Any key can fuction as left shift key?

[Sisyphus]

Hi everyone,
I am happy with the alphagrip, but I still have a problem of IM, such as Chinese or Japanese input.
To make these IMs functioning normally, it requires a normal left or right shift key as a toggle.
However, none of the keys can function like that. I had already tried all the white, red, and green shift keys on grip.

Any explanation for this?

Thanks,

Sisphus

A

[Mike Willner]

The shift keys modify the signal sent to the computer by the AlphaGrip's other keys, they don't send their own signal except... (and I am going to confirm the following explanation with our manufacturer) if you press both capital shift keys at the same time, then release one and press another key, I believe you will send a capital shift key signal plus the other key's signal to the computer. But I don't know if you can send only a left shift key signal, right shift key signal, or either of them. For example, in order to select a list by pressing a capital shift key plus left mouse click you press both capital shift keys, then release either one and press the left mouse click.

Mike

---

From: Sisyphus <freesisy...@gmail.com>
To: alph...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 7:24 AM
Subject: [alphagrip] Any key can fuction as left shift key?

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[Doug Sims]

I believe that is correct Mike. 

I found the same is true for me as well. You don't have to press them simultaneously, just press one shift, hold, then press the other shift key. 

This will send a "shift" key code to computer. I believe that it is just "shift" though and not a specific "left shift" or "right shift" code. 

Otherwise, when you press a single shift key, it waits for the next key to send "shift + key" to the computer. So, essentially, you are sending "shift + shift" but it only shows up as a single "shift" when you look at the codes that are actually sent (in my experience).

[Matthew Jordan]

Is there anyway to rectify that? With a keymapping program or something?

[Nikos Ntarmos]

xev is your friend, if you're on Linux. For reference, here's example
output from a notebook keyboard, when pressing/releasing the left and
right Shift keys:

KeyPress event, serial 28, synthetic NO, window 0x2a00001,
root 0xb0, subw 0x0, time 19602796, (128,105), root:(1181,126),
state 0x0, keycode 50 (keysym 0xffe1, Shift_L), same_screen YES,
XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes:
XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 28, synthetic NO, window 0x2a00001,
root 0xb0, subw 0x0, time 19602975, (128,105), root:(1181,126),
state 0x1, keycode 50 (keysym 0xffe1, Shift_L), same_screen YES,
XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyPress event, serial 28, synthetic NO, window 0x2a00001,
root 0xb0, subw 0x0, time 19603285, (128,105), root:(1181,126),
state 0x0, keycode 62 (keysym 0xffe2, Shift_R), same_screen YES,
XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes:
XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 28, synthetic NO, window 0x2a00001,
root 0xb0, subw 0x0, time 19603463, (128,105), root:(1181,126),
state 0x1, keycode 62 (keysym 0xffe2, Shift_R), same_screen YES,
XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
XFilterEvent returns: False

Cheers.

\n\n

[Mike W]

We can rectify it by modifying the firmware, but we probably can't do
that until we produce a next generation AlphaGrip. I'm not aware of
any remapping program that can solve the problem.

On Sep 29, 8:17 am, Matthew Jordan <boneman1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Is there anyway to rectify that? With a keymapping program or something?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 29, 2011 at 8:13 AM, Doug Sims <wdsim...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I believe that is correct Mike.
> > I found the same is true for me as well. You don't have to press
> > them simultaneously, just press one shift, hold, then press the other shift
> > key.
> > This will send a "shift" key code to computer. I believe that it is just
> > "shift" though and not a specific "left shift" or "right shift" code.
> > Otherwise, when you press a single shift key, it waits for the next key to
> > send "shift + key" to the computer. So, essentially, you are sending "shift
> > + shift" but it only shows up as a single "shift" when you look at the codes
> > that are actually sent (in my experience).
>

> > On Thu, Sep 29, 2011 at 7:56 AM, Mike Willner <m...@alphagrip.com> wrote:
>
> >> The shift keys modify the signal sent to the computer by the AlphaGrip's
> >> other keys, they don't send their own signal except... (and I am going to
> >> confirm the following explanation with our manufacturer) if you press both
> >> capital shift keys at the same time, then release one and press another key,
> >> I believe you will send a capital shift key signal plus the other key's
> >> signal to the computer. But I don't know if you can send only a left shift
> >> key signal, right shift key signal, or either of them. For example, in order
> >> to select a list by pressing a capital shift key plus left mouse click you
> >> press both capital shift keys, then release either one and press the left
> >> mouse click.
>
> >> Mike
>

> >> ------------------------------
> >> *From:* Sisyphus <freesisyphusw...@gmail.com>
> >> *To:* alph...@googlegroups.com
> >> *Sent:* Thursday, September 29, 2011 7:24 AM
> >> *Subject:* [alphagrip] Any key can fuction as left shift key?

[ivanwfr]

As usual, under windows anyway, Autohotkey allows you to turn any key into a sort of modifier.

For example, in order to use the upper 6 key as a way to generate accentuation for some letters, here is how my keyboard inputs are customized:

;; circumflex (â ê î ô û)

 6 & a:: Send, {u+00E2}

 6 & e:: Send, {u+00EA}

 6 & i:: Send, {u+00EE}

 6 & o:: Send, {u+00F4}

 6 & u:: Send, {u+00FB}

The only price to pay is the standard 6 keyboard event be sent only when this key is released and none of the above aeiou keypress happened.

[Doug Sims]

Yes, that does work, but the original question was to send a "left shift" or "right shift" from the AG. Given that it has left and right keys labeled "shift" this was a perfectly normal assumption. However, (as Mike mentioned), the firmware does not allow this. 

Mike, how hard would it be to acquire the firmware and modify it? I'm not quite up to the task, but I know there have been others on here that have expressed an interest in flashing a new firmware to the device.

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[Matthew Jordan]

So, can you use autohotkey to send left and right shift or no?

[Mike Willner]

Can't get our manufacturer to cough up the firmware's source code (at least not without burning bridges) because it is built off the firmware they use for all their keyboards (with modifications, including the shift keys not sending their own signals).

---

From: Doug Sims <wdsi...@gmail.com>
To: alph...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 11:45 AM
Subject: Re: [alphagrip] Any key can fuction as left shift key?

[ivanwfr]

Yes, as a matter of fact, the only thing you can't do is send AutoHotkey walk the dog ;)

And here is how:

 

6 & 7::

 Send, {LShift down}

 KeyWait 7, U

 Send, {LShift up}

 return

 

6 & 8::

 Send, {RShift down}

 KeyWait 8, U

 Send, {RShift up}

 return

...checked with both mskey.exe and a Thrustmaster EventTester.exe that I rely on for programming with TARGET scripting.