Connect v4: Raspberry PI GPIO (Patreon)

Connect is a plugin package that allows you to control external applications and devices via network. This could be an audio-driven E-Stim devices, or now also the GPIO pins of a Raspberry PI, essentially pins you can turn on/off to control stuff. This kind of micro computer is often used for homemade "smart home" devices, like watering your plants, etc. Without any coding, just some soldering/electronics skills, you are now able control all kinds of toys/devices from VaM. At least those where you can access the electronics easily. Could be some vibrator you want to turn on/off or, for example, I modded a Suck-o-Mat some ages ago, since that box is just an air pump with two magnetic valves to create positive/negative air pressure inside a fleshlight. The package also includes VirtualLock, a plugin for virtual self-bondage in VR. In combination all that could theoretically mean you can rig a scene where, if you do not behave and try to escape that slow teasing fleshlight, your dominatrix will punish you with e-stim...in real life!

Content

• Connect: VaM plugin that connects to one of the apps. Could also be your own app, just tell it a hostname and port to connect to. It allows you to send commands via VaM's build-in trigger system, for example from within a Timeline animation, from LogicBricks, from other plugins or just a UIButton atom.
• ConnectAudio App: External Windows application that uses your soundcard to generate waveforms your E-Stim power box can interpret. Source code is included, you can use it as a basis for your own application.
• ConnectAudio Documentation: A 6 page PDF tutorial explaining the commands and how to use the app.
• ConnectGPIO App: External Linux application, intended to run on any network capable Raspberry PI, e.g. the 3B+ model. Via commands you can set GPIO pins 17-26 however you like. Source code is included, you can use it as a basis for your own application.
• ConnectGPIO Documentation: A 5 page PDF tutorial showing how to use the app, how to compile it if needed and the supported commands.
• VirtualLock: VaM plugin tracks your hand and head position, and optionally ensures you are looking at an atom named "VirtualLockFocusPoint". In the first demo scene that means you HAVE to look the girls in the eyes. If you move too much, there is a warning first and at a larger distance a "breach" is triggered. Of course a breach is also trigger if you try to open the UI or quit the game. It is using the VaM trigger system, you can hook it up to all kinds of things. Essentially this is intended for virtual self-bondage in VR.
• Demo scene 1: Simple scene where essentially the girl is whipping your dick randomly, which is replicated in E-Stim. And....if you try to escape her....it might hurt :D
• Demo scene 2: Another simple scene where a girl is applying a slow teasing fleshlight. See screenshot. Via sliders you can tweak the animation and also at which point in the animation the network command is send, so you can sync virtual world and the device in the real world.

Usage Instructions

Find usage instructions for the demo scenes on the hub page: https://hub.virtamate.com/resources/connect.1737/

Command Examples

You can send commands via VaM's build-in trigger system. Send whatever text up to 255 characters, the application on the other side interprets it. For my apps I'm using a simple format of command names, followed by parameters and values, separated by semicolons. 

ConnectAudio:

• BLIP;i=0.7;p=2                            Run behavior "BLIP" with intensity 0.7 and priority 2.
• WARN;p=3                                     Run behavior "WARN" with priority 3.

ConnectGPIO:

• GPIO-ON;p=0                              Sets pin 0 to “on”.
• GPIO-ON;m=1001000000     Sets pins 0 and 3 to “on”.
• GPIO-OFF;p=7                            Sets pin 7 to “off”.
• GPIO;m=1001;v=0001            Sets pin 0 to “off” and pin 3 to “on”.

Circuit Example

An example circuit for amplifying the 3.3V/16mA pin output to something with more power, e.g. to switch the 12V magnet valves of the above mentioned sucking machine. Two Photocouplers (KB817) make sure circuits of both the Raspberry PI as well as the Suck-o-Mat are properly isolated, as both have their own power supply. As common Photocouplers can only handle low amounts of power, two MOSFETs (BS170 TO-92 350mA) are used to  amplify the signal. Of course, this could also have been build using mechanical relays.

Changelog for Connect v4

• Connect: Implemented UI allowing you to use custom hostname and port to connect to.
• Connect: Improved error handling.
• Connect: Improved DNS resolve.
• ConnectAudio.App repackaged to include source code. For some reason source code was not included in the previous versions.
• ConnectAudio Documentation with minor updates/changes like fixed typos.
• ConnectGPIO.App and Documentation added. 
• VirtualLock: Updated to current version of MacGruber_Utils.cs
• Demo scene 1: Improved the idle animation of the feet so it looks less weird.
• Demo scene 1: Updated to current package versions of LogicBricks, Essentials and IdlePoser.
• Demo scene 2: Newly added scene.

Download

• This is an EarlyAccess release! Download will be available for free under CC BY-SA license after 2022-01-17. You are allowed to reference this package in your own VAR packages, even if they are paid or use a different license. Links to my Patreon are always appreciated.
• Beware of some browsers mistakenly renaming .var files to .zip when downloading from Patreon. More details on how to install VaM content and missing dependencies here.