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Vorpal The Hexapod Gamepad User Guide, V2

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Revision as of 02:59, 30 July 2017 by Vorpalwiki (talk | contribs) (Fight Modes)

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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 Movement 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 fourth row, "R" will be explained under the section Record/Play.

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. The following sections will give more details.

Walk Modes

DPAD-for-Walk-Modes.png

The four walk modes are accessed by selecting a mode from the "W" row. You'll be using these a lot, that's why they're on the top row. These are also easy to understand, because the D-PAD is used exactly the same way for all four, and are very intuitive. As you can see in the diagram to the right, the walk mode D-PAD "forward" button walks forward, "backward" walks backward, etc. What could be easier than that? The special D-Pad button does a "stomp" in place and also beeps the buzzer as if you're honking a horn.

The four walk modes are:

  • W1: Low step. You can think of this as "normal" walking. It's a good general purpose walk. Because the legs are not lifted up very high, it's good for level ground without obstacles. Also, because the legs don't need much time to move up and down, it's pretty fast.
  • W2: High step. This walk lifts the knees up high, and is useful for getting over obstacles. However, because it takes longer to move the knees farther, it is slower than low step mode.
  • W3: Small step. This walk moves the hips very little, allowing you to move in tiny steps. This can be very useful if you want to slightly change your position, for example to adjust the hexapod for Capture the Flag or other competitions.
  • W4: Scamper. In this walk, the legs move as quickly as possible. They move so quickly that you will have trouble moving in a controlled fashion. This is also a much less stable walk mode because one leg motion doesn't even finish before the next one starts! But if you need to get somewhere quickly and you're not too concerned about stability or accuracy, scamper mode is the right choice!

Dance Modes

  • D1: Freestyle. This dance mode allows several twisting motions: standing twist, sitting on the ground, some legs in the air, etc. The diagram to the right shows the names of each Freestyle dance mode.
  • D2: Ballet. In ballet mode, the hexapod goes up on its tip-toes like a ballerina "on pointe". The D-PAD buttons have their usual walking mode meanings, forward, backward, left, right, and in-place. You won't move quickly in this mode, it's about grace and style, not speed!
  • D3: Wave. The wave dance mode executes several different "waving" motions where the entire hexapod body sways back and forth, or in some cases ripples each leg in turn.
  • D4: Hands. The hands dance modes leave four legs on the ground and use the other two legs as if they are arms coming off the sides. These "arms" can be made to sway back and forth or forward and backward by using the DPAD.

DPAD-Dance-Modes-v2.png

Fight Modes

Each fight mode has a unique D-PAD configuration, but with a little practice you'll know them all. The diagram below shows how the D-PAD is used in each of the four fight modes.

  • F1: Front Legs Fight. This mode puts the back four legs in a stable position and lifts the front two legs off the ground. D-PAD functions allow these front legs to execute sweeping and jabbing punch-like motions. The Auto Ninja mode executes a series of preprogrammed moves designed to dazzle the opponent. The special D-PAD button triggers "auto Ninja" mode in which a complex sequence of pre-programmed, rapid motions take place.
  • F2: Front Leg Unison Fight. This mode is like Front Leg Fight Mode but both legs move together, allowing more power behind the punches. Like the F1 fight mode, the special D-PAD button executes an auto-Ninja function.
  • F3: Swivel and Thrust. This mode uses the D-PAD functions to swivel the hips clockwise and counter-clockwise, or thrust the hexapod's body forward and backward using the hips. It can be very useful for Capture the Flag and Joust type competitions. The special D-PAD button returns the hexapod to a standing position.
  • F4: Lean. In this mode, the entire body leans forward, backward, left or right. The special D-PAD button returns the hexapod to a standing position.

DPAD-Fight-Modes-v2.png

Record/Play