Wiimote connection tips

Flash, Wii,
6/26/07

It’s a testament to the brilliance of Joa Ebert and Thibault Imbert (creators of WiiFlash) that it’s even possible to connect the Wiimote to Flash at all, and I hope they continue their excellent work. Nevertheless, there are some pitfalls to be aware of—and here they are as I understand them:

Bluetooth hardware. Not all Bluetooth hardware will work with the Wiimote, so check the list of working Bluetooth devices before you buy.

Bluetooth software. The “stack,” or software that manages your Bluetooth connections, is another point of weakness. Consensus seems to be that the BlueSoleil stack seems to be most reliable (but not all hardware works with BlueSoleil—check the compatibility list above for details).

Server version. The latest beta of the WiiFlash server, 0.3, requires .NET to run. I’ve installed .NET but have never been able to get the 0.3 server to detect my Wiimotes, so I use version 0.2.

Playback. WiiFlash does not work when a Flash file is embedded in a Web page, only when it’s run in the standalone Flash player or viewed directly in the browser window.

Security. You may need to explicity tell Flash to trust the file you’re trying to run, which you can do using the global security settings panel. Click Edit locations -> Add location and then select the file or folder you want Flash to trust.

Not the end of the world, but not exactly a walk in the park either. I challenge anybody interested seeing more artistic work using the Wiimote to think about ways we can make this process easier for people. The Wiimote is a significant cultural artifact, and experimental Wiimote works should be accessible to as many people as possible.

Sample startup sequence. In case it’s helpful, here’s what I do to get things running on my Windows XP system:

1. Launch BlueSoleil.
2. Press the 1 and 2 buttons on the Wiimote simultaneously (this makes the Wiimote discoverable).
3. Choose "My Bluetooth -> Bluetooth Device Discovery" in BlueSoleil (you only need to do this the first time).
4. When the Wiimote shows up, right-click it and select "Refresh Services".
5. The mouse icon should highlight. Click it, and you should see a line connecting the Wiimote to the orange ball indicating an active connection.
6. Launch WiiFlash Server.
7. Launch the piece you want to view, either by double-clicking it or dragging it into a browser window.

Good luck! I’ll keep this post updated as new information becomes available.