Digital Workshop

I know it's easy to move an object to the cursor's position.

Is it possible to move the mouse cursor to an object?

and/or trap the mouse cursor at a positon?

I'm just thinking around trying to create more mouse training type activities for my students.

Richard Walter

Richard,

Sorry this is not possible.

Regards

Brenden Knifton

While you can't move your "real" mouse pointer, I use a simulated "pointer" to direct people's attention to specific places on the Page. I did a screen print, then cropped the mouse pointer. I used PSP to remove everything around the pointer, and set a transparent color as the background. I then created an Image Object and used the Transparent feature to eliminate everything except the pointer.

I can then use either a Page Scroll Transition, or an Animation Path to move my simulated mouse pointer wherever I want it. Not sure this would accomplish what you are trying to do, but it might give you some ideas. It is possible to turn OFF the display of the real mouse pointer.

Yes
Brenden is right this is not strictly possible, but Fred's idea got me thinking...
What I want is to create a pre-mouse moving activity.
I have a particular student in mind who can click a mouse button but who has difficulty moving the mouse cursor with any accuracy.
I was thinking of removing the difficulty of having to position the mouse cursor.
Since I have hopes that he will develop his skills in controlling the mouse I want to keep the connection between the mouse cursor moving to a clickable object.
The mouse "cursor" moves itself and the pupil then has to click the mouse button when the "cursor" is over the target.

So:
I hide the real mouse cursor
I create a cursor type object and place it in the middle of the screen.
Set it to automatically move to a button which is the target -object to be clicked on.
Collision enter between cursor and button shows a full page button (which is initially hidden).
Full page button has a mouse trigger to go the next page (animated music reward) and because it fills the whole page it doesn't require any positional mouse accuracy.
Repeat with the next page where the button on the other side of the page.

It does work, although it needs a great deal of tidying up, my complete lack of scripting ability means it's all very messy.

I'll post it after I've had some sleep and you'll hopefully get a better idea of what I mean.



Richard Walter
Meldreth Manor School
Opus pro/ Opus headstart

Take a look at the attched example.

It uses a path to move an image of a cursor to the right location on screen.

There is a frame over the page that hides the real cursor but has all the click action on it.

Regards

Brenden Knifton

Thanks Brenden.
I played around with your idea, altered a couple of things, added a sound and graphic to alert the user that they can now click and it does work, I also added a keyboard trigger to the full page frame so it can also be worked by pupil's switches.

It is an interesting technique.
It allows a more obvious connection between mouse cursor and switches.
It allows mouse buttons and clicking to be used by pupils who cannot control movement of the mouse.

I'll put an example onto the school website sometime soon
www.meldrethmanr.org.uk

Richard Walter