Multiple MICE (cursors) in windows?

[Jakobud]

Is it possible to have multiple mice on a windows box.  I'm NOT talking about two physical mice controlling one cursor.  I'm talking about two physical mice EACH controlling their own cursor on the desktop...anyone have any clues?  

Jakobud

[Darkstalker]

Not that I know off...

[u_rebelscum]

Not in windows desktop itself without some major driver and system changes.  Also depends on which windows you are taking about.  

However, it is possible to build an application that draws two pointers itself instead of letting windows draw it's pointer.  The app would then track it's pointers instead of the invisible windows pointer.  Here's one such app: http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/kiddesign/kidpad.shtml but it only works on winMe/9x with USB mice.  (I based Mame:Analog+ off of the methods used here.)  

I understand that there also is a way to do multiple pointers in winXP, but it's a different method that might not be fast enough for playing games (mame), although good enough for normal windows applications.  It has to do with RAWINPUT and RAWMOUSE (try searching microsoft for more data).  This method only works in winXP, though, and I am not as influent in it as the first method.

Microsoft still believes in the Personal part of PCs, and the one user, one monitor one keyboard, and one mouse assumptions always grouped with the "Personal Computer" theory.  (Actually, the first two are fading away, years after they left the workstation sceen.)  This makes it hard to do anything that does not fit the "personal" ideal.  I say "So what if it has personal in the name?  What's in a name?  A rose by the name of workstation would run just as fast."  (sorry Will, had to paraphrase you)

[Jakobud]

Yeah okay, I was not expecting anyone would know much about this.  If you haven't already figured it out, I am asking this with respect to the 2-player ActLabs lightgun issue.  Their gun only supports one player at a time because it's emulating mouse movement/clicks.  SO I'm thinking....get two mice support and you might be able to hack multiple lightgun support....

[u_rebelscum]

Yeah okay, I was not expecting anyone would know much about this.  If you haven't already figured it out, I am asking this with respect to the 2-player ActLabs lightgun issue.  Their gun only supports one player at a time because it's emulating mouse movement/clicks.  SO I'm thinking....get two mice support and you might be able to hack multiple lightgun support....

Tell that too MS.  

(I'm mad at microsoft, not you Jakobud. )

Actually, two lightguns in mame in XP is a possiblity, I think, but I don't have a lightgun and don't have XP, so I can't test it.  I might be getting a lightgun for the holidays, but I doubt I'll get XP until I buy a new computer.  If anyone else wants to work on this winXP RAWINPUT method, I could help you in the mame programming.  Not sure about what's needed AFA drivers or hacking the lightgun's video box, though.

Multiple lightguns, even in analog+, currently is not possible in winMe/9x AFAIK.  Like I said, I can't test it without that lightgun (hopefully already wrapped under the christmas tree).