Slugmouse - a mouse button emulator for hand-tracked cockpit clicking.

[slughead]

HTCC will give you control over the mouse cursor. It can also provide mouse clicks via pinch gestures. I can't remember what the DCS hand tracking is like, as I turned it off almost as quickly as I turned it on! Then I switched to HTCC and haven't looked back.

Edited April 4, 2024 by slughead

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

Got it installed but now it is too late to test it. Will give it a shot when I have time. Thanks!

[OldFlyer]

9 hours ago, slughead said:

I thought you might like a progress update. The design is complete! I'm just waiting on some JST crimp connectors and a pair of crimp pliers to add a connector to the battery. I'm hoping they will arrive on Friday or Saturday. I will then be able to build the first "SLUGMOUSE." I can't wait, but at the same time, I need a few days' break as I have been burning the candle at both ends to ensure the project is complete this week!

Considering I bought my first 3D printer a month ago and had to learn CAD design from scratch, it's been incredibly frustrating and rewarding; quite the rollercoaster!

Sooo….where can we buy one of these from?

[slughead]

2 hours ago, OldFlyer said:

Sooo….where can we buy one of these from?

I will setup a Facebook page and/or discord server for more information soon.

[slughead]

The first pair is built—well, almost. I'm still waiting for the crimp pliers and crimps to put a connector on the battery. They'll probably arrive on Monday and then I'll be able to do the final testing.

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

Cool

-----

Should I use control mode or touch screen mode using HTCC?

Anyway, DCS can act quite funny: some time, the buttons on right ring does not work, but after restarting DCS it works again. The other time, both handtrackings are lost...

[slughead]

26 minutes ago, VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants said:

Should I use control mode or touch screen mode using HTCC?

I use touchscreen mode.

27 minutes ago, VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants said:

some time, the buttons on right ring does not work, but after restarting DCS it works again

You should check to see if you have lost the Bluetooth connection to that device. I think it's operating in a low-power transmission mode, so the range is probably low, especially if you are not using a Bluetooth antenna connected to your PC; this is another reason why I switched to C++, as the libraries provide control over the transmission power level of the device.

 

30 minutes ago, VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants said:

he other time, both handtrackings are lost

Do you mean hand tracking or losing button emulation? The headset and the HTCC control hand tracking. It has nothing to do with the ring. Maybe you disabled the hand tracking? You can do this by moving your hand above your head. Typically, you would hear a "beep boop" to indicate that hand tracking is off. You put your hand above your head again to turn it back on. It's best to contact Fred Emmott on his discord server for HTCC support:

https://discord.gg/H84YJKVF

[slughead]

I have made some changes in the registry settings for HTCC to make it more useful in DCS. I reduced the FOV at which the HTCC takes control of the mouse, which makes switching between the hand-tracked mouse emulation and a physical mouse easier. Let me know if you would like to try my registry settings for HTCC.

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

Sure, I wish to have a go! I find the controller mode a bit better for the pointers travel much swifter and smoother at the same time.

 

[slughead]

Fred recommends to use touchscreen emulation in his wiki for DCS:

Here are my HTCC registry settings:

htcc.reg

[slughead]

Fellow pilots, I have permission from ED to sell these via the forum.

So.. who wants a pair?

What will you get?

1. A pair of slugmice - one for each hand.
2. Ease of use. Just pair them with your PC/laptop via Bluetooth. No calibration is necessary.
3. Battery life lasts for days, not hours.
4. Recharged time of an hour maximum. Just enough time for chow and some beer.
5. Low power mode (hibernation) following 15 minutes of inactivity.
6. Almost instant wakeup when the middle button is pressed.
7. In black ABS.
8. Battery status is displayed in the Bluetooth Connected Devices section of Windows.

You won't get:

1. There is no fancy box or bag that adds to the cost. Let's face it: You won't want to put these away in a bag because you fly nearly every chance you can get, right?
2. There is no USB-C charging cable to add to the cost; haven't you got hundreds already?
3. No two-year waiting list! I expect to ship in a week or so (depending on parts availability).

Price:

134.99 GBP plus P+P. Paypal goods and services.

How to order:

1. Determine the ring size of your left and right index finger. I will make the rings to fit you personally.
2. Send me a private message with your email address and shipping address. I will then send you a PayPal invoice.
3. If you prefer to pay another way, let me know via a private message, and I will try to accommodate.
4. Worldwide shipping although there may be some exceptions.

If your headset already supports hand-tracking and can be used to control a mouse pointer, e.g. Oculus Pro and Oculus 3 along with HTCC, then you do not need any additional hardware. If your device does not support hand tracking and can't be used to control the mouse pointer, e.g. HP Reverb G2, you can use a Leap Motion Controller (V1 or V2) from Ultraleap.

[A.F.]

Hi, that all sounds good!
It would be nice if there could be a video where you can see how it works.

[TimSell75]

What would it cost to send them to germany?

[slughead]

Shipping costs:

UK: £5.59 Tracked 24 with Signature
Ireland: £12.65 International Tracked and Signed 3 to 5 business days
Australia (mainland): £14.85 International Tracked 6 to 7 business days
Canada: £16.25 International Tracked 6 to 7 business days
France: £12.65 International Tracked and Signed 3 to 5 business days
Germany: £12.65 International Tracked and Signed 3 to 5 business days
Italy (Mainland): £12.20 International Tracked and Signed 3 to 5 business days
Netherlands: £12.20 International Tracked and Signed 3 to 5 business days
Spain (Mainland): £12.20 International Tracked and Signed 3 to 5 business days
USA: £16.90 International Tracked and Signed 6 to 7 business days

All use tracked and insured shipping. Shipping times are from the date of shipping, not the order date.

Other countries on request.

[slughead]

For anyone currently trying to use HTCC and Oculus (v63), it's broken. Luckily, there is a simple workaround here:

 

[slughead]

On 4/10/2024 at 6:10 PM, A.F. said:

Hi, that all sounds good!
It would be nice if there could be a video where you can see how it works.

I will have to think about that, as I'm not set up for recording and editing videos. Leave it with me, although preparing one might take some time.

[slughead]

Here's a video of it in action: a cold start, taxi out, departure, a circuit of the airfield, and arrival. Can you spot the deliberate mistake?

 

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

On 3/7/2024 at 12:27 AM, firefox121 said:

I use this mouse finger mounted, found at aliexpress, works fine with my leapmotion and even without it, only with fixed cross at center ot the screen. The center is rotating wheel mouse and the other two buttons are mouse buttons, very cheap, 10-12$ or less, only the long time for shippong (a week or two).

It can also be found at amazon.

I have one of these 2, but it is way too big and must use an AAA battery.

 

 

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

I have the old 4-button one, let me share some revelations.

It was small and light but no adjustment of the finger size -- it is kinda too big and loose for my index fingers. The four buttons are fine but when you are "blind", location the exact button would be something to get used to. So I stick a very small dot of BluTac on each of the LMB. It seems to be improved so I would think the coolie switch version would be better.

For HTCC, I prefer the VR Controller mode, plus side: the pointer movement is more free as the touch screen option is more confined to FoV and makes some movements very odd. Also, the pointer is more stable. However, the pointers some how, get so much smaller than normal and it could be very hard to see.

Also, in the VR Controller mode, a new column of Oculus Controller will appear, and the axis settings of all the planes will have the pitch and roll mapped to X-axis and Y-axis of the VR controller respectively, which would really mess up your pitch and roll. Also, messes up with the external views.

My units have some issue with the LMB and RMB which some buttons on the planes are not taking it and the worst areas and MFD buttons and UFC buttons, but the switches and turn buttons are alright. (I have received the updated Python files, but I have yet to get them to work)

Edited April 22, 2024 by VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants

[slughead]

15 hours ago, VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants said:

It was small and light but no adjustment of the finger size -- it is kinda too big and loose for my index fingers.

Let’s be fair about this. Rafgaj made it clear in his advertisement that it was fixed sized at 21.5mm as he made it only for his fingers. That’s one reason why completely redeveloped the CAD from scratch so I could offer a made to measure service.

 

15 hours ago, VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants said:

So I stick a very small dot of BluTac on each of the LMB.

Try some hot melt glue. It will last longer.

 

15 hours ago, VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants said:

Also, in the VR Controller mode, a new column of Oculus Controller will appear, and the axis settings of all the planes will have the pitch and roll mapped to X-axis and Y-axis of the VR controller respectively, which would really mess up your pitch and roll. Also, messes up with the external views.

This is just how DCS works. If you add another game controller, it will appear in the settings. It’s the same if you add another joystick or throttle.

 

15 hours ago, VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants said:

My units have some issue with the LMB and RMB which some buttons on the planes are not taking it and the worst areas and MFD buttons and UFC buttons, but the switches and turn buttons are alright. (I have received the updated Python files, but I have yet to get them to work)

I don’t think this is an issue with your units. You are using HTCC in VR Controller mode and the rings are mouse emulators. Who knows how DCS behaves with VR controllers pointing at buttons and then a mouse click happens. I don’t see this when HTC is in tablet mode.

Edited April 23, 2024 by slughead

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

Hey, I have no intention to criticise the SlugMouse, it is lightweight and needs no calibration at first, I don't need to hang something in my "forehead" to use, which is a big plus.

Well for the ring size thing, I was me, it is fine just a bit loose I can adapt.

I can think about the hot glue thing.

And I guess the additional controller thing is something I read about the strange behaviour if "VR Controller" is selected.

As for the strange button issue, I happen to have that (relative) huge ring mouse and the mouse buttons have button at all. Reason unknown. I have found another possible smaller ring mouse to test, don't hold your breath though.

[slughead]

Update:

Bugfix:

Fixed the condition where the Slugmouse would not auto-sleep if the paired PC disconnects, i.e., it is turned off before the Slugmouse enters the sleep state.

 

Edited April 27, 2024 by slughead

[slughead]

The first batch of orders are shipping out in the morning! 

[PawlaczGMD]

On 3/18/2024 at 1:33 PM, Rikk said:

Thanks, maybe time to try the pimax hand tracking again as the bit that never worked well was actual clicking the button part..

I think the Pimax needs an extra hand tracking attachment to do this, that's always out of stock.

[slughead]

2 hours ago, PawlaczGMD said:

I think the Pimax needs an extra hand tracking attachment to do this, that's always out of stock.

Or you could get an Ultraleap Motion Controller.