dinput-ffb-example

DirectInput Force Feedback example code

Prerequisites

• Windows Operating System: Windows 10/11.
• Development Environment:
  • C++ Development Environment: Visual Studio version 2017 or later is recommended. Make sure the "Desktop development with C++" workload, as well as "C++ CMake Tools", is installed.
  • Windows SDK: A recent version of the Windows SDK is required, which usually comes bundled with Visual Studio's C++ workload. DirectInput headers (dinput.h) and libraries (dinput8.lib, dxguid.lib) are part of the SDK.
• Hardware: A DirectInput-compatible Force Feedback device (joystick, steering wheel, etc.) connected to your PC with appropriate drivers installed.

Building the Code

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <your-repository-url>
   cd dinput-ffb-example

   Alternatively you can use the "Clone a Repository" option from the launch screen of Visual Studio.
2. Open the solution in Visual Studio:
   • If you cloned via command line rather than through Visual Studio, use the "Open Folder" option to open the project folder; it should be auto-detected as a CMake project.
3. Select Build Configuration:
   • Choose a configuration (e.g., Debug or Release) and platform (e.g., x64 or x86) from the dropdown menus in the Visual Studio toolbar.
4. Build the Solution:
   • Go to the Build menu and select Build Solution (or press F7).
   • Check the Output window in Visual Studio for any compilation errors.

Running the Example

1. Ensure Device is Connected: Make sure your force feedback device is plugged in and recognized by Windows.
2. Run from Visual Studio:
   • You can run the application directly from Visual Studio by pressing F5 (Start Debugging) or Ctrl+F5 (Start Without Debugging).
3. Run Executable Directly:
   • Alternatively, navigate to the build output directory (e.g., build\bin relative to your solution file, look inside the folders named after hte chosen variant and architecture).
   • Find the compiled executable (e.g., ffb_example.exe) and double-click it to run.