InputBridge

InputBridge is a controller input translation tool developed and used by The Science Team. It converts input from physical devices such as gamepads, steering wheels, and flight controllers into OSC or WebSocket messages that can be consumed by Resonite systems.

While InputBridge is primarily used with Modular Physics Vehicles, it is a standalone application and is not limited to that system. It can also be adapted for other systems that require structured input streaming and haptic feedback communication.

Overview

InputBridge acts as a bridge between physical hardware and networked applications.

It provides:

Input capture from SDL3-compatible devices
Mapping of device inputs to logical control values
Network transmission via OSC or WebSocket
Optional support for haptic feedback output

The system is designed to separate hardware-specific input handling from application logic.

The Science Team ecosystem

InputBridge is part of a broader set of tools developed by The Science Team for advanced interaction systems in Resonite.

It is commonly used alongside:

Group:The Science Team/Modular Physics Vehicles which is a vehicle simulation system using external controller input

Integration with Modular Physics Vehicles

InputBridge is used by Modular Physics Vehicles as a hardware input layer.

In this configuration, InputBridge is responsible for:

Reading controller input data
Normalizing device differences
Sending structured control data to Resonite via OSC or WebSocket
Receiving haptic feedback instructions from Modular Physics Vehicles when supported

Modular Physics Vehicles uses this data to drive vehicle behavior inside Resonite without requiring direct hardware integration.

Supported devices

InputBridge supports SDL3-compatible input devices, including:

Gamepads
Steering wheels
Flight sticks and HOTAS systems
Nintendo Joy-Con controllers
Steam Controller
PlayStation DualSense controllers

Depending on the device, supported inputs may include:

Analog axes such as steering, throttle, and brake
Buttons and switches
Gyroscope and accelerometer data
Touch input surfaces
Battery status

Output features vary by device and implementation and may include:

Rumble
Force feedback
LED indicators

Note: Adaptive trigger support is not currently implemented.

Configuration system

InputBridge uses a two-layer configuration model:

Device mappings: Define how physical inputs are interpreted and normalized

Protocol definitions: Define how mapped values are transmitted over OSC or WebSocket

This separation allows configurations to be reused across different applications and systems within The Science Team ecosystem.

Usage workflow

A typical usage setup is:

Connect a supported input device
Launch InputBridge
Select or create a mapping profile
Configure a communication protocol (OSC or WebSocket)
Start a target application such as Modular Physics Vehicles in Resonite
Ensure both systems are connected to the same endpoint

Once active, InputBridge continuously streams input data and optionally receives feedback commands.

Download and installation

InputBridge is an open-source tool hosted on GitHub. To install and run the application:

Go to the official repository at marsmaantje/InputBridge on GitHub.
Navigate to the Releases section on the right side of the page.
Download the latest compiled version for your operating system.
Extract the contents of the downloaded zip archive to a local folder.
Run the `InputBridge` executable to begin configuring your devices.

For those looking to modify the application or contribute to its development, the source code can be cloned directly using Git: git clone https://github.com/marsmaantje/InputBridge.git