Can Xpadder do button sequences?

[spen25]

I want to cycle a button thru different key presses each time. I know how to do it with sets, but the inabilty to copy sets is going to make it a longer than I'd like to process.

[SGTCableDog]

If you want to assign a button to press different keys on each press if the button you can use an advanced assignment with cycle stops. Click the button you want to make the assignment to in the main Xpadder window to open the Assignment window. Now click the Advanced button in the lower right of the window to open the Advanced Assignment window. Go back to the assignment window and click the first key, then add a cycle stop in the advanced window. Back to assignment window for the second key. Continue until you have the assignment complete making sure to finish with a cycle stop.

Each time you press the button the next in the sequence will play.

You are not limited to single keys between cycle stops, you can have multi-key combos, hold and release zones. A little experimenting will help. The only downside is it is currently not possible to reset the sequence, you have to go all the way through to start from the beginning.

[spen25]

Finally, was wondering how the cycle stop worked.

[Terra Branford]

One thing I should mention, regarding the "Cycle" stop feature, is that if you make an auxiliary "Set x while held" button (doesn't have to even have anything assigned to the button in any set, but putting "Stop" in the new set is suggested), then you can completely reset, and halt, a cycled button's sequences.

For instance; if you have Button 1 mapped as: "a, stop, b, stop, c, stop, d, stop" and had "Select Set 2 while held" for Button 2, and had already pressed Button 1 twice (to get to "b") and then pressed Button 1 once, you'd reset back to "a" upon the first press of Button 1 after releasing Button 2.

And if you set up a "complex macro sequence" to a button, you can also halt it (even in mid sequence while it's entering keystrokes) by using the same "Set x while held" idea (provided that you also have "Stop" added as the only command for the new set's button).

Works a treat for me. I don't use Xpadder to game, but I used it extensively in my subtitling work, and tons of projects that I did... and having the ability to reset/interrupt sequences was vital to not messing up my projects.

[spen25]

Ahhh, more possibilities.

[Terra Branford]

Oh, indeed. The more you use Xpadder, the more you realize this is a program that is meant for more than just gamers who hate using the bloody keyboard to play... it can be used as a multi-purpose keystroke generator tool.

For instance... I do a lot of system management on user's computers. Did you know that all the common registry and run commands can be done by Xpadder with a little clever sequence play? I can perform tasks like defragmentation, registry backup, disc scans (and formats of auxiliary HDDs), as well as system restore all with simple sequence macros, setup in Xpadder. I just pop in a flash drive with Xpadder, load my "Jim'll Fix it" profile (that's an in-joke very few will get), and load the software driver for my PSx adapter and plug in my adapter and ready my PS2 DVD remote. Then I just push a few buttons, depending on what I need to do... and voila, the computer does it's little tasks, while I sit back and relax.

...which is, of course, part of the reason I have a "HOLY SMEG!! STOP!!!!" button, so I don't mess up anyone's PC. >_>

And I admit, the looks on a client's face when I "magically fix" their computer with a few pushes of my remote can be priceless. Though, I haven't gotten to do that in a while now, since in-home computer repair is going the way of the LP.

[spen25]

Wow, that's alil more than I imagined using it for. I bought it as a replacement to my Saitek X-52. I wanted to figure out a way to have all the functionality my Saitek has, but on a gamepad. My Game profile is up to 6 sets so far aand growing each time I find out a wow, I didnt know about that. BTW in-home computer repair is booming in the rural south.

[Terra Branford]

Xpadder is a rather nifty little tool, there's no denying that. Once the "infinite slots" was added to profiles, it even made my subtitle projects much easier (I would leave "style notes" before set text in my templates, like "txt[1]" and "subtxt[1]", and have Xpadder use the "find" option to hunt for every instance, and replace with a preset macro that replaced "txt[1]" with the style I wanted to use).

Though, originally, I had wanted to use it to add remote support to my computer, so I could play music and video from across the room... and when I learned I could do all that with a little PS2 DVD remote, and control my entire computer, I started to work out more and more uses for Xpadder.

Heck, I even made a "text pad" profile for browsing the net and making short replies to posts. Works just like the keypad on your cellular, and uses the eight-way feature on the joystick (with blocks of three letters per block for each direction, and my "LB" button as the "null" key to reset to the first letter in sequence, and LT as a spacer.

Took me a LOT of practice to get good at using it, but I liked it better than the Microsoft Vitual Keyboard accessibility tool, and it worked quite well for a while... before I got a wireless keyboard that I don't mind having on my bed while I surf the net on my TV and such.

[SGTCableDog]

One thing I should mention, regarding the "Cycle" stop feature, is that if you make an auxiliary "Set x while held" button (doesn't have to even have anything assigned to the button in any set, but putting "Stop" in the new set is suggested), then you can completely reset, and halt, a cycled button's sequences...

Cool, I didn't know you could do that. Tre, I'm always amazed at the things you come up with.

[Terra Branford]

Actually, now I have to add a cavet to that last post. While you can interrupt a sequence in progress (ie. making Xpadder type out "This should stop when you press the key!" with Button 1, with spaces between the letters and such) and press the "Set toggle" button, it will stop the sequence in mid action, and reset it back to the last "Stop" command.

So if you have the following on Button 1:
T, pause .05, E, pause .05, S, pause .05, T, pause .05, Stop, I, pause .05, T, pause .05, W, pause .05, O, pause .05, R, pause .05, K, pause .05, S, pause .05, Stop

And hit Button 2 (Select Set Two While Held) just as "S" in "TEST" is being typed out, and press Button 1 again, it will start over from "T" again.

I don't know why I can't get it to recycle back to the first Stop nest in the sequence anymore, I know I pulled it off before... but now I honestly can't recall what I did.

So in this case, I'm only half-amazing. Which is still good enough for me.

Maybe when I get a chance to actually play with 5.7, I'll discover much better methods to do things like this... but been busy in reality, and the only thing I do with my free time now (other than spend time with my girlfriend) is play PSU... so... yeah. ^_^;;