Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

OK folks, it is with much timidity that I am announcing the availability of my Star Trek 'TR580 Tricorder VII' simulator. It is -- of course -- for 'entertainment' purposes only. I wanted to learn Python/PyGame, and I wanted it to be for something 'fun' that no one had yet done on Maemo.

Does anyone want to take the risk of installing it and giving me some feedback for how well it works for you?

If nothing else, it might amuse you and your friends for perhaps 30 seconds :)

Note that it is fairly large (1.1mb). The python mainline is around 1500 lines (it took that much for me to do the 'mimimum' of what I wanted it to do).

http://darethehair.googlepages.com/t...er-0.6.all.deb

No, it is not the most professional/streamlined/efficient code that I have ever written, and neither is it probably bug-free...

As for my inspiration and indirect help, I wish to thank:

- Ian Ryge for his Star Trek LCARS theme (cool PADD simulator)
- Khertan for his PyPackager application (allowing me to create a Debian package)
- Aisu for his PyAno program (showing me the potential of PyGame)

If it breaks your device, I assume no responsibility! :)

Dare

P.S. The package also contains a rather lengthy 'README' file explaining why/how it was written, and how to use it in its current version (0.5).

UPDATE: Screenshot on request :)

http://darethehair.googlepages.com/t...screenshot.png

UPDATE: New version, small changes, see my post(s) below.

UPDATE: Quick and dirty web page created:

http://darethehair.googlepages.com/software.html

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

bloody fantastic! :)

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

If you want people to try it, the first thing you need is some screenshots.

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

Very cool!

Gotta find and read the readme, but if I gotta have a complaint, the scanning sound is awfully loud, I'll guess there is a way to tame it, turn it off or something :-). Probably in the readme :-).

Thanks VERY much, perfect addition to the ST theme I have :).

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

adjust the volume? :)

by the way: don't open the camera whilst it's running; first time ever I managed to hang up my n800.

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

Thanks for the suggestions so far!

New version, with a bug fix, doc fix, and feature addition (volume adjustment on the scanner sound):

http://members.shaw.ca/dmenns2/tricorder-0.6.all.deb

cdmackay: I have no idea why this PyGame application would be 'sensitive' to the opening of the camera...that is strange :(

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

nah, I bet it's just some OS bug, exercising graphics, sound and the camera at once.

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

Pics please

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

a pic has been added to post #1...

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

GREAT!! I expect full functionality, including teleportation capabilities!!

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

cool!

It looks just like this http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Imag...order_2366.jpg
:)

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

gemniii42: Teleportation? Maybe in a future version :)

Tabster: The similarity is no accident -- see the README file :)
My complaint is that the 'real' tricorder viewing screen is so tiny -- even if there is room for a larger one :(

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

Then all the other sounds are messed up :-(.

But the solution was simple enough, take the .deb apart here on this linux box, load scan.wav into audacity, amplify to about -18db (guess, it took several passes to get it right) and transfer via BT to the N800 and copy to the appropriate place. Woiks GOOD :)!

I'd forgotten there was a camera in there :). Easier to take a pix with the cell phone and BT it over. Even as bad as the cell phone cam is, I can recognize stuff shot with that :) :-(.

Found a pix of me over here and hacked it to size and renamed it to user.jpg and sent that to the n800 via BT and copied that to the right place.

Just tooooooooo COOOOOOOL!!!

Thanks again Dare!

Heh, I have one of those tricorder thingies and have been SLOWLY moving toward hacking it to be "real" (heh). Cut out all the light bumps and instal LEDs, hack a screen in and buttons, add a microcontroller to the mix and it could be interesting.

Dare saves me a lot of work :). Much appreciated :-).

Having fun now :)!

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

I had a quick look around but see no readme file. I am guessing the File manager is not able to see it wherever it is?

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

Guessing here, but the file manager as user user will not allow you to see anything in the rootfs other than the SD cards.

I unpacked the .deb on this box to get at the readme and the files I wanted to hack and then copied them over via BT and moved them from the root account which I ssh'd into.

Yes, it *IS* rather *frustrating*, probably more of nokia's lawyers work. On any other linux box I have you can look anyplace for the most part. Ignore loud grumbling sounds - this is just what happens when the money boys get involved with open source.

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

Yup, but you can use a different file mugger, e.g emelFM2:

http://maemo.org/downloads/product/OS2008/emelfm2/

which can see it fine (under /usr/lib/tricorder)

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

thanks - works great

Wow - Dare! Thanks for the readme files also. lots of good info there

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

Sorry for the bit of 'pain' getting to the docs and data files. This whole concept of 'packaging' an application for the N8xx is brand new to me. I myself feel totally comfortable with a CLI (command line interface), but for someone that just wants to use a GUI it must be a bit frustrating.

From other examples I have seen, applications typically create a directory in '/usr/lib/xxx', and then put the application and other pieces under that. I did the same thing for '/usr/lib/tricorder'. In that directory is the actual program (tricorder.py), but also a subdirectory named 'data' (where the sound/gfx live), and one named 'doc' (where the various docs live).

Probably the only way to make this somehow easier is to have a 'help' menu option or something, but I don't see that as typical in 'pygame' applications that I have looked at.

Anyways, it doesn't sound as though anyone's Nokia has blown up yet using my app, which is good news to me :)

EDIT: Quick web page created to make this a bit easier, including README:
http://members.shaw.ca/dmenns2/software.html

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

That's pretty awesome :D

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

btw: in Debian-based systems, such as Maemo, docs normally go under /usr/share/doc/$pkg

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

For any of you out there that enjoy 'tricorders':

http://masterreplicas.com//store/sta...tar_trek/9120/

Anyone interested in chipping in money to buy one of these for me?

:)

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

That is a lot for that thing, IIRC there is one out there that actually does some stuff and it was considerably less expensive than that :).

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

wv9k, are you volunteering to buy one for me? Thanks! Much appreciated!

Dare

P.S. My birthday is on April 19th. Do you think I will get it in time?

:)

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

Heh, I wish :-). Was lucky enough to afford my n800 :-).

The one I was talking about apparently has been discontinued with the company out of business. Might as well go for one of the Playmates dummies.

Had one of those for years now with the idea of hacking it into something useful, but I never seem to get around to it :-(.

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

Cute toy. But it really makes it obvious that Star Trek got it wrong. Your faithful reproduction of the interface makes it clear that, as interfaces go, the tricorder's interface really stinks. Lots of big, unnecessary buttons, a tiny, tiny screen, and a generally poor layout really makes it clear that the tricorder is only useful as a prop in a TV show; it would flop as a real-world device. Strangely, they got it "right" with the on-board computer interfaces (touch-screen LCARS), but the tricorder is all physical buttons and almost no screen!

Star Trek should have had pocketable all-in-one devices, like what's happening in the real world. We were watching Bourne Ultimatum last night, and one of the toys caught my eye -- guns with wireless streaming cameras and pivotable LCD screens built-in. Something like this on Star Trek would probably sound like:

"Away team, set your phasers to record."

Also, there's a little mouse pointer floating around on the screen in your simulation.

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

qole: I agree with you 100%, and said much the same thing in the README file that I included with the simulator. I definitely experienced the conflict between being 'faithful' and 'useful' :)

I had never noticed the mouse cursor before -- if I ever create an updated version, I will try to deal with that -- all in the name of 'accuracy' :)

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

The links seem to be dead. Are there any new links?

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

sickocity:

Sorry for the old links -- I have updated them now in the initial post. Enjoy! Let me know what you think of it :)

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

Hey! That looks neat! :)

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

ThatN800Guy:

Glad you are interested. Let me know if you try it. Just realize that it is not a 'productivity' application. Also using it will probably make you appear nerdy and/or geeky :)

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

And that's a bad thing?

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

I guess it depends...if one already has a girlfriend or is seeking to attract one :)

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

How far away from the baseship does it work? Does the WiMax N810 have better range?

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

stangri:

Well, according to the official specs, the TR580 Tricorder VII 'communication range is limited to 40,000 km intership, similar to the standard communicator badge'. However, since my device is built with 21st technology substitutes, the range will be somewhat less than that. I doubt that the WiMax N810 would make any difference either -- but if you have one, why not give it a try? However, unless some time anomaly occurs, we are not expecting any Federation starships in our vicinity for quite a few more years...

:)

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

Given the number of times that current-day was visited in all the series & movies, there's bound to be one around at any time you care to try :).

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

My only gripes are the black outlines around the buttons. They don't exist on the "real" device. And that you used a "Trek" font from the show title but the font on the device seems to be a somewhat generic sans serif font.

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

killdeer:

Well, thanks for your comments about my tricorder simulation :)

1) I know longer recall why I added a black outline around the buttons -- but what I *do* remember was the difficulty of finding *consistent* images of the tricorders to base it on -- including the various shades-of-grey that were used for the surface color.

2) Hmmm, I do *not* recall using any special 'Star Trek' font for my simulator at all, so I am not sure why you think I did. I used 'Inkscape' and its ability to stretch fonts till I got a very close match to the diagram in the 'Star Trek: Next Generation Technical Manual'.

Other than those minor details, I nevertheless hope that you (and others) enjoy the simulation, which I used as an excuse for learning PyGame (python), and to make the most 'realistic' simulator (open source or otherwise) that I could -- given my limited skill set at the time :)

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

Awesomep post, thanks!

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

Let us know what you actually think of the simulator, if you get a chance to try it! Like I said, it was the very first one that I wrote, and there really isn't a lot of need or interest to develop it further, but there isn't very much competition out there to compare to :)

Re: Star Trek Tricorder Simulator: ANNOUNCE
 

what a great product; the only problem was I used it when wearing a red shirt, black trousers and black boots and within seconds someone started shooting at me!
:D