Using a Joystick as a Mouse

This script converts a joystick into a three-button mouse. It allows each button to drag just like a mouse button and it uses virtually no CPU time. Also, it will move the cursor faster depending on how far you push the joystick from center. You can personalize various settings at the top of the script.

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; Increase the following value to make the mouse cursor move faster:
JoyMultiplier = 0.30

; Decrease the following value to require less joystick displacement-from-center
; to start moving the mouse.  However, you may need to calibrate your joystick
; -- ensuring it's properly centered -- to avoid cursor drift. A perfectly tight
; and centered joystick could use a value of 1:
JoyThreshold = 3

; Change the following to true to invert the Y-axis, which causes the mouse to
; move vertically in the direction opposite the stick:
InvertYAxis := false

; Change these values to use joystick button numbers other than 1, 2, and 3 for
; the left, right, and middle mouse buttons.  Available numbers are 1 through 32.
; Use the Joystick Test Script to find out your joystick's numbers more easily.
ButtonLeft = 1
ButtonRight = 2
ButtonMiddle = 3

; If your joystick has a POV control, you can use it as a mouse wheel.  The
; following value is the number of milliseconds between turns of the wheel.
; Decrease it to have the wheel turn faster:
WheelDelay = 250

; If your system has more than one joystick, increase this value to use a joystick
; other than the first:
JoystickNumber = 1

; END OF CONFIG SECTION -- Don't change anything below this point unless you want
; to alter the basic nature of the script.

#SingleInstance

JoystickPrefix = %JoystickNumber%Joy
Hotkey, %JoystickPrefix%%ButtonLeft%, ButtonLeft
Hotkey, %JoystickPrefix%%ButtonRight%, ButtonRight
Hotkey, %JoystickPrefix%%ButtonMiddle%, ButtonMiddle

; Calculate the axis displacements that are needed to start moving the cursor:
JoyThresholdUpper := 50 + JoyThreshold
JoyThresholdLower := 50 - JoyThreshold
if InvertYAxis
    YAxisMultiplier = -1
else
    YAxisMultiplier = 1

SetTimer, WatchJoystick, 10  ; Monitor the movement of the joystick.

GetKeyState, JoyInfo, %JoystickNumber%JoyInfo
IfInString, JoyInfo, P  ; Joystick has POV control, so use it as a mouse wheel.
    SetTimer, MouseWheel, %WheelDelay%

return  ; End of auto-execute section.


; The subroutines below do not use KeyWait because that would sometimes trap the
; WatchJoystick quasi-thread beneath the wait-for-button-up thread, which would
; effectively prevent mouse-dragging with the joystick.

ButtonLeft:
SetMouseDelay, -1  ; Makes movement smoother.
MouseClick, left,,, 1, 0, D  ; Hold down the left mouse button.
SetTimer, WaitForLeftButtonUp, 10
return

ButtonRight:
SetMouseDelay, -1  ; Makes movement smoother.
MouseClick, right,,, 1, 0, D  ; Hold down the right mouse button.
SetTimer, WaitForRightButtonUp, 10
return

ButtonMiddle:
SetMouseDelay, -1  ; Makes movement smoother.
MouseClick, middle,,, 1, 0, D  ; Hold down the right mouse button.
SetTimer, WaitForMiddleButtonUp, 10
return

WaitForLeftButtonUp:
if GetKeyState(JoystickPrefix . ButtonLeft)
    return  ; The button is still, down, so keep waiting.
; Otherwise, the button has been released.
SetTimer, WaitForLeftButtonUp, off
SetMouseDelay, -1  ; Makes movement smoother.
MouseClick, left,,, 1, 0, U  ; Release the mouse button.
return

WaitForRightButtonUp:
if GetKeyState(JoystickPrefix . ButtonRight)
    return  ; The button is still, down, so keep waiting.
; Otherwise, the button has been released.
SetTimer, WaitForRightButtonUp, off
MouseClick, right,,, 1, 0, U  ; Release the mouse button.
return

WaitForMiddleButtonUp:
if GetKeyState(JoystickPrefix . ButtonMiddle)
    return  ; The button is still, down, so keep waiting.
; Otherwise, the button has been released.
SetTimer, WaitForMiddleButtonUp, off
MouseClick, middle,,, 1, 0, U  ; Release the mouse button.
return

WatchJoystick:
MouseNeedsToBeMoved := false  ; Set default.
SetFormat, float, 03
GetKeyState, joyx, %JoystickNumber%JoyX
GetKeyState, joyy, %JoystickNumber%JoyY
if joyx > %JoyThresholdUpper%
{
    MouseNeedsToBeMoved := true
    DeltaX := joyx - JoyThresholdUpper
}
else if joyx < %JoyThresholdLower%
{
    MouseNeedsToBeMoved := true
    DeltaX := joyx - JoyThresholdLower
}
else
    DeltaX = 0
if joyy > %JoyThresholdUpper%
{
    MouseNeedsToBeMoved := true
    DeltaY := joyy - JoyThresholdUpper
}
else if joyy < %JoyThresholdLower%
{
    MouseNeedsToBeMoved := true
    DeltaY := joyy - JoyThresholdLower
}
else
    DeltaY = 0
if MouseNeedsToBeMoved
{
    SetMouseDelay, -1  ; Makes movement smoother.
    MouseMove, DeltaX * JoyMultiplier, DeltaY * JoyMultiplier * YAxisMultiplier, 0, R
}
return

MouseWheel:
GetKeyState, JoyPOV, %JoystickNumber%JoyPOV
if JoyPOV = -1  ; No angle.
    return
if (JoyPOV > 31500 or JoyPOV < 4500)  ; Forward
    Send {WheelUp}
else if JoyPOV between 13500 and 22500  ; Back
    Send {WheelDown}
return