modes register as "FreeLook" from the "Preferred Mode" drop-down menu. To use these un-check the regular freelook profile and the experimental mode you're not using. (IE If you're trying to use Hybrid, uncheck Akimbo and Freelook, if you're trying to use Akimbo uncheck freelook and Hybrid.)

NOTE: There is currently a driver issue with horizontal positioning of the base affecting the front registration of the Hydra, primarily noticeable while using a preferred mode containing FreeLook. If your base to the right of you while playing you may notice the "front" registration is about 25 degrees off to the left. You can correct this by rotating the base to the right, OR position the base directly in front of you or to the left. We're working now to resolve this issue. Update: We may be reuploading the zip to this post tonight with a fixed DLL correcting this issue. Check back and get the update if you're having problems.


09/12/11 - 1.1.0. 1596
Thanks to everyone who participated in the private beta testing. The results were great and we've decided to start public testing.

- Fixed a bug with grids preventing snapping from cell to cell.
- Added key_press condition (keyboard keystrokes to trigger actions)
- Added / Updated the View Configuration context menu. Right click a title and select "View Configuration" to see an automatically generated control sheet. NOTE: Names for each binding need to be added into scripts to make this more clear/useful. We'll be making these changes in the next few weeks.


Private Beta Build - 1.1.0. 1304
-Due to improvements in the way we control the mouse you should feel a noted improvement in smoothness and response of the cursor in all games.

Control Cluster
Defaults Button : Reloads MCEs and resets sensitivity bars, FPS preferred mode, and check boxes to defaults.
Rescan Button : Reloads all MCEs from the config directory. Essentially a refresh button for after you make changes.
Console Button : Opens the console for viewing details. Helpful for debugging.
Sensitivity Sliders : Sliders for scaling angles and sensitivities for your gestures, FPS look, and default mouse. These can be left where they are in most cases.
FPS Preferred Mode : A drop down menu with Mouselook, Freelook, and Dual Analog. If an MCE supports your chosen preferred mode it will automatically be chosen when loaded.
Invert Pitch in Dual Analog Mode : Check box to invert your look pitch.
Left Handed : Swaps the bindings from left to right for left handed players.

Game List
You can now organize by the different columns by clicking their title.

Right clicking a title shows options for:

Open : Opens the MCE in your default editor.
Duplicate : Makes a duplicate of this MCE.
Rename : Rename the MCE file name from the app.

[Dan]

Force : If marked to force this MCE is immediately forced ON. Clicking on the game list will turn force OFF. This is helpful for quick testing of bindings outside a game among other things.
Open Folder : Opens the config folder containing all of your MCEs.
Delete : Deletes the MCE.

The file menu up top contains redundancies to the above, along with a help menu showing version info.

This build has added a ton of features under the hood which we'll be writing tutorials on how to use as soon as we can. Some examples of these features is the ability to use press-and-hold and double-tap conditions to trigger actions, and Freelook and Dual-Analog modes for FPS games. Any MCE with _ALL on it's name has all 3 modes implemented in it.

Updated Default Mouse

We've bundled an improved default mouse profile with this build.
Start : Enable and center the mouses origin on screen, pressing again will disable.
Trigger : Left Click
Bumper : Right Click
Button 1 : Double Click
Button 2 : Middle Click
Button 3 : Switch between absolute and relative mode. (Probably wont need to use this.)
Joystick Button : Recenter Mouse