New to dual/multi boxing and ran into an issue with Windows 8.

[Coanunn]

So, the subject says the base of the problem, I'm running windows 8. That is a problem because as a disabled person I have limited income and was trying to stick with strictly free products and the one I chose was HotKeyNet, which apparently doesn't support windows 8. I am sort of at the end of my rope and about to go back to just putting the second character on follow and tabbing back and forth for crucial interactions but doing the work on the primary because I simply can't seem to find an option that works in Windows 8 but is also free. I apologize if this is covered elsewhere on the site, I did some searching and found several topics about which program was better but nothing that dealt specifically with the OS issue I'm having.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

[MiRai]

This is the first report I think I've heard that HKN doesn't work in Windows 8. What does the program do if you run it in a compatibility mode for Windows 7?

[Coanunn]

Thanks for looking into this for me. So far what has happened is that it does not actually replicate any keyboard commands. I have the script from their site running along with rebinds of all of the movement keys to follow command macros, but the only thing that gets sent to the second client window are mouse clicks and only if I hold down the OEM key. Even the mouse clicks will only replicate the first mouse click. No other commands are being sent over to the second window. In order to test this I even opened chat on the secondary account to capture any keystrokes and none were captured. I've had this happen both in compatibility mode as well as normal. I looked and the HKN site specifically states it only supports up to Windows 7 and there are no threads there in regards to work arounds for the compatibility issue, therefore I took them at their word that it was unsupported.

[aspekx]

are you running 8 or 8.1?

as far as i can tell i am running 8 (not 8.1) and i am running HotKeyNet without any problems (except for my noobish scripting :o).

can we assume you have been launching HKN with admin priviliges by right clicking the .exe?

also a mistake i made right after downloading it was trying to launch hotkeynet_km.exe rather than hotkeynet.exe

[Coanunn]

are you running 8 or 8.1?

as far as i can tell i am running 8 (not 8.1) and i am running HotKeyNet without any problems (except for my noobish scripting :o).

can we assume you have been launching HKN with admin priviliges by right clicking the .exe?

also a mistake i made right after downloading it was trying to launch hotkeynet_km.exe rather than hotkeynet.exe

I am running 8.1. I did not default to admin privledges via the contextual menu but have it set to prompt for access during launch so it is running in admin. My script was a copy and past off the HKN site and as such is below even "noobish" level and at "I stole it" level at best. As far as I know I have not launched the wrong program on any of my attempts.

[Coanunn]

Also, I am fully willing to admit this is likely an error between keyboard and chair if others are not having these issues with this program. It is quite likely I have done something complete daft or incorrect.

[aspekx]

so we can noob this out together maybe until someone brighter and more experienced jumps in :D

it sounds like you are getting the game to launch via hotkeys that you set up in HKN. (btw which game are you playing?)

but that once ingame you can't get keys or mouse clicks to broadcast properly to the game clients you have running.

is this the case?

[Coanunn]

Thank you again for the help, I was literally one step from just giving up. I am running WoW trying to capitalize on the Black Friday sale for an RAF to reroll on a new server. So far I can use Ctrl+Alt+L to launch the game, I hit scroll lock, log into both clients, reposition them where I want them on the screen (stacked by offset so that I can only see the bottom & right hand edge of the second screen is what I've done so far), hit scroll lock again and hit Ctrl+R to rename the windows. All of that works. I'll hit scroll lock, go through party creation, make sure both are close to each other, etc, hit scroll lock again and from the main screen start hitting movement keys and that is where it fails. Nothing happens on the second client at all. Now if I manually position both somewhere or manually click anything on the screen while holding down OEM3 key the FIRST mouse click will translate, but after that it is the same as keyboard commands, nothing is replicated to the second client.

[aspekx]

can you post your script?

if you go into the advanced settings for posting [Go Advanced] there is a hashtag# symbol that should let you post code here.

i can think of a couple of things that occur to me reading the above, but 1. im as new as you are and 2. it'd be better to see the script you've got running first.

[Coanunn]

Full copy and paste from http://hotkeynet.com/wow/wow-sample-two-on-one.html save that I modified the file path for the exe. As I said before, I'm still at the "I stole it" level of scripts for this as my understanding is exactly bubkiss so far.

Now the other half of the "setup" per the tutorial video I watched was to set my bottom right action bar keys to wasdqe and assign a "/follow maintoonname" (yes, I used my toon name) to each button, unbinding them on the second client from movement so that all movement was translated as /follow commands. They also had me create macros that set the focus of the secondary character to the main and cast ability on target of target.

Sample:
/focus coanunn
/targetfocustarget
/cast Arcane Shot

[aspekx]

Full copy and paste from http://hotkeynet.com/wow/wow-sample-two-on-one.html save that I modified the file path for the exe. As I said before, I'm still at the "I stole it" level of scripts for this as my understanding is exactly bubkiss so far.

ya im a complete 'copypasta' scripter.



1. okay you launch the game with the Alt+Ctrl+L subroutine of your script (your post says you used Ctrl+Alt+L, typo? i don't even know if it matters) and then rename them via Ctrl+R part of your script. but! the subroutines look like they are setup to already rename them.

2. also, the script is using the cmd SendWinM but i had to turn on the option for that cmd to work in HKN via Options > Send Mode Settings. apparently there are tiers of cmds some of which work and some which don't. SendWinM is a step above SendWinS for instance.

3. the other thing is only something ive read about on the forums (and im trying to remember which forum now so i can look it up again). what was apparently happening was that Windows does not natively recognize key commands sent to a background window. which i think is why all the scripts seem to have the script that sizes and places their windows. just a thought.

[aspekx]

another quick note: im playing EQ2 and when my script was using ScrollLock as the toggle for turning HKN hotkeys off/on it was screwing with my keyboard while ingame. i changed the hotkey to CapsLock and it behaved better but like you, im still having issues as well.

but that may have just been an EQ2 issue.

[Coanunn]

AMEN.. Apparently there was an issue with the script. I grabbed a copy from the guy who hosted the video on youtube that I had followed and it fixed all but a targeting issue which was an issue with the macro not HKN. So for basics I'm all set, now to learn some of the other things because I'm still having to tab back and forth to talk to quest givers as they replication for the mouse doesn't help if the pointer is in the wrong place due to one character following the other. THANK YOU so much for your help guys!

[aspekx]

AMEN.. Apparently there was an issue with the script. I grabbed a copy from the guy who hosted the video on youtube that I had followed and it fixed all but a targeting issue which was an issue with the macro not HKN. So for basics I'm all set, now to learn some of the other things because I'm still having to tab back and forth to talk to quest givers as they replication for the mouse doesn't help if the pointer is in the wrong place due to one character following the other. THANK YOU so much for your help guys!


can you do me a favor, so i can learn what was going on, post the new script please?

i will be a sadpanda if i don't get to figure out what was different.

[Coanunn]

http://pastebin.com/MaaAEhNC, from what I'm seeing it looks like the way the movement keys were mapped is a big difference but that doesn't explain why nothing was being carried over, but then I'm still just really guessing in the dark.

[aspekx]

http://pastebin.com/MaaAEhNC, from what I'm seeing it looks like the way the movement keys were mapped is a big difference but that doesn't explain why nothing was being carried over, but then I'm still just really guessing in the dark.


THANKS! really appreciated. and good luck with your RAF and such.

[JohnGabriel]

[..snip..]
Thank you for any help you can provide.

Hello Coanunn,

Please download and try IsBoxer (http://www.lavishsoft.com/) for a 7 day free trial.

If IsBoxer works for you, I have a 90 day subscription to give you for free.

[aspekx]

it's interesting i made the minor tweaks for EQ2 and my setup with that final script you found Coanunn and i can't get the hotkeys on my #1 toolbar to pass through.

i can click on 9 in Hotbar 1 on the first character who performs the ability that is hotkeyed there, but the second character does not.

stranger still the HKN debugger states that command went through:

From this pc: <SendWinM EQ1><Key 9><SendWinM EQ2><Key 9>
<SendWinM EQ1> completed: Window found. Target set to 0xB05BC "EQ1"
<Key 9> completed
<SendWinM EQ2> completed: Window found. Target set to 0x18065E "EQ2"
<Key 9> completed

very odd indeed Mr Holmes.

anywho, if anyone else sees this and cares to assist that would be great. we are basically talking about the same issue with keys apparently not working. the last script fixed it for Coanunn, but no luck here.

[Khatovar]

anywho, if anyone else sees this and cares to assist that would be great. we are basically talking about the same issue with keys apparently not working. the last script fixed it for Coanunn, but no luck here.

EQ2 and WoW are different games and act differently. What works in one game/script doesn't necessarily mean it will work in the other.

For example, SendWinM doesn't work with EQ2 (http://www.hotkeynet.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=162). Also, EQ2 doesn't respond to background commands, it needs to be the foreground window. You will probably need to adjust the Background Focus Delays in the Send Mode settings.


Now the other half of the "setup" per the tutorial video I watched was to set my bottom right action bar keys to wasdqe and assign a "/follow maintoonname" (yes, I used my toon name) to each button, unbinding them on the second client from movement so that all movement was translated as /follow commands. They also had me create macros that set the focus of the secondary character to the main and cast ability on target of target.

Sample:
/focus coanunn
/targetfocustarget
/cast Arcane Shot


Movement keys are not the same as hotkeys. You should not be assigning a key to be a movement key and trying to use it like a hotkey. There should never be a need to unbind keys in the game itself. If you're unbinding keys in the game and then trying to send those same keys to the game, there's nothing bound, so the game has nothing to do with the commands you are sending.

I'd suggest anyone looking to use HotKeyNet read the Newb Script Walkthrough (http://genus-industri.us/wp/2011/09/09/configuring-a-hotkeynet-starter-script/).


So for basics I'm all set, now to learn some of the other things because I'm still having to tab back and forth to talk to quest givers as they replication for the mouse doesn't help if the pointer is in the wrong place due to one character following the other. THANK YOU so much for your help guys!


For this, you should look at Jamba and the Newbie's Guides in my sig.

[aspekx]

hopefully Coanunn will check back and see this as well.

i think i am following the same basic guide as located on the linked website. i found this in the wiki: HotKey a New Boxer's Guide (http://www.dual-boxing.com/wiki/index.php/HotKeyNet_A_New_Boxer's_Guide)

next i figured i would try to work my way through olipcs tutorial (http://www.dual-boxing.com/threads/16177-Guide-HowTo-use-HotKeyNet-for-boxing?p=147982#post147982) as well.

the movement script i added thinking i could 'comment it out' of the overall script and wrestle with it later along with mouse script.

as for the HKN forum link on EQ2 scripting .. ya wow. that is convoluted just a tad.

i had suggested on the forums that they find a means of letting players use their alts as mercs, like GW1 had done. perhaps by simply skinning the current merc AI with the alt's appearance. a few folks thought it was a good idea, but not enough apparently to get any momentum behind it.

so this was my next option to look into.

while i have surprisingly found learning the scripting quite engaging, the actual boxing may not really be my cup of tea.

[Coanunn]

Hello Coanunn,

Please download and try IsBoxer (http://www.lavishsoft.com/) for a 7 day free trial.

If IsBoxer works for you, I have a 90 day subscription to give you for free.

Thank you very much. I will certainly give it a try today, it seems to be one of the most popular on this site and I was rather let down I couldn't afford it to begin.


Movement keys are not the same as hotkeys. You should not be assigning a key to be a movement key and trying to use it like a hotkey. There should never be a need to unbind keys in the game itself. If you're unbinding keys in the game and then trying to send those same keys to the game, there's nothing bound, so the game has nothing to do with the commands you are sending.

I'd suggest anyone looking to use HotKeyNet read the Newb Script Walkthrough (http://genus-industri.us/wp/2011/09/09/configuring-a-hotkeynet-starter-script/).

For this, you should look at Jamba and the Newbie's Guides in my sig.

The guide I had followed had you unbind the movement keys in the second client in order to use all movement key strokes to refresh the follow command for that client. While I certainly don't understand all the mechanics difference in how HKN treats movement keys, I can say that the setup was working for me for several hours of game play and even allowed me to have the characters move and jump accurately together. As I stated above I'll be working with ISBoxer's trial today, but if for some reason that doesn't work for me I will certainly check the guides you linked.

Again, to all who have commented and been so helpful, I can't thank you enough.

EDIT: Having now tried ISBoxer I can't say enough how much I enjoy this software. It has made me contemplate continuing to multi-box even after the benefits of my current RAF expire. I had a very bad moment with their IRC support channel during setup which very nearly brought the whole attempt to an end and will be submitting a ticket to the author to change the login to reflect that it wants you "email address" rather than username or to change it to accept username but otherwise it's been a very enjoyable experience. Mirai's tutorial videos can not be over appreciated as they walk you through the entire process of setup. Initial setup is both far more complex but also easier than HKN as the basics can be done via a simple wizard. I'll stop preaching to the choir on this one, but thank you all for helping me get this all set up and working.

[aspekx]

ya i have the 7day trial. i really think it's a very robust and versatile piece of software for multiboxing.

anyone considering multiboxing really needs to at least try it out to see what is possible.


i would add that my foray into HKN really helped me gain a better grasp of what ISBoxer is doing and made tweaking it much clearer.

obviously it's two different pieces of software, but since they both deal with the same issues having to script made me understand some things i just wasn't grasping.