A legal way to box on the same machine

[schmonz]

.. would be a program which starts multiple instances of WoW, and would set the focus on the windows in order, means it would swap the focus from window 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 in a matter of a few miliseconds, and you would spam the damage key, which would be sent to the window which actually has the focus.

This would not be broadcasting, but just focus swapping.

[nodoze]

.. would be a program which starts multiple instances of WoW, and would set the focus on the windows in order, means it would swap the focus from window 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 in a matter of a few miliseconds, and you would spam the damage key, which would be sent to the window which actually has the focus.

This would not be broadcasting, but just focus swapping.Great idea.

I think that or something similar is in process with the new "skinny" fork of ISboxer to a new set/install of software named "Joe Multiboxer" (codename: jmb) that does not have any key broadcasting but strong game window management and I believe multiple switching options.

You should join the ISboxer Discord and review the #jmp_faq channel and participate in the #jmb_general channel and make sure you ideas are shared there.

I am not 100% sure if this link works as I am already a member so I can't test joining again but I believe this is the link the ISBoxer Discord where "Joe MultiBoxer" (JMB) is being discussed in mainly the #jmb_general channel:

https://discord.com/invite/ESxEzhs

[Tin]

or just push the >live chat< on the top of this forum

[jak3676]

As for window focus, we've been discussing how to rapidly change that with a keystroke or via mouseover. if you do it via keystoke, you can macro that into your regular rotation.

I suppose someone could automate the changing of window control - as that automation would be completely outside of the WoW client. Somehow that doesn't feel right to me - perhaps I'm not justified in my concern there though.

[nodoze]

As for window focus, we've been discussing how to rapidly change that with a keystroke or via mouseover. if you do it via keystoke, you can macro that into your regular rotation.

I suppose someone could automate the changing of window control - as that automation would be completely outside of the WoW client. Somehow that doesn't feel right to me - perhaps I'm not justified in my concern there though.I think the concern is justified.

Using fast window switching to effectively MultiCast, let alone automate, is likely to cause issues...

[nodoze]

As for window focus, we've been discussing how to rapidly change that with a keystroke or via mouseover. if you do it via keystoke, you can macro that into your regular rotation. ...How are you changing window focus to a specific window in a 5box with a keystroke?

[jak3676]

<windows + 1> on a programable keyboard

[nodoze]

<windows + 1> on a programable keyboardDid you find a way out of the preview and get it to be both consistent and quick to a given window?

I tried multiple settings and doing <windows+1> three times to get to window 3 and then do a key just seemed inconsistent (especially if things started to get hairy and I pushed the keys fast).

If you have it working pretty well can you do a quick video on how it is looking what the changes were to make it fast/consistent?

[jak3676]

I need to do more in game testing to see how convenient it is - I also haven't tested while I also have focus-follows-mouse turned on, so need to see how those 2 play together.

But don't do windows+1 3 times to get to window 3 - use windows+3 to get to widow 3. Open your clients in a fresh virtual desktop so you have them each in 1-5 order on your taskbar. There's no preview when switching to a numbered tab - that's the difference between alt+tab, alt+esc and windows+number

[nodoze]

I need to do more in game testing to see how convenient it is - I also haven't tested while I also have focus-follows-mouse turned on, so need to see how those 2 play together.

But don't do windows+1 3 times to get to window 3 - use windows+3 to get to widow 3. Open your clients in a fresh virtual desktop so you have them each in 1-5 order on your taskbar. There's no preview when switching to a numbered tab - that's the difference between alt+tab, alt+esc and windows+numberVery ingenous. I had not thought about putting them 1 per virtual desktop... Are you still able to see them like this when you do them 1 per desktop?:

https://i.gyazo.com/038d7d1d9dc3ff0fa92287772152fbbb.jpg

[jak3676]

I'm not doing separate virtual desktops for each client. I open 1 fresh virtual desktop "<windows key> + Ctrl + D", just so I don't have to worry about closing other applications on the task bar. On my fresh virtual desktop I have 5 copies of wowclassic.exe pinned to my taskbar (wowclassic.exe, wowclassic1.exe, wowclassic2.exe, etc). You can't just pin the same .exe 5 times - you have to rename the file. (I experimented with renaming these windows after I ran a single exe, but it proved much simpler to just rename the .exe five times before I open it)

Then I open all 5 WoW clients on that same virtual desktop - that way each window is in position 1-5 on the taskbar and I can switch between them with <windows key> + 1, <windows key> + 2, etc. But I still have all 5 clients open on the same virtual desktop. If you did different virtual desktops for each client, I don't know of a way to get all 5 of them to display at the same time.

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I know there's a way to edit one of the config.wtf file in real time so that each wow.exe that you open will be passed only the parameters for that window (different account names, reduced gfx settings for your followers, etc). Then you open each wow.exe with a different batch file for those settings. But I don't know how to do that while having different wow.exe's pinned to the taskbar - I may need to go back to the old-school symlink method. For now I'm just dealing with all 5 windows opening with the same parameters.

I feel like every weekend I'm still completely adjusting how I have everything set up. Going from 5 accounts spread across 3 monitors does not work well for mouseover focus. (This is not my setup, but my monitor setup is identical to this: https://gyazo.com/4cca07595bc4b0e4eb5562b23c0313ee, which lets me play like this: https://gyazo.com/316303c4a551f058688d408091eb2edd).

So I put them all on a single monitor with the alts in tiny windows on the right hand side which is fine for mouseover focus, but now everything is too small to see, and my action bars on the right hand side are getting in the way. I may be able to play with my UI to get it simplified to only display what I really need - but I'm afraid that will still be too small. I think I want a 2nd 32" monitor so I can keep my main on 1 screen, and then 4-alts split in quarters on the 2nd monitor, but I'm going to wait another month+ for the dust to settle before investing in more hardware.

In the mean time, if anyone has a good small screen, simplified UI for their followers, I'd love to see it.

[nodoze]

I'm not doing separate virtual desktops for each client. I open 1 fresh virtual desktop "<windows key> + Ctrl + D", just so I don't have to worry about closing other applications on the task bar. On my fresh virtual desktop I have 5 copies of wowclassic.exe pinned to my taskbar (wowclassic.exe, wowclassic1.exe, wowclassic2.exe, etc). You can't just pin the same .exe 5 times - you have to rename the file. (I experimented with renaming these windows after I ran a single exe, but it proved much simpler to just rename the .exe five times before I open it)

Then I open all 5 WoW clients on that same virtual desktop - that way each window is in position 1-5 on the taskbar and I can switch between them with <windows key> + 1, <windows key> + 2, etc. But I still have all 5 clients open on the same virtual desktop. If you did different virtual desktops for each client, I don't know of a way to get all 5 of them to display at the same time.

--------------------------------

I know there's a way to edit one of the config.wtf file in real time so that each wow.exe that you open will be passed only the parameters for that window (different account names, reduced gfx settings for your followers, etc). Then you open each wow.exe with a different batch file for those settings. But I don't know how to do that while having different wow.exe's pinned to the taskbar - I may need to go back to the old-school symlink method. For now I'm just dealing with all 5 windows opening with the same parameters.

I feel like every weekend I'm still completely adjusting how I have everything set up. Going from 5 accounts spread across 3 monitors does not work well for mouseover focus. (This is not my setup, but my monitor setup is identical to this: https://gyazo.com/4cca07595bc4b0e4eb5562b23c0313ee, which lets me play like this: https://gyazo.com/316303c4a551f058688d408091eb2edd).

So I put them all on a single monitor with the alts in tiny windows on the right hand side which is fine for mouseover focus, but now everything is too small to see, and my action bars on the right hand side are getting in the way. I may be able to play with my UI to get it simplified to only display what I really need - but I'm afraid that will still be too small. I think I want a 2nd 32" monitor so I can keep my main on 1 screen, and then 4-alts split in quarters on the 2nd monitor, but I'm going to wait another month+ for the dust to settle before investing in more hardware.

In the mean time, if anyone has a good small screen, simplified UI for their followers, I'd love to see it.Thanks so much for sharing your research and testing as I think it is helpful for the community. Your setup makes more sense to me now after reading the above post.

I am slowly getting used to my single 42" 4K (3840x2160) monitor... Last week 42" was still bothering me but it seems to be bothering me less and less... The advantage of it being so big is that I may have enough "real-estate" to do it all on one monitor and even see enough details in the smaller winodows... Not 100% sure yet but I am thinking of doing my 5box setup like Tuts n' Stuff is doing here:

https://youtu.be/B45FL6aOT7k?t=449

I drive from my Paladin Tank and for now I will just mouse down to the healer window to mouse-over-focus heal from the Healer (I will make a bigger party frame than he has in this example and likely have it go left-to-right rather than up-to-down)...

For the 3 DPS I will have them in smaller windows forming a quadrant with the lower-right-hand corner of my tank's window and for DPS rotations I will rotate my mouse in a quick circle around that corner and spam my DPS key as I do it. I am playing Paladin+3Locks+Priest so my DPS rotation is a 15 second channel so i won't need to do that very often (unlike mages spamming Arcane Explosions).

I actually like having the extra open slot (if on a single monitor) as that is where I put my iTunes mini-player or youtube miniplayer so I can have visuals and mouse over controls when I want them... I also sometimes put my Discord chat in that open spot so I can see conversations while playing and help if/when I can.

While I am glad to be helping folk come up with solutions I suspect for me in the end I will really just look forward to Joe MultiBoxer (JMB) and likely just do mouse-over-focus until then... If JMB has even just half the polish and ease of use that Lax has always put into ISboxer then it will be more than worth it for me than all these other solutions...