The answer is so boring -- I don't! Here are the first few devices that show up in DirectInput:
- Mouse
- Keyboard
- USB Receiver
- USB Receiver
- USB Receiver
- SB Omni Surround 5.1
- Dragon_BT_Adaptor_SG106
- USB Receiver
- Dragon_BT_Adaptor_SG106
- USB Receiver
- USB Receiver
I think some of the USB Receivers are these little dongle things that handle wireless keyboards and mice. I do have a Dragon Bluetooth Adapter, but it's not plugged in (and hasn't been for a few months)(actually, I just rebuilt this system and it has never been inserted during the past month, with the rebuilt being in the last two weeks). The point is without anything special plugged in, there are 11 DirectInput devices on my PC, so if LabVIEW can only enumerate 8 or 9, it won't see a Joystick, a Game Controller, or a Wheel that gets added on at the end of the list.
I have had success getting a Joystick to work with LabVIEW, but that was several years, and Windows XP, ago. I did note (about 3-5 years ago, as I recall) having a situation where Computer A "saw" the Joystick, but Computer B didn't. That's when I learned that NI used DirectInput, and I compared the NI enumeration with DirectX's, and found that NI "stopped short", missing the Joystick if there were too many (>8) DirectInput Devices.
I'd proposed earlier that the Joystick function that enumerates devices include all of them -- it was Declined because noone Kudoed it. I've since seen more requests in the Forums, recalled my earlier attempt, and put in another Idea Exchange note, asking the Forum Posters who had the same experience to Kudo this second attempt.
The point is, if I put a Joystick or Game Controller on this PC, LabVIEW won't see it, but a Microsoft game won't have any trouble (I've actually tried this with a Controller on this PC, but I've seen this behavior with Game Controller on other PCs of mine).
Bob Schor
