<Toggle> locking up key broadcasting?

[Peli]

So I've ran into an issue lately while trying to set up 2 step DPS macros using <Toggles> on my mixed team. Occasionally HKN will just stop broadcasting key strokes of any kind (it won't even recognize when I hit Pause to disable key broadcasting). I have to exit HKN and reopen it to get my key broadcasts working again (not something that can really be done mid-boss fight or during a heated PvP battle.

Anyone happen to know if this is a known problem? I'll post my script when I get home from work, but I was hoping that I could get some feedback on what might be the issue.

[Freddie]

Anyone happen to know if this is a known problem? I'll post my script when I get home from work, but I was hoping that I could get some feedback on what might be the issue.

The problem depends on your script.

[Peli]

The problem depends on your script.

Here's my script:

I've noticed it before with the Shift Z and Shift X toggles, but I don't use them very often (they're my Thunderstorm and Tremor/Grounding round robins for my shaman team), but the Ctrl F7 and Ctrl F8 are my 2-step macros for my mixed team so they get used constantly and have been the most noticeable failure point.

//================================================================
// SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR TWO WOW'S ON ONE PC 
//
// Instructions: Copy this entire script (all the blue writing
// on gray background including comments). Save it in a file. 
// Load it into HotkeyNet.
//
// Toggle the scroll lock key to turn hotkeys off and on. (You 
// can change this if you want, just like you can change 
// everything else with HotkeyNet.) 
//
// Requires HotkeyNet build 147 or higher.
// 
// For more info, go to www.hotkeynet.com 
//================================================================

//-----------------------------------------------------------
// PRESS CTRL R TO RENAME WOW'S IF YOU LAUNCH THEM MANUALLY 
//-----------------------------------------------------------
<Hotkey Ctrl R>
    <SendPC local>
        <RenameWin "World of Warcraft" WoW1> 
        <RenameWin "World of Warcraft" WoW2> 
        <RenameWin "World of Warcraft" WoW3> 
        <RenameWin "World of Warcraft" WoW4> 
        <RenameWin "World of Warcraft" WoW5> 

//-----------------------------------------------------------
// SUBROUTINE TO LAUNCH AND RENAME A COPY OF WOW.
//-----------------------------------------------------------
<Command LaunchAndRename>
   <SendPC %1%> 
      <Run %2%>
      <RenameTargetWin %3%>
	<RemoveWinFrame>
	<wait 200>
	<text %4%> 
	<wait 200>
	<Key Enter>

//-----------------------------------------------------------
// SUBROUTINE TO Position Windows for 5 boxing.
// You need to configure the positions as you like
//-----------------------------------------------------------
<Command ResizeAndPosition>
   <SendPC Local>
      <SendWinM %1%>
               <SetWinRect 0 0 1440 900>              
      <SendWinM %2%>
             <SetWinRect 1440 -124 640 512>  
      <SendWinM %3%>
             <SetWinRect 2080 -124 640 512> 
      <SendWinM %4%>
             <SetWinRect 1440 388 640 512> 
      <SendWinM %5%>
             <SetWinRect 2080 388 640 512>    

//-----------------------------------------------------------
// HOTKEY TO LAUNCH AND RENAME BOTH WOW'S.
//-----------------------------------------------------------
<Hotkey Alt Ctrl L>
<LaunchAndRename Local "C:\Users\Public\Games\WoW1\wow.exe" WoW1 password>
<LaunchAndRename Local "C:\Users\Public\Games\WoW2\wow.exe" WoW2 password>
<LaunchAndRename Local "C:\Users\Public\Games\WoW3\wow.exe" WoW3 password>
<LaunchAndRename Local "C:\Users\Public\Games\WoW4\wow.exe" WoW4 password>
<LaunchAndRename Local "C:\Users\Public\Games\WoW5\wow.exe" WoW5 password>
<ResizeAndPosition WoW1 WoW2 WoW3 WoW4 WoW5>

//-----------------------------------------------------------
// DEFINE MAIL LABELS FOR SENDING KEY STROKES 
//-----------------------------------------------------------
<Label w1 Local SendWinM WoW1>
<Label w2 Local SendWinM WoW2>
<Label w3 Local SendWinM WoW3>
<Label w4 Local SendWinM WoW4>
<Label w5 Local SendWinM WoW5>

//-----------------------------------------------------------
// DEFINE HOTKEYS FOR ALL KEY COMBINATIONS THAT WILL GET
// SENT TO BOTH WOWS. ADD MORE KEY COMBO'S IF YOU WANT. 
//-----------------------------------------------------------
<KeyList MyList 0-9, Plus, Minus, F1-F6, Numpad1-Numpad9, NumpadPlus, NumpadMinus, Decimal, G, V>
<Hotkey MyList; Shift MyList; Alt MyList; Ctrl MyList>
<SendLabel w1, w2, w3, w4, w5>
<Key %Trigger%> 

<Hotkey Pause>
	<sendpc local>
	<ToggleHotkeys>

//-----------------------------------------------------------
// DEFINE MOVEMENT KEYS THAT WILL GET SENT TO BOTH WOW'S.
// ADD MORE KEYS IF YOU WANT. 
//-----------------------------------------------------------
<MovementHotkey up, down, left, right; Shift Space>
<SendLabel w1, w2, w3, w4, w5>
<Key %Trigger%> 

//-----------------------------------------------------------
// BROADCAST MOUSE CLICKS. HOLD DOWN OEM3 (ON U.S. KEYBOARDS,
// THAT'S THE SQUIGGLE KEY IN UPPPER LEFT CORNER) WHEN YOU 
// WANT TO BROADCAST.
//-----------------------------------------------------------
<UseKeyAsModifier Oem3>

<Hotkey Oem3 LButton, MButton, RButton>
   <SendLabel w1, w2, w3, w4, w5> 
      <ClickMouse %TriggerMainKey%>

//----------------------------------------------------------------
//Window Switching
//----------------------------------------------------------------
<Hotkey Ctrl Shift F1>
   <ResizeAndPosition WoW1 WoW2 WoW3 WoW4 WoW5>
<Hotkey Ctrl Shift F2>
   <ResizeAndPosition WoW2 WoW1 WoW3 WoW4 WoW5>
<Hotkey Ctrl Shift F3>
   <ResizeAndPosition WoW3 WoW2 WoW1 WoW4 WoW5>
<Hotkey Ctrl Shift F4>
   <ResizeAndPosition WoW4 WoW2 WoW3 WoW1 WoW5>
<Hotkey Ctrl Shift F5>
   <ResizeAndPosition WoW5 WoW2 WoW3 WoW4 WoW1>

//----------------------------------------------------------------
//Hotkey Toggles
//----------------------------------------------------------------
<Hotkey Shift X>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w1> 
         <Key Shift 1>
      <SendLabel w5> 
         <Key Shift 2> 
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w2> 
         <Key Shift 1>
      <SendLabel w1> 
         <Key Shift 2>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w3> 
         <Key Shift 1>
      <SendLabel w2> 
         <Key Shift 2>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w4> 
         <Key Shift 1>
      <SendLabel w3> 
         <Key Shift 2>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w5> 
         <Key Shift 1>
      <SendLabel w4> 
         <Key Shift 2>

<Hotkey Shift Z>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w1> 
         <Key 1> 
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w2> 
         <Key 1>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w3> 
         <Key 1>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w4> 
         <Key 1>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w5> 
         <Key 1>

<Hotkey Numpad0>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w1> 
         <Key Numpad0> 
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w2> 
         <Key Numpad0>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w3> 
         <Key Numpad0>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w4> 
         <Key Numpad0>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w5> 
         <Key Numpad0>
<Hotkey Ctrl F7>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w1> 
         <Key 1> 
      <SendLabel w2> 
         <Key 1>
      <SendLabel w3> 
         <Key 1>
      <SendLabel w4> 
         <Key 1>
      <SendLabel w5> 
         <Key 1>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w1> 
         <Key 1> 
      <SendLabel w2> 
         <Key 1>
      <SendLabel w3> 
         <Key 2>
      <SendLabel w4> 
         <Key 2>
      <SendLabel w5> 
         <Key 2>
<Hotkey Ctrl F8>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w1> 
         <Key 2> 
      <SendLabel w2> 
         <Key 1>
      <SendLabel w3> 
         <Key 1>
      <SendLabel w4> 
         <Key 1>
      <SendLabel w5> 
         <Key 1>
   <Toggle>
      <SendLabel w1> 
         <Key 2> 
      <SendLabel w2> 
         <Key 1>
      <SendLabel w3> 
         <Key 2>
      <SendLabel w4> 
         <Key 2>
      <SendLabel w5> 
         <Key 2>

[Freddie]

Are you talking about the following behavior?

-- You have "Clear modifiers before executing hotkey" checked on Send Mode Settings.

-- Then (for example) you press Shift and while holding Shift, you press X to trigger <Hotkey Shift X>. The hotkey works okay.

-- Then, without releasing Shift, you press X again to trigger the hotkey again. But <Hotkey Shift X> doesn't get triggered.

If that's what you're refering to, it has nothing to do with <Toggle>. It has to do with the behavior of "Clear modifiers before executing hotkey" on Send Mode Settings. HotkeyNet isn't locking up. It's just regarding the second press of X as X by itself (without Shift) because "Clear Modifiers" is checked.

[Peli]

Are you talking about the following behavior?

-- You have "Clear modifiers before executing hotkey" checked on Send Mode Settings.

-- Then (for example) you press Shift and while holding Shift, you press X to trigger <Hotkey Shift X>. The hotkey works okay.

-- Then, without releasing Shift, you press X again to trigger the hotkey again. But <Hotkey Shift X> doesn't get triggered.

If that's what you're refering to, it has nothing to do with <Toggle>. It has to do with the behavior of "Clear modifiers before executing hotkey" on Send Mode Settings. HotkeyNet isn't locking up. It's just regarding the second press of X as X by itself (without Shift) because "Clear Modifiers" is checked.

No, the issue is with me running my toggle command (Ctrl F7 or F8), driven by a macro created on a G-key on my G15 keyboard (so it's not an issue of the modifier clearing), and randomly HKN seems to get confused and doesn't lock up entirely (I can still click the edit, reload, and load script buttons), but it never shows that it broadcasts any more keystrokes (in the upper left box) until I restart the program (despite showing that it is registering the keystrokes in the upper right box).

[Freddie]

I don't recall anybody reporting anything like this before, so I don't know the answer. You'll have to do some experiments to figure out the cause.

I would begin with the following tests:

First, I would remove all the toggles from one of the problem hotkeys and see if the problem still occurs. If so, you'll know the problem has nothing to do with toggles but rather has some other cause.

Second, I would change one of the problem hotkeys so it's triggered by a single key press instead of by a key combination. For example, rename <Hotkey Shift X> to <Hotkey F1>. If that elminates the problem, you'll know it has to do with an interaction between HotkeyNet and the sequence of key events that your G15 is sending to the operating system.

[Peli]

I don't recall anybody reporting anything like this before, so I don't know the answer. You'll have to do some experiments to figure out the cause.

I would begin with the following tests:

First, I would remove all the toggles from one of the problem hotkeys and see if the problem still occurs. If so, you'll know the problem has nothing to do with toggles but rather has some other cause.

Second, I would change one of the problem hotkeys so it's triggered by a single key press instead of by a key combination. For example, rename <Hotkey Shift X> to <Hotkey F1>. If that elminates the problem, you'll know it has to do with an interaction between HotkeyNet and the sequence of key events that your G15 is sending to the operating system.

I'll give that a shot. Thank you for looking into it for me.

[Khatovar]

I've seen this behavior a few times with HKN. I can consistently reproduce it by hitting Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the task manager screen even if I don't actually load the task manager. I also on occasion run into it in times of heavy keymashing, especially if Mouseover Regions are involved, but not always and not consistently enough to test.

I can't take steps to try and reproduce the latter anyway, because all my accounts are currently canceled, but like Peli, my spam keys use various combinations of Modifier+Function Key, though mine is done directly in the HKN script using DoHotkey.

Windows 7 64 and HKN 0.1.45 build 210

If I have "Clear Modifiers" unchecked, I will see the below behavior, where HKN holds on to the Ctrl+Alt modifiers even when I am no longer holding the keys down.

From this pc: <SendWinM WoW1><Key Ctrl Alt Delete><SendWinM WoW2><Key Ctrl Alt Delete><SendWinM WoW3><Key Ctrl Alt Delete><SendWinM WoW4><Key Ctrl Alt Delete><SendWinM WoW5><Key Ctrl Alt Delete>


From this pc: <SendWinM WoW1><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW2><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW3><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW4><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW5><Key Ctrl Alt H>


From this pc: <SendWinM WoW1><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW2><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW3><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW4><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW5><Key Ctrl Alt H>

From this pc: <SendWinM WoW1><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW2><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW3><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW4><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW5><Key Ctrl Alt H>

I stripped out all the extraneous "Could not find WoW*" stuff since I'm not running WoW to test, but you can see the modifiers in this case seem to be perma-applied to every further keypress.

Some interesting things to note, it also causes HKN to ignore user-defined modifiers. I have Shift, CapsLockOn and Apps defined as modifier keys. When HKN is doing this, it will tack on the CTRL+ALT modifiers to any keys I press, but if I try to use the Apps, CapLockOn or Shift keys with another key, HKN doesn't register anything.

Also, if you manually use the "stuck" modifiers, it will "unstick" them. For example, if I manually hit Ctrl+H and then Alt+H in the above example, everything will go back to normal. I can use the pause key and all that.

*** Pressing just H - HKN sends Ctrl Alt H ***
From this pc: <SendWinM WoW1><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW2><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW3><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW4><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW5><Key Ctrl Alt H>

*** Pressing Ctrl H - HKN Sends Ctrl Alt H ***
From this pc: <SendWinM WoW1><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW2><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW3><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW4><Key Ctrl Alt H><SendWinM WoW5><Key Ctrl Alt H>

*** Pressing just H - The rogue Ctrl has cleared out, HKN still sees Alt being held *** 
From this pc: <SendWinM WoW1><Key Alt H><SendWinM WoW2><Key Alt H><SendWinM WoW3><Key Alt H><SendWinM WoW4><Key Alt H><SendWinM WoW5><Key Alt H>

*** Pressing Alt H - HKN sends Alt H ***
From this pc: <SendWinM WoW1><Key Alt H><SendWinM WoW2><Key Alt H><SendWinM WoW3><Key Alt H><SendWinM WoW4><Key Alt H><SendWinM WoW5><Key Alt H>

*** Pressing just H - all rogue modifiers are cleared, HKN just sends H ***
From this pc: <SendWinM WoW1><Key H><SendWinM WoW2><Key H><SendWinM WoW3><Key H><SendWinM WoW4><Key H><SendWinM WoW5><Key H>

*** All keys now work properly. Pressing Pause to toggle broadcasting ***
From this pc: <ToggleHotkeys>
<ToggleHotkeys> completed

A quick "Reload Script" will also fix it.

I was still seeing the same thing with "Clear Modifiers" checked, but of course now that I'm neck-deep in trying to break it for the last hour, it's not doing it anymore. The only difference there is I wasn't seeing any keys coming up in the "Pressed Hotkeys" or "Actions on this PC" windows, and using only 1 Ctrl or Alt key didn't fix it. I had to press LCtrl+RCtrl+H and the LAlt+RAlt+H to get the same "fix". Again, Reload Script also fixes it.

I also changed the various settings under "Delays between Modifiers and main Keys", that didn't make any difference.

Another thing that I confirmed as triggering it, I accidentally spammed Ctrl+Alt+S and Ctrl+Alt+W a few times trying different modifier combinations. In a total "Doh!" moment, I realized should have been paying more attention, as Ctrl+Alt+W launches my WoW windows and Ctrl+Alt+S launches my streaming subroutine. 10+ WoW login screens, 2 AdobeFMLE's, 2 SCFH's and 4 URL Launches later, HKN was dorked.

So, a lot of blabbing aside, I've no idea what actually is causing it - if it's HKN or something in Windows or too much going on or what, but that's how I break it and how I fix it.

[Peli]

...snip...

A lot of great information Khatovar, thanks. So a reload script fixed it for you? Hrm... I thought I had tried that to no success, but maybe I didn't... I can't remember now.

I've modified my script to remove the modifiers from those spam keys (like Freddie suggested), but I spent the night PvPing and doing some questing on my shamans, so I didn't get a chance to test it on my mixed comp. If that fixes the issue, I really don't have any complaints as it will still work for my application, but I'd be happy to help troubleshoot it.