Here are the current instructions on using Valve games
Portal, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, and Team Fortress 2
Purchase and install the Orange Box from Valve Launch Steam go to File -> Settings where it says "Beta participation", click "Change" in the pull-down, select "Novint Falcon - EP2/Portal Beta" (this name might change to another Falcon based name) Hit OK Hit OK again
then the games should download updates. When the updates are downloaded, make sure your Falcon is plugged in and working. Then start Portal, HL2 Ep2, or Team Fortress 2 as you normally would. the Falcon will control the games.
Left 4 Dead Open the Folder C:\Program Files\Steam Right click on Steam.exe Click on Create Shortcut Move the shortcut to your desktop, or wherever you want to access it from Right click on the steam shortcut, and click Properties The target should be something like "C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" At the end of the target add -beta l4dnofint so that the target is "C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -beta l4dnofint make sure you have completely closed out steam before using the shortcut When you start Steam, Left 4 Dead will update. When it is done updating, you can run it, and the Falcon will control the game
HALF-LIFE 2: EPISODE 1
Open the Folder C:\Program Files\Steam Right click on Steam.exe Click on Create Shortcut Move the shortcut to your desktop, or wherever you want to access it from Right click on the steam shortcut, and click Properties The target should be something like "C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" At the end of the target add -beta ep1novint so that the target is "C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -beta ep1novint make sure you have completely closed out steam before using the shortcut When you start Steam, HL2:Ep1 will update. When it is done updating, you can run it, and the Falcon will control the game
please email customersupport@novint.com and we can see if we can help. I'm not sure when the windows 7 drivers will be available. We have had reports from some windows 7 users that the drivers work for them already. thx, tomnovint
I have tried both of the above suggested by tomnovint. When I change my beta participation, none of the falcon betas show up, even when my Falcon is plugged in. as for the L4D beta, when I change the target name, L4D does not start updating... any suggestions?
We just released the Orange Box, so those instructions are no longer valid. To play Half-Life 2 Episodes 1&2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2, you need to install the latest drivers from out website under the support tab, and then they will just work (please make sure N VeNT is not running - run the games directly from Steam). Half-life 2 itself you can play with our mod which is downloadable from our games section of our site. Left 4 Dead you can play now by doing the following
1) Launch Steam. 2) Go to your 'My Games' window 3) Right click on Left 4 Dead and select 'Properties' 4) Click on 'Set Launch Options' 5) In the textbox that appears, type '-Falcon' (without the quotes) 6) Click Ok, and Launch Left 4 Dead normally
I'm currently using Windows 7 RC, and while I've gone through the instructions for manually installing drivers on Vista (for Win7), TF2 does not pickup my Falcon. It only finds a "gamepad". Is this just a Win7 issue so far?
At this point, the instruction for the post are old. To use the Falcon with the Orange Box now, all you need is our latest drivers. Please download those off our website (under the support tab). Remove the old drivers, install the new ones, and that should fix your problem. thx, tomnovint
No offense, but isn't it bad business to require these non-user-friendly processes to get the Falcon working with these games?
I was thinking of getting a Falcon (mostly for Left 4 Dead), so I've been looking into how exactly it all works and I must say I'm really disappointed by how complicated it all is.
There should just be simple little installers that people download to get the falcon working with a game. They download it, they double-click it and that's it.
And it should be very easy to find these installers at the NOVINT site, and it should be very clear what exactly they're for.
how would I actually use it in game ?
ReplyDeleteHere are the current instructions on using Valve games
ReplyDeletePortal, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, and Team Fortress 2
Purchase and install the Orange Box from Valve
Launch Steam
go to File -> Settings
where it says "Beta participation", click "Change"
in the pull-down, select "Novint Falcon - EP2/Portal Beta" (this name might change to another Falcon based name)
Hit OK
Hit OK again
then the games should download updates. When the updates are downloaded, make sure your Falcon is plugged in and working. Then start Portal, HL2 Ep2, or Team Fortress 2 as you normally would. the Falcon will control the games.
Left 4 Dead
Open the Folder C:\Program Files\Steam
Right click on Steam.exe
Click on Create Shortcut
Move the shortcut to your desktop, or wherever you want to access it from
Right click on the steam shortcut, and click Properties
The target should be something like
"C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe"
At the end of the target add -beta l4dnofint so that the target is
"C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -beta l4dnofint
make sure you have completely closed out steam before using the shortcut
When you start Steam, Left 4 Dead will update.
When it is done updating, you can run it, and the Falcon will control the game
HALF-LIFE 2: EPISODE 1
Open the Folder C:\Program Files\Steam
Right click on Steam.exe
Click on Create Shortcut
Move the shortcut to your desktop, or wherever you want to access it from
Right click on the steam shortcut, and click Properties
The target should be something like
"C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe"
At the end of the target add -beta ep1novint so that the target is
"C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -beta ep1novint
make sure you have completely closed out steam before using the shortcut
When you start Steam, HL2:Ep1 will update.
When it is done updating, you can run it, and the Falcon will control the game
Great I will try it, are there any plans for a windows 7 beta driver. I am having no luck with the current dirvers and windows 7 rc x64.
ReplyDeleteThanks
please email customersupport@novint.com and we can see if we can help. I'm not sure when the windows 7 drivers will be available. We have had reports from some windows 7 users that the drivers work for them already. thx, tomnovint
ReplyDeleteFrom what I heard, Windows 7 will be able to use Vista drivers without a problem.
ReplyDeleteI have tried both of the above suggested by tomnovint. When I change my beta participation, none of the falcon betas show up, even when my Falcon is plugged in. as for the L4D beta, when I change the target name, L4D does not start updating... any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteWe just released the Orange Box, so those instructions are no longer valid. To play Half-Life 2 Episodes 1&2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2, you need to install the latest drivers from out website under the support tab, and then they will just work (please make sure N VeNT is not running - run the games directly from Steam). Half-life 2 itself you can play with our mod which is downloadable from our games section of our site. Left 4 Dead you can play now by doing the following
ReplyDelete1) Launch Steam.
2) Go to your 'My Games' window
3) Right click on Left 4 Dead and select 'Properties'
4) Click on 'Set Launch Options'
5) In the textbox that appears, type '-Falcon' (without the quotes)
6) Click Ok, and Launch Left 4 Dead normally
thx, tomnovint
I'm currently using Windows 7 RC, and while I've gone through the instructions for manually installing drivers on Vista (for Win7), TF2 does not pickup my Falcon. It only finds a "gamepad". Is this just a Win7 issue so far?
ReplyDeleteAt this point, the instruction for the post are old. To use the Falcon with the Orange Box now, all you need is our latest drivers. Please download those off our website (under the support tab). Remove the old drivers, install the new ones, and that should fix your problem. thx, tomnovint
ReplyDeleteNo offense, but isn't it bad business to require these non-user-friendly processes to get the Falcon working with these games?
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of getting a Falcon (mostly for Left 4 Dead), so I've been looking into how exactly it all works and I must say I'm really disappointed by how complicated it all is.
There should just be simple little installers that people download to get the falcon working with a game.
They download it, they double-click it and that's it.
And it should be very easy to find these installers at the NOVINT site, and it should be very clear what exactly they're for.
The games work out of the box automatically with the Falcon now.
ReplyDeleteThe instructions on this post are very old - this was just an early way for people to test an early version. thx, tomnovint