This is a total stab in the dark but I always figure there's no harm in asking/sharing ;)
...I set up my mouse and keyboard on Unreal Tournament 3 on my PS3 a few days ago, mainly to make the in game controls more responsive, and therefore the game slightly easier. After 10 minutes of playing (being a southpaw) I thought it would be even easier still if I just used the mouse in my right hand (which is my native mouse hand anyway) and held the game controller with my left hand. A little awkward at first but do-able!
Sure enough the game lets you do this, and personally I find it easier than using the keyboard! So for the last few days I have been happily playing this way.... although having to rest the pad against my leg as it doesn't sit right being held one handed.
I then had another thought. What if a Wii nunchuck could be modded to run as the left side of the PS3 controller (knowing it can be hooked up to an Arduino unit and then programmed via usb), or maybe the left side of a PS3 controller modded to fit inside a Wii Nunchuck shell? That would be extremely ergonomic to use with the mouse!
Not all the buttons would be required for this mod, in fact only the left thumb control and 2 left shoulder buttons would be required for UT3. The D-pad buttons are not really required for the majority of gameplay, if at all!
The only downside to this mod is that it would only be specifically for this game as UT3 is, so far, the only FPS on the PS3 that allows a mouse and keyboard input... furture games would probably require the use of all 8-10 buttons that are on the left side of a PS3 contoller, hence the keyboard input ie; future COD's or other advanced FPS shooters.
I have been hunting around to see if this idea has already been shared and so far turned up empty handed, apart from a guy on Yahoo, but I don't think he had UT3 in mind, and no one replied to his question.
I may have a crack at this myself, I just need to get the parts!
...anyway ...just a thought ;)
PS3 Wii Nunchuck mod *finished*
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PS3 Wii Nunchuck mod *finished*
Last edited by ffrr on Sun Feb 17, 2008 1:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
yeah I have seen it, and the left hand controller is near to spot on what I was thinking of. I'll have a read up on the reviews, I didn't know they were bad, maybe the mouse is perhaps?myersn024 wrote:have you seen the FragFX controller made by Splitfish? It hasn't gotten good reviews, but the left hand portion of the controller sounds kind of like what you're wanting to do. Give it a Google and take a look.
*I had a read up on the fragX, it seems although it's a mouse and pad (extension) the PS3 sees it as a joypad and not a usb mouse/keyboard combo.
You can also buy a device that converts a ps2/ mouse and keyboard to use as a pad and it comes with preset game settings, ie call of duty / medal of honour etc as the sensitivity differs from game to game... the slitfish also has this, which IS an advantage over my idea.
I just read a few posts in a forum saying that people using the splitfish basically have an unfair advantage over people with normal pads and I can see why (plus that might explain some peoples "better" gameplay I've witnessed on UT3 in the non-mouse/keyboard rooms, ie instant 180 turns which can't be done on a pad regardless of setup... lol either that of they're simply pad Gods!).
...anyway I have given my idea some thought since posting and the easiest (and cheapest) way I can think of doing this is to rip out the guts of the nunchuck (when I get one) and replace them with the thumb control and trigger buttons from an old PS2 analogue pad by extentding the wires, which is easily done (I already have a PS2 to PS3 usb adapter and have tried it). I looked into cutting the pad up to make it smaller, but I don't think that would be too easy as it's a double sided circuit board, I'm good at soldering but that's about it.
mission accomplished!
I'm almost there.... this isn't as straight forward and easy as I had imagined! ...although I guess most mods have thier share of hurdles.
I got a nunchuck for £5 in a second hand shop and started to work on the mod the last two nights using an old ps2 analog pad.
I took the nunchuck apart and removed the wiring as it wasn't needed. I removed the analog section leaving everything connected to the circuit board. I've simply piggy backed the wires from the left analog section of the ps2 pad to the nunchuck analog section.
problems I've had... and worked around/fixed.
matching the L1 and L2 buttons up with the nunchuck C & Z circuit pad. The circuits although seemingly identical, and after testing with a multi meter, would not work using both buttons at the same time.... but I only require one button for my mod. It would have nice to get both working with the existing kit. I guess micro switches could be an option.
The travel on the nunchuck analog is not as far as it is on the ps2 pad and would not register when the nunchuck was put back togther. I had to remove the nunchuck analog assembly from the circuit board and put some nylon washers under it to raise it slightly, and also dremel out the hole where the thumbstick comes out of the nunchuck housing, all so I could get an extra 1.5-2 mm extra play.
problems I still have.
Up is down and vice versa. Not too sure why this is as the analog switches can only be wired up one way. There's only a X and Y axis, Y for up and down and X for left and right. If ANY wires are crossed over the analog function disables, as well as the whole pad itself until fixed. I have a few ideas to try regarding this...
other than that everything has been tidied up cosmetic wise and finished for final use... shame about the up/down thing! Unfortunately the in game options don't allow for that motion to be edited!
*EDIT*
All done, the up/down issue was a ground that was still connected between the X / A axis switches.
I sat down this morning and started from scratch-almost. I wired up the nunchuck analog off the circuit board and found the wires could be swapped around to reverse the action but back on the board it shorted out. After checking my wiring, I realised wires orange/brown were shorting so I had to unsolder the whole lot again... and bent the green wire pin up off the board and voila!
This is my first ever mod of this kind, I'm really happy with it!
Total cost was around £11, and time spent (total) was around a day (8 hours), although if I made another it would probably take about 1- 1 1/2 hours.
------------------------------------------------
pics for and vid for anyone inerested.
virgin nunchunk
ps2 pad with wires piggy backed of the left analog stick
wires connected to the wii nunchuck analog section, off the original circuit board.
Nunchuck analog back on the main board with wires soldered, minus the green ground wire.
the simple fix!
All tidy and back together ;)
in action...
http://s136.photobucket.com/albums/q161 ... V01086.flv
I got a nunchuck for £5 in a second hand shop and started to work on the mod the last two nights using an old ps2 analog pad.
I took the nunchuck apart and removed the wiring as it wasn't needed. I removed the analog section leaving everything connected to the circuit board. I've simply piggy backed the wires from the left analog section of the ps2 pad to the nunchuck analog section.
problems I've had... and worked around/fixed.
matching the L1 and L2 buttons up with the nunchuck C & Z circuit pad. The circuits although seemingly identical, and after testing with a multi meter, would not work using both buttons at the same time.... but I only require one button for my mod. It would have nice to get both working with the existing kit. I guess micro switches could be an option.
The travel on the nunchuck analog is not as far as it is on the ps2 pad and would not register when the nunchuck was put back togther. I had to remove the nunchuck analog assembly from the circuit board and put some nylon washers under it to raise it slightly, and also dremel out the hole where the thumbstick comes out of the nunchuck housing, all so I could get an extra 1.5-2 mm extra play.
problems I still have.
Up is down and vice versa. Not too sure why this is as the analog switches can only be wired up one way. There's only a X and Y axis, Y for up and down and X for left and right. If ANY wires are crossed over the analog function disables, as well as the whole pad itself until fixed. I have a few ideas to try regarding this...
other than that everything has been tidied up cosmetic wise and finished for final use... shame about the up/down thing! Unfortunately the in game options don't allow for that motion to be edited!
*EDIT*
All done, the up/down issue was a ground that was still connected between the X / A axis switches.
I sat down this morning and started from scratch-almost. I wired up the nunchuck analog off the circuit board and found the wires could be swapped around to reverse the action but back on the board it shorted out. After checking my wiring, I realised wires orange/brown were shorting so I had to unsolder the whole lot again... and bent the green wire pin up off the board and voila!
This is my first ever mod of this kind, I'm really happy with it!
Total cost was around £11, and time spent (total) was around a day (8 hours), although if I made another it would probably take about 1- 1 1/2 hours.
------------------------------------------------
pics for and vid for anyone inerested.
virgin nunchunk
ps2 pad with wires piggy backed of the left analog stick
wires connected to the wii nunchuck analog section, off the original circuit board.
Nunchuck analog back on the main board with wires soldered, minus the green ground wire.
the simple fix!
All tidy and back together ;)
in action...
http://s136.photobucket.com/albums/q161 ... V01086.flv
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Negative_Creep
- Posts: 1093
- Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:04 pm
- Location: New Crack City
thanks for the above replies :)
I really want to make another one now using the analog parts from a ps2/3 pad as they are built a bit better.
I have another nunchuck shell already, just waiting on a few ebay auctions now for the other parts :)
...as for playing I don't really think it makes the game easier, well... it depends who you're playing againt ...lol... but like I said in my first post I though it would just be more ergonomic, which it certainly is!
I really want to make another one now using the analog parts from a ps2/3 pad as they are built a bit better.
I have another nunchuck shell already, just waiting on a few ebay auctions now for the other parts :)
...as for playing I don't really think it makes the game easier, well... it depends who you're playing againt ...lol... but like I said in my first post I though it would just be more ergonomic, which it certainly is!