Hands

simple gamepad API for browser.

Install

$ npm install hands

Usage

importing and instantiation:

    var Hands = require("hands");
 
    // get all connected controllers
    var hands = new Hands();

reading updated values of connected controllers:

 
    // main animation loop
    function update() {
        // welcome new controller connections
        hands.welcome();
 
        // update all connected controllers
        hands.update();
        
        // print new values
        hands.forEach(function(hand) {
            console.log(hand.value("input-name"));
        });
    
        // continue updating
        window.requestAnimationFrame(update);
    }
 
    // begin updating
    window.requestAnimationFrame(update);

setting reaction handlers on value updates

 
    // initialize array of values we would like to control
    var X = []
 
    // register reaction handlers for each connected controller
    hands.forEach(function(hand, i) {
        // add entry for each connected controller
        X.push(0.0)
        
        // set reaction handler for an input
        hand.setReaction("input-name", function(value) {
            // change value of array entry to value of input
            X[i] = value;
        });
    });
 
    // main animation loop
    function update() {
        // update all connected controllers and call
        // all attached reaction handlers
        hands.update();
        // 
    
        // continue updating
        window.requestAnimationFrame(update);
    }
 
    // begin updating
    window.requestAnimationFrame(update);

attaching an onConnection/onDisconnection callback to a new controller connection:

 
    // initialize an empty map of objects
    var A = {}
 
    // set onConnection callback
    hands.onConnection(function(hand) {
        // populate a new entry to the map on connection
        A[hand.id] = {somde: "data"}
    }).onDisconnection(function(hand) {
        // remove entry from map on disconnection
        A.delete(hand.id)
    });

Notes

Since this library relies on the experimental GamePad API, it is only supported by a subset of modern browsers (Chrome >35.0, Firefox >29.0, Opera >22.0). Please check the Compatibility for more details.