Using A Controller With Maya
 

I found some cool apps online that let you connect game controllers to your pc so you can play your games with them. One neat feature is that you can configure your controller sticks to move as a mouse so you can actually use your pc with the controller. Unfortunately the xbox/ps3 drivers are for Windows only.

To use a 360 or Dualshock controller you have to download 2 things :

the DS3 tool that has the driver that lets Windows actually use the things -->

http://www.motioninjoy.com/download (Tutorial included there)

And a config program called xpadder --> (If you're using a normal usb controller (like logitech or something) then this is app all you need.)

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/.../Xpadder.shtml

Here is an xpadder tut to get you going -->

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/2007/...-keyboard.html

It's very easy after the first time you do it. If you're using a normal usb controller then you can pretty much ignore all this other stuff.

Even though the DS3 tool has it's own config thing in the "custom" menu, it only works when you're connected to the internet. :headbang: So it's better to turn on the Ds3 tool so windows can see your controller and then open xpadder to set up your configuration.

One thing to remember is that to turn on the analog sticks you have to go to OPTIONS and then click ENABLE OPTION. I attached a pic so you can see it.

After all the boring installation stuff, you can start mapping your Maya shortcuts to your controller which is pretty cool. On my DS3 I mapped my right stick as the mouse and use the face buttons as the transform tools.

Have fun!

very interesting. I bought a 360 controller to try and use on my pc for CoD a while back, never succeeded, maybe I'll see if I can do this... if not I'll try with my ps3 controller.

I've never liked xpadder. For some reason it always managed to save the controller layout (how many buttons/axis it has) but not the configuration of said buttons/axis...

I tried maya with my logitech dual action ages ago using the logitech profiler to set it up, it was fucn for a bit... But the novelty wears off as you realise how hard it is to be precise :p

Lol yeah. :bandit:

I gotta try it with zbrush though. Can't wait for that;

I used a command line tool a while back to do the same thing. You interfaced with it through mel. At the studio I was working at the time, we used it to animate cars driving around for a project we had. Lots of fun. :)

I tried that with Crysis awhile back, it worked pretty much prefectly, I cant remember the name of the program, but it was sweet, if you ever try again just good xbox controller PC crysis, or something like that.