Log with a Wii™ Remote
Facilitators with only one computer, or those who are working alone, can mark important moments during the session easily and quickly using a remote to set markers and start or end tasks without disrupting the participant. This frees up staff-time, allows for faster analysis, and doesn’t require network privileges at remote testing sites.
See the following topics for more information:
- Requirements
- Connect the Wii Remote
- Reconnect the Wii Remote
- How to Log With the Remote
- Troubleshooting
Requirements
- Wii Remote
You must purchase a Wii Remote to use this feature. Currently, the Wii Remote is the only supported remote device. Wii Remotes can usually be purchased for around $40 from many major retail, toy, or online stores. - Bluetooth Capability
To use a Wii Remote to log tasks and create markers, your computer needs Bluetooth capability. Many laptops have Bluetooth functionality; most desktops will require a Bluetooth adapter of some kind.
Connect the Wii Remote
- To make the Wii Remote findable by your computer, push and hold both the "1" and "2" buttons on the Wii Remote. The blue LED lights on the Wii Remote flash, indicating the Wii Remote is ready to connect.
Make sure to hold down these buttons until you get a notification the device was successfully installed. - Open Bluetooth Devices located in the Windows Control Panel (click Classic View in the Windows Vista operating system to find this more easily.)
- Click Add on the Devices tab.
- The Bluetooth Device Wizard displays available devices. Select the Wii Remote, which should show up as a Nintendo device and click Next.
- Select Don’t use a passkey and click Next.
Windows gives a notification when it has connected to the Wii Remote. You can now release the buttons.
The lights on the Wii Remote will continue to flash until you start Observer. - Start Observer. Observer automatically connects to the Wii Remote. A battery indicator appears in the Recorder status bar.
If Observer is unable to connect to the Wii Remote, an error message is displayed. Close Observer and attempt to connect the remote again.
Reconnect the Wii Remote
Anytime your computer or the Wii Remote is turned off, you will need to reconnect the Wii Remote before you can use it again. Follow the same instructions given above to connect the Wii Remote.
How to Log With the Remote
You can use the remote to log in one of two ways, depending on which computer you want to log on.
- Computer running Morae Recorder
When logging on the computer running Recorder during a screen video-based session, you will not see any feedback on the screen. The Wii Remote lights flash to show that you logged a marker or task. Before logging a session, be sure to familiarize yourself with the Wii Remote Configuration available in Recorder. Go to Modify Study Details > Marker Definitions > Configure Wii Remote to access this dialog.
If you want to log on the computer while recording camera video-based session, the remote interacts with the logging interface in Recorder in the same way as described below for Observer. - Computer running Morae Observer
When logging with Observer, you use the remote to interact with the log. To view the remote configuration to see what buttons set which markers, go to View > Wii Remote Configuration. The buttons on the remote work in the same way as using hotkeys. To log a marker or task, push the corresponding button on the Wii Remote, as defined in the Wii Remote Configuration dialog box.
Troubleshooting
- The Wii Remote does not appear in the list of available Bluetooth devices to choose from: The Wii Remote is not broadcasting. Make sure that it has batteries installed. When you hold the 1 and 2 buttons down, some or all of the LEDs should begin flashing. If they do not, consult the manual that came with your Wii Remote. The LEDs must flash during the entire connection process.
- A dialog appears asking me to restart my computer: This occurs if you have Morae open when connecting to the Wii Remote. Windows cannot replace drivers that are currently in use by Morae to talk to the Wii Remote. You should select the “Restart Later” option as it is not necessary to restart your session.
- A notification with a red X appears telling me the drivers could not be installed and the Wii Remote then turns off: This may happen if Morae is already open. Close Morae and then follow these steps.
- Open the Bluetooth device dialog.
- Select the Wii Remote from the list of peripherals and then select properties.
- Press and hold the 1 and 2 buttons on the Wii Remote as above, then select “Services” from the dialog.
- Select “Drivers for keyboard, mice, etc.” and select “Ok”.
- If a notification appears with a green check saying that the drivers were installed, you may release the buttons on the Wii Remote and start Morae. Otherwise, you should start the connection process from the beginning.
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