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Renewing the request for HID or joystick/gamepad support

Michael G (Google Local Guide)

April 01, 2023 19:10

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Dear SkySafari Team,

I am reaching out to request the implementation of a 'game controller' proportional control input in SkySafari. I know this has been requested before, but I would like to renew the request to action.

As someone with significant Reynaud's, I must keep my hands warm, and it is difficult to use the paddle with gloves. Recently, I attempted to build a hardware controller box that would allow me to control the LX90 scope with a PS4 navigation stick. I have soldered the Bluetooth transceiver to the Rs232 pads inside the handset for enhanced connection and easy use. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to me, despite having 3 AUX ports on the scope, only one device may be connected at a time as the scope is wired in bus like RS232c (canbus) and Autostar electrically runs as RS232, which is not CANbus. This limits the number of serial devices connected to one, forcing the choice between controller or SkySafari.

Therefore, I believe that implementing a small plugin for a simple, mappable, HID interface into the SkySafari app would enable users to operate a game controller as a proportional control input, making it much easier to operate the scope for manual corrections and slew. I understand that the implementation of HID input to scope control is a relatively simple matter, and I hope you will consider this feature request.

Thank you for your consideration, and for the excellent app. The hard work that the Simulation Curriculum team has put into making SkySafari such a thoroughly enjoyable app is greatly appreciated.

Best regards, Michael.

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2 comments

• 1
  
  Shane Winter October 18, 2024 19:28

  I would like to emphatically second this request - as a visual observer, it's been a longtime desire of mine to slew with even a dual rate joystick or at the very least d-pad type hardware direction control. More ideal would be a fully proportional 'analog' type joystick, as is available in a million different cheap game controllers, to cover the useful range of, say, rates 4-9 on the hand paddle. It's just simple ergonomics; we have better, more intuitive hardware for directional control than membrane buttons or non-tactile touchscreen zones and it feels slightly archaic to be limited to those options in 2024

  Onscreen buttons in SkySafari work but are cumbersome (requiring eye contact and rate adjustments) and the tilt-to-slew feature is clever but ultimately unreliable, triggering unwanted movement more often than not. Since converting to a Synscan mount, wherein the WiFi adapter that facilitates SkySafari control REPLACES the handset, I don't even have the fallback of the direction buttons on the hand paddle when the app is connected. 

  SkySafari seems to already understand directional controls from one such bluetooth mini gamepad/remote that I tried, but the input simply pans the app's view. I am hoping it would be straightforward so give users options within the app settings that specify what actions directional inputs control, with proportional slewing being one of the options when a scope is connected.

  SkySafari's UI is leaps and bounds ahead of the synscan app and I would prefer to leave it up onscreen for an entire session, so having a hardware remote to re-center objects, pan around large nebula or high power views of the moon would GREATLY enhance the experience of visual observation for me and many others, if the number of times this notion has been raised across several different forums is any indication. It would be worth purchasing or upgrading the app again

• 0
  
  Carlos Brás January 13, 2025 18:45

  This would be the best feature ever.

  For now i've tried a ps4 gamepad with panda gamepad mapper on android, it kind of works but i must have the phone with the screen always on and most of the time skysafari starts to lag... :(

   

  A simple integratated mapper for gamepads, keyboards, joysticks would be really awesome.