[Bf-committers] Linux plugin (was: Re: NDOF -- new commit)

[Martin Poirier]

--- Ettore Pasquini <ettore_pasquini at 3dconnexion.com>
wrote:

> Thanks for letting me know. You are right. I just
> corrected that.  I might
> have had an experimental build of the 1.2.10
> driver...

Please tell me the driver settings window is
closeable/openable at will in that version. :)

> If I understand correctly, IMO this solution is the
> best for the user
> because of the need to confirm or cancel what he
> just did - could be
> stressing after a while.

Though, if cancel/confirmed at mapped to the device
buttons, it should be pretty simple (opinions may
vary).

> I think it would be better if all this was automatic
> implementing maybe a
> transaction mechanism, like:
> - when entering transform mode, we open a new
> "transaction"
> - user _continuously_ moves the cap as much as he
> wants
> - once we detect a pause in user motion, we close
> the transaction. This will
> result in one atomic undo step.
> - we get ready for a new transaction.

That's pretty much what I was aiming for minus the
automatic stop (not that I'm against that, mind you).

> Of course, I have no idea how the  undo mechanism
> work in blender ,:-) so I
> don't know how feasible this is.

The undo system itself will not really cause problems
(it's basically taking snapshots of data and creating
diffs) as it's called on demand, the problem is doing
the whole seamless start and end transaction business
(detecting start is easy, end is less so).

> Basically we'd need
> a way to group each
> micro-step in a sequence of steps and expose only
> the sequence.

That's pretty simple to do if the device is integrated
as a transform input. That will do the aggregation
automatically. 

> Opening/closing the transaction is doable with
> proper timing, or even easier
> with just observing for a all-zero vector.

Waiting for all-zero vectors is certainly doable.
Timer is a bit harder (would require a bit more work).


Excellent 2 cents. :)


Martin


       
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