PerfTech

Performance Technology in the College of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts at Texas A&M University

ZeroTouch Interface

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The ZeroTouch is a sensor that turns any display or any area into a multi-touch surface.  It can also be used for free-air interaction.

Instructions:

  • Turn on the computer (button on the front of the computer).
  • You need to attach a keyboard and mouse to log in.
  • Hit any key to bring up a log-in screen.
  • Log in to user:  ZeroUser
  • ZeroTouch CCV should launch automatically (if it doesn’t, double click it on the the desktop or single click it in the task bar).
  • If you don’t want the ZeroTouch to use Windows Touch, launch EcoTUIODriver (on the desktop) and hit Toggle Start/Stop Service (note that this will ask for the PerfTech admin password).
  • Touch the screen in various places to activate the sensors and get them to calibrate themselves.
  • Wait for the ZeroTouch to adjust to the ambient light, then click Background–>Remove (or press “B”).  (This takes about 30-60 seconds.  You know it has adjusted for background removal when the images in “Source Image” stabilize.  Note:  the flickering will always be there.)
  • If the ambient lighting changes during the session (e.g., if you shut off the lights), let the ZeroTouch adjust itself again, and then hit Background–>Remove.
  • To send TUIO messages via OSC to an application (e.g., Max) make sure Communication–>TUIO UDP is checked.
  • When done with your session, close down the ZeroTouch CCV application.
  • Shutdown Windows by moving the mouse to the top right corner, then click Settings–>Power–>Shutdown.

Tips:

  • ZeroTouch:
    • The ZeroTouch CCV window does not like to be moved through touch (i.e., use the mouse‌ instead).
    • Shut down when not in use so the ZeroTouch sensor doesn’t get overheated.
    • Enter ZeroTouch calibration mode by clicking Calibration (or press “C”)
      • In calibration mode, the white crosses should appear right under your fingertips.  If not, the physical position of the ZeroTouch may need to be adjusted.  Light pencil marks are on the inside corners of the device indicating where it should go.
    • Exit calibration by pressing “X”
  • Apple Cinema Display:
    • The Apple Cinema Display is 30″.  The resolution is 2560 x 1600, which is a 16:10 aspect ratio.
    • Did your screen inexplicably go black?  Perhaps you inadvertently turned off the Apple monitor (it is easy to do).  Turn the Apple monitor back on using the power button on the lower right-hand side.
    • While the display warms up, all sorts of artifacts can appear on the screen that can cause erratic behavior (e.g., launching applications, moving cursors, resizing windows, etc.).  This will cease when the display has warmed up.
  • Windows OS:
    • The virtual (touch screen) keyboard is accessed by pressing the keyboard icon in the lower right-hand corner.
    • The virtual keyboard works better if you drag it to the middle of the desktop
  • Antelope Orion32:
    •  Check to see how many USB powered devices are plugged into the ZeroTouch computer. The Orion32 system uses 80% to 90% of the USB bandwidth. Try to have as little USB devices plugged in as possible.
    • Do not have the Apple Cinema display (which is connected to the ZeroTouch interface) plugged into the USB BIOS Flashback port. It uses too much power and will not allow the Orion32 to run properly.
    • We recommend not having anything plugged into the USB BIOS Flashback port.
  • Other:
    • The 32bit version of Max must be used if using Max in conjunction with QuickTime.
    • TUIO messages are floating point numbers from 0 to 1 (left to right) on the x axis and 0 to 1 (top to bottom?) on the y axis.