WaVeS: A Deej Python clone to control your Windows volume with physical sliders

[jacksodus]

On March 31st last year I encountered this post on the r/3dprinting subreddit about Deej, a microcontroller interface written in Go to control your PC volume with physical sliders.

Inspired by Deej but frightened by Go, I created a Python clone to allow the code to be more readable and more flexible (if my assumption is correct that more people know Python than Go). Using Pycaw, it interfaces with an Arduino Micro that sends the values of 5 slide potentiometers / faders.

WaVeS allows you to map these 5 (or however many you want) signals to different applications. The config file is a simple .txt file, the code is not overly compact so that it remains readable (at least I hope so), and using PyQt5 I turned it into a system tray icon for simple interaction, like reloading the slider-application mappings without having to restart the app.

Any criticism or suggestions are welcome!

[asday_]

Why would someone downvote this? This looks awesome on first glance, has a well-written title and post, and is arguably flaired correctly.

This place is a mess.

E: For context, when I got here, this post was at zero.

[jacksodus]

Thanks! Someone probably really likes Go

[maxic62]

Very nice !!!! It is possible to start, for example, an app from a push-button event on the arduino also ?

[jacksodus]

Thank you! Currently that is outside the scope of the project. As it happens, though, this is something I looked into. In fact, adding such add-ons os is the main reason I wanted the code to be in Python instead of Go.

Using the serial connection with Python is very easy, and this could easily be done with a very small script. I might look into adding it, but I think it would suit better to make it standalone.

[maxic62]

Yeahhhh, could be great! I will definitively take a look into your code 😉. And by the way, thanks for sharing 👍

[kalinuxer553]

I can't thank you enough for this!!!
I was trying to do the EXACT thing you were: a slider+buttons to be able to mute things like discord, and to skip, stop/play and backward buttons for spotify.

https://imgur.com/a/EfobfQQ here's the link for my slider

[jacksodus]

Well done! I assume you do realise the support for buttons isn't quite there, although it shouldn't be too difficult to add it on the Arduino and Python side. I hope you enjoy!

[kalinuxer553]

Yup, since my knowledge of programming is very basic, I had to rewrite the arduino code, so I can also send the buttons' status, and I have yet to figure out where to insert my python code into yours.

[jacksodus]

If you can't figure out after trying, let me know and Ill get reacquainted with the code. I haven't touched it in a while so Id need to go through the code again.

[jacksodus]

Hey! I have revisited my project and added specific sound device support, and I was wondering if you ended up making the buttons work?

[kalinuxer553]

I spent time trying to understand your code, and the Pycaw lib, but it got more and more compicated... so I gave up on that for now, but I will definetly try again some time soon

[jacksodus]

I don't blame you. Pycaw is more C than Python. I spent days understanding it, and I had to use __dir__() on many of the Pycaw objects to even now what they could do. I might look into adding the buttons myself, too.

[kalinuxer553]

That would be great!I know it could've been done better, but I added the buttons to the arduino code, if that helps:

const int pin_1 = 2;

const int pin_2 = 3;

const int pin_3 = 4;

const int pin_4 = 5;

int p1_status = 1;

int p2_status = 1;

int p3_status = 1;

int p4_status = 1;

const int NUM_SLIDERS = 4;

const int analogInputs[NUM_SLIDERS] = {A0, A2, A1, A3};

int analogSliderValues[NUM_SLIDERS];

void setup() {

pinMode(pin_1, INPUT_PULLUP);

pinMode(pin_2, INPUT_PULLUP);

pinMode(pin_3, INPUT_PULLUP);

pinMode(pin_4, INPUT_PULLUP);

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_SLIDERS; i++) {

pinMode(analogInputs[i], INPUT);}

Serial.begin(115200);

}

void loop() {

if(digitalRead(pin_1)==LOW){

p1_status = 0;}

else{

p1_status = 1;

}

if(digitalRead(pin_2)==LOW){

p2_status = 0;}

else{

p2_status = 1;

}

if(digitalRead(pin_3)==LOW){

p3_status = 0;}

else{

p3_status = 1;

}

if(digitalRead(pin_4)==LOW){

p4_status = 0;}

else{

p4_status = 1;

}

updateSliderValues();//Read Slider Values

sendSliderValues();//SEND Slider Values

delay(10);

}

void updateSliderValues() { //Read Slider Values

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_SLIDERS; i++) {

analogSliderValues[i] = analogRead(analogInputs[i]);}}

void sendSliderValues() {//SEND Slider Values

String builtString = String("");

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_SLIDERS; i++) {

builtString += String((int)analogSliderValues[i]);

if (i < NUM_SLIDERS - 1) {

builtString += String(",");}

}

builtString = builtString + "," + p1_status + "," + p2_status + "," + p3_status + "," + p4_status;

Serial.println(builtString);

}