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Difference between revisions of "Vorpal The Hexapod Gamepad User Guide, V2"

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(Overview of Modes)
(Overview of Modes)
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* W: Walk.  These are modes designed to get you from one place to another in different ways.
 
* W: Walk.  These are modes designed to get you from one place to another in different ways.
 
* D: Dance. These modes make the hexapod perform for you! They can be used just for fun, or for dance competitions. However, if you are clever you will find they can also be useful in other kinds of competition besides dance. For example, "ballet" dancing mode can sometimes be very useful during "Joust" games, since they allow you to stand up on tip-toes.
 
* D: Dance. These modes make the hexapod perform for you! They can be used just for fun, or for dance competitions. However, if you are clever you will find they can also be useful in other kinds of competition besides dance. For example, "ballet" dancing mode can sometimes be very useful during "Joust" games, since they allow you to stand up on tip-toes.
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* F: Fight. These modes can be used effectively in many kinds of competitions. Some of them allow the front two legs to move in various ways, and some allow the entire hexapod to lean, tilt, and rotate in different ways.
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The diagram to the right is a grid that corresponds to the mode button layout, with words describing each mode.

Revision as of 01:16, 30 July 2017

Vorpal Hexapod Quick Links:

Introduction

The Vorpal Combat Hexapod Gamepad has many features to let you control your hexapod, including:

  • Select one of twelve different pre-programmed movement modes, which then modify the functions on the yellow DPAD buttons.
  • Record and later play back a sequence of hexapod motions.
  • Tether the gamepad to a computer using a USB cord, then use the MIT Scratch system to control the hexapod using a program you write.
  • Upload Scratch-programmed functions onto the gamepad, then use them as new movement modes of your own design.

Although it seems like a lot to take in, everything is organized in major groups of functions and we have found that even small children can be successfully controlling the hexapod in just a few minutes, with very little explanation. After practicing for just a short time, you will be flipping through different modes and controlling the hexapod like a pro!

This article will explain all of these functions one by one and step by step, but for most functions it's also perfectly reasonable to just pick up the controller and experiment to learn what each button does!

Gamepad Button Layout and Terminology

Gamepad-Top-View-v2.png

As you can see in the diagram, there are two groups of buttons on the gamepad:

  • On the left are four rows of four buttons, and we'll call this group of buttons "the mode buttons".
    • These buttons are used to select a movement mode or activate the record/play feature.
    • The rows are labelled "W", "D", "F", and "R", and the columns are number 1, 2, 3, 4.
    • In this guide, we'll refer to a button such as W1, meaning the button located in row W column 1, or D4, meaning row D column 4, etc.
    • Below the mode buttons are symbols used to remind you of record/play functions. These will be described in more detail later in the section Record/Play.
  • On the right are five yellow buttons. This is called the D-PAD (directional button pad).
    • There are four buttons arrange in a diamond shape, and they correspond to directions (top of diamond is forward, bottom backward, left and right as you would expect). When we say "forward" we mean the top button, "backward" the bottom button, etc.
    • The yellow button all the way at the top by itself activates special functions and will be called "special".

For example, in this guide might be a description such as "First press mode button W3, then forward." That means you first press button W3 for a moment, then after that press the yellow button at the top of the diamond, which is "forward".

Everything works consistently, in general all you do is:

  • Select a movement mode by using the mode buttons on the left
  • Then use the D-PAD buttons to move in different ways.

As a simple example, to access a normal walking mode, just press W1. After that, the D-PAD buttons will move the hexapod left, right, forward, or backward. The special button will cause the hexapod to "stomp" in place without moving. It's that simple.

Each row of mode buttons groups together similar functions. These will be explained in the next section.

Overview of Modes

Gamepad-Function-Diagram.png

The top three rows of mode buttons are marked "W", "D", and "F". These will be explained in this section. They are the main modes used for different competitions, or just to drive the hexapod around and make it do tricks.

The letters marking each row stand for:

  • W: Walk. These are modes designed to get you from one place to another in different ways.
  • D: Dance. These modes make the hexapod perform for you! They can be used just for fun, or for dance competitions. However, if you are clever you will find they can also be useful in other kinds of competition besides dance. For example, "ballet" dancing mode can sometimes be very useful during "Joust" games, since they allow you to stand up on tip-toes.
  • F: Fight. These modes can be used effectively in many kinds of competitions. Some of them allow the front two legs to move in various ways, and some allow the entire hexapod to lean, tilt, and rotate in different ways.

The diagram to the right is a grid that corresponds to the mode button layout, with words describing each mode.