Xpadder

Sgt.A.Johnson · 23 May 2009, 13:22

This is kind of useless on sketchyphysics but would allow us to use every single button on a 360 controller like start, back clicking thumbstick and the arrow pad. Its called xpadder and is used to allow you to use a gamepad suck as 360 controller on a game that has little or no support for them. You can assign the buttons on the controller to a keyboard button and use the controller to do just about anything on windows. You assign xbox buttons to every available keyboard button and in some cases key combos such as contol alt delete on one button or alt f4. Im currently using it on half life and it works great. Im mentioning this because from what i see theres incompatible buttons in SP so i thought you could set up a piston etc for one letter and then assign it in xpadder to an unused button. wouldnt be useful for warehouse uplaods though. I got it here http://www.soft82.com/get/download/windows/xpadder/ works on xp and and vista and i think works with other controllers too

Jaycephus · 17 Jun 2009, 22:57

Is a 360 controller just a USB device, so you could plug it into a Vista PC, use xpadder, and immediately be controlling SP?

Physicsguy1 · 18 Jun 2009, 05:13

Yes, the wired variants are USB devices.

Jaycephus · 18 Jun 2009, 15:57

Thanks Physicsguy,

Q: wouldn't the wireless types just have a usb transceiver that still works the same way as far as the PC can tell? I have a PC with 21" monitor and a X-Large flatscreen monitor nearby used as our 'TV'. (I have Netflix and an HDTV receiver, so we get all the local stations in HDTV, and watch recorded HDTV or Netflix streaming within the Vista Ultimate Media Center, or DVDs, listen to Pandora, etc. from our computer. We currently don't use a VHS, DVD player, or any of our audio-video equipment. Just the PC.) It would be nice to be able to sit in front of the 'TV' and 'play' SP!

Sgt.A.Johnson · 18 Jun 2009, 16:52

There is a usb wireless adaptor but off the top of my head its not cheap. The wired controller plus driver software is better value for money. on play.com though a wireless and adaptor costs the same as a wireless without adaptor for some reason. Dont know whether they distribute outside UK though. Sp already had xbox controller support but not for clicking the thumbsticks or the arrow pad which is why i said about xpadder because you could set a piton up to use k and set the down arrow on xpadder to emulate k so SP would recognise it. Xpadder isnt microsoft software and is downloaded online. I cant remember the link but i may of put it up top of page. It may work with other controllers aswell. I mainly use it for half life at the moment. i have left stick wasd and right as the mouse. triggers as click and all the other buttons just random other controls. Works through windows itself so it will work on all programs

Jaycephus · 18 Jun 2009, 20:12

Thanks for the info, guys.

I found that at cheapest it was about $37 vs. $49 online wired vs. 30' wireless, Windows compatible, shipping included. (Microsoft brand)

With setting up keyboard shortcuts to control things, it sounds like two different vehicles could be controlled separately. Can xpadder be used to allow two different controllers to control one vehicle each by mapping the appropriate shortcuts?

Sgt.A.Johnson · 19 Jun 2009, 18:17

@jaycephus said:

Thanks for the info, guys.

I found that at cheapest it was about $37 vs. $49 online wired vs. 30' wireless, Windows compatible, shipping included. (Microsoft brand)

With setting up keyboard shortcuts to control things, it sounds like two different vehicles could be controlled separately. Can xpadder be used to allow two different controllers to control one vehicle each by mapping the appropriate shortcuts?

2 controllers. i dont think so. It only seems to let you use one controller at a time. If you plug 2 in the calibration suite may pick them up. Its very simple to calibrate. Press the thumbsticks in the directions it tells you etc. Also have to press evry button on controller including click thumbs and arrows etc. Its not the proper sensitivity calibration it only does it to see what axes and buttons you have available. You could set a model up so you have to hold q or something to operate it and then setdown arrow or something on the controller to q. the interface will allow you to set a key as a toggle key too and does turbo and lets you have a rumble when you press the button.

alz · 17 Feb 2010, 20:43

A fun side note with using XPadder --

You can hook it up to use SketchUp's native walk, look, and collide. If you modeled a building, you can walk around in it with the gamepad. A lot easier than the mouse! It's almost like playing game...