Question for all you software programmers....

[tooboxinit]

Is it possible to create a program that will allow me to use a second keyboard on one machine and the software emulates the keyboard as if it was a keypad like XKEYS or something. If so then we as multiboxers could have a second keyboard right above our normal keyboard and the second keyboard would provide us with alot more keys for the price of 5-10 dollars(usb keyboards are cheap, ps2 even cheaper) and we wouldnt have to spend hundreds of dollars on added hardware like Xkeys, G15s and N52s that provide much less keys. Obviosly i can just plug a second keyboard in now. but it will just do the same things my regular keyboard does. Let me know what you think guys.

[Ken]

The game only accepts that much different button inputs as the keyboard provides(and even less). The keys that you can use are also limitted.
So: no, won't work, sorry :)

[edit] Or do you mean that a regular key like like '1' on the second keyboard would map onto 'shift+1' on the first keyboard?

[Drizzit]

How about have the second keyboard be program with hot key like xkeys does. Example keyboard 2 the x key can be alt + shift + 1

[pipakin]

It would be technically possible, but insanely hard. The time it would take a programmer to code it and clean it up, you're better off just buying an xkeys

[Drizzit]

true, but the xkeys pro usb has been unavailable for a month now

[Freddie]

I'm pretty sure it's possible using Windows's Raw Input API. From what I've read about that API it wouldn't be particularly difficult for somebody who writes Win32 applications professionally. However I've never used that API so I can't say for 100% certain.

By the way, if you have a second PC on your desk, a program like HotkeyNet will let you use both keyboards to control either computer. That would accomplish the same thing as what you're describing. The only difference is there would be a millisecond or two of latency. [Edit: less than a millisecond, probably.]

The game only accepts that much different button inputs as the keyboard provides(and even less). The keys that you can use are also limitted.
So: no, won't work, sorry

Most games accept hundreds of key combinations of alt, shift, ctrl, main keys, etc. The advantage of a second keyboard is that it could be configured so a single key press on that keyboard generates a different combination from the same key press on the first keyboard.

[Ken]

The game only accepts that much different button inputs as the keyboard provides(and even less). The keys that you can use are also limitted.
So: no, won't work, sorry :)

Most games accept hundreds of key combinations of alt, shift, ctrl, main keys, etc. The advantage of a second keyboard is that it could be configured so a single key press on that keyboard generates a different combination from the same key press on the first keyboard.

I agree, but what is quicker:
- moving your little finger to shift or another modifier (alt with thumb of course)
- moving your whole hand to another keyboard

;)

[edit] What I do is optimize my keyboard layout:

Blue: Movement
Green: Main bar (with modifiers)
yellow: totems (with modifiers: each button is a totem group like fire, modifiers put a different fire totems)
red: healing (with modifiers)
purple: buffs
0: mount
+/-: focus set/unset (with modifiers)

Using ESDF instead of WASD gives you a lot of extra usable keys.
All the things that I don't frequently use are on my keypad, because I have to move my (right) hand to control it (and you want to avoid delays as much as possible).

[Tehtsuo]

The game only accepts that much different button inputs as the keyboard provides(and even less). The keys that you can use are also limitted.
So: no, won't work, sorry

Most games accept hundreds of key combinations of alt, shift, ctrl, main keys, etc. The advantage of a second keyboard is that it could be configured so a single key press on that keyboard generates a different combination from the same key press on the first keyboard.

I agree, but what is quicker:
- moving your little finger to shift or another modifier (alt with thumb of course)
- moving your whole hand to another keyboard

I believe what's being discussed is a third option

- leaving your whole hand on another keyboard, much like people who have an xkeys do

I had intended to write an application that does exactly this, but am testing a new app that may have beat me to the punch. I'll update the community if it works.

[Drizzit]

moving your whole hand to another keyboard

Well it depends what your other hand is doing... :P

Anyways, it depends where the other keyboard is. I was thinking of having the other keyboard in an up position so it looks like this
_
| |
| |
| |
| |
|_| __________
|_________|

Yea, it looks better in my mind lol (Think of battleship set up). I hope you get what i am trying to say. So when you need to hit that other key your not totally moving you hands.

[Maz]

Off the top of my head (and I'm really not in my field here), I'd think you'd need a second keyboard driver that generated different virtual-key codes for the second keyboard.

I may of course just be making myself look stupid

Actually, the keys that WoW will respond to are limited to this subset so having a second keyboard isn't going to get you much.