[HotKeyNet] Sending keystrokes from slave to master?

[Nomahd]

I understand how it works.

I don't understand why World of Warcraft can still receive hotkeys from the Slave, Notepad can receive hotkeys from the Slave, but Ventrilo cannot.

Why block events to Ventrilo but not to other programs? What is different about Ventrilo?

Input Director also allows hotkey macros, but they can't be held down. Otherwise I could do it that way. Does Mojo have the ability to create hotkeys that can be held down and sent to any system?

[Freddie]

This post crossed your last one again.

That was my assumption. However, if it prevents the Master from seeing the event, why does HotkeyNet on the Master still see the event? HotkeyNet sees the event and responds accordingly. That is where communication breaks down.

That can happen for two reasons. One reason would be that HotkeyNet is getting its keyboard input from a lower level in the operating system's keyboard processing chain than Input Director. The other reason would be that both programs are getting their input from the same place (i.e. a low-level keyboard hook) but HotkeyNet is installing its hook earlier in the chain than Input Director so it sees the keystrokes first.

You can test whether the second explanation is correct by launching the programs in the opposite order. This will change the order in which their keyboard hooks see keyboard input.

It's possible that all three programs (including Vent) receive their inputs from low-level keyboard hooks. In that case, you can change this behavior by launching Vent and the other two programs in a certain order. Vent would have to be launched either first or last -- I can't remember which.

Also, WoW on the Master stills sees the events when I'm on the Slave. Otherwise FTL would be useless over a network. So it obviously doesn't prevent all events. Something is different in the case of Vent.

I'll answer this below.

[Freddie]

I understand how it works.

I don't understand why World of Warcraft can still receive hotkeys from the Slave,

Probably because you're using SendWinM or SendWinS in those hotkeys. Those send modes don't generate keyboard events. Those send modes communicate directly with the WoW client and tell WoW that a keyboard event occurred even though it didn't really. Input Director has no way to know that HotkeyNet is sending those messages to WoW.

Unfortunately, those send modes probably won't work with Vent because Vent is intercepting keystrokes on a system wide basis, which means it's probably receiving its keyboard input with either a low-level keyboard hook (see my last post about launch order) or else it's using an operating system registered hotkey.

Does Mojo have the ability to create hotkeys that can be held down and sent to any system?

The old Mojo never got beyond its first two months of development. It's just a bare bones KM program. It has a really nice hotkey entry window (one of the best pieces of programming I ever did in my 30 year programming career) but it can't do what you describe.

[Nomahd]

That can happen for two reasons. One reason would be that HotkeyNet is getting its keyboard input from a lower level in the operating system's keyboard processing chain than Input Director. The other reason would be that both programs are getting their input from the same place (i.e. a low-level keyboard hook) but HotkeyNet is installing its hook earlier in the chain than Input Director so it sees the keystrokes first.

You can test whether the second explanation is correct by launching the programs in the opposite order. This will change the order in which their keyboard hooks see keyboard input.

Input Director is always run 1st on both systems because it's started before I even log in on both of my systems. This allows me to never touch the Slave keyboard for any reason, even to log in. I can use the Master's keyboard to enter my user password in my Slave.

After logging in I start up HotkeyNet then launch WoW using the specified hotkey. Then I usually alt-tab out to start Vent.

It's possible that all three programs (including Vent) receive their inputs from low-level keyboard hooks. In that case, you can change this behavior by launching Vent and the other two programs in a certain order. Vent would have to be launched either first or last -- I can't remember which.

I will try launching HotkeyNet and Vent first and see if that corrects the problem. This is why I'm asking you. I know nothing about keyboard hooks.

[Freddie]

Based on what you told me, if this could work at all, you're already launching them in the correct order.

[Freddie]

I just looked at Vent. You have "Use DirectInput to detect hotkey" unchecked, right?

[Freddie]

You're running all three programs as administrator, right?

[Nomahd]

You're running all three programs as administrator, right?

Sorry, in the middle of cooking... Yeah, on my Vista x64 box. Don't need to on my XP x86 box.

I just looked at Vent. You have "Use DirectInput to detect hotkey" unchecked, right?

I did earlier, it's not now. It didn't seem to have any effect whether it was enabled or disabled. Maybe it will after I restart my systems and not have Input Director startup automatically.

I need to finish cooking then I'll be back and testing some more.

[Freddie]

If that option does what its name suggests that it does, and if it's checked, then I'm thinking Input Director will most likely stop Vent from seeing the keypress no matter what the launch order is.

[Nomahd]

I unchecked it after restart and it had no effect. I started Input Director last but achieved the same results. I forgot that HotkeyNet was targeting a direct window in the cases other than Vent which explains why they still receive the events. Targetting Vent directly has no effect, probably because it reads keys in the way you stated above. It's starting to make sense.

But while cooking I had a new idea...

I can move Vent to my Slave and use HotkeyNet to send the hotkey to the slave instead. The Slave keyboard is not blocked while the Master has the focus of my Master keyboard, so Vent should still receive the event, and when my Slave has the focus of my Master's keyboard it should send directly anyway. I think this will work... there's only one way to find out. I don't care which system I have to use for Vent so long as I can talk while using either.