Small Basic Joystick / Game Controller Extension v0.3

Question

I have written an extension to use any joystick / game controller / racing wheel / etc. with Small Basic. It is pretty slow as is, so optimizations should be coming soon. It is written in C# with SlimDX, a wrapper for DirectX with managed code. I welcome anyone to decompile and improve upon it. I have added XML documentation, so parameters, returns, etc. will be built in to Small Basic. Suggestions are also welcome.

Download link: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?qbbt7j2m23gruzn and prerequisite:  http://slimdx.googlecode.com/files/SlimDX%20Runtime%20.NET%202.0%20%28January%202012%29.msi.

Beginners can use the  JoystickForSmallBasic class while more advanced users can use the MUCH faster JoystickForSmallBasicAdvanced class (just don't foget to Acquire() at the beginning and Unacquire() at the end if you use the advanced version).

Also, please be warned that the extension does not set a Cooperative Level with other DirecX input devices, so keyboard and mouse input may be interrupted while information is being retrieved from the joystick (this is because SetCooperativeLevel requires calling from a static method).

(Credit to http://shahardev.blogspot.com/2011/10/talking-to-joysticks-using-slimdx.html for code on how to acquire joysticks)

Answer 1

any Idea what this is?

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Zock77

Answer 2

Hi Zock77!

There are really two possibilities to solve this problem.

1) Did you copy all 4 files from the Zip archive? All 4 files are necessary.

2) If copying all the files didn't work, install this http://slimdx.googlecode.com/files/SlimDX%20Runtime%20.NET%202.0%20%28January%202012%29.msi (the prerequisites for SlimDX, the DirectX Wrapper I used).

Answer 3

That fixed it!! Thanks! i'll use that!

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Zock77

Answer 4

Glad it worked! Was it the first step or the second that fixed it?

Answer 5

The second

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Zock77

Answer 6

Is there any way I can make it faster?

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Zock77

Answer 7

Yes, I can write it so that it does not acquire the joystick then unacquire it after every poll. However, this could cause issues for beginners who do not acquire the joystick first then unacquire it an free its resources afterwards. What I will do (probably this afternoon) is make an advanced version that allows for acquiring / unacquiring to increase speed.

Answer 8

Version 3 is out now, with a class for advanced users (JoystickForSmallBasicAdvanced) that allows for VERY FAST reading of the game controller. Just don't forget to call Acquire() at the beginning of the program and Unacquire() at the the end. 

Answer 9

How do i get it?

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Zock77

Answer 10

It is in the main thread. The link is http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?qbbt7j2m23gruzn and it contains both the advanced and beginner versions.

Answer 11

PKH977 works pretty well for a test.

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Zock77

Answer 12

Nice test! It works very well. I also have written TextWindow-based FGM626 for my own use when I was developing the extension.