Suggestion: Holding Down a Button

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Suggestion: Holding Down a Button

Could there be an option on the button assignment dialog, where it let you hold down a key. For example, right now, if you assign button 1 to a macro for 'a', it presses and releases 'a'. Is it possible to give user the option to just hold down 'a'?

Chieh Cheng
Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:30:42 +0000

Yes it can, but it should be also possible to release the key.

May be I can handle it like that :
- 1st button press : the keys concerned by the macro are pressed
- 2nd button press : the keys are eleased.

But how could I call this option in the profiler ? "2 steps macro" ?

anonymous
Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:27:23 +0000

Hmmm. I think you are missing my point. Say button 1 is mapped to 'a'. When I press button 1, it would be the same as pressing the 'a' key. When I release button 1, it should be the same as releasing the 'a' key.

Chieh Cheng
Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:54:32 +0000

"Hmmm. I think you are missing my point. Say button 1 is mapped to 'a'. When I press button 1, it would be the same as pressing the 'a' key. When I release button 1, it should be the same as releasing the 'a' key."

Then it is already working like that : as long as you keep the N50 button down, the 'a' key is kept in it's down state.

In fact here how a key event macro works :
- When you press the N50 button, the key actions are performed until the first "Key up" is met (this first key up is not included)
- When you release the N50 button, the key actions are then "finished" starting from the first key up.

I swear it works like that otherelse the arrow keys mapped to the N50 would be shot once and "basta" : just try to move in FPS games with this. :)

Wilfrid AVRILLON
Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:23:37 +0000

I see. So maybe I have it backwards. Maybe the feature I am looking for is the ability to repeat a key, say 'a'. Similar to holding down the 'a' key on the keyboard. I'm hoping for an option in the button assignment dialog box to pick either between 1) holding down the key (as you have already implemented) or 2) repeat the key (like the keyboard).

Let me describe what I tried to do. I was trying to create a new profile for web browser. I've mapped the arrow keys to the directional pad for scrolling the web browser. I noticed that it scrolls down only one line when I hold the down direction. I kind of want it to scroll continuously if I press the down button. And I wanted it to stop when I release the down button. It should work like the way the arrow keys work on the keyboard.

Anyway, I don't know this is difficult to implement. But it's something for you to consider.

Chieh Cheng
Tue, 16 Dec 2008 08:38:17 +0000

OK, you are right, it does not have the behavior you are expecting but it does exactly what I said.

The thing is that the Keyboard drivers says repeadly to the system that the key is down before telling that it is finally up :)
I did not know that and just learned something :)

Consider it done soon :)

anonymous
Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:08:45 +0000

For info (from Microsoft) :
"Key-up and key-down messages typically occur in pairs, but if the user holds down a key long enough to start the keyboard's automatic repeat feature, the system generates a number of WM_KEYDOWN or WM_SYSKEYDOWN messages in a row. It then generates a single WM_KEYUP or WM_SYSKEYUP message when the user releases the key."

Thus, if my program do not generate multiple Key downs, it won't work like you wish :)
That was the explanation.

Wilfrid AVRILLON
Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:16:06 +0000

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