[Bf-taskforce25] Multiple input devices

[Ton Roosendaal]

Hi,

One amandment :)

2) The non-dominant device can of course use same event defines,  
they're tagged to the other device anyway, so no confusement will  
happen!


-Ton-

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ton Roosendaal  Blender Foundation   ton at blender.org    www.blender.org
Blender Institute BV  Entrepotdok 57A  1018AD Amsterdam The Netherlands

On 25 Nov, 2008, at 18:59, Ton Roosendaal wrote:

> Hi,
>
> For those who want to connect 2 mice, or a mouse + Ndof device, and
> other combos:
>
> After a review with Brecht here, we ended with this idea for a simple
> approach (there are others too, needs experimenting!).
>
> 1) One device will stick to defining context. Typically the mouse/pen
> on the dominant hand. The other device (even when it has a pointer) is
> secondary, and doesn't activate subwindows in Blender for input.
>
> 2) For the non-dominant device, you will have to define a designated
> keymap and handlers. The non-dominant device gets own event defines, a
> mousebutton click should not get confused or mapped even, either it's a
> dominant mouse click, or a secondary one. For an NDof device it's
> easier of course.
>
> 3) Such keymap-handlers can be added to the regular handlers inside
> Blender's eventmanager. (on window, screen, area, region level). These
> handlers get a clear tag that they're secondary (tertiary etc) device.
>
> 4) The main handler loop then gets another loop outside, going over all
> devices. Only handlers for those devices get checked. This will enable
> nice combinations, where one device can be in 'blocking modal mode'
> (like while LMB painting), and the other device rotate a viewport on
> another handler level, without getting blocked.
>
> 5) Of course such a feature puts higher demands on design of
> modal-operators. While grabbing or painting, the initialize calls
> shouldn't assume the view to remain constant, or to store stroke-sizes
> based on mousemoves (store intersection points?). But imagine how fun
> it is to paint while holding a mouse still and rotate view! :)
>
> In theory you can even make both devices invoke transforms (tweak
> gesture or so). Transform should be able to handle this nicely.
>
> -Ton-
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> -
> Ton Roosendaal  Blender Foundation   ton at blender.org    www.blender.org
> Blender Institute BV  Entrepotdok 57A  1018AD Amsterdam The Netherlands
>
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