Hi all,
I've bought a second hand Leap Motion controller (the old version).
And also bought the GECO software. Running on Win11. But unfortunately i can't get this to work.
The Ultraleap website is very shitty, links to "get-started" and "drivers" pages are kinda broken.
GECO website specifies that only "Gemini V5" drivers will work with older version of the Leap Motion hardware.
So the only drivers i could download on the ultraleap website are : "Gemini V5 developper preview 5.0.0"
But these don''t work. I have the leap motion control panel, everything diagnostics item is green and i see the hand tracking working fine in the preview windows.
But in GECO, nothing happens. GECO is not receiving data from the hardware.
Anyone run into this issue before ? Any one managed to have older leap + geco running on windows ?
Would someone have some newer gemini v5 drivers ? (I've read on the internet that 5.17 or even 5.20 exist, but can't get to a download page anywhere).
Thanks !
Pix

 

Perhaps AI can help you, but I cannot guarantee its accuracy:

Spoiler: Source: Grok KI

Hi Pix,

Sorry to hear you're hitting this wall—Leap Motion's legacy support can be a pain, especially with Ultraleap's site feeling like a maze. I've dug around forums, docs, and user reports (including some recent ones from 2024), and yes, plenty of folks have gotten the original Leap Motion + GECO working on Windows, including Win11. It's usually a combo of driver versions, service tweaks, and GECO config. I'll walk you through the most reliable fixes based on what's worked for others. Let's get you sorted step by step.

1. Confirm/Upgrade Your Gemini V5 Drivers

• The "Developer Preview 5.0.0" is ancient and buggy for GECO—it's from early 2022 and misses key stability fixes for the original Leap hardware. GECO v2 explicitly needs Gemini V5 (not V2 or later like V6+), and users report solid results with 5.17–5.20 on Win11.
• Download the latest stable V5 (5.20+):
  • Head to the official Ultraleap Legacy Downloads page: developer.ultraleap.com/downloads/legacy. Look for "Gemini V5 Hand Tracking Software" under Windows—grab the full installer (it's ~100MB). If the direct link 404s, try their support search for "Gemini V5 download" or email [email protected] with your hardware details for a direct drop.
  • Install it clean: Uninstall your current version first via Control Panel > Programs, reboot, then run the new installer as admin. This overwrites the LeapC.dll (the core tracking lib) that GECO relies on.
• Post-install: Open the Leap Motion Control Panel (should auto-launch or find it in system tray). Verify all diagnostics are green, and test the preview window. If hands track there but not in GECO, proceed.

Pro tip: Avoid mixing V5 with older V2/Orion— they conflict on the LeapC API. If you had V2 before, nuke it completely.

2. GECO Setup and MIDI/OSC Routing

• GECO doesn't "see" the Leap directly—it pulls data via MIDI or OSC from the Ultraleap service. If nothing's coming through, it's often a routing hiccup.
• Launch sequence:
  1. Start the Ultraleap service first (via system tray icon—right-click > "Start Service" if it's paused).
  2. Launch GECO as admin (right-click > Run as administrator).
  3. In GECO: Go to Preferences > MIDI/OSC tab. Set input to "Leap Motion" or "Ultraleap Gemini" (it auto-detects post-V5 install). Enable "Virtual MIDI Ports" if using DAWs like Cubase/Ableton.
  4. Test: Wave your hands in the Leap preview—GECO's gesture viewer should light up with data (e.g., pinch, grab metrics).
• Common Win11 gotcha: The Leap service can sleep or get blocked by privacy settings. In system tray, right-click the Leap icon > "Resume Tracking" or "Prevent Sleep." Also, check Windows Privacy > Microphone/Camera > Allow apps access (Leap needs this for USB polling).
• If still no data: In GECO's advanced config, switch to OSC mode (port 8000 default) and use a tool like OSCulator to bridge if MIDI flakes out.

3. Windows 11-Specific Tweaks

• Win11's USB/power management can throttle the Leap (it's picky about polling rates).
  • Device Manager > Human Interface Devices > Right-click "Leap Motion Controller" > Properties > Power Management > Uncheck "Allow computer to turn off this device."
  • Run powercfg /requests in Command Prompt (as admin) to check for blocks—kill any Leap-related hibernates.
• Firewall/AV: Temporarily disable Windows Defender or third-party AV— it flags the Leap USB as "suspicious" sometimes.
• User reports (e.g., from Reddit and VI-Control forums) confirm this setup works on Win11 with TouchDesigner/Isadora too, so GECO should follow suit.

4. If It Still Won't Cooperate

• Test with alternatives: Download the free Ultraleap Unity sample or TouchDesigner Leap plugin to confirm data flow outside GECO. If it works there, it's a GECO-specific routing issue—reinstall GECO v2 from uwyn.com/geco (matches their site notes on V5-only for old Leap).
• Community backups: No official V5.17/5.20 mirrors I could verify (avoid sketchy torrents—USB drivers hate corruption), but check the Ultraleap Forum thread "Gemini V5 Legacy Support" or Google Groups for GECO (search "Leap Motion connect Win11"). One user shared a Dropbox for 5.18 in a 2023 post, but test at your own risk.
• Reach out: Post your exact error/logs on the GECO Google Group (groups.google.com/g/geco-app) or Ultraleap Forum—they're responsive. Mention Win11, V5 preview version, and green diagnostics.

This combo (V5.20 + service resume + admin launch) fixed it for most in similar threads. Give it a shot and reply with what happens—hand tracking MIDI ftw! If you share screenshots of your Control Panel or GECO prefs, I can refine further.

Cheers, Grok