Share via


Periodic Effects

Periodic effects are waveform effects. DirectInput defines the following waveforms.

  • Square.

  • Sine.

  • Cosine.

  • Triangle.

  • SawtoothUp. The waveform drops vertically after it reaches maximum positive force. See Basic Concepts of Force Feedback for an example.

  • SawtoothDown. The waveform rises vertically after it reaches maximum negative force.

An envelope can be applied to periodic effects. See the example in Basic Concepts of Force Feedback.

The phase of a periodic effect is the point along the waveform where the effect begins. Phase is measured in hundredths of a degree, from 0 to 35,999. The following table indicates where selected phase values (in degrees) lie along the various waveforms. Max is the top (+) or bottom ( - ) of the wave, and Mid is the midpoint, where no force is applied in either direction.

Waveform 0 90 180 270
Square +Max +Max - Max - Max
Sine Mid +Max Mid - Max
Triangle +Max Mid - Max Mid
SawtoothUp - Max - Max/2 Mid +Max/2 (reaches +Max just before the cycle repeats)
SawtoothDown +Max +Max/2 Mid - Max/2 (reaches - Max just before the cycle repeats)

A driver may round off a phase value to the nearest supported value. For example, for a sine effect some drivers support only values of 0 and 9,000 (to create a cosine); for other effects, only values of 0 and 18,000 are supported.

  • GUID_Square

  • GUID_Sine

  • GUID_Triangle

  • GUID_SawtoothUp

  • GUID_SawtoothDown

You can also pass any other globally unique identifier (GUID) obtained by the IDirectInputDevice8::EnumEffects method, provided the low byte of the dwEffType member of the DIEffectInfo structure (DIDFT_GETTYPE(dwEffType)) is equal to DIEFT_PERIODIC. In this way, you can use hardware-specific forces designed by the manufacturer. For example, a hardware device might support a periodic effect that rotates the stick in a small circle.

The type-specific structure for periodic effects is DIPERIODIC.

Do not confuse the period of a periodic effect (DIPERIODIC.dwPeriod) with the sample period (DIEFFECT.dwSamplePeriod). The period is the time that it takes to go through a complete wave cycle. The sample period, as for all effects, is the minimum time between actual adjustments of magnitude.