tuxpaint-devel

[Tuxpaint-devel] An idea that would make Tux Paint even better!!!

[<EW...@ro...>]

Hello,

First of all I am an avid fan of the Tux Paint software. 

I had a recent snafu this holiday when I got an "Art 
Studio" device to connect to a VTech educational game. Click this 
link for a description:

http://www.vtechkids.com/product_page.cfm?productId=364&tvFrom=

 It turned out the device didn't plug into the "Pocket" version of the 
device that we had. I noticed that it had a plug that seemed 
compatible with a PS2 Keyboard connector for a PC though. 

HERES THE IDEA: It would be absolutely fantastic if you could come up 
with a driver that would enable a child to drive the software from 
this "VTech Art Studio" tool!!!

I am an engineer, but not a big software (esp Windows) guy, so I don't 
know how hard this would be. Hopefully there is some PS2 keyboard port 
montitoring tool that could be used, and then map the control strings 
to the appropriate menus within Tux Paint.

I imagine it may be even possible to convert the PS2 connector to USB 
with standard off-the-shelf computer components.

What do you think?

Ed Ronka


 
 

Re: [Tuxpaint-devel] An idea that would make Tux Paint even better!!!

[Albert C. <aca...@gm...>]

On 12/30/06, EW...@ro... <EW...@ro...> wrote:

>  It turned out the device didn't plug into the "Pocket" version of the
> device that we had. I noticed that it had a plug that seemed
> compatible with a PS2 Keyboard connector for a PC though.

It's probably a PS/2 mouse device.

> HERES THE IDEA: It would be absolutely fantastic if you could come up
> with a driver that would enable a child to drive the software from
> this "VTech Art Studio" tool!!!
>
> I am an engineer, but not a big software (esp Windows) guy, so I don't
> know how hard this would be. Hopefully there is some PS2 keyboard port
> montitoring tool that could be used, and then map the control strings
> to the appropriate menus within Tux Paint.

Most of us aren't Windows developers either. Tux Paint is
native to Linux. Tux Paint runs on MacOS X too.

PS/2 port monitoring is much easier on Linux. Writing drivers
is also easier on Linux. Linux drivers are much smaller than
equivalent Windows drivers because the kernel serves as a
full-featured library, because there is no binary-compatible
driver interface layer, and because the driver interfaces have
been allowed to rapidly change for the better.

I give your device a 60% chance of working perfectly in Linux
with the existing drivers. Most likely the X server will detect
the device as some type of mouse. (maybe a touchpad)

> I imagine it may be even possible to convert the PS2 connector to USB
> with standard off-the-shelf computer components.

It might actually be USB or able to switch protocols automatically,
but probably not.

Re: [Tuxpaint-devel] An idea that would make Tux Paint even better!!!

[Bill K. <nb...@so...>]

On Mon, Jan 01, 2007 at 12:59:54AM -0500, Albert Cahalan wrote:
> On 12/30/06, EW...@ro... <EW...@ro...> wrote:
> 
> >  It turned out the device didn't plug into the "Pocket" version of the
> > device that we had. I noticed that it had a plug that seemed
> > compatible with a PS2 Keyboard connector for a PC though.
> 
> It's probably a PS/2 mouse device.

Interesting-sounding device.  I haven't looked at the thing in detail,
but it sounds like it might just be a drawing pad that acts like a mouse,
as Albert seems to be suggesting.

Have you tried connecting the device to a PC?  Beware: if it's NOT, in fact,
an actual PS/2 device, you may damage/destroy your computer's motherboard!
If so, and you didn't break your computer :), does the thing control your
mouse pointer?

If yes, then it should Just Work(tm) with Tux Paint, at least in a simplistic
way.  (i.e., if it has special buttons or areas, Tux Paint won't understand
them, just as any other app would not understand them.)

Anyone else familiar with this device?

Thanks, and happy new year!

-bill!