-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
Hello,
I’m Edgar Simo, I’ll be working on the Force Feedback API. I’m
currently studying 3rd year of Industrial Engineering in Barcelona,
Spain. This is my first time doing the Google Summer of Code. Some of
you may know me as “bobbens” on the IRC channel.
RESEARCH
Currently I’ve done most of the research on force feedback API for
Linux, Mac OS and Windows. It is very similar so there shouldn’t be
many problems merging a common base. They all follow the same design:
- Open Device
- Create Effects
- Upload Effects
- Control effects (play/stop/modify)
- Close device
Which is the approach I’ll be following.
Since most consumer force feedback devices tend to be joysticks, the API
will permit opening a force feedback device from a joystick if it has
force feedback available. I’m also considering the possibility of doing
the same for force feedback mice. You’ll also be able to get a list of
all the force feedback devices on the system, similar to the current
SDL_Joystick setup.
TIMELINE
Dates to look out for:
- July 10:
- Version 0.1
- First Prototype (Linux)
- Good time to start testing the API
- August 1:
- Version 0.5
- Second Prototype (Linux/Mac/Windows)
- Thorough testing will be needed.
- August 8:
- Version 1.0
- Official Release
- Should be bug-free by now
- Most likely will be merged with SDL 1.3
I’ll also try to implement force feedback for as many other OS as
possible. If you know of an OS that is not listed, is supported by SDL
and already has a force feedback API, I’d be very interested to hear
about it so I can try to add force feedback support to it.
Why the delay in starting coding? Being in a European university, I
have final exams until June 30th (included). They will take up all my
time and devotion during the entire June period. I wish I had them
earlier as to not interfere with the program, but it can’t be that way.
I will make up by coding much more in July, as SDL will be my primary
concern for the rest of the summer.
CODE
I’ll be working on my own branch until it’s merged with trunk. You can
find it here:
http://svn.libsdl.org/branches/gsoc2008_force_feedback
Working name at this time is SDL_Haptic, ForceFeedback is much longer to
write and abbreviations will be more complicated then just writing
Haptic. It may be changed, but that’s why it’s considered unstable.
Nothing has been committed at the moment, but I might try to upload my
current work this weekend (nothing too fancy yet). If not, it’ll get
there when I’m done with exams.
END
Updates will be posted on the mailing list as progress is made. Feel
free to post any questions, comments, doubts or oddities.
Edgar
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux)
iD8DBQFIPFvXolm4VNX3QTwRApOXAJ937Cx9kGzXWPxYonjgzt4SupdqngCfczes
1jn4zhSLjojkimVJ46134T8=
=5xPP
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----