Page 1 of 1

USB Control Buttons

Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 7:19 am
by Andy_Pye
I have a four button control that i have used on a previous sow control system. However I am now using SCS, and was wondering i there is a way to get this to work.... it may already work but I may be doing something wrong... I have copied the info on the 4 button control system but removed the name of the other program. Any help much appreciated....

"xxx can be triggered using button boxes or switches connected to the computers gameport connector. This is the 15-pin D-Sub connector located on a standard soundcard. If one of these is not available, a USB-Joystick adaptor will also work.

The circuitry is inexpensive and simple to build, and button boxes consisting of 4 or 8 buttons to remotely control xxx can be created. This makes the process of controlling the show much easier since the operator doesn't have to worry about knocking other keyboard or mouse buttons, and much space can be saved on cramped DSM or sound operators work desks by physically locating the mouse and keyboard away from the main work area.

Once correctly configured, a typical setup might give the operator the controls GO, STOP, PREV, NEXT.

There are 2 versions of the circuit available. A simple 4-button remote, whereby the buttons are assignable in xxx, an 8-button remote. The 8-button remote could be split and used in 2 different manners, and when combined with the external trigger lists (2.4 onwards), yields a simple but powerful stage control system. This is discussed later in this document."

Any Ideas?

Andy

Re: USB Control Buttons

Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 8:32 am
by Peter Russell
Matt Mckenzies SFXJOY utility will get you from a gameport device to midi http://www.mckenzie-electronics.com

you may then need to install something like Midi-Ox's Midi Yoke to route this into SCS http://www.midiox.com/

Hope this helps, Peter

Re: USB Control Buttons

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:15 pm
by Mike Daniell
Andy,

Could you tell me what device this is and the URL of a web site where I can download a manual?

There are quite a few similar devices available, and a common mode of operation is get the buttons on the device to send keyboard commands, which can be directly mapped to SCS functions. But if you can tell me more about your device I'll see what I can find out about using it with SCS.

Re: USB Control Buttons

Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:16 am
by Mike Daniell
Thanks for the info you supplied, Andy. SCS will not be supporting any device via the Games port, and I can't see any significant benefit in supporting the USB option.

On our Links page we have mention of X-keys (http://x-keys.com/xkeys/xkdesk.php), and I know there are other similar products available.

Re: USB Control Buttons

Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:14 pm
by Boswell
Andy,
Use an USB numeric keypad, very cheap, and works with SCS straight out of the box!
Otherwise use the software recommended by Peter in a previous post to convert the joystick commands to midi which SCS can then follow.
Both solutions are cheap & easy

HTH