Interbox 1.0 - software KM switch

[skarlot]

Interbox is a software KM switch (keyboard & mouse) - this lets you mouse off the edge of one PC and onto another. It's primarily written for multi-boxing World of Warcraft, but will work with most applications/games. It supports multi monitors with a flexible transition system. It is also fast and accurate.

This is staying a relatively lightweight non-broadcasting application and designed to cooperate with broadcasting apps.

It does not and will not mouse/key broadcast to other PC's at the same time. That is left Octopus and (possible) Octopus 2, amongst other free apps. That is only useful to 1 instance per single monitor PC without window lists/target areas, and so forth, which is not the purpose of this application!

Please note this is not designed to run with Octopus.

http://hosted.filefront.com/SkarlotMultibox/ has ZIPS with the old webpages in them which will be off line soon.

http://www.skarlot.net/ for web pages
http://skarlot.net/download/ for download.. (yeah really!)


Features:

• 32 bit and 64 bit builds, cross compatible. (with every update).
• Supports multi monitors and responds to display setting changes automatically.
• Supports 5 mouse buttons.
• Clipboard text copied to all other clients.
• Tracks/predicts the mouse position (via Raw Input API) during server transitions and adjusts for error, guaranteeing 100% reliability.
• Transitions have adjustable range and allow crossing corners, and a margin % that will allow for splitting horizontal/vertical span modes.
• Caters to monitor arrangements where mouse looking in WoW may cause transitions.
• No mouse hook means no mouse slow down or need to alter system mouse speeds.
• Force exit via LALT + Pause.
• Auto reconnection & auto start options.
• Process specific focus follows mouse.
• Sends mouse movement via TCP or UDP. All other communication is TCP.
• Supports any mouse speed (according to control panel/mouse settings) but currently not mouse acceleration on the server. (it may work, but transition detection is not guaranteed on the server - especially mid desktop).
• Detects specific processes launching and reinstall hooks, theoretically preventing double keys with broadcasting apps.
• Log with debugging option.
• It's .NET but any important code is unmanaged (faster).

Current supported software

• World of Warcraft
• Keyclone
• HotKeyNet

Planned features: (in priority)

• Web auto update. (posssible)
• Additional clipboard types, files, etc.

Guidelines

Keyclone - good idea to have a KM first in line with hooks, by setting it to detect keyclone.exe. Setting "call remaining keyboard hook chain" may help latency on server background windows, but expect keyclone to ignore the foreground window on the server anyway. Focusless/leaderless may be error nous with the latter on.

HotKeyNet - detects HotKeyNet SendWin messages and allows them to pass through with option on. Call remaining keyboard hook chain would allow scripts to stay working when on a client, regardless of hook order. Don't know the program well, but this app provides a few possibilities.

Changes

1.0

• Activation controls disable when activated (as intended).
• Fixed a problem when startup run wouldn't read the license file (due working directory probably).
• Server will recover properly after PC has been in sleep/hibernate etc.
• Log buffering while the log window shut limited to 100 lines.

0.98

• Tidied dialog.
• Added tooltips.
• Added options to support HotKeyNet.

0.95a

• Fixed the program not exiting.

0.95

• Client: Changed RSHIFT to inject with a scan code.
• Server: Server shows ping times (to 1/100'th ms).
• "Start in systray" works without initial dialog flicker.
• Removed the deactivate button.
• Clipboard transfers limited to buffer size.

0.9:

• Added process specific focus follows mouse.
• Improved mouse movement performance on network clients.
• Reduced network timeout to 10 seconds.
• Prevented network clients activating before the local client on startup.

0.8a :

• Fixed issues with clipboard sharing, such as between 64/32 versions and possibly others.

This is 95% rewritten code :-)

Please let me know if there's any problems.

[skarlot]

made a couple of fixes
a) problem with start in systray.
b) big problem with key generator... sorry but have to expire the trial. was generating same sys key. new version fixes.

and 1 known issue, possibly localclient drops on launch in XP... investigating.

[Frosty]

Got a couple questions for you (I'm a slacker and didn't read you entire setup on your website!)

Do you know if this will allow the "Focusless, targetless, 'leaderless' setup." to still work?

Also, do you have to buy 1 for each computer? Or does the single fee cover multiple computers/server?

Thanks!

[Frosty]

Reading FTW!!!

...and an email will be automatically sent containing your serial code, which is a license to use the server on one machine. The client software is unlimited and doesn't require activation

I will give this a shot this weekend and see how it goes...assuming I can get all my UI's set back up. :S

[skarlot]

took me a while to rebuild 5 x-keys in dominos lol..

I do not know about the reliability of this focusless setup with networked keyclones, but I'm taking a look at it. it would mess up majorly if keyclone was allowed to see keystrokes on the main PC. Keyclone has no way to know when the KM is on a client thus I code stuff to check for it launching and stop it getting hook calls. Then keyclone will be driven by a client's injected keys. Then its up to keyclone to do its job. That's my take on it... I'll see how it goes.

0.8a fixes clipboard issues which I found trying to setup this today.

[Frosty]

I'll try to test it this weekend too and let ya know how it goes for me.

As long as I don't get wife/kid aggro...

[saabik]

The software looks interesting.

As the previous poster mentioned, this would be the holy grail of multiboxing if it allows you to actually mouselook/move on multiple clients (over multiple machines - even if there is a small delay, as long as it is accurate). I'll try it later tonight.

My goal:
To be able to jump, turn 180 in the air, cast an instant cast spell, turn 180 back forward and keep moving, just as I would with a single character.

Just to be clear, this software is trying to make this possible, correct?

Thanks!

PS: I use octopus at the moment and it works fantastically. I appreciate your effort writing code for multiboxing and will gladly support your product if it can do what I'm looking for.

[Frosty]

I...friggen....LOVE you man!!!

This works GREAT! And I can confirm it works 100% with my Keyclone, and with the FTL setup.
I can move my mouse quickly to any computer (using 3...and they are crappy ). I can click any screen and it gains focus and receives all commands from the keyboard.

This is exactly what I've been looking for! Just paid and activated!

Great work! This needs to be stickied with the other software. :thumbsup:

[skarlot]

I have stated this is going to stay a non broadcasting application... the reason being it will lead to another Octopus. Like, if it does multi client mouse looking, then it might need a click list, then a key list and so on. That's not what I have in mind.

This was written seperately because I wanted to build up a KM that was going to work, and not be buried inside any project - especially Octopus, because I have in mind to rewrite so much of that anyway. Then I have options such as, integrating it into a new octopus, or simply having it as my sole KM. That all depends on how things go. From a development point of view, its nice to have a stable KM so I can build a broadcasting app (that will definitely crash from time to time) and then I can easily access the other PC's.. something I cant do developing Octopus. Thats a drawback to all in one. So in short, I don't know what I'm going to do but I'll be developing a different application that either works with or contains this KM.

[Scottslegacy]

I am trying this out with Warhammer since Multiplicity has been giving me problems with it. One thing i have noticed when using this, the keyboard and mouse do work great between computers, but when in game and i switch to the 2nd computer, and do a mouselook (camera view around character in game for instance) it does the view on both the main and the 2nd computer so basically you see the camera moving around your character on both computers instead of one, hope that makes since. The keyboard works fine its only the mouse im having a problem with.