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Step 8Set up vvvv toolkit and play!
This final step describes the software setup used to interact with your multitouch display.
Now it's time to start using your new mini-multitouch system! The easiest way to start is to work using the 'vvvv' graphics toolkit. The vvvv toolkit is available freely, for non-commercial uses. Unfortunately, because it is based on Microsoft's DirectX software (for speed), vvvv is only available for Windows. Our apologies!
To obtain a copy of the vvvv toolkit, go to the vvvv vvvv download page and unzip the package to a directory of your choice (I recommend c:\Program Files\vvvv as the prefect place).
vvvv has no install or setup program, you simply run vvvv.exe when you want to run vvvv. You will see a swaying tree demo by default upon running vvvv - this is where you can launch the tutorial and get a feel for what vvvv is capable of, and what it can be used for. We recommend starting with this tutorial! And, a bit of troubleshooting advice: if you get a 'dll error' when you try to run vvvv.exe, you probably need to upgrade DirectX on your machine to version 9.0c or newer.
Once you have run through the vvvv tutorial, follow the links below and do the first two (short) vvvv tutorials before continuing. The vvvv Tutorial Introduction and the Hello World Tutorial will teach you most of the basic skills you need for using vvvv, and are very highly recommended.
Once you've run those two tutorials, you have one last step before experiencing mini-multitouch magic! It's time to check that your webcam is working with vvvv. You can test whether or not vvvv automatically detects your webcam using the vvvv VideoIn Tutorial. This tutorial comes with instructions on how to test your webcam in vvvv: follow these instructions! Before going on to the final step, use the VideoIn Tutorial to make sure that you are getting images and that your camera is generally working with vvvv properly. If your camera is not working with vvvv, go to the vvvv forums and seek help with setup and configuration.
If you have gotten this far, you finally have all of the pieces working, built, and installed: it's time for the payoff. Download the Touch_demo_3.v4p file and robot_image.jpg (located at the bottom of this Instructables page) to your desktop: these two files are a simple mini-multitouch demo we created based on the hardware setup you've just built. If you already have vvvv running, you can run Touch_demo_3.v4p just by clicking on it. In Touch_demo_3, like in VideoIn Tutorial, just connect the VideoIn connector to run the program.
After connecting up the VideoIn, you should see two display windows in the vvvv user interface: one window will display the infrared 'blobs' that are emitted when you put pressure on the touchsurface, and the other window shows a video feed, where each blob has been replaced by an image (robot_image.jpg - the file you downloaded a few paragraphs back). You may want to start tinkering with vvvv and your mini-multitouch by replacing our robot image with an image of your own choosing, by editing the Image node in the vvvv interface.
Another troubleshooting note: if the window displaying the infrared 'blobs' appears all-black or all-white whether you are touching the touchsurface or not, change the threshold levels in input pin 2 on the Contour node of the vvvv interface (for this step, we assume you've done the vvvv tutorials, and both know where the Contour node is, and how to change the threshold. If you do not, go back and complete the tutorial!). Since vvvv runs in real-time, you can see your changes take place in the display windows immediately. This makes for quick and fun experimentation (hint, hint)!
'Tada! You now have a mini-multitouch interface. You can manipulate those infrared 'blobs' in your vvvv display to behave in myriad ways: the outputs from the vvvv Contour node give you all sorts of great 'blob' data to use in creating your own mini-multitouch toys.
Now it's time to start using your new mini-multitouch system! The easiest way to start is to work using the 'vvvv' graphics toolkit. The vvvv toolkit is available freely, for non-commercial uses. Unfortunately, because it is based on Microsoft's DirectX software (for speed), vvvv is only available for Windows. Our apologies!
To obtain a copy of the vvvv toolkit, go to the vvvv vvvv download page and unzip the package to a directory of your choice (I recommend c:\Program Files\vvvv as the prefect place).
vvvv has no install or setup program, you simply run vvvv.exe when you want to run vvvv. You will see a swaying tree demo by default upon running vvvv - this is where you can launch the tutorial and get a feel for what vvvv is capable of, and what it can be used for. We recommend starting with this tutorial! And, a bit of troubleshooting advice: if you get a 'dll error' when you try to run vvvv.exe, you probably need to upgrade DirectX on your machine to version 9.0c or newer.
Once you have run through the vvvv tutorial, follow the links below and do the first two (short) vvvv tutorials before continuing. The vvvv Tutorial Introduction and the Hello World Tutorial will teach you most of the basic skills you need for using vvvv, and are very highly recommended.
Once you've run those two tutorials, you have one last step before experiencing mini-multitouch magic! It's time to check that your webcam is working with vvvv. You can test whether or not vvvv automatically detects your webcam using the vvvv VideoIn Tutorial. This tutorial comes with instructions on how to test your webcam in vvvv: follow these instructions! Before going on to the final step, use the VideoIn Tutorial to make sure that you are getting images and that your camera is generally working with vvvv properly. If your camera is not working with vvvv, go to the vvvv forums and seek help with setup and configuration.
If you have gotten this far, you finally have all of the pieces working, built, and installed: it's time for the payoff. Download the Touch_demo_3.v4p file and robot_image.jpg (located at the bottom of this Instructables page) to your desktop: these two files are a simple mini-multitouch demo we created based on the hardware setup you've just built. If you already have vvvv running, you can run Touch_demo_3.v4p just by clicking on it. In Touch_demo_3, like in VideoIn Tutorial, just connect the VideoIn connector to run the program.
After connecting up the VideoIn, you should see two display windows in the vvvv user interface: one window will display the infrared 'blobs' that are emitted when you put pressure on the touchsurface, and the other window shows a video feed, where each blob has been replaced by an image (robot_image.jpg - the file you downloaded a few paragraphs back). You may want to start tinkering with vvvv and your mini-multitouch by replacing our robot image with an image of your own choosing, by editing the Image node in the vvvv interface.
Another troubleshooting note: if the window displaying the infrared 'blobs' appears all-black or all-white whether you are touching the touchsurface or not, change the threshold levels in input pin 2 on the Contour node of the vvvv interface (for this step, we assume you've done the vvvv tutorials, and both know where the Contour node is, and how to change the threshold. If you do not, go back and complete the tutorial!). Since vvvv runs in real-time, you can see your changes take place in the display windows immediately. This makes for quick and fun experimentation (hint, hint)!
'Tada! You now have a mini-multitouch interface. You can manipulate those infrared 'blobs' in your vvvv display to behave in myriad ways: the outputs from the vvvv Contour node give you all sorts of great 'blob' data to use in creating your own mini-multitouch toys.
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short answer - yes.
one problem - working out how your going to hold multiple IR-emitting pens in one hand. this of course opens up the possiblility for a multi-touch display without an actual box. you could simply wave the pens around in the air in front of an IR camera, and have the pointers show on a monitor.
it will then give the file name as 'FH1S374F3KMNVOY.tmp' just go ahead and save to the desktop, or note where you saved it to.
when its downloaded just rename it to Touch_demo_3.v4p and you should be good to go :-)
Also many thanks for the instructible it's fascinating how many ways people are going about this, I had contacted a london based company that specialises in bar's to try and buy their system but their customer service has been so poor, I decided to research further and found this and many other far more exciting ideas. It's not so difficult and I'll get exactly what i want, so now instead of buying I'm going to build!!!
I'm off to the shed, and I won't be back till breakfast :-D
- Jon