Using and configuring two mouses in ED. (Meeses? Mouseplex?)

[NorthernDevo]

'Allo!
I got a nifty idea this morning and dragged out one of my old mice from the cupboard. After plugging it in, I found both my mice worked perfectly; doing the same job for both the left and right hand.
That's great, because I like using the mouse for Mouselook with my left hand while flying with my right.

However, I'm wondering if I can make it a bit better.
What I would like to do is use my right-hand USB Mouse for regular mousey duties; pointing, clicking etc. I would like to have the left USB mouse strictly for headlook - look around, LMB for tatgeting, RMB for center view. I could then shift my joystick hat to power management and assign button 3 to a much more useful command.

Is this possible? Just be aware that if it is and involves ports, codes and funny numbers, my head will be spinning quite quickly - I know as much about computers as I do about abdominal surgery. (It's difficult, risky if you get it wrong, gross and in general terms squishy.)

Cheers!

 

[Rat Catcher]

I don't think Windows will recognise 2 seperate mouse inputs individually (a bit like a laptop with trackpad & external mouse) and they will both only work a single pointer.
If there was a way I too could see the benefits

 

[Bionic Bytes]

I don't think Windows will recognise 2 seperate mouse inputs individually (a bit like a laptop with trackpad & external mouse) and they will both only work a single pointer.
If there was a way I too could see the benefits

Yea. Correct. There is no way to make two mice behave independently from each other.
I have never seen any windows API for multiple mice and I would have come across it by now if it existed after 20 years of windows programming. Nice idea though.

 

[NorthernDevo]

I don't think Windows will recognise 2 seperate mouse inputs individually (a bit like a laptop with trackpad & external mouse) and they will both only work a single pointer.
If there was a way I too could see the benefits

Yea. Correct. There is no way to make two mice behave independently from each other.
I have never seen any windows API for multiple mice and I would have come across it by now if it existed after 20 years of windows programming. Nice idea though.

OK thanks, folks. It would have been nice

 

[Maolagin]

I'm curious, what is your control setup now? You say you're currently using a joystick and a mouse. That's not nearly enough buttons, so you're doing everything else with the keyboard? How would that work if you had a second mouse in your left hand?

It sounds like what you really want is a HOTAS setup - many models have an analog hat or ministick on the throttle would work as you describe for headlook, while allowing you to still have e.g. throttle control rather than take your hands off the keyboard. And note, you can still use a mouse alongside a HOTAS, I keep one plugged in to use as a pointer in station menus and the map screens.

 

[NorthernDevo]

I'm curious, what is your control setup now? You say you're currently using a joystick and a mouse. That's not nearly enough buttons, so you're doing everything else with the keyboard? How would that work if you had a second mouse in your left hand?

It sounds like what you really want is a HOTAS setup - many models have an analog hat or ministick on the throttle would work as you describe for headlook, while allowing you to still have e.g. throttle control rather than take your hands off the keyboard. And note, you can still use a mouse alongside a HOTAS, I keep one plugged in to use as a pointer in station menus and the map screens.

It's just standard joy/keyboard with a li'l cheapie joystick. With the second mouse I can use it for mouselook but you're right - a HOTAS setup would be much preferable. I had one years ago and loved it - M$ FF2 joystick, CH Pro throttle and CH pedals. (Also a flight yoke for sim flight and a bodged-up collective for sim helicopter flying.)
The money to be able to buy one would be nice to have as well, frankly. I'm on a fixed income at the moment and putting out money for better controllers is not in my immediate future.
Cheers!

 

[Quazie]

Yep go for the HOTAS, I got one just for Elite and it is brilliant.

PS.. For rodents it is Mice, for computer peripherals it is Mouses. (Even though the spell check doesn't like it .. lol)

 

[VR Jay Le Chardon]

It can be done with programs like TeamPlayer...

WhatSoftware Blog

WhatSoftware, a daily updated Tech Blog with basic and advanced, unbiased software reviews, computer tips news and more!

www.raymond.cc

I'm not aware of anyone doing teamplayer & dual mice for Elite, but there was a guy who used a "spacemouse" to control elite. The Spacemouse is a hockey puck shaped controller that has 6DOF, and is aimed for use with 3d cad packages for moving components and or the viewpoint. However, it has built into its software a Virtual Joystick Enumerator, meaning you can bind it to Elite's controls.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LIJHn6LqGo

 

[Drelthar]

You would need to somehow detect one of the mice as a generic human interface device, as windows only supports one mouse input.

Once you had the mouse data coming in through some other driver that wasn't using the mouse input, you'd be able to map it.

Not sure if such a driver exists. Probably does

 

[NorthernDevo]

Yep go for the HOTAS, I got one just for Elite and it is brilliant.

PS.. For rodents it is Mice, for computer peripherals it is Mouses. (Even though the spell check doesn't like it .. lol)

Yes, the title was a joke. And unless a HOTAS system is free, I'm not getting one - read my last post.

 

[Quazie]

Yes, the title was a joke. And unless a HOTAS system is free, I'm not getting one - read my last post.

I am in the UK, picked one up from Argos £37.50

 

[NorthernDevo]

I am in the UK, picked one up from Argos £37.50

Which works out to $65 Canadian - roughly half my food budget for the month.

 

[kaokao]

Mice