Homebrew Analog stick on touch screen?

Truner

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This has been on my mind for a few days now:

Is there a way to set the analog stick on a controller to the middle of the touch screen (using emulator), so that one could use it as a stylus? This would help playing games like Super Mario 64 DS infinitely better (not limited to 8 directions, instant running).

The solution doesn't have to be in the emulator (it can be a different program), as long as it works.

Has something like this been made already, or is it considered impossible?
 

Foxi4

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Wat? Explain in detail what you actually want - analog stick support for Super Mario 64 when played on an emulator... on PC?

...play Super Mario 64 instead of the bastardized DS version? That has native analog stick support.
 

FAST6191

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Impossible... not at all, probably not even that technically troubling. I have not seen anything really like it though frankly it is not the sort of thing I tend to pay attention to and the mario hacking crowd does some good work from time to time. Likewise you do not appear to be the first person to ask a question like this but the best response seems to be "we the devs have heard and it is an option for some unspecified point in the future".

The touchscreen is a simple X, Y single point (multitouch is typically split the difference between the touched locations) location sensor with a pressed or not pressed "button" as well.
Depending upon the setup/game you would probably face a similar problem to the aim assist that troubles people when they try to adapt a mouse and keyboard for the home consoles where aim is assisted, certain movements are damped/ignored and maybe a kind of quasi recalibration for every press/net movement rather than absolute movement.

Personally I would look to hacking the game instead but that is more because I would be curious to see it on real hardware.
 

Foxi4

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Personally I would look to hacking the game instead but that is more because I would be curious to see it on real hardware.

Technically you don't even have to do that - you can fetch touchscreen data in the background as long as the code leaves a very small footprint. If loaders can work in the background, so could this. Thing is, who could possibly be arsed? :P
 

FAST6191

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Oh yeah it would require something considerably more interesting than Mario 64 DS for me to bother with that. However following all the remap touchscreen to buttons, taito rotary controller, guitar hero and similar such things I fancy having a go at something, if I get especially inspired I might even contemplate some form of adapter.

As for loaders... who knows what they do on their CPLD/FPGA stuff but most of that is less background and more the occasional hook/interrupt.
 

Truner

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Foxi4

The main idea is to use a DS emulator and set your analog stick to the touchscreen. It would be on a fixed point, the middle. If you move the analog stick, it would move in the same radius, resulting "analog controls" for games that use the touch screen for movement. The best case where this would be helpful is obviously Super Mario 64 DS, which -while a good version of the game- is quite hard to control. Believe me, I play tons of Super Mario 64, but I would like to give the DS version a legit chance. Unfortunately having to hold a run button is something that I simply don't want to do while playing Super Mario 64 (in any form).

I've been thinking about getting this though: http://i.imgur.com/a2p5W3n.jpg

It would technically solve my problem.

FAST1691

Mmh, thanks for the detailed explanation. There are some other games using the touch screen for movement, but Super Mario 64 DS is probably the only one worth playing. Unless you want to play another untouched Rayman 2 port, that is. :P

Well hopefully someone will find this thread and think "damn, I like this idea" and makes something useful. I know I won't be the one, seeing how I had to make such a question. :D
 

Luigi2012SM64DS

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Foxi4

The main idea is to use a DS emulator and set your analog stick to the touchscreen. It would be on a fixed point, the middle. If you move the analog stick, it would move in the same radius, resulting "analog controls" for games that use the touch screen for movement. The best case where this would be helpful is obviously Super Mario 64 DS, which -while a good version of the game- is quite hard to control. Believe me, I play tons of Super Mario 64, but I would like to give the DS version a legit chance. Unfortunately having to hold a run button is something that I simply don't want to do while playing Super Mario 64 (in any form).

I've been thinking about getting this though: http://i.imgur.com/a2p5W3n.jpg

It would technically solve my problem.

FAST1691

Mmh, thanks for the detailed explanation. There are some other games using the touch screen for movement, but Super Mario 64 DS is probably the only one worth playing. Unless you want to play another untouched Rayman 2 port, that is. :P

Well hopefully someone will find this thread and think "damn, I like this idea" and makes something useful. I know I won't be the one, seeing how I had to make such a question. :D

So I guess I'm not the only one who plays that game "too much" :D. Maybe we would play on PJ64k sometime?
Anyways, no. It find it just as easy to use the dpad on SM64 as it is on the n64. (Of course on DS lite the dpad is less clicky and on 3ds there is an emulated dpad with the analog so those are both good choices.)
 

Foxi4

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The main idea is to use a DS emulator and set your analog stick to the touchscreen. It would be on a fixed point, the middle. If you move the analog stick, it would move in the same radius, resulting "analog controls" for games that use the touch screen for movement. The best case where this would be helpful is obviously Super Mario 64 DS, which -while a good version of the game- is quite hard to control. Believe me, I play tons of Super Mario 64, but I would like to give the DS version a legit chance. Unfortunately having to hold a run button is something that I simply don't want to do while playing Super Mario 64 (in any form).
This is achievable on any of the available open source DS emulators, all you have to do is prepare a third form with a virtual stick on it and interpret the input, then pass it back as D-Pad/button presses rather than use the emulator's keybinds. Modifying game code is not a requirement - all you need is another window with the virtual analog stick (why overlay it on the touchscreen, making the touchscreen useless in the process? ;) ).
 

Truner

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So I guess I'm not the only one who plays that game "too much" :D. Maybe we would play on PJ64k sometime?
Anyways, no. It find it just as easy to use the dpad on SM64 as it is on the n64. (Of course on DS lite the dpad is less clicky and on 3ds there is an emulated dpad with the analog so those are both good choices.)

I decided to just play it with a PS2 controller. I didn't think mapping the D-pad to an analog stick would result in anything remotely playable, but... it was really good. I went through the game, got 150 stars, caught all the rabbits and had legitimate fun (for the most part)... until I reached 113 stars and had to rescue Luigi and Wario to get the rest. Those characters (as well as Yoshi) are a pain to play with. Anyway, an analog stick solved my problem. :D

This is achievable on any of the available open source DS emulators, all you have to do is prepare a third form with a virtual stick on it and interpret the input, then pass it back as D-Pad/button presses rather than use the emulator's keybinds. Modifying game code is not a requirement - all you need is another window with the virtual analog stick (why overlay it on the touchscreen, making the touchscreen useless in the process? ;) ).

This is all too interesting, but I didn't understand much of it. Also I just realized that the damned virtual analog on the touch screen MOVES if you go out of the circle it makes... what a retarded way to do it. -_-
 

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