Sitting at an angle to the sensor bar...

[dannbrownn]

In my living room where the wii will hopefully be based our tv is in a corner at a diagonal angle and the seat that i normally sit in is at an angle to the tv and as a result will also be at an angle to the sensor bar, if i am playing alone then i can move the sensor bar but if i am on multiplayer then obviously i cant.

 

So i was wondering if in a game such as zelda or redsteel where you use the direct pointing device if you are sitting at an angle to the sensor bar does the console think that you are constantly turning to one side and as a result make the action on the screen move that way or make the pointer go to one side of the screen?

 

Heres an image to demonstrate what i mean:

 

 

The controller in the middle will be fine as it is an equal distance to both of the sets of infrared lights in the sensor bar, but the controllers on either side will becloser to one than the other and the angles will all be out of shape, does sitting to one side cause any interference with gameplay on games that use the sensor bar for direct pointing?

[Tony Cabrony]

I saw a video on youtube that showed a guy being interviewed about the Wii and he said that they tested the angle at which you could play and he said it that you can still play from quite small angles

________

Ipad Accessories

Edited April 17, 2011 by Tony Cabrony

[Guest Jordan]

Basically, the Wiimote only takes its position from the sensor bar. That position is sent back to the Wiimote and back to the console.

 

The sensor bar is only plugged into the Wii for power, you can technically use candles.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Basically, the Wiimote only takes its position from the sensor bar. That position is sent back to the Wiimote and back to the console.

 

The sensor bar is only plugged into the Wii for power, you can technically use candles.

 

That doesn't really answer anything.

 

To me, his question is about like saying "if the analogue controller is held to the left when the console is booting up, does that mean every game will be off centre?"

 

In that case, yes. Because, left would be the 'new' central neutral position.

 

With this though, i think it wouldn't really matter where you sat.

[dannbrownn]

Basically, the Wiimote only takes its position from the sensor bar. That position is sent back to the Wiimote and back to the console.

 

The sensor bar is only plugged into the Wii for power, you can technically use candles.

 

I know but my question is if you are at an angle to the sensor bar the angles and distances that the wiimote takes its info from will be different, i am sure that they have thought about this but i am just a bit wary as it has not been properly shown anywhere!

[-JC-]

As far as I'm aware, the sensor bar has at least two points that emit IR, which is enough for being able to triangulate the third point, the Wiimote's position. So in theory you could play with the sensor bar at 89 degrees to your position, as long as the Wiimote is in sights of both sets of IR emitters. That's my take on it anyway!

[Tony Cabrony]

I saw a video on youtube that showed a guy being interviewed about the Wii and he said that they tested the angle at which you could play and he said it that you can still play from quite small angles

 

So you should be fine.

________

Lovely Wendie

Edited April 17, 2011 by Tony Cabrony

[Pit-Jr]

Can i suggest angling the sensor bar towards where ever your sitting? The sensor bar doesnt have to be perfectly parallel to your TV.

 

The setup in my room has me sitting at an angle and i havent had any issues. My only issue is that when i sit to play Zelda, the sensor bar seems to be better suited on top of the TV, while standing to play Wii sports its better to have it below the TV

[dannbrownn]

Can i suggest angling the sensor bar towards where ever your sitting? The sensor bar doesnt have to be perfectly parallel to your TV.

 

For single player yes, but for multiplayer it would be impossible, looks like i will have to wait and see!...

...But i don't want to wait another 9 days!

[Ginger_Chris]

Question, why are we still calling it a sensor bar when it contains no sensors?

Surely a better names would be;

 

infra-red emitting bar

Infra-red bar

or the ever catchy "IR Bar"

[Fierce_LiNk]

Question, why are we still calling it a sensor bar when it contains no sensors?

Surely a better names would be;

 

infra-red emitting bar

Infra-red bar

or the ever catchy "IR Bar"

 

Well, it still senses the position of where the television is. Only difference is, that information is sent back to the Wiimote, and not directly to the Wii.

[Ginger_Chris]

Technically the wiimote senses where the bar is (and so the position of the tv), so the wiimote is the sensor and the bar is the thing its sensing.

 

The bar doesn't sense anything, it just emits a constant IR signal.

[dannbrownn]

Question, why are we still calling it a sensor bar when it contains no sensors?

Surely a better names would be;

 

infra-red emitting bar

Infra-red bar

or the ever catchy "IR Bar"

 

Because everyone has called it the sensor bar thus far and it would confuse people to call it anything else now, that comment is very stange i don't know if it's intended to be a clever post or a comedy post, but it is neither

 

Well, it still senses the position of where the television is. Only difference is, that information is sent back to the Wiimote, and not directly to the Wii.

 

Technically the wiimote senses where the bar is (and so the position of the tv), so the wiimote is the sensor and the bar is the thing its sensing.

 

The bar doesn't sense anything, it just emits a constant IR signal.

 

Give me strength

[Ginger_Chris]

Because everyone has called it the sensor bar thus far and it would confuse people to call it anything else now, that comment is very stange i don't know if it's intended to be a clever post or a comedy post, but it is neither

 

I offer my heart-felt apologies that my last two posts did not meet your rigorous standards in the art of communication. If you have any tips on how to make my posts wittier or of a more intellectual nature, feel free to PM me. I will be more than willing to ignore them.

 

Yours apologetically, Ginger_Chris

[Rummy]

Call it a wiibar, then launch a confectionary product based on it!

As for the original question, I was thinking that if you sat to one side then one IR beam would be travelling further than the other, even if it was pointed at the sensor and so it'd assume you and the wii mote are pointing further to the side you are on. It depends how good the wiimote is at measuring the angles of light, as there is no time delay on the beams so erm...As I post this, it makes less sense actually and I've forgotten what I was saying...sorry...

[-JC-]

Ok, I'll try and simplify what I said earlier. Surely it's simple geometry. IR takes x amount of time to get from one end of sensor bar to wiimote, and y amount of time to get from the other end to the wiimote. That means the Wiimote is x * (speed of light = c) distance from one end, and y * c from the other. Draw one circle of radius (x*c) centred at one end, and another circle of radius (y*c) centred at the other. Where the two circles intersect will be the position of the Wiimote, given you have eliminated the other intersection which is behind the bar.

[Ginger_Chris]

hmmm, Im not sure i like that way, it would require you to be able to work out distance from a IR signal. the time thing is right, but how do you work out time, a pulsed signal (too short time interval between pulse will cause larger angles and further distances to be wrong, too long a time causes lag between motion)(though if i worked it out im sure theres probably a large band of suitable frequencies). from a constant source you cannot work out a distance, unless your measuring the aplitude shift between the two signals (in phase=directly infront of the bar) however that messes up when you in a position that has a full wavelength difference between signals (think 2 slit interference)

 

It depends on how good the sensor in the wiimote is, the preferable way is to treat the "sensor" bar as two fixed points, a known separation. knowing the position of the two two points (from the wiimotes reference frame), will allow you to track where you're pointing the wiimote in relation to the bar accurately. the distance apart the two sources are will give you a measure of distance/angle (perspective, further apart=closer or more perpendicular angle). The position of the fixed points, it can also give a value for tilt, if the points are at an angle, then the wiimote must be, as the bar is fixed. however that all requires an a fairly decently sensitive IR camera, which by the look of IR signal from the wiimote (they were posted somewhere, it does).

 

Anyway the IR part is used for accurate pointing, rather than guageing distance, so if anyone knows exactly how it works feel free to share it with us.

 

The most accurate and useful bar would be a 3 point triangle, with that you could guage pretty much any pointing angle to the bar very accurately, and position relative to the bar (angle and distance).

[Kurtle Squad]

The answer to your Q is that it doesn't matter where you are sitting so long as it can see both 'lights'.

 

This is because, although it'll be further from one, it is closer to the other.

This mean the Wiimote/Wii can work out where the Wiimote is positioned by the 2 separate distances from the 'lights'.

 

If there was 1 light you would have the problem you described, but as there are 2, the Wii/Wiimote can work out stuff using vectors and angles or whatever.

[solitanze]

Just use two candles, will solve your problem, enabling you to play at crazy angles.

[flameboy]

Just use two candles, will solve your problem, enabling you to play at crazy angles.

 

yeah I don't think it will be much of a range though....

[Rummy]

hmmm, Im not sure i like that way, it would require you to be able to work out distance from a IR signal. the time thing is right, but how do you work out time, a pulsed signal (too short time interval between pulse will cause larger angles and further distances to be wrong, too long a time causes lag between motion)(though if i worked it out im sure theres probably a large band of suitable frequencies). from a constant source you cannot work out a distance, unless your measuring the aplitude shift between the two signals (in phase=directly infront of the bar) however that messes up when you in a position that has a full wavelength difference between signals (think 2 slit interference)

 

It depends on how good the sensor in the wiimote is, the preferable way is to treat the "sensor" bar as two fixed points, a known separation. knowing the position of the two two points (from the wiimotes reference frame), will allow you to track where you're pointing the wiimote in relation to the bar accurately. the distance apart the two sources are will give you a measure of distance/angle (perspective, further apart=closer or more perpendicular angle). The position of the fixed points, it can also give a value for tilt, if the points are at an angle, then the wiimote must be, as the bar is fixed. however that all requires an a fairly decently sensitive IR camera, which by the look of IR signal from the wiimote (they were posted somewhere, it does).

 

Anyway the IR part is used for accurate pointing, rather than guageing distance, so if anyone knows exactly how it works feel free to share it with us.

 

The most accurate and useful bar would be a 3 point triangle, with that you could guage pretty much any pointing angle to the bar very accurately, and position relative to the bar (angle and distance).

 

Does time actually come into play at all? I thought it might, then I thought it wouldn't. With angles and the synching, is there any real need to bring time into things?