ManyMouse

ManyMouse is a library that abstracts the handling of multiple mice input into a tiny, cross-platform API. It is meant to be used with games and non-traditional applications with unique input needs. On most platforms, it can at least make all USB mice available, but in many cases can make serial mice and built-in laptop trackpads available too.

Places ManyMouse is known to be used:

• World of Goo uses ManyMouse!
• ZSNES uses ManyMouse for games that support multiple inputs. Announcement is here.
• This fascinating research on video puppetry uses ManyMouse.
• Nautamouse used ManyMouse for its proof-of-concept demo.
• Hammerfight uses ManyMouse to let up to four players duke it out on one machine.
• Let me know if you find this useful in your project!

What works:

• Modern Unix systems through X11's XInput2 extension.
• Linux 2.4/2.6/etc through the "evdev" kernel interface.
• MacOS X 10.0 through 10.4 through HID Utilities.
• MacOS X 10.5 and later through Leopard's improved HID Manager API.
• Windows XP and later through the WM_INPUT/RawInput API.
• Compiles/runs on Linux (x86/x86-64 tested, gcc2+).
• Compiles/runs on MacOS X (PowerPC/Intel/x86-64 tested, gcc3+).
• Compiles/runs on Windows (x86 tested, msvc7+).
• May compile and run elsewhere with little to no modification. Success stories and patches are welcome.

• API is still evolving.
• Contributions of other ports are, of course, welcome.

License:

• ManyMouse is licensed under the zlib license. This means you can statically link it into a closed-source application and otherwise manipulate it however you like, without a warranty. I appreciate credit when you use it, but don't require it. I find this code useful, and hope you will, too.

Documentation:

• Just about everything you need to know is here.

Downloads:

• Source code is available at the GitHub page.

Page maintained by Ryan C. Gordon.