X Keys Macroworks

[Leocricia Castellanos]

Im looking around for info about the construction of some BlackShark systems. I don't want to build the whole cockpit (beacuse of space...for the moment), but I'm more oriented building some of the instruments I cannot manage with my Hotas, like the Datalink Console, or the PVI-800, or countermeasures console.

128 keys, with USB input. I would have just to create a little distribution board so that I wouldn't touch the original interface board, and then connect switches or buttons to diodes and the right contacts by row and column. After that, with MacroWorks software I would configure my macros in order to assign the sim commands. (this link for reference: -keys-f-16-mini-cockpit.html)

lets say the keypress for this toggle is the latter A. So pressing A will move the switch from one side to the other - usually it works from left to right. Programming the card will result in the card pressing the latter A whenever the switch is moved from one position to the other.

I used to have an X-keys matrix board hooked up to 100+ switches, for Falcon. I've switched to a 19" touchscreen, because that gives me much more flexibility. I can create a layout for every aircraft I fly (Falcon, BlackShark, Flaming Cliffs...)

The X-keys will work with BS, no problem. The Macroworks-driver will just send the key-press you programmed to that switch to whatever program has the focus at that moment. To the computer and the program it will look like you pressed a keyboardkey.

Programming a toggle switch ; yes it is possible to have it just send one keypress. You can program it to send a certain keypress when you close the switch, and another (different) keypress when you open the switch.

Buy a three position switch NO-NO (normal open - normal open) So when the toggle is in the middle, both contact are open. This means you will need two connections to your x-keys, one for left and one for right. In macroworks you will program the left switch that when it closes it generates the keypress. And then program it again to send the same keypress when the switch opens again. Do the same thing for the right side of the switch.

Furthermore, I seem to recall some issues with keys being closed accidentely on startup (left in position from previous flight) which caused strange behaviour (lock-ups, long loading times, weird keypresses)

1. About the rotaries: for example the PVI mode selector rotary is "RAlt+R" (keypresses are fictional) for clockwise rotation, and "RShift+R" for counter-clockwise. I don't understand how I would program it. I thought of it as the rotary knows where it's rotating (clock or counter-clock wise), but I think that's not possible without an encoder. So what's the matter with your example of a 4 position rotary switch? You couldn't assign in blackshark 4 keypresses for a rotary, is it?

2. for the 3-pos switch, I don't think the example you wrote works, or at least I've not understood it correctly. If I'll use two connections I would have like two separate indipendent switches. So for the right one I would put for the ON-state the keypress "A"; For the OFF-state I would have to send a macro that presses A for 2 times (1st -> switch to LEFT pos ingame, 2nd -> switch to CENTER pos ingame). Instead for the left switch, the ON state would be a macro that presses A for 2 times (1st -> right, 2nd -> left), and the OFF state would be a single keypress A (to center).

ANyway thank you for your support...I'm seriously thinking in buying one X-Keys matrix...the touchscreen for the moment is a bit expensive (and despite of its flexibility, I think it would lack too much realism for me).

i think Bengo means: use a three position switch and only use the 2 outer contacts for your key presses and program them so that they work also when the toggle is released. so pressed = A and released = A.

Left is programmed to press A when the switch in pushed over to the left. When you push the switch to the middle position, the left function will be released - this will result in it pressing A again. when you push to the right, A is pressed again. Then on the return to center the right is released and A is pressed again. This you get a three position switch but without needing to use 3 switch contacts on the matrix.

ok, but how do I program a rotary switch like this? how does it know that I'm moving clockwise or counterclockwise? Blackshark has only 2 keypresses for that, one for CW and one for CCW. sorry but still I'm not getting it...

This is when my real life command gets out of sync with the sim. I think the simplest way to getaround this is to use macros like i said in last post, but I wonder if it exists an "hardware" workaround for this.

The key press way is simpler, but limited. For example rotary (multiple position) switches in the sim do not have keys for each position. Some use a key to move right 1 position and another key to move left 1 position. Some just use 1 key to move round and round.

The command interface way is more complex but more powerful. For example, you can set a rotary switch to whatever absolute position you want. You can use encoders and contunuously variabe (volume type)controls as well. This is also the way to go if you ever want output from the sim.

If you find yourseft drawn to the second approach, first give your head a shake (just kidding). Then start reading past posts in this forum. The topic might seem daunting at first but, trust me, we've got it pretty much scoped out.

MacroWorks 3.1 supports all currently shipping X-keys products in any mode, and most legacy products including MWII devices in hardware or software mode, and SE devices in software mode. Fully compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8 (32 or 64-bit). It is recommended that most Windows users use this software.

Note: We have recently revamped our installation process. If MacroWorks 3.1 is already installed on your computer, please uninstall before running the new update, to ensure the best experience. Please email questions or concerns to te...@piengineering.com.

A special version of MacroWorks specifically designed for our ClockWork Sport Track Timing Control Panels. This version includes functions for Track, Cross Country, and Road Racing software like FinishLynx, Hytek Meet Manager, Eagle Eye Pro, Easy Meet Manager, FlashTiming, MeetPro, and RaceTab.

This utility can read programming from X-keys SE USB devices in hardware mode, create new programming files, and write data to the on-board memory in an SE X-keys. Requires Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, or XP.

Our most popular programming software, MW3.1 supports all features on all current X-keys. We recommend it for most X-keys users. Check out our Tutorials Page for help with programming both basic and advanced macros. Answers to most programming questions can be found here. Please check them first. If you do not find the answers, please contact te...@piengineering.com

MacroWorks 3.1, our most popular programming software, offers the most flexibility and features for linking X-keys to a PC or programming keyboard macros into the X-keys memory for use on other operating systems. X-keys Basic offers a simplified set of programming options for creating macros to be recorded into the X-keys memory. We offer a number of methods for support including email, website documentation, and a help desk staffed Monday through Friday from 9 to 5 Eastern Standard time.

My hot-key problem is still around, at least now as regards Adobe Photo Elements 2020. After spending a whole day of trial and error, yesterday, I finally put together two Macros that work (whoopee!), but only if I hit the "try" button within KM editor itself.

No hot-key variation that I have tried does anything. One possible problem is that Adobe uses quite a few itself, but even if I try some utterly weird combination, nothing happens. I am running macOS Catalina, any ideas out there?

It's a mystery..... enough for today. Two days spent on this, time for a break

Oops! I forgot to make it clear that only the hotkeys for Adobe Elements 2020 fail to work.... all my "old" hotkeys work.

As explained in Tip: How Do I Get The Best Answer in the Shortest Time, you can save a lot of time, and get better help, if you will upload your macro , both the image and file. The file will include your Macro Group, which is most likely where the issue resides.

I don't know whether it solves the issue, however in my case the hot keys I assigned did absolutely nothing until I enabled the macro group the macro belonged to just now, as I started reading this thread. It appears that when a macro group is inactive it doesn't fire its macros your hot keys combos regardless. It can be just this isolated case that worked and in other cases it may not but it helped me.

If I use any version of the Corsair software past 1.16 (the last version prior to 2.x and 3.x) then my macro keys fail to work randomly. I've tried some random developer build back around 2.45 or something that worked, but once it was taken down and moved to public download the official builds are all broken. 3.x has never worked right and is a bloated mess.

I get similar results. I have a profile setup for World of Warcraft and although the lighting profile does load like it should, the g-keys do not do anything at all. My only way to get them to work is to open the software and find my profile then click on every action I have bound to the g-keys. That gets them working immediately in game but it is frustrating to have to do this every time I launch my game.

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