Can FSUIPC Distinguish Between Two Keyboards?

[ark1320]

I'd like to use two keyboards to increase the available key control inputs without having to use key combinations. Is there a way, perhaps using Lua scripts, to distinguish the inputs from the two keyboards?

Thx,

Al

[John Dowson]

A keypress is a keypress, regardless of the keyboard device it comes from. There is no way to distinguish which device the keypress comes from.

You can have keypresses perform different actions depending upon an 'offset condition' which would allow multiple actions depending on this condition, which could be set/changed using a key or button press. See the Advanced User manual for details.

John

 

[ark1320]

OK, thanks John. I was hoping it might be possible to make use of the Vendor and Product ID info that a USB HID device provides in order to distinguish between two different keyboards, or between a keyboard that includes a numberpad and a separate external numberpad, especially if the devices were from different manufacturers.

Al

[aua668]

Hi,

You could check this link: https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?261739-multiple-keyboards-using-HID-Macros

The only drawback: You should be able to understand the Swedish language 😉

Rgds
Reinhard

 

[John Dowson]

Thats interesting! From there, this seems to be the software that you need: http://www.hidmacros.eu/whatisit.php

John

[ark1320]

8 hours ago, aua668 said:

Hi,

You could check this link: https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?261739-multiple-keyboards-using-HID-Macros

The only drawback: You should be able to understand the Swedish language 😉

Rgds
Reinhard

 

 

7 hours ago, John Dowson said:

Thats interesting! From there, this seems to be the software that you need: http://www.hidmacros.eu/whatisit.php

John

Reinhard, John,

Thanks very much for the info! 

I played with  HIDmacros a bit. One thing I discovered is it initially seems FSUIPC grabs (traps) a key stroke before HIDmacros does, which presents some problems because, if I understand it correctly, FSUIPC either 'takes some action' based on the key if it has been assigned, or passes it directly on to the sim (P3Dv4.5 in this case). So neither FSUIPC or the sim sees the result of the HIDmacro modification.

I will keep experimenting a bit.

Al

Edit:  Now, if a future version of FSUIPC could distinguish between two keyboards/keypads that would be VERY useful indeed!    😉 

[ark1320]

Unfortunately, I have not been able to get HIDmacros to send an altered keystroke to FSUIPC.   For example, I can get HIDmacros to send the n key when the A key is pushed on the 2nd keyboard, but although Win10 does get the altered keystroke (n),  FSUIPC grabs the original key (A).

Al

UPDATE 23Oct19:  HIDmacros does seem to work with FSUIPC in FSX,  but NOT in P3Dv4.5.

[John Dowson]

Sorry, I've not used this program and can't really help you with this - maybe try posting on the support forum over at http://www.hidmacros.eu/forum/.

John

[ark1320]

6 hours ago, John Dowson said:

Sorry, I've not used this program and can't really help you with this - maybe try posting on the support forum over at http://www.hidmacros.eu/forum/.

John

To update and close the loop a bit for anyone else who tries HIDmacros, it turns out it does work pretty much as expected with FSUIPC in FSX.  However, I have NOT been able to get it to work in P3Dv4.5 which was the sim I was initially trying it in.

Al

[John Dowson]

Ah, ok - thanks for the update.

John

[ark1320]

16 hours ago, John Dowson said:

Ah, ok - thanks for the update. 

John

I now have a new update!  It seems HIDMacros WILL work with the latest version of P3D4.5 (which includes HF2 I assume) if you make sure to run HIDMacros in Administrative mode. I discovered this after spending most of the day trying some other more complicated SimConnect file approaches that have worked for others to get HIDmacros to work with P3Dv4. Maybe Lockheed Martin made some changes in the latest P3D update ?

Al