Can xPadder launch an application?

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rodrigolimarangel
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Can xPadder launch an application?

Post by rodrigolimarangel »

Hi,

I've just bought xPadder and I'd like to ask you a question:

Is it possible to assign a button on xPadder to launch an application? I use my x360 control (with xPadder) when I'm playing drums as a remote control of my PC (like a wireless mouse). It helps me a lot while Im stydying some Youtube Videos.

So, I wish I could launch the "Virtual Keyboard" directly from xPadder to type remotely, wich will help me on accessing sites and videos. Is it possible? And if itsn's, maybe it could be a nice feature of xPadder. What you think?

Thanks in advance!

Rodrigo.

Primal Fear
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Re: Can xPadder launch an application?

Post by Primal Fear »

Right click the entry for the virtual keyboard in the Startmenu and click on "Properties". In the tab "Shortcut" you can configure a key combination to start this program. To start the program via Xpadder, you only need to assign this key combination.

If you have the program pinned to the Taskbar (I guess unlikely for onscreen keyboard), you can also start this program with Windows key+the respective number key.

rodrigolimarangel
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Re: Can xPadder launch an application?

Post by rodrigolimarangel »

Primal Fear wrote:Right click the entry for the virtual keyboard in the Startmenu and click on "Properties". In the tab "Shortcut" you can configure a key combination to start this program. To start the program via Xpadder, you only need to assign this key combination.

If you have the program pinned to the Taskbar (I guess unlikely for onscreen keyboard), you can also start this program with Windows key+the respective number key.
Thanks! It really solves my "problem". ;)

Damn, you guys are fast! Good job! :DDD

cya!

antiriad
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Joined: 25 Jan 2014, 03:38

Re: Can xPadder launch an application?

Post by antiriad »

don't forget to run xpadder as admin... or u may encounter the issue the pad does not respond when u click on the [X] to close virtual keyboard.

for running apps like xpadder as admin at windows launch, i use startup delayer and set xpadder to 1 second...

(windows does not auto launch apps witch run at launch as admin. normally u manually launch'em... so the use of "startup delayer". :)

Primal Fear
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Re: Can xPadder launch an application?

Post by Primal Fear »

That also works via the Windows Task scheduler.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/67 ... p-log.html
The advantage is that you don't have to confirm this UAC message every time after starting your PC.

mattdawson75
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Re: Can xPadder launch an application?

Post by mattdawson75 »

Theres no way to do this with Windows 8, right? Im in the options menu for the n screen keyboard, its not giving me any option for a way to bring it up with keys.

Primal Fear
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Re: Can xPadder launch an application?

Post by Primal Fear »

I'm not absolutely sure about this (as I didn't use Windows8 yet), but in the options for the on-screen keyboard you are totally in the wrong place.
You basically need a shortcut for the on screen keyboard. There would be one in the start menu by default, but Windows8 of course doesn't have one and I would expect that the tilings in the start screen doesn't work for that matter.
So you need to right click on an open area on your desktop or a folder (you can use Xpadder folder for that), go over "New" and click on "Shortcut", type (or copy&paste) "C:\Windows\System32\osk.exe" and press enter, if you like change the name and press enter again. Now you right click this new shortcut and click on "Properties". Select the "shortcut" tab, click in the "Shortcut key" box, type your combination that you want to use (not everything will, as there already predefined combinations that cannot be used) and click on OK.

mattdawson75
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Re: Can xPadder launch an application?

Post by mattdawson75 »

Thank you Primal Fear, I see now. I can pull up the keyboard at will, but now my problem is I can't close it. When I click on the red X to close the on screen keyboard, my controller stops reacting to buttons presses. So I have to grab my mouse to click on the X.

I tried going to the task bar to right click and close the on screen keyboard, but it too just makes my controller immediately inactive once I click it.

This is really strange. But I can't use the keyboard if I don't have a way to close it. Is there a set of keys I could assign to a button to automatically close the current program or something (already tried esc, doesn't close it)?

Edit: tried assigning alt f4 to close the latest program, it just closes xpadder. It would close the keyboard, but I would have to either touch the red x, or the blue bar at the top of the window, then I can press alt f4 on my actual keyboard to close it, but as I said, clicking on those areas with my controller makes it non responsive for some reason. So it looks like I'm out of luck.

Edit: I even tried assigning a keyboard shortcut for the task manager, and opening it up with my controller. But xpadder will not allow my controller to work in task manager. Using auto profile or not. I was planning on opening task manager to manually close the on screen keyboard. Tedious but worth it, but it looks like that won't even work.

Edit:I also tried downloading an alternative on screen keyboard called dasher. The only problem is, it only opens up on the desktop. So if I'm in a Windows 8 Metro app (like Netflix), it won't open up. I guess my only option is to keep downloading and trying on screen keyboards.

Unless anyone else has any ideas :?:

Edit: Figured I'll just keep updating on what programs I've tried in case others run into this problem... Tried Touchpal. It looked very promising. It stays open on Windows 8 Metro apps, for one thing. Xpadder works with it. But none of the letters or numbers work. You can only type space, backspace, and enter. So, useless.

Edit: Found one that works! Xpadder sees it, it opens in metro apps, and all the buttons work. It's called Hot Virtual Keyboard.

The downside? It's 30 freaking dollars. So it's a complete and utter scam, but at this point, its' my only option. If anyone has a free solution that works for Windows 8 Metro apps, please let me know! Otherwise once the trial ends I guess I'll just buy this.

Primal Fear
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Re: Can xPadder launch an application?

Post by Primal Fear »

The problem is that the OSK is working with administrator privileges and that Windows UAC doesn't allow program that don't have admin privileges to interact with program that run with higher privileges. You have to run Xpadder as admin too, more infos about that are here.

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