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Sending Keystrokes to Unactive Programs

GSM

By GSM,
in AutoIt General Help and Support

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GSM Seeker

GSM

Posted
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Hello everyone.

Not sure how the best way to explain this would be but here goes.

I've been making little programs for friends to make thier lives easier on some games, nothing really big just some bots. I was wondering is there a way to send certain keys to inactive programs. (IE it would be like the game is maximized and you press F1, but it would stay minimized)

Not so much where it would activate the "game" or whatnot and press it then reactivate whatever you were using before hand. Most of these would take a couple seconds to reload the full screen game. So instead of activating it it would just send the keystroke to the program.

Thanks,

GSM

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SmOke_N Universalist

SmOke_N

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Posted (edited)

Hello everyone.

Not sure how the best way to explain this would be but here goes.

I've been making little programs for friends to make thier lives easier on some games, nothing really big just some bots. I was wondering is there a way to send certain keys to inactive programs. (IE it would be like the game is maximized and you press F1, but it would stay minimized)

Not so much where it would activate the "game" or whatnot and press it then reactivate whatever you were using before hand. Most of these would take a couple seconds to reload the full screen game. So instead of activating it it would just send the keystroke to the program.

Thanks,

GSM

Take a look at HotKeySet() / WinSetState() in the helpfile:

HotKeySet("{F1}", "MinimizeGame")
HotKeySet("{F2}", "RestoreGame")

While 1
;script here
    Sleep(1000)
WEnd

Func MinimizeGame()
    WinSetState("Game Title", "", @SW_MINIMIZE)
EndFunc

Func RestoreGame()
    WinActivate("Game Title")
EndFunc

Edit:

Forgot ['/code] tag!!

Edited by SmOke_N

Common sense plays a role in the basics of understanding AutoIt... If you're lacking in that, do us all a favor, and step away from the computer.

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GSM Seeker

GSM

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No I was thinking more like ControlSend() but I can't seem to get it to work with the game. I got the title right but the ControlID I have no clue what to put for it... Even if I just leave it blank it doesn't seem to want to send.

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blademonkey Universalist

blademonkey

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No I was thinking more like ControlSend() but I can't seem to get it to work with the game. I got the title right but the ControlID I have no clue what to put for it... Even if I just leave it blank it doesn't seem to want to send.

what game is it?

---"Educate the Mind, Make Savage the Body" -Mao Tse Tung

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SmOke_N Universalist

SmOke_N

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No I was thinking more like ControlSend() but I can't seem to get it to work with the game. I got the title right but the ControlID I have no clue what to put for it... Even if I just leave it blank it doesn't seem to want to send.

Well, you are asking specifically for this... I don't know what your trying to send to the window with control send... are you sending F1?

Dim $Control = 1
HotKeySet("{F1}", "MinimizeGame")
HotKeySet("{F2}", "RestoreGame")

While 1
;script here
    Sleep(1000)
WEnd

Func MinimizeGame()
    While $Control = 1
        If $Control = 1 Then
            If Not BitAnd(WinGetState("Game Title", ""), 16 ) Then WinSetState("Game Title", "", @SW_MINIMIZE)
        EndIf
        Sleep(10)
    Wend
    $Control = 1
EndFunc

Func RestoreGame()
    $Control = 2
EndFunc

Common sense plays a role in the basics of understanding AutoIt... If you're lacking in that, do us all a favor, and step away from the computer.

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SmOke_N Universalist

SmOke_N

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Or if your trying to send a specific key to a window, I guess I'm not understanding why your not using ControlSend() already???

ControlSend("Title", "Text", "ControlID", "{F1}") << if this was what you were after sending F1 to the minimized window... (I don't know if F1 for your game automatically minimizes the window and keeps it down) then there you go... Else, the code I gave you above will work and keep the window minimized until you press the F2 key.

Common sense plays a role in the basics of understanding AutoIt... If you're lacking in that, do us all a favor, and step away from the computer.

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seandisanti Universalist

seandisanti

Posted
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No I was thinking more like ControlSend() but I can't seem to get it to work with the game. I got the title right but the ControlID I have no clue what to put for it... Even if I just leave it blank it doesn't seem to want to send.

there's a possibility that even with good control send commands, ie:

HotKeySet("{PAUSE}","ICantThinkOfAFunnyFunctionNameImTooTiredAndHaventHadAnyEnergyDrinksTodayButThisIsStillALongOneTh

ough")
while 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

Func ICantThinkOfAFunnyFunctionNameImTooTiredAndHaventHadAnyEnergyDrinksTodayButThisIsStillALongOneThough

()
    Run("Notepad")
    ControlSend("Untitled - Notepad",15,"This would go to notepad window regardless of what window is active/maximized")
    Exit
EndFunc

your game may block the keys you're using as hotkeys, preventing the function from ever being called. alot of newer multiplayer games are doing things like this to stop people from using bots. I'd say to check your hotkey first, just have it display a tooltip or something so that you can see the key is working, then work on controlsend.

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GSM Seeker

GSM

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Posted (edited)

Couple different games (rose, silkroad and wow)

I know the function is something like

ControlSend("SilkRoad", "", "", "{F1}")

I know when you do this with Notepad it works and the ControlID is Edit1,

but am I suppose to just leave the ControlID blank for the game(s)?

(I know one or two other games I have tried this with have blocked me from other things so it could just be it won't work)

Edited by GSM
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seandisanti Universalist

seandisanti

Posted
Posted (edited)

Couple different games (rose, silkroad and wow)

I know the function is something like

ControlSend("SilkRoad", "", "", "{F1}")

I know when you do this with Notepad it works and the ControlID is Edit1,

but am I suppose to just leave the ControlID blank for the game(s)?

blank control id won't work. it's been suggested before, but when it was actually tried, it didn't do anything.

***edit*** when i'm sending to games, typically i'll just winactivate() the game, which makes it the active window regardless of state, then use Send()

Edited by cameronsdad
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GSM Seeker

GSM

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So, is there a default or anything I could put there? (Edit1 doesn't work either)

Is there a way to keep the game minimized though?

(Trying to get it to run and not disturbe the user as he/she goes about thier business)

Edited by GSM
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SmOke_N Universalist

SmOke_N

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If the game activates itself automatically, then 'ControlSend()' won't work unless you are sending a specific command that that game has set for a hotkey to minimize.

ControlSending keys to a minimized game without a control id in theory would work sometimes, like cameronsdad, I've yet to duplicate this.

Does the applications you want to send to, not have a control id for any area?

There is also a udf called ControlSendPlus() ... Although I'm not entirely sure what it does to be honest, it may be worth doing a search for.

Common sense plays a role in the basics of understanding AutoIt... If you're lacking in that, do us all a favor, and step away from the computer.

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SmOke_N Universalist

SmOke_N

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There's a very cool tool that comes with AutoIt... it's called AutoInfo. That will give you all kinds of information.

Start >> All Programs >> Autoit v3 >> Auto Window Info

Common sense plays a role in the basics of understanding AutoIt... If you're lacking in that, do us all a favor, and step away from the computer.

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madmax Seeker

madmax

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Posted

I have been looking for a way to send all keystrokes to a specific window when it is not active and I have not been able to get it to work. I have tried the ControlSend() function with no control Id and the function works but not when the window is no longer the active window. I have been searching all over the fourms to see if anyone has found a way to do this, and I have read the autoit help file up and down :)

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SmOke_N Universalist

SmOke_N

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I have been looking for a way to send all keystrokes to a specific window when it is not active and I have not been able to get it to work. I have tried the ControlSend() function with no control Id and the function works but not when the window is no longer the active window. I have been searching all over the fourms to see if anyone has found a way to do this, and I have read the autoit help file up and down :)

@madmax

Are you pulling up every game botting thread that had suggested that you may not be able to automate, and posting in it?

Edited by SmOke_N

Common sense plays a role in the basics of understanding AutoIt... If you're lacking in that, do us all a favor, and step away from the computer.

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madmax Seeker

madmax

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Posted (edited)

@madmax

Are you pulling up every game botting thread that had suggested that you may not be able to automate, and posting in it?

I have been reading all botting threads. Not sure what you are getting at or how your comment has anything to do with what has been asked in this thread. But yes I have been posting in bot threads. I have created my bot and it is working fine. I just want to find a way to send keystrokes to the window when it is not active. This is for the case of ppl running the game in window mode.

I guess I will keep making the window active for now. But I want to find a way to send to non-active windows.

Thx

:)

Edited by madmax
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madmax Seeker

madmax

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@madmax

Are you pulling up every game botting thread that had suggested that you may not be able to automate, and posting in it?

Were you suggesting, I go post in all bot threads and see if I find someone who has figured out how to do the action I want to do? If so, I am sorry didn't mean to be asmart ass :)

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SmOke_N Universalist

SmOke_N

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I have been reading all botting threads. Not sure what you are getting at or how your comment has anything to do with what has been asked in this thread. But yes I have been posting in bot threads. I have created my bot and it is working fine. I just want to find a way to send keystrokes to the window when it is not active. This is for the case of ppl running the game in window mode.

I guess I will keep making the window active for now. But I want to find a way to send to non-active windows.

Thx

:)

Wouldn't making your own thread make more sense then running through every botting post that had a specific question asked that you want to know the answer to, and posting to it? That's no better than spamming.

Were you suggesting, I go post in all bot threads and see if I find someone who has figured out how to do the action I want to do? If so, I am sorry didn't mean to be asmart ass :D

Smart ass? I took it quite the opposite! See ... someone smart wouldn't be bringing up 13 month old posts.

Common sense plays a role in the basics of understanding AutoIt... If you're lacking in that, do us all a favor, and step away from the computer.

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