I would like to control a Windows 7 car game and at the same time send the game controller inputs to my Uno which is successfully controlling a motion platform (I great part thanks to this forum!!!!). I need an easy, light on a programming solution.
A hardware solution like "y" connector the controller and send split it to the PC and Arduino? Put in dual pole pots in the controller? Or a software solution like use Processing 3.0 and send serially info to the UNO via some library?
There is an Ap for Processing 3.0 that runs in the background of Windows (so you can still run a game) and can send info from a windows game controller to the Arduino via USB cable. Called Game Control Plus.
I just hate to have to dive so deep into learning processing since my abilities are limited. Think hacking a controller and replacing the pots sounds better....
If you're going to open up a controller, I don't see how replacing pots will do anything for you. Pots are pots. The ones in the controller are probably better made than what you'd throw in there. The output on the controller cable end will be identical in nature unless you're scrapping everything else in the controller.
You should be able to just splice off the signal after the pots but before that signal goes into the controller's processing circuitry. Just a theory.
There are whats called dual pole pots (if I remember right) that allow two separate circuits go thru each one. One circuit goes to the arduino and is processed, the other is just spliced back into the USB control board on the joystick and used by Windows. You are right you cannot use the same a single pot for both.
Dual pots are for stereo audio, thee problem is that most of them are logarithmic taper, your control is almost certainly a linear taper. You will also probably not have room to mount a dual pot I place of a single one.
I can't see how that link will help you get processing to look like a game controller for your game to connect to.
There are whats called dual pole pots (if I remember right) that allow two separate circuits go thru each one. One circuit goes to the arduino and is processed, the other is just spliced back into the USB control board on the joystick and used by Windows. You are right you cannot use the same a single pot for both.