Gaming oportunities

[Jonas Berlin]

Quoting Marcel de Jong on 01/16/2007 09:33 PM UTC:
> If the Neo has a multi touch touchscreen, we really should think
> outside of the box.
> 
> Look at this demonstration by mr. Jeff Han to see an example of what
> might be possible :)
> http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5195605778138598326
> 
> And look at what Nintendo did with their DS. (though of course we do
> not have the amount of money that Nintendo has to spend on game
> development)

Unfortunately, the touchscreen in the first version is not multi touch.. But I was thinking, if the series of events the touchscreen generates when the user "adds the second finger" could be detected reliably enough, maybe some of the operations could be simulated to some degree..

At least in my old palm pilot, which also was single-touch, if you added another finger, the output was the average of those coordinates. But when you add the other finger, the "location" of the cursor moves very quickly (maybe almost instantly, if we're lucky :) to the average and then stops there. Also when releasing one finger, it probably moves back just as fast. I think it might be different enough to separate it from moving the finger very fast.

If this would work, you could detect at least some of the "two finger" operations.. rotation with the first finger kept in fixed location, zooming the same (maybe requiring the second finger to move in a diagonalish direction) .. Scrolling could then also be detected by vertical or horizontal movement (of both fingers)..

I haven't tried this ever, I don't know if the touchpad is fast enough and what series of "movements" the adding of the second finger does.. but I'm sure going to try (unless somebody else does it first :)

- xkr47

-- 
  "if I'd make up my own definitions, unrational would be the the end
   result after someone unrationalized something i.e. actively worked
   to cut down on rationality, whereas irrational would be more a
   result of laziness or lack of skill"
                 - me, 23.11.2006