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how to use touchscreen and mouse cursor simultaneously?

Posted by molamola 
how to use touchscreen and mouse cursor simultaneously?
March 07, 2022 05:28AM
Hello,

I'm currently trying out different touchscreen tasks with ML.
But it seems that using the touch input disables the use of mouse cursors. When I run the touchscreen task, I am unable to use the mouse cursor in my desktop. Even when I'm not running the task, when the subject touches the touchscreen, my mouse cursor disappears from my main monitor.
I am using triple monitors with my main desktop, and extending the displays.
I was wondering if this (not being able to use the mouse cursor when using the touch input) is the norm for touch tasks, or if there is a way to circumvent this situation. If this is normal, then it seems like you wouldn't be able to do much on your desktop when the task is running.
I've tried using a software that supports multiple mouse cursors independent of each other, but it doesn't seem to work.

I would really appreciate on any comments or opinions. Thank you!
Re: how to use touchscreen and mouse cursor simultaneously?
March 07, 2022 03:15PM
Touch and mouse work independently. One does not disable the other and you can use both of them together in a task. What you cannot do is focusing on two applications at the same time. Only one application gets the focus at a time in Windows. If you activate another application while running an ML task, you are switching the focus between that application (when you click on it) and NIMH ML (when your subject touches the screen).

Unfortunately the cursor shape cannot be changed immediately when you switch between applications, so your subject will see the cursor of the other application when NIMH ML gains the focus back. To avoid it, NIMH ML confines the cursor within its subject screen while running a touch task. Unless you are certain that your subject will not be distracted by the cursor showing up, you do not want to change this behavior. The cursor is not confined, if it is not a touch/mouse task or the task runs in the simulation mode.

Indeed, you should not do much on your desktop while running a task, if you do not want to slow down NIMH ML. There is always some consequence in running multiple applications.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.