Author Topic: External control via Ipod  (Read 13174 times)

robertchas

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External control via Ipod
« on: December 29, 2008, 12:56:53 PM »
Hi

One of the main issues I have using tournament director at my venue is having to get up and bust players out, I was playing around with a blind timer for my ipd touch when I thought what a great feature to have in tournament director.

Heres what I think

Using your ipod touch to bust out players
Have your ipod touch display a smaller layout i.e blinds and timer.

How difficult would this be and also if it is possible to intergrade within tournament director, what do others think of this idea.

Chas

Phaze

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2008, 07:43:39 PM »
I think it would be a real cool idea...

robertchas

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2008, 03:41:34 AM »
Cheers Phaze I think so to

@Corey, how easy or difficult would this be to implement, anyone with a knowledge of java and html care to have an input because this to me is the complete Tournament solution.

The ipod touch is now being used to control various equipment now, i.e the sonos music system, your media pc, itunes so it is very possible perhaps even with a small background app sitting between TD and the touch, this little change would not require much programing in TD I think.

Lets bang our heads together to try and make this work or perhaps I am getting to excited.

Chas

verbalvolley

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2008, 05:08:23 AM »

tandemrx

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2008, 08:43:50 AM »
How about just using a wireless mouse.  They have pretty good range and a small wireless mouse would sit on a poker table quite well.  I guess some poker table fabrics might not work well with an optical mouse, but suited speed cloth - a common poker cloth - would work very well with an optical mouse.

I just set my laptop up next to my table and I don't have to move anywhere.

robertchas

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2008, 11:03:53 AM »
How about just using a wireless mouse.  They have pretty good range and a small wireless mouse would sit on a poker table quite well.  I guess some poker table fabrics might not work well with an optical mouse, but suited speed cloth - a common poker cloth - would work very well with an optical mouse.

I just set my laptop up next to my table and I don't have to move anywhere.
How about just using a wireless mouse.  They have pretty good range and a small wireless mouse would sit on a poker table quite well.  I guess some poker table fabrics might not work well with an optical mouse, but suited speed cloth - a common poker cloth - would work very well with an optical mouse.

I just set my laptop up next to my table and I don't have to move anywhere.



Yes thats fine for some cases but in the venue where I am my laptop is configured to multiple screens, using a mouse would work but I cant gaurantee which table I am at and would be unfair to seat myself in the same seat each week also the screen is quite hard to read from even about 10 ft when in the control panel section.

For home games I do as you say and simply use my laptop next to me, I am looking at the broader picture where people use TD at venues i.e clubs and pubs

@verbalvolley

Looks like the app could work providing it allowed the extended display to remain connected whilst you have control of the control main screen with controls.

cheers
« Last Edit: December 30, 2008, 11:11:17 AM by robertchas »

tandemrx

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2008, 01:36:25 PM »
I understand, although not the part about seating yourself at the same table.

As long as other players are seated randomly, it doesn't matter where you put yourself - you should end up against other players in a random fashion so the program doesn't care where you start out and players shouldn't either, random is random and you are still randomly placed next to other players.

Just a thought.

Certainly tough to build in a remote application to something like an ipod.  Not all users are going to have ipods  :).

robertchas

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #7 on: December 30, 2008, 02:35:24 PM »
I agree to some extent in what you are saying, maybe a luxury add on my point being is probably more specifc to my own situation rather than others anyway I have now tried this using some ipod touch vnc software and it works but could be better if there was a mini layout as I previusly mentioned so if there is not enough interest in a third party addon or corey being able to implement this further down the line then i will make do with the vnc method as it is do-able.

Cheers

Chas

Phaze

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #8 on: December 31, 2008, 10:14:39 AM »
I wouldn't use it, cuz I'd never buy an Ipod... However, I believe that in professional settings such as in casinos, the tournament director could have a small hand held device that he can make the necessary changes while walking among the tables... I think it would really make the program look sophisticated and easy to use and this third party app is as relevant as the barcode reader already implemented in the program

robertchas

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2008, 11:16:20 AM »
Totally agree phaze for a commercial purpose this would make sense and I personally would purchase this as an addon or upgrade to TD, another option I was looking at was using one of the ultra small notebooks with a 9 cell battery and using this with a vnc link more portable than a large laptop but certainly not as slick, I do hope Corey has read these posts and can give us his view on what he thinks at what if there would be any complications in doing such a project.

Cheers

robertchas

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2009, 09:45:57 AM »
Just a quick update on this, I am now doing this with the ipod and a wifi connection using real vnc it works and works well because you can expand the ipod screen when busting out and the shrink when not, would still prefer a td custom version but at least I have it working at the mo.

cheers

chas

jzallen

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2009, 06:35:26 PM »
Just a quick update on this, I am now doing this with the ipod and a wifi connection using real vnc it works and works well because you can expand the ipod screen when busting out and the shrink when not, would still prefer a td custom version but at least I have it working at the mo.

cheers

chas

i MUST have more information about how this works exactly.  Being able to use my itouch to handle bustouts and table break from my table would be amazing.

please give me some info

robertchas

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #12 on: February 03, 2009, 12:39:11 PM »
Just a quick update on this, I am now doing this with the ipod and a wifi connection using real vnc it works and works well because you can expand the ipod screen when busting out and the shrink when not, would still prefer a td custom version but at least I have it working at the mo.

cheers

chas

i MUST have more information about how this works exactly.  Being able to use my itouch to handle bustouts and table break from my table would be amazing.

please give me some info

Hi

Its pretty straight forward all you have to do is the following.

1. Install VNC lite from the apple store from the itouch itself, configure vnc with a password and ip address of TD2 Pc.
2. Download real vnc for windows (google is your friend) it's a free app.
3. Run real vnc for windows in server mode (this will also tell you the ip address needed to use on the touch).
4. Open up the touch and run vnc, choose connect and you should be able to see the desktop.

I configure TD to use a plasma as a 2nd display so this way you only see the config screen on the laptop, doing this means you can scroll between the main display and the config screen on the touch.

any probs then let me know or msn me on chas.msn@getwiredonline.co.uk

Cheers

Chas

jzallen

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #13 on: February 03, 2009, 02:56:38 PM »
CHas,

Thank you for your help. I am determined to make this work.

A few things about my setup. The desktop that TD runs on is not connected to the net or any type of router. So, so I need to get something wireless to connect the computer to my Ipod. I will take the desktop home to
connect to the net and google the VNC for it.

Just a few suggestion of equipment to buy and I will be ready to get underway. This is a very exciting time!

Let me make sure I understand you.From my itouch i can bust out players, balance table, remove no shows, fix the prize pool, etc and never get up from my seat at the table?

This is glorious!

Zack

robertchas

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Re: External control via Ipod
« Reply #14 on: February 04, 2009, 11:58:56 AM »
Yes thats correct you have complete control over TD from th touch.

Without a router perhaps it may be a little trickier to setup, 1 option would be to buy a usb dongle for the desktop and set it up as a wireless access point this way the ipod will see the desktop as it would any other wi-fi network, I think this would be the simplest and most cost efective way.

any probs let me know