Know of a Hardware or Software Tool not listed? Post it here

[Ellay]

If you know of a hardware or software tool that does not have its own thread, please post here.

Make sure to include links of where to find / download, and a review of what it does. Threads will then be added for others to view and discuss.

[Nocturne]

To me a multibox setup needs not only be efficient but also look clean. When you start adding monitors, kybds, etc things can get out of hand in a hurry. We use these at work, and I've ordered a pair of verticals for the house. Most LCDs fit these (be sure to check the mounting specs for your display).

http://www.ergotron.com/ProfessionalProducts/MultimonitorMounts/tabid/159/Default.aspx

[Micah]

I have a DS100 Dual-Monitor Desk Stand, Vertical and a DS100 Quad-Monitor Desk Stand and I have to say, if anyone is thinking about a setup like this get multiple dual-monitor stands instead of the quad monitor stand. Moving around a quad monitor stand is a serious chore and requires two people.

[Torrid]

I read a few different reviews of the DS100 triple and quad stands that concluded the same thing you did Micah. The LX series is supposed to help solve some of the setup/config problems but on the flip side cost a little more.

I ordered the Ergotron LX Triple Display Lift Stand last week and it arrived on Saturday. Putting it together out of the box took about 2 minutes and couldn't have been easier. I'm waiting for two LCD's to arrive today so that I can actually put the thing to use. I'll post a screenshot and final comments once i've gotten things all setup and working tonight.

[Guldil]

Hi,

I'm using Multiplicity from Stardock

http://www.stardock.com/products/multiplicity/

Working very well, controlling my two PC (and Wow Account) with one mouse / keyboard.

[Torrid]

I used multiplicity for a very long time but switched to Multibox because as far as I know Multiplicity doesn't do key broadcasting. So you have to have your mouse focused on the individual screens in order to control each toon. :(

Aside from that, Multiplicity has worked very well for me for about 3 years.

[Guldil]

I develop my own program for key broadcasting :roll:

[Xzin]

Also - keep in mind the DS100 is modular. You can purchase a dual monitor arm and then upgrade it to a triple. Or buy a new base. Or a longer pole. Or buy your own pole (1.5" OD Tube, not Pipe).

The LX System is not something I have much experience with - but it seems to be a bit more flexible when it comes to adjusting up and down.

Honestly though, once you reach a certain point - you move your body around rather than move the 100+ lbs of monitors.

Or just setup the monitors correctly at the right height to begin with.

If you want to do this cheaply - take a look at this:

http://www.plastk.net/highres/24mon/

These guys over at VT seem to have used some cheap MDF board to get the job done. Clever and cheap - just watch out for MDF that contains formaldehyde and other nasty ingredients. Most of them do, surprisingly enough. Quite toxic to inhale when milling it - less so when it is sitting around.

[Anomaly]

Hardware that I use:

Matrox's triple head 2 go.

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/news/pr/2007/th2go_digital.php

Prior to starting to multi-box I ran wow across 3 screens, and this device is absolutely perfect! (well, i wish it did 1600x1200 x 3).

Now that I have started to multi, I can run 3 wows on seperate screens without a problem.

The software that comes with the hardware, tells Windows you have 1 monitor attached instead of 3 (at 3840x1024) = 1280x1024 x 3.

I am considering getting another one since my video card has two dvi outputs and seeing if I can run 6 monitors (with the OS only showing 2).

I found my Matrox from another website for under 300 bucks, so not bad for the ability to play across multiple screens or run 3 wow's on each.

(for those of you who opt to MBox w/software and not hardware)
_________________

[Kruiik]

on Linux - there is tool called XVKBD which you can use to control keyboard on that particular X-server.

http://homepage3.nifty.com/tsato/xvkbd/

xvkbd -text disables gui.

Possible usages are to bind G15, or any other non-standard device's, keys to scripts that launch xvkbd on same or different X-server.

[Morganti]

I used multiplicity for a very long time but switched to Multibox because as far as I know Multiplicity doesn't do key broadcasting. So you have to have your mouse focused on the individual screens in order to control each toon. :(

Aside from that, Multiplicity has worked very well for me for about 3 years.

I use Multiplicity with Multibox. Multiplicity allows me to have my 4 other PC's with no keyboard/mouse attached at all (much cleaner desk) and then I just use the key broadcasting from Multibox when I'm ready to play WoW.

[Freddie]

There's a new program called BotSquad that allows you to define hotkeys that can trigger actions in one or more windows on any PC on your network. A single keypress can perform the same action or different actions in several instances of a game.

It just went into public beta yesterday. You can download it for free from its website:

www.botsquad.net

(I'm the author of this program -- I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting a notice for the program here.)

[Ughmahedhurtz]

Personally, I use the Linkworld LK-1000 multimedia wireless keyboards. Lets you pair one KB to multiple receivers. No lag, no missed keys, battery life has been outstanding.

Downside is I did have about 20% dropout rate for defective parts. Took me 7 keyboards to get 5 that worked.

Upside is they're $19 each at Fry's and (once you get good ones) they do work very well.

[Xzin]

Could you name it ANYTHING other than Bot* ?

Multiboxers get enough flak as it is... and we are not botters.

Just a thought :(

[Wilbur]

Boxsquad?

[unit187]

Could you name it ANYTHING other than Bot* ?

Multiboxers get enough flak as it is... and we are not botters.

Just a thought :(

lol ye it is the worst possible name ever for this kind of program

[Freddie]

If that's the general reaction to the name, then yes, certainly, it can be changed.

Edit: Xzin, when you say "we are not botters," what exactly does the word "botter" mean to you?

I played a game for a while (DAOC) where multiloggers' groups were called botsquads ... I guess I got used to hearing the term.

[Xzin]

To bot to me means to automate gameplay with the "robot" like program. AKA Glide. Something not automated - when you "bot" in WoW, you are not physically at the controls. In conveys an "inhuman" element to it - something against the spirit and letter of Blizzes stated policies.

Multiboxing is playing more than 1 account at once. It could be on 1 machine, 5 or 10. Multiaccounting may be more technically accurate but doesn't sound quite right.

[Freddie]

Thanks a lot for the advice about the name of the program. I changed it today. It's now called HotkeyNet. It has a new website, too:

http://hotkeynet.com

Thanks a lot for the help.

[Wilbur]

For the UK Multiboxers who want something similar to X-keys

http://www.intolect.com/progkeyboards.htm

Seems to be more configurable (more layers) than X-keys, quite expensive though and I'm not sure if they are PS/2 or USB.

Also
http://www.ceratech.co.uk For a wide range of Mini-keyboards

and http://www.accesskeyboards.co.uk/ For a multitude of programmable keyboards

[Autofollow]

Thanks a lot for the advice about the name of the program. I changed it today. It's now called HotkeyNet. It has a new website, too:

http://hotkeynet.com

Thanks a lot for the help.

I just downloaded this, and when I try to install it on Win2k, it states that it requires WinXP or higher. Yet, the website clearly states Win2k is supported.

[Freddie]

I just downloaded this, and when I try to install it on Win2k, it states that it requires WinXP or higher. Yet, the website clearly states Win2k is supported.
Sorry about that. Thanks for telling me. In the future it might be better to report problems with my program on my forum, which is at www.hotkeynet.com.

I just made a new version of the program (build 18 ) and posted it on www.hotkeynet.com. It should start up on Win 2k. However I don't have Win 2k here so I can't test to see if it works. There may be a piece of code somewhere in the program that requires XP. I wrote most of the program a year ago and no longer remember everything I put into it. If build 18 doesn't run on 2k, please let me know and I'll try to fix it. Thanks again for the report.

[HPAVC]

www.hotkeynet.com.

Need to watch that trailing period. :)

The big issue I think that would stop people from using this, besides the BotSquad name, is that they don't know how many people have it installed and are not banned.

Personally this type of app sort of scares me, with the "send,sleep,send". Not to mention I wouldn't really want that.

[Freddie]

I agree about the name. I changed it to "HotkeyNet" a few days ago, but didn't have time to change the screenshots on the website.

I also agree about the uncertainty of getting banned. But since it's a new program, I don't know how to make the situation any different.


Personally this type of app sort of scares me, with the "send, sleep, send". Not to mention I wouldn't really want that.
The program only sleeps if the user defines a hotkey with the sleep command (which is called "wait" with this program). It's not something the program does on its own. It's entirely up to the user.

I was thinking of putting in a command that randomizes the length of the sleep. For example, <wait 1000 25%> would sleep between 1000 and 1250 milliseconds randomly.

[Ubor]

To bot to me means to automate gameplay with the "robot" like program. AKA Glide. Something not automated - when you "bot" in WoW, you are not physically at the controls. In conveys an "inhuman" element to it - something against the spirit and letter of Blizzes stated policies.

Multiboxing is playing more than 1 account at once. It could be on 1 machine, 5 or 10. Multiaccounting may be more technically accurate but doesn't sound quite right.

Yeah too true. I was only playing my little triple boxing setup for a few hours today and it was amazing the abuse I got (narrow minded f**ks :P )

Like Xzin says - if you can walk away from your computer you are botting. If nothing happens unless you make it - that isn't botting. Quite simple really. It's not like you can go to sleep is it? :P

And have to agree - those "sleep" commands and being able to stack up key pushes makes me sort of uneasy - even the Autohotkey stuff which has that in.

[Freddie]

Like Xzin says - if you can walk away from your computer you are botting. If nothing happens unless you make it - that isn't botting. Quite simple really. It's not like you can go to sleep is it? :P
Yes I understand now. "BotSquad" was definitely the wrong name for the program. It's just a hotkey program that can send commands to any window(s) on a network.


And have to agree - those "sleep" commands and being able to stack up key pushes makes me sort of uneasy - even the Autohotkey stuff which has that in.
I didn't put "sleep" in the program for unattended play. I included "sleep" because the program is designed (among other things) to send keystrokes to more than one window on a single PC with a single keypress. In certain cases, one or both windows have to be brought to the foreground (alt-tabbed) before the keystrokes can be injected. It takes time to bring a window to the foreground (sometimes several hundred milliseconds). In such cases the hotkey has to be defined with a delay so it waits while the appropriate window is being "alt-tabbed."

I should probably emphasize that I didn't write the program just for gaming. It's supposed to be a general-purpose network-capable hotkey program. I can think of plenty of uses for a "sleep" command that have nothing to do with games.

[HPAVC]

I was thinking of putting in a command that randomizes the length of the sleep. For example, <wait 1000 25%> would sleep between 1000 and 1250 milliseconds randomly.

...

I should probably emphasize that I didn't write the program just for gaming. It's supposed to be a general-purpose network-capable hotkey program. I can think of plenty of uses for a "sleep" command that have nothing to do with games.

I hear yeah there, but that wouldn't be the impression I would get if I was to visit your page: "With HotkeyNet, you can perform complex actions involving many characters with a single keystroke no matter which PCs the characters are on." (http://www.hotkeynet.com/ ) I am not seeing the industrial computing aspect of BotSquad.

And by complex your referring to an entire script of key presses, which quickly gets you to "gimme 5 frostbolts to go mr player2" to "gimme 5 frostbolts, potion, and 5 more frost bolts" either from one key press.

The way of the junior botting gun seems to be the sleep and any attempt to make things natural such as randomization. Obviously no attempt to scan wow's heap or the like is made.

[Freddie]

I hear yeah there, but that wouldn't be the impression I would get if I was to visit your page...
I wrote the beta website for gamers because I thought that was the easiest way to get testers. I thought they would immediately understand what the program does, unlike most other people. Also, there are lots of forums for gamers where the beta could be announced.


I am not seeing the industrial computing aspect of BotSquad.
The place to see this is the instructions which describe what the program actually does. It's a hotkey program that can send commands to individual windows anywhere on a network. The program doesn't care whether those windows are games or any other programs. There is nothing game-specific about what it actually does.


The way of the junior botting gun seems to be the sleep and any attempt to make things natural such as randomization.
Randomization doesn't seem to have any use except for games. (In some games, it would be useful for both attended and unattended play.) That's probably why I have not put it into the program, although I thought about it.

Sleep is different. It's not only useful for a wide range of uses, it's essential for many of them. That's why I did put sleep in the program.


Obviously no attempt to scan wow's heap or the like is made.
That's right, the program does nothing of that sort. It's purely a general-purpose hotkey program. It knows nothing about WoW or any other games. It just sends keystrokes to windows -- any windows, not just game windows.

[smiles]

First: thanks for sharing the beginning of a great program at a great price :)

In v0.1.7, build 18.

Using a relatively simple script, I am unable to have hotkeys passed to a second instance of EverQuest (not EQ2).

[code:1] <hotkey w>
<sendpc local>
<sendwin test1>
w
<sendwin test2>
w
<restore>
[/code:1]

Using two renamed instances of notepad, the "w" passes to each notepad instance (named test1 and test2) as expected, regardless of what program is in the foreground.

Using two renamed instances of EverQuest (named test1 and test2), the "w" does not pass if a non-EverQuest program is in the foreground. If one of the EverQuest instances is in the foreground, "w" is captured twice (I assume once by the keystroke, and once by HotKeyNet).

A seperate issue: "sendwinM" did not seem to work, even in the notepad test.

[Freddie]

First: thanks for sharing the beginning of a great program at a great price :)
Welcome! :) I'm happy to reply to any comments about my program here, but I'm worried that this thread may not be the right place for this kind of conversation. My apologies to the folks who run this forum if this is inappropriate. Maybe comments about my program should be in a separate thread, or maybe they should be moved to my forum, which is at www.hotkeynet.com .


If one of the EverQuest instances is in the foreground, "w" is captured twice (I assume once by the keystroke, and once by HotKeyNet).
That's right. One of the w's is produced in the normal way by your keypress, not by HotkeyNet. For this reason it's better to use a nonprinting key like F1 as the trigger key when you test a macro. It's easier to see what's happening.


Using two renamed instances of notepad, the "w" passes to each notepad instance (named test1 and test2) as expected, regardless of what program is in the foreground.
Good, so we know HKN is set up properly and that the hotkey definition is written correctly.


Using a relatively simple script, I am unable to have hotkeys passed to a second instance of EverQuest (not EQ2).
I don't have an EQ account so I can't test myself whether HotkeyNet works with it. It may not. It's extremely easy for a game publisher to prevent HotkeyNet from working (I didn't do anything tricky with HKN to try to prevent publishers from disabling it).

However my first guess is that it's not working because EQ takes longer to move to the foreground than Notepad does, and you didn't put a delay in the hotkey definition. This is why HotkeyNet needs a "sleep" command. It has nothing to do with unattended play. It has to do with the fact that HKN has to bring each of your windows to the foreground before it injects keystrokes with <sendwin>, and this takes quite a bit of time. If you don't tell HKN to delay in your hotkey definition, it will try to inject the keystrokes as fast as it reads the hotkey definition, and the keystrokes will get injected before one or both windows finishing moving to the foreground. So I would try something like this for test purposes:

[code:1]<hotkey F1>
<sendpc local>
<sendwin test1>
<wait 1000>
X
<sendwin test2>
<wait 1000>
Y
<restore>
[/code:1]

Once you get this working you can try omitting one of the <wait>'s and reducing the length of time for the remaining one.


A seperate issue: "sendwinM" did not seem to work, even in the notepad test.
That's not surprising. <SendwinM> is a kludge. It won't work with all programs, but when it does, it's nice because it doesn't require a delay for windows to be brought to the foreground. As the beta goes on I will fiddle with it a bit to try to make it work with a wider range of programs.

Thanks a lot for testing and taking time to tell me the results. I really appeciate it! And once again, my apologies to the moderator here if this thread is the wrong place for this kind of conversation.

[ytrehod]

I just got one of these Wolfking Warrior keyboards (http://www.wolfkingusa.com/wga.html) (Newegg link (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823146004)) and I'm really starting to like it. Took a bit to get used to after my n52, but having a lot more keys to work with was the attraction for me. The downside is that it's not programmable, just a redesigned keyboard. And I've added a few more tactile queues to mine so I can use it without having to look at it anymore.

The main reason I decided to try this out was the easy access to Fkeys. I thought it would make controlling different class groups easier. Bind the mages to Fkeys and warlocks to number keys and have the ability to independantly control the two groups. Still getting used to it and working out the kinks, but I have to say I'm happy with the purchase.

[Funkytuna]

Revoltec Fightpad

This looked kinda interesting and has macro features -

http://www.fightpatrol.net/fightpatrol.net/index.php?StoryID=5

They also have a keyboard with macro features

Review of fightpad -

http://www.xsreviews.co.uk/reviews/peripherals/revoltec-fightpad-advanced/