Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is GestureWorks?

A multitouch software development kit for Adobe Flash and Flex built as an ActionScript 3.0 solution, which allows it to be used in any development environment that uses AS3, including Adobe Air.

How does GestureWorks acquire touch data?

It depends on the system. With systems that use Windows 7 or NextWindow to obtain optical data, GestureWorks use a C# layer that acts as a data bridge to obtain the touch data from the hardware. For other systems, GestureWorks uses an XML socket to obtain FLOSC data from whatever data source the end user provides. As long as the optical software provides FLOSC data, GestureWorks can consume it.

Can I use GestureWorks to build multitouch applications in Windows 7?

Yes, we have built custom drivers to integrate GestureWorks with Windows 7 and access the touch data acquired by the operating system.

Can I use GestureWorks as a TUIO to Windows 7 bridge?

The short answer is no. If you want to use GestureWorks on a Windows 7 system AND integrate TUIO with WM_Touch, you can get a third party bridge on the TUIO site, although we can’t guarantee they will work.

Which hardware systems work with GestureWorks?

GestureWorks directly supports any device with a NextWindow overlay, n-trig display, or the Windows 7 operating system, as well as optical systems using TUIO. Not all NextWindow overlay systems are true multitouch-enabled, so please contact the hardware provider with questions about your NextWindow system. You can check out a full chart of GestureWorks-compatible hardware here.

In house, we’ve actually run GestureWorks on the HP Touchsmart IQ 506 & 600, Dell Studio 1, & the 3M C19168PW, as well as our own MT-50 Multitouch Table.

Can I use GestureWorks with the Microsoft Surface, DiamondTouch, Evoluce, etc ?

Generally, yes, although you may need a third party TUIO bridge to make it work. You can find those bridges here, although we haven’t tested them and can’t guarantee they’ll work.

What’s the difference between dual-touch and true multitouch?

Dual touch is a form of multitouch, since it allows gestures involving two touch points, such as two-finger zoom or rotate. However, we don’t consider it true multitouch since it does not allow three-finger, hand or dual-hand gestures.

Is GestureWorks stable?

Incredibly. We test the GestureWorks algorithms against a thousand touch points. We originally built GestureWorks to use on our own multitouch tables in high-traffic museum and public environments, so the software is intended to support heavy use, i.e. hundreds of children & adults repeatedly interacting with table exhibits.

Can I write my own gestures?

Sure, and our gesture library is open source, so feel free to share. GestureWorks ships with an open library of over 20 unique gestures. Developers can customize their own gesture library by simply extending the Gesture object.

If I develop on one system and deploy on another, do I need both the Mac & PC versions?

It depends. The Flash libraries are the same on both BUT if you’re developing on a Mac, you may need the C# application to deploy on a PC, depending on how you’re accessing optical touch data on the PC. The C# app isn’t included with the Mac version. If you’ve purchased the Mac version but need the PC C# application, contact us and we’ll send you the C# app. And, no, you don’t have to pay for both.

I’m using the GestureWorks simulator with a mouse on a non-touch display. How does this work?

GestureWorks reads mouse events as touch events within its built-in simulator. So a mouse click is read as a tap. To set additional touch points for gestures like rotate or zoom within the simulator, shift-click or control-click where you’d like the touch points to be set. To delete the touch points, just click them.

How do I hide the blue touch points in my application?

The touch points show in debug mode. You can change this by going into the application.xml document and changing <debug> to false.

Are any major organizations using this software?

Yes, GestureWorks-built applications (usually implemented on our MT-50 multitouch table) have been used by:

• NASA
• Adventure Science Center
• Vancouver Aquarium
• Vulcan Park & Museum
• California Science Center
• Oakland Museum