Controller support for Android?

I asked this question on TPA facebook page and figured I'd ask here also. Is there any plan to support controllers on Android? I'm sure I'm not the only one that has thought of this but I would like to eventually turn my tablet into a mini pinball machine. I just wish they would give more camera options for droid so I could take up all the screen for my mini machine.

Anyway, any plans for this? Thanks for the help

I thought I remember reading that the PS3 controller works if you have an app running in the background?

Jeff Strong said:

I thought I remember reading that the PS3 controller works if you have an app running in the background?

Click to expand...

It was me that posted it, Jeff.

Hey kcpinballfan,
I use a ps3 controller to play TPA via bluetooth on my HTC android phone.
To do this you need to be rooted, and purchase an app called 'sixaxis' in the google play store.
You must have root access as it temporarily installs its own bluetooth drivers to get around the no 'L2CAP support' issue on many android devices (This mainly is HTC and samsung devices and is where the manufacturer deliberately customised the bluetooth compatibility so you can only connect to simple devices like speakers and hands free kits and not to controllers and such). There is also a free trial version of the app which lets you check it will work on your phone before you buy, but not actually play with the controller.

Once you pair your phone to the controller, you can use the app to create custom touch screen button maps (ie if I press the left shoulder button on the controller, the app fools the phone into thinking you are touching the lower left area of the screen or pressing for left flipper in TPA. This allows you to map button presses for games not designed to be controlled by controllers ie TPA. (I dont know of any other app that lets you do this.)

Its really good to play pinball with physical buttons, just feels more natural. Also there is absolutely no lag, and I even managed to configure it so the right analogue stick now controls the plunger, so you can perform skill shots with the controller as well.

Just remember, you do have to be rooted though. Also don't forget that rooting can invalidate your warranty, and turn your nice shiny phone/tablet into a paperweight, so has to be done by your own choice.

Got another app called 'Game Keyboard' £1.50ish on Google play, which works in conjunction with a free app called 'bluez.ime'.
Bluez.ime let's you connect either a wiimote or a zeemote joypad through bluetooth - then the Game Keyboard app lets you map the controllers button presses to be simulated touch screen presses. (Game Keyboard requires root permissions though).

Works really well, holding phone in one hand and using shake nudging, whilst other hand has wiimote in it.
Can't beat real buttons - I hate touchscreen for gaming.

Tried this just now but I cant get it configured right, when I start TPA and press a button it just says gamecontroller service has stopped.

Carl Spiby said:

Tried this just now but I cant get it configured right, when I start TPA and press a button it just says gamecontroller service has stopped.

Click to expand...

Which one are you trying, sixaxis app, or wiimote through game Keyboard?

wiimote through game keyboard.

I finally(!) got it paired through Bluez IME and I used layout mode in Gamecontroller to move the buttons around but when I start TPA there's no button overlay even though Gamecontroller is running and has root...

I'm at a loss, wasted an hour on it already.

Carl, you need the HID enabler apk off the bluez download site. When that's installed, kill bluez off, and fire up Game Keyboard.
Switch Hardkey mapping on, and configure the hardkey mappings as you wish (eg button A = A), ensure the 'use bluezservice' option is ticked.
When you switch keyboard input to be game Keyboard and press 1 2 simultaneously on wiimote, you should see the button mapping overlay come active. Press backup to hide it, it will still be active even though you can't see it.
Fire up TPA and off you go.
To kill it switch keyboard input to your normal keyboard and you'll see the lights go out on wiimote.
Takes a lot of configuring, but when done works a treat, and is quick to start up.

Which device are you working with? If the Samsung, does it still have the standard Samsung rom? If so it won't connect. Samsung and Htc don't include full bluetooth connectivity in their software. It's only designed for pairing to speakers and handsfree kits, and not more complex bluetooth devices.
I install either cyanogenmod or MIUI roms in place both of which have full bluetooth connectivity.

Good luck and persevere with it. The results worth it!

I'm using it with my Asus TF101 I got the HID enabled installed OK and the remote was working. How critical is the 1 and 2 button press together?

The 1 & 2 simultaneously puts the wiimote into pair mode, you should see 1 to 4 blue leds flashing (depends how good your batteries are) then if pairing successful, led 1 will become steady.

I pressed the red button in the battery compartment.

Here's another question, could I use my phone as a controller for my tablet?

Same end result - as long as you get the steady no1 led on the wiimote its paired.
Forgot to mention, make sure the 'touchscreen mode' is on and 'volume up' button option is on within Game Keyboard app.

To control tablet with phone as controller - you need 'bt controller' by dev beandroid, or bt controller lite'.

Tried again this morning but it just won't play ball (fnar). The service keeps self terminating and I've not managed to make any input other than mappings to work.

I will just stay using the touch screen until controller support gets added.

Carl Spiby said:

Tried again this morning but it just won't play ball (fnar). The service keeps self terminating and I've not managed to make any input other than mappings to work.

I will just stay using the touch screen until controller support gets added.

Click to expand...

Could be the rom not supporting L2CAP as I mentioned earlier. Some manufacturers only allow simple connectivity like speakers & handsfree kits (htc & Samsung are the main ones).
Way to test is pair up to bluez and play something that does allow button mapping to test pairing to wiimote is successful.
The bluez download site http://code.google.com/p/android-bluez-ime/downloads/list also has a test apk file you can download to check connections.

I used an app called Wiimote Controller to get my Wii controller connected to my Nexus 7. It was free, simple, and doesn't require a root. Is there still nothing that will match touch spots on the screen with button presses that doesn't require a root?

What's holding back key input from being a feature in TPA on Android anyways? When you buy a Nexus 7 at Gamestop, there's a sticker right on the box advertising a pad made to go with it; stores are doing their best to sell it alongside traditional gaming platforms so it seems like devs should quickly follow suit. Farsight just seems unusually short-sighted in this regard, sorry to say. I don't mean to sound like one of the Facebook drones, but I've bought every table for Xbox 360 up to now only to find this is really where's it at for Farsight, and to be quite honest... it isn't much more than just throwing in an API? Am I wrong?

Other than that, the game is running wonderfully on my Nexus 7. Only played around a bit with No Good Gofers so far, but I'm amazed how well it runs, and amazed to learn those aren't even HD textures. Appreciate your work up to this point Farsight, I can only hope more control options can be added soon to make this the ultimate TPA platform.

szycag said:

I used an app called Wiimote Controller to get my Wii controller connected to my Nexus 7. It was free, simple, and doesn't require a root. Is there still nothing that will match touch spots on the screen with button presses that doesn't require a root?

What's holding back key input from being a feature in TPA on Android anyways? When you buy a Nexus 7 at Gamestop, there's a sticker right on the box advertising a pad made to go with it; stores are doing their best to sell it alongside traditional gaming platforms so it seems like devs should quickly follow suit. Farsight just seems unusually short-sighted in this regard, sorry to say. I don't mean to sound like one of the Facebook drones, but I've bought every table for Xbox 360 up to now only to find this is really where's it at for Farsight, and to be quite honest... it isn't much more than just throwing in an API? Am I wrong?

Other than that, the game is running wonderfully on my Nexus 7. Only played around a bit with No Good Gofers so far, but I'm amazed how well it runs, and amazed to learn those aren't even HD textures. Appreciate your work up to this point Farsight, I can only hope more control options can be added soon to make this the ultimate TPA platform.

Click to expand...

Only app I know that allows keyboard input to simulated touch screen presses is 'Game Keyboard', but it will only do it on a rooted device (also - great when it's working - but man, is it a swine to set up - read above posts).

Yeah I read the rest of this thread, was holding out hope there was another option in the last few months. I'm very opposed to rooting, I might be up to it if it was just mine but I have to share with my fiancee

szycag said:

Yeah I read the rest of this thread, was holding out hope there was another option in the last few months. I'm very opposed to rooting, I might be up to it if it was just mine but I have to share with my fiancee

Click to expand...

It really is a horrible app to set up, I wouldn't recommend rooting for this!

If you have a ps3 controller 'sixaxis' app is worth rooting for!
This has touch screen mapping built into it.

Not that I would try to convince anyone, but you can root and keep your stock rom, it doesn't have to change the way anything looks or works - but it can have bad consequences!

USB/BT Joystick Center ($2.50) also lets you map touchscreen events for rooted users. And it now has really great user docs as well #SelfPromotion ;-)

It also has huuuge support for many controllers. Wii, PS3, iCade, Xbox 360, to name a few.

Unfortunately any app that is allowed to interact in this way with the touchscreen requires root elevation. Because if any app was able to do this, then all sorts of nasty behavior could be introduced into malicious apps.

This is why it is *very important* for TPA to support in-game key mapping. If anyone from Farsight reads this thread, please Don't choose to only support one type of controller.

Just give us the ability to map keys to in-game controls via a config menu and let these 3rd party controller mapping apps do the rest.