Wiimote accelerometer input on Windows? (from 2013 onwards - Glovepie alternative?)

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Solution 1

Other alternatives i've found:

  • FreePIE - a new project meant as a Glovepie replacement. It uses python for scripting so the old Glovepie scripts are not compatible.
  • PCWU bluetooth+sensor bar kit - which includes an user-friendly software with customizable profiles (screenshot)
  • WiinRemote (discontinued, but very good and open source, does not needs BlueSoleil on WinXP)
  • WiiMouse (closed source)
  • Wiimote Presenter - .NET 3.5 app (discontinued)
  • Touchmote (open source, Win7+8 only, virtual mouse driver?)
  • WiinUPro (closed source)

Solution 2

Wiimote mouse might be worth taking a look at as well. It's got some useful functionality.

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user56reinstatemonica8
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user56reinstatemonica8

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

  • user56reinstatemonica8
    user56reinstatemonica8 about 1 year

    There were a few options for getting accelerometer input into Windows using a Nintendo Wiimote.

    As of mid 2013, these projects seem to be dead, corrupted with malware, or both.

    Are there any tools out there that can do this that are still available (and not full of malware)?


    Quick roundup of the options that used to exist, or that still exist but aren't suitable:

    • Glovepie, which used to be the most recommended option, appears to be dead: its own website hacked, its creator's googlepages page full of strange stuff that sounds like hacker-humour about the end of the world... (I'd rather not link to them, very dubious stuff...), and lots of forum threads asking if it's a dead project with comments along the lines of "I heard that the author intends to return to it" dated 2011...
    • Wiiuse seems to be dead: its sourceforge page simply says "Error.", its own website has turned into a squatter page.
    • There apparently was an extension for Autohotkey that allowed Wiimote input, but I've seen warnings that this too is now full of malware (see final commentin above link)

    Everything else I can find about using Wiimotes as input on Windows - for example, Johnny Lee Cheng's work - seems to be exclusively about using infrared or sensor bar, or tied to a specific purpose (e.g. FPS gaming). My main interest is in the accelerometer, and buttons if possible (although something that supports the IR stuff too would be ideal).

    Is there anything that works for getting Wiimote accelerometer input into Windows that is reliable and not a malware-fest?


    If anyone's interested in "Why?", it's to use the Wiimote as an audio / midi controller: to use movement, pitch, roll etc to modulate lots of different sound variables at once with one hand. Wiimotes are great for this, and Glovepie used to be the standard way to make this work (e.g. see for example this tutorial, and this one, ignore the unrelated video; I've also seen musicians using wiimote/glovepie setups at gigs, creating some really unique sounds). As of 2013, however, Glovepie seems to be a dead and thoroughly hacked project, sadly. Is there anything else?


    With or without MotionPlus is fine (with would be better). If anyone knows of any worthy alternatives to Wiimotes in terms of price and quality that can be made to work with a PC, that would also be great: but in my research I coulnd't find any (here's a link to someone reaching the same conclusion).


    found some potentially relevant stuff here, not had time to test any of it yet though - https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2984450/using-accelerometer-in-wiimote-for-physics-practicals

  • user56reinstatemonica8
    user56reinstatemonica8 about 10 years
    Thanks! Useful to know that GlovePIE is still the most popular on Windows, and FreePIE seems like the best way to go long term - thanks for the tip!
  • user56reinstatemonica8
    user56reinstatemonica8 about 10 years
    Nice, looks much simpler, more usable and better documented than FreePIE - possible less flexible but definitely worth a try
  • Anders
    Anders almost 10 years
    FreePIE now works with most Wiimotes including clones and OEM. Disclaimer: I'm the author of FreePIE
  • Ryan Pavlik
    Ryan Pavlik about 9 years
    FYI, WiiUse's upstream did disappear, but there's new releases with new support, trying to merge together all the forks plus include stuff from the community. Disclaimer: I started the GitHub project, but I don't actually do much coding on it - it basically runs itself right now. github.com/rpavlik/wiiuse
  • JosefZ
    JosefZ over 6 years
    Provide context for links Links to external resources are encouraged, but please add context around the link so your fellow users will have some idea what it is and why it’s there. Always quote the most relevant part of an important link, in case the target site is unreachable or goes permanently offline.
  • user56reinstatemonica8
    user56reinstatemonica8 over 6 years
    I'd trust this link more if it was an actual archive.org link not some random file that could be anything...
  • TNP
    TNP over 6 years
    Judging by the state of that file when I found it i was unsure if it would still be there next time some one came looking. So i had decided to add it to an other file host. here is my original link.