nomaded wrote:I'm wondering if anyone has had any luck in getting the Multitouch Utils to work with Windows 7, let alone the x64 version.
Here's the post I made about...
MultiTouch Utilities on Vista using Virtualization
Like many people in the last few years, I bought a new computer with Vista. My Fingerworks Touchstream LP keyboard works great on the new computer. Even XWinder works great. However, the actual MultiTouch Utilities (MyGesture Editor, Device Firmware Upgrade, Feature Selector, and System Diagnostics) do not recognize my attached Touchstream keyboard. I launch the utility and it says "No Fingerworks Devices Found". I am surprised that XWinder works fine but the MultiTouch Utilities do not work. I was not surprised that the MultiTouch Utilities do not work after reading the "
XWinder on Vista" topic in this forum.
Virtualization saved the day. Sun
VirtualBox is free software for creating a virtual computer within a running Windows installation. The virtual computer runs an operating system (OS) that supports the Fingerworks MultiTouch Utilities.
My Windows 95, 98, and 2000 OS's were all OEM versions that only work on the original computers. I bought a full version of Windows 2000 specifically for using the Fingerworks MultiTouch Utilities. Windows 2000 is relatively cheap nowadays on ebay and at other vendors. This copy of Windows 2000 was the only expense I incurred getting MultiTouch Utilities working again. If you're lucky enough to already have a full version of a supported OS, all the better for you!
Steps:
1. Install VirtualBox.
2. Create a virtual machine (VM). I went with all the defaults after entering a name for the VM and selecting the OS that it will contain.
3. Setup the VM to capture the USB TouchStream keyboard. Select the VM, click Settings, USB, Enable USB Controller, Add Filter From Device, "Fingerworks TouchStream ST/LP". I was unable to get the VM to recognize the Fingerworks USB device dynamically while the VM was running; but it worked if I declared the USB device before starting the VM.
4. Unplug the TouchStream keyboard and use a standard keyboard.
5. Start the VM and install the OS. You may want to install OS service packs.
6. Install Guest Additions using the VM's Device menu. Guest Additions is an option with VirtualBox that installs some software in the VM that adds some handy features. Guest Additions allows me to share folders betweeen the Vista host machine and the Wiwndow 2000 guest VM.
7. Setup a Shared Folder using VM's Device menu. Add a folder or folders that include access to the MultiTouch Utility Setup program, and your personal Fingerworks config.xml file.
8. Install MultiTouch Utilities.
9. Disable the Mouse Integration using the VM's Machine menu. Mouse Integration is another feature of Guest Additions, allowing the mouse and keyboard to work seamlessly between the host machine and the VM. However, the feature interferred with the VM seeing the real Fingerworks TouchStream keyboard. So you'll need to use the "host key", by default the right Ctrl button, switch between the VM and the host machine.
10. Click within the VM window so it gets mouse and keyboard input.
11. Plug in the TouchStream keyboard. The VM will detect the new device and Windows will install the device drivers.
12. Start the MultiTouch Utilities. They will find your TouchStream keyboard. Open your personal Fingerworks config.xml file in the Gesture Editor.
13. Close the VM. If you choose to save the machine state, the VM will restart very fast.
[My path to getting it all working was much more roundabout than the steps listed above. I can only hope that I'm not missing any steps. I did not want to recreate the VM because Windows 2000 takes quite a while to install. I'm hoping the next person will come back to this forum thread and correct my mistakes.]
I disabled network access in the VM. Without the network, there's no need to worry about viruses. So I don't need to install anti-virus, resulting in easier installation and a quicker startup of the VM.
VMWare is the other big name in virtualization. The main VMWare app is commercial and costs big bucks. However, all you need is a free VM from EasyVMX, and the free VMWare Player. I do not have a personal experience with VMWare but I'm sure it is very similar to VirtualBox.
One unusual point that I forgot to mention is that the Shared Folders that you add in step #7 are found in "My Network Places" on the VM, or type "\\VBOXSVR" in the Windows Explorer address box.
When you want to use the MultiTouch Utilities, you'll need a standard keyboard. Start the VM. Right click the Mouse Integration icon in the bottom right status bar of the VM and disable Mouse Integration. There's usually a some seconds before the USB TouchStream switches from the host machine to the VM. At that point, the TouchStream only works in the VM. You need the standard keyboard to work with the host machine and close the VM. After starting "Transfer to Device" in the MyGesture Editor, the TouchStream detaches but usually does not automatically reattach - it just waits. Right click the USB Devices icon in the bottom right status bar of the VM and select the TouchStream; that reattaches and usually gets the transfer started. Sometimes that does not work but unplugging and replugging works; other times rebooting the VM works. Close the VM for the TouchStream to switch from the VM back to the host machine.