SmoothBoard 1.6 is Awesome!

We are continually impressed with the work of Boon Jin and his latest version of the SmoothBoard software is no exception! SmoothBoard 1.6 comes with an outstanding feature that he has called 'SmoothConnect'. Once installed, all the user has to do is click on the desktop icon, put the wiimote in discoverable mode, and the software does all the rest. This feature moves the whole wiimote interactive whiteboard system onto an equal footing with other commercial products.

The only catch is that SmoothConnect is configured to work with standard Microsoft Bluetooth. Boon Jin has done this because of the very wide range of Bluetooth software in the market which all have their own particular requirements. The easiest way to ensure your computer is using the Microsoft version, if you're a 'non-techy' user, is to simply plug in a small Bluetooth dongle (pictured above) and let Windows find and install it (sorry Mac users, SmoothBoard and SmoothConnect are written for Windows based computers). 3pi can supply you with a dongle that will work or you can source your own. We are so impressed with this new development that we are now going to add a dongle to our kits so that customers can have the simplest software solution possible. (Our kits include a licensed copy of SmoothBoard with SmoothConnect.)

Connecting the Wiimote to a Computer - Part Two

Now that you've established that your computer has Bluetooth, you need to make sure it is enabled. (This is only necessary the first time you use it.)
You'll know if it is, because in the system tray at the bottom right of your computer, there will be an icon that looks like this:

If you don't see it, or the white lines are red, you will have to enable it.
The process to do this varies from computer to computer, and it may be a good idea to use the help function on your computer to find out what to do. However, there will probably be a utility in Control Panels (Windows OS) that will do it.

Once the blue icon is in your system tray you can click it to bring up the Bluetooth options.
Choose 'connect' and follow the steps. If the programme talks about a password or pairing, click 'skip' and continue. Now THE BIG THING - your Bluetooth will only be able to find the wiimote and connect to it if it is in 'discovery mode'. To put a wiimote into this mode you can, a) push buttons 1 & 2 at the same time, b) push the red button inside the battery cover, or c) push the remote synching button in our classroom kit.

You'll know you've put it into this mode because the row of blue lights on the wiimote will start flashing. They will keep flashing for around 20 seconds. If you haven't established the connection by then you will have to push the button(s) again.

When successfully connected, the lights will stop flashing and one will remain on. Also the Bluetooth icon in the system tray will turn green. This is good!


Just to recap:

1. Enable your Bluetooth
2. Open the Bluetooth programme
3. Put your wiimote into discovery mode
4. Push 'connect' in the Bluetooth programme
5. Follow the steps inthe programme (choose 'skip' or 'ignore' if it asks for a pairing
code or password)

Note: If you are not successful, it is likely that the wiimote came out of discovery mode before
you finished connecting. This can happen when you first try the process, but don't worry, it will become second nature after a couple of goes.


Please post a comment if you need any part of this process explained more fully.

Connecting the Wiimote to a Computer - Part one

This is the first step in using your wiimote to create an interactive whiteboard. It is also the step that seems to cause new users the most difficulty. However, once achieved the first time, takes only a few seconds after that.

As you probably know, the wiimote 'talks' to computers via Bluetooth (a wireless system widely used in devices such as cellphones, microphones, music players, etc). Obviously your computer needs to have Bluetooth installed before you can connect the wiimote. In New Zealand, teacher's laptops come with this feature. If your computer does not, you can add it simply by plugging in a Bluetooth dongle. These small devices plug into a spare usb port. 3Pi have tested a lot of dongles from various manufacturers and the one we supply works with minimal hassle - you simply plug it in, and on Windows XP and Vista computers, it installs itself and is ready to use. It works on Apple Macs as well. There are many other dongles that work too, but our tests show that there are also plenty that do not.

This photo shows the tiny device sticking out from the side of a tablet computer.

We will go over the actual process used to make the connection in a post soon.