Positioning the Wiimote

A question we are often asked is how far away from the whiteboard the wiimote should be positioned.

A rough rule of thumb is twice as far back as the image is high. For example, if the image is 1 metre high then the wiimote should be approximately 2 metres back. Luckily, the infrared camera in the end of the wiimote is not too fussy about exactly where it is put as long as it can 'see' the four corners of the image.

Positioning it off to either side of centre is fine too - in fact we usually set up from a 1m to 2m to the side (this is when using the portable kit). The 3Pi ceiling mount places the wiimote 1m to the side of the data projector which our tests have shown is optimum for a permanent setup.

Right handers often prefer the wiimote to the left of the image (while facing it) to minimise the chances of blocking its view and vice versa for left handers.

You will soon find out where the best position is with a little trial and error as you get used to the system. A useful tip to know while figuring this out, is that once the wiimote is connected to the computer and the software started, pushing button A shows the calibration screen - very handy as it saves going back to the computer.