MacOS Monterey Workaround to Enable Touch

MacOS Monterey Workaround to Enable Touch

With the release of macOS Monterey, touch no longer works by default with DISPLAX touch controllers. DISPLAX developed the following workaround.

Software Needed

  • DISPLAX Connect - used to configure the touch controller and to communicate via TUIO

  • displaxtuio2mouse - This software will receive the touch events sent by DISPLAX Connect and inject them into the operating system

  • executedisplaxtuio - This software is an editable script (saved as an application) used to fix the offset of the touch and to launch the displaxtuio2mouse at login (you can change the offset editing it in the Automator app)

  • Automator - Present in all versions of macOS, used to automate the execution of the "displaxtuio2mouse" app when the computer logs into the chosen account


Steps

  1. Install DISPLAX Connect

    1. Open macOS System Preferences

    2. Click on Security & Privacy

    3. Click the lock to make changes (bottom left corner)

    4. Enter the Mac login password

    5. Under Allow apps downloaded from: Select App Store and identified developers to finish the installation successfully

    6. Launch DISPLAX Connect

    7. Accept the pop-ups to change firewall settings, or you can also turn it OFF

    8. Calibrate the touch sensor (more details here)

    9. Start a TUIO communication from within DISPLAX Connect: IP: 127.0.0.1 PORT: 3333 - click here to see how (this is important because the software that will receive the touch events is waiting on port 3333); or from Terminal:

      "/Applications/Displax/DisplaxConnect.app/Contents/MacOS/displaxservice --tuio start 127.0.0.1:3333"

  2. Download the DisplaxTuioToMouse folder to a Windows or Ubuntu machine, then copy and paste it into the macOS Applications folder: "/Applications/" - you can't download it directly in macOS

  3. Launch displaxtuio2mouse - (if the app does not open, launch terminal in the displaxtuio2mouse folder, then run "sudo chmod 777 ./displaxtuio2mouse" - this will give the rights you need to run

    the app. After this you can run "./displaxtuio2mouse" or click on the app icon.


  4. Touch the sensor, it will trigger a pop-up asking to give permission in Accessibility (System Preferences, Security & Privacy, Privacy). Open it, click on the lock to make changes, Select Accessibility in the left pane, add "Terminal" by clicking the Plus "+" symbol, and select the checkbox next to it.

  5. Check for any offset of the touch accuracy. If the touch is accurate, move to step 7

  6. If the touch is not accurate, follow these steps:

    1. Close the displaxtuio2mouse app by clicking on Cmd + C

    2. Run "/Applications/DisplaxTuioToMouse/displaxtuio2mouse -h"

    3. Check the Help and try to move with the arguments "-x", "-y", etc... to find the best accuracy.
      Example: "/Applications/DisplaxTuioToMouse/displaxtuio2mouse -x -14 -y       +20 --x-flip --y-flip -r 5"

    4. Copy the adjusted command and exit Terminal.

  7. Edit the "executedisplaxtuio" app to launch the "displaxtuio2mouse" app with the offset arguments if created in step 6, as follows:

    1. Launch Automator

    2. Navigate to Applications and double click on Displax Tuio to Mouse folder

    3. Select the "executedisplaxtuio" app and click Open

    4. Add the adjusted command to the shell script. The final text should appear like this:


  

    1. Press cmd + s to save

    2. Quit Automator

    3. Go to "/Applications/DisplaxTuioToMouse" folder and launch executedisplaxtuio

    4. Touch the sensor

    5. A pop-up will appear, click on Open settings

    6. Unlock the lock - it will open in System Preferences, Security & Privacy, Privacy. With Accessibility selected in the left pane, add executedisplaxtuio, and select the checkbox. The touch should work as it was adjusted.

    7. Go to the previous page in System Preferences, select Users and Groups

    8. Click on the current user

    9. Select the "Login Items" tab that appears at the top

    10. Click the Plus "+" button, add the "executedisplaxtuio" app, and select the checkbox

    11. Click on the button "Login Options" under the users

    12. In "Automatic Login", set the user who will have Touch enabled (touch will be enabled
      right after this user logs in).

      
      8. Restart the computer and start using the touch screen.

To adjust the touch, calibrate again using DISPLAX Connect and/or adjust the offset parameters (step 6).


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