Sending control-key doesnt work

[Ron]

The sendkeys is not garanteed to work. This is because windows never intended an application to do this. So thing you should try is sending the keystroke to a different window, maybe a child window, or just the toplevel. Try the mouse event, the message capture. Be creative :smile:

[Ron]

You really want to know ? :wink:

If I knew why I might have a chance at getting it to work. My guess is that this program uses a lower level method of polling the keyboard than normal, so Girder cannot make this without the use of kernel drivers can make. But your guess is as good as mine on this.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: RonB on 2001-10-22 22:24 ]</font>

[vu1tur]

well, make sure you have alternative proc checked and that you're sending this to the right window. Also check case.

[zigguratt]

I have exactly the same trouble. If a key command is just a plain key everything's fine, but if it needs ctrl, alt or shift it doesn't work.

I have no solution; I'm just indicating that the problem isn't isolated to one user.

[Comic]

I'm using Girder together with the Irman remote receiver to remote control my ATI AIW card. I'm using the keyboardtab for sending commands to the TV program.
When sending "special keys" (like Enter or Delete) or common keys (like "S" or "Z"), all is working great (Alternative proc. enabled), but when I want to send a control character (like <ctrl-R>), I dont get it. I tried Girder versions 3.023 and 3.024pre3.
I also tried the ATI plug ins with messaging and these work great too, but they miss the possibility to send the "record" command (wich is <ctrl-R>).
Please help!

Thanks!,
Pieter

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Comic on 2001-10-22 09:10 ]</font>

[Comic]

Vu1tur,
I did check (and also uncheck) the alternative proc. To be sure the key is sent to correct window, I copied the command from another command that had a "special key" (like Delete) for the same window and was working ok and then only changed the command to send a control character.
So I'm quite sure this is not the problem. I'm using Win98; Should I perhaps load some plug-in or dll to enable this functionality?
Pieter

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Comic on 2001-10-22 09:09 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Comic on 2001-10-22 09:10 ]</font>

[Comic]

RonB,
Thanks for your answer; I'll try other ways, but could you please explain why the same program (ATI MMC) accepts sendkeys for "special keys" like [enter] and non control characters, like [S] or [Z], while <ctrl-R> is not accepted?
Thanks!,
Pieter

[Comic]

I found two ways out of my problem of wanting to use my remote to start and stop recording the ATI MMC program (using control-R):

1) start using a similar program, called uICE (http://www.mediatexx.com/tour.htm). This program does work with the controlled characters and so almost all functions work. As in girder you can also tell the program to what window the commands have to be sent. The flipside of this solution is that it has to be registered after 30 days of use (US$ 20) and that I got the impression that it didn't respond as well as girder to my remote!

2) Download and install the program macromaker (http://members.ij.net/anthonymathews/MacroMaker.htm). The program is freeware and meant to send keypresses (macros) after hitting a hotkey. However, you can not program such a hotkey in gider, because it simply does not work!. I solved this by making a macro ATIRECORD (which is meant to send <ctl-R>) and assign this to the <scroll-lock> key. The macro consists of the following commands: delay 500, ctl-on,r-on, r-off, ctl-off. In girder I made a record multi-command consisting of the following 2 actions: 1. setfocus to TV (brings atimmc to foreground), 2. execute "<path>\macromaker.exe" " atirecord"
The extra in this solution is that pressing the <scroll-lock> key starts and stops recording on you keyboard (easier than <ctl-R>).

Since girder is more stable, versatile and the both used programs are freeware for non commecial users, I recommend the second solution.

I hope that all that were searching for a similar solution read this before the have have to spend as many hours to find a good solution as I have ;) .

Please leave a repy if you found this usefull or when you found an alternative solution!

[ocs]

Admittedly I have only played with Girder for a little while (and done a bit of research here and on the Showshifter site), but it appears I am facing the same problem with Showshifter (www.showshifter.com):

'Special keys' work fine, but any modifiers (Ctrl, Alt) don't seem to get passed along to Showshifter. They work fine with, say, notepad (e.g., Alt-F pops down the File menu). Showshifter only receives the unmodified key, i.e. ALT-F1 is interpreted as F1. If I hold down the keyboard's ALT key while pressing the F1-assigned button on the remote, Showshifter does the right thing.

I am using Showshifter 2.0.1, Girder 3.2.8 and the Igor plugin 1.0.8
(all latest versions, I think). The remote is the old Packard Bell one.

What's really weird is that got my Girder GML file from another Showshifter
user (who's using a different remote). I just made it 're-learn' the
Packard Bell buttons, but left the keyboard mappings untouched (I did
look at them and they appear to be correct). The other user has no
problems using the same version of Showshifter and Girder...

Unless someone has any ideas of what I could be doing wrong, I guess
I will try the Macromaker workaround.

Thanks,
Oliver

[Euth]

I found two ways out of my problem of wanting to use my remote to start and stop recording the ATI MMC program (using control-R):

1) start using a similar program, called uICE (http://www.mediatexx.com/tour.htm). This program does work with the controlled characters and so almost all functions work. As in girder you can also tell the program to what window the commands have to be sent. The flipside of this solution is that it has to be registered after 30 days of use (US$ 20) and that I got the impression that it didn't respond as well as girder to my remote!

2) Download and install the program macromaker (http://members.ij.net/anthonymathews/MacroMaker.htm). The program is freeware and meant to send keypresses (macros) after hitting a hotkey. However, you can not program such a hotkey in gider, because it simply does not work!. I solved this by making a macro ATIRECORD (which is meant to send <ctl-R>) and assign this to the <scroll-lock> key. The macro consists of the following commands: delay 500, ctl-on,r-on, r-off, ctl-off. In girder I made a record multi-command consisting of the following 2 actions: 1. setfocus to TV (brings atimmc to foreground), 2. execute "<path>\macromaker.exe" " atirecord"
The extra in this solution is that pressing the <scroll-lock> key starts and stops recording on you keyboard (easier than <ctl-R>).

Since girder is more stable, versatile and the both used programs are freeware for non commecial users, I recommend the second solution.

I hope that all that were searching for a similar solution read this before the have have to spend as many hours to find a good solution as I have ;) .

Please leave a repy if you found this usefull or when you found an alternative solution!

You're awesome Comic.
Saved me at least a day of screwing around trying to figure this out :)

Thanks a bunch!