Using the New Hotkeys

[Holman]

I guess I'm an early adopter of this feature. Here's what I've discovered.

In order to use the direct hotkeys, it is not only necessary to add them to the "hotkeys" data file but also to DELETE the entire relative hotkeys section of that file--not just the assigned keys, but the whole block of the file. At least, that how I've gotten them to work (and to show up in the command menu on screen). When I ran my new hotkeys configuration with the relative hotkeys section still in, things were wonky, with only a few direct keys working and none showing in the menu.

[kipanderson]

Martyr,

thanks for the hint, am planning to use the Hotkeys for all commands.

All the best,

Kip.

[Roter Stern]

I only had to delete the actual key association - i did not have to delete the "relative section". As long as there are no letters after "< E >" you should'nt have a problem

Works like a charm ... Thanks BFC!

[Madmatt]

Originally posted by The Louch:

I only had to delete the actual key association - i did not have to delete the "relative section". As long as there are no letters after "< E >" you should'nt have a problem

Works like a charm ... Thanks BFC!

Indeed, that file was specifically designed so you didn't have to remove entire sections. If you want to unassign a given key, just remove the letter associated for it.

For example, lets say I want to remove the default mapping for the top row, left-most key. That key is currently assigned to the U key on the keyboard.

Here is the entry in the hotkeys.txt file:

// Activate the button in the top row, left-most position

< E >U

To unassign it, you would change that entry to be:

// Activate the button in the top row, left-most position

< E >

Thats it!

Note: because of how the forum software handles special character codes, I had to add extra spaces in front and behind the letter E in the arrow brackets above. When you edit the file for real, do not include those extra spaces.

Also, if you have a given button mapped to both a Relative and Direct key, we have it set so that only the Direct Key assignment is shown on the button. Thats why the readme suggests you use one or the other systems. Yes, you can combine them both, but I think with all many other keys assigned normally for the camera and other functions you are going to run out of available keys quickly.

Madmatt

[ August 10, 2007, 03:41 PM: Message edited by: Madmatt ]

[Holman]

Matt,

Maybe I did something wrong, but when I simply erased the relative keys (as your example above) and added more keys to the direct section, they didn't work. And they didn't show up in the menu, either. When I went back in and deleted the whole relative command section of the file, both problems disappeared.

[Madmatt]

Well the important thing is that you got it working. That file is much more tolerant of changes than it used to be so while your solution was more extreme than what *should* have been needed, we are pleased that it worked for you.

I will be on the lookout for other people with simular issues all the same.

Madmatt

[jeffsmith]

Originally posted by Martyr:

Matt,

Maybe I did something wrong, but when I simply erased the relative keys (as your example above) and added more keys to the direct section, they didn't work. And they didn't show up in the menu, either. When I went back in and deleted the whole relative command section of the file, both problems disappeared.

I sort of did the same thing I edited the hotkeys and then had no menus

so I went back to my back-up copy and tried again

Still No menus Hmmm

Then I realized I had to click on a unit to show the menus

I redid all my Hotkey edits and they work fine

just make sure to click on a unit

[Aloko Mac]

would you mind copy and paste your hoteky files here as I cant find a way to edit the assignment without a crash when loading mission.

Thanks !

[wolf66]

Here is a copy and paste of mine and it works for me :

// You can edit this file to modify various in-game functions and hot-key based commands. Use of special characters (shift, alt, control, numpad or function keys) is not permitted. The letter in <>'s (E,F or G) designates the language (English, French or German).

Camera Keys

// camera forward motion

<E>8

<F>Z

// camera slide left

<E>4

<F>Q

// camera slide right

<E>6

// camera backward motion

<E>2

// camera rotate left

<E>7

<F>A

// camera rotate right

<E>9

// camera turn 180°

<E>5

// camera raise elevation

<E>1

// camera lower elevation

<E>3

// camera zoom out

<E>/

<G>Y

<F>W

// camera zoom in

<E>*

// camera wide-angle/regular angle toggle

<E>0

Misc Keys

// select previous unit

<E>-

// select next unit

<E>=

<G>+

// lower 3D Model Quality

<E>{

// increase 3D Model Quality

<E>}

// chat Message Toggle

<E>`

Command Keys Direct

// These will issue the designated command no matter what command panel is currently displayed

<E>f // move fast

<E>q // move quick

<E>m // move normal

<E>s // move slow

<E>u // move hunt

<E>a // move assault

<E>r // move reverse

<E>b // blast

<E>ä // mark mines

<E>T // target

<E>l // target light

<E>c // target arc

<E> // NOT CURRENTLY USED... Do not assign a key to this function! It will eventually be the hotkey for Clear Target, but not yet properly activated

<E>G // face

<E>d // deploy

<E>P // pause

<E>H // hide

<E>i // dismount

<E>x // bail out

<E>ö // vehicle open up

<E>ü // pop smoke

<E>+ // acquire

<E>- // divide teams

<E>. // assault team

<E>, // antitank team

[wolf66]

Nope didn't work - looks different in the real file :confused:

Originally posted by wolf66:

Here is a copy and paste of mine and it works for me :

// You can edit this file to modify various in-game functions and hot-key based commands. Use of special characters (shift, alt, control, numpad or function keys) is not permitted. The letter in <>'s (E,F or G) designates the language (English, French or German).

Camera Keys

// camera forward motion

<E>8

<F>Z

// camera slide left

<E>4

<F>Q

// camera slide right

<E>6

// camera backward motion

<E>2

// camera rotate left

<E>7

<F>A

// camera rotate right

<E>9

// camera turn 180°

<E>5

// camera raise elevation

<E>1

// camera lower elevation

<E>3

// camera zoom out

<E>/

<G>Y

<F>W

// camera zoom in

<E>*

// camera wide-angle/regular angle toggle

<E>0

Misc Keys

// select previous unit

<E>-

// select next unit

<E>=

<G>+

// lower 3D Model Quality

<E>{

// increase 3D Model Quality

<E>}

// chat Message Toggle

<E>`

Command Keys Direct

// These will issue the designated command no matter what command panel is currently displayed

<E>f // move fast

<E>q // move quick

<E>m // move normal

<E>s // move slow

<E>u // move hunt

<E>a // move assault

<E>r // move reverse

<E>b // blast

<E>ä // mark mines

<E>T // target

<E>l // target light

<E>c // target arc

<E> // NOT CURRENTLY USED... Do not assign a key to this function! It will eventually be the hotkey for Clear Target, but not yet properly activated

<E>G // face

<E>d // deploy

<E>P // pause

<E>H // hide

<E>i // dismount

<E>x // bail out

<E>ö // vehicle open up

<E>ü // pop smoke

<E>+ // acquire

<E>- // divide teams

<E>. // assault team

<E>, // antitank team

[Aloko Mac]

It's not working for me neither.

[HawkerT]

Actually I fiddled with this for a couple of hours last night and my conclusion was that it only works if you have values for all commands in the camera and relative sections.

I tried to delete those as I wanted some of the default keys for direct hotkeys, and everytime the game would crash when the mission load bar was at 95% (I guess this is where the keays are read by the program). The solution was to assign a valid value for all commands and I was home free.

Here is my set FWIW.

Camera Keys

// camera forward motion

< E >.

// camera slide left

< E >.

// camera slide right

< E >.

// camera backward motion

< E >.

// camera rotate left

< E >.

// camera rotate right

< E >.

// camera turn 180°

< E >B

// camera raise elevation

< E >.

// camera lower elevation

< E >.

// camera zoom out

< E >Z

// camera zoom in

< E >X

// camera wide-angle/regular angle toggle

< E >V

Misc Keys

// select previous unit

< E >-

// select next unit

< E >+

// lower 3D Model Quality

< E >.

// increase 3D Model Quality

< E >.

// chat Message Toggle

< E >.

Command Keys Default

// REALTIVE COMMANDS... These keys are relative to the button position in the displayed command panel

// Activate the button in the top row, left-most position

< E >7

// Activate the button in the top row, middle position

< E >8

// Activate the button in the top row, right-most position

< E >9

// Activate the button in the middle row, left-most position

< E >4

// Activate the button in the middle row, middle position

< E >5

// Activate the button in the middle row, right-most position

< E >6

// Activate the button in the bottom row, left-most position

< E >1

// Activate the button in the bottom row, middle position

< E >2

// Activate the button in the bottom row, right-most position

< E >3

Command Keys Direct

// These will issue the designated command no matter what command panel is currently displayed

< E >F // move fast

< E >W // move quick

< E >Q // move normal

< E >C // move slow

< E >E // move hunt

< E >N // move assault

< E >R // move reverse

< E >B // blast

< E >M // mark mines

< E >D // target

< E >Y // target light

< E >A // target arc

< E > // NOT CURRENTLY USED... Do not assign a key to this function! It will eventually be the hotkey for Clear Target, but not yet properly activated

< E >T // face

< E >G // deploy

< E >P // pause

< E >H // hide

< E >L // dismount

< E >O // bail out

< E >U // vehicle open up

< E >S // pop smoke

< E >I // acquire

< E > // divide teams

< E > // assault team

< E > // antitank team

[HawkerT]

Ohh forgot to add that deleteing the languages you don't need was ok as described.

What would be nice to have is working hotkeys for the emergency orders i.e. 'pause','cancel all' and 'evade' as well as a working reassignable hotkey other than 'del' for 'Clear Target'. The latter one seems to be in at some ponit which is good!

Being able to sport 'space' as a hotkey would also be nice.

All the best

Frans

[ August 12, 2007, 03:36 PM: Message edited by: HawkerT ]

[molotov_billy]

You don't have to delete sections, and you don't have to have something assigned to everything. What was breaking it for me was when I deleted things under the "<F>" function.

ONLY DELETE ENTRIES FOR <E>, NOTHING ELSE! and it will work.

[Thomm]

Yes, I did the same as HawkerT, but replaced every key that I did not want by the 'Space' character.

Needless to say, I instantly deactivated the horrible relative keys

A big 'Thank you!' to BFC for providing us with this possibility so quickly!

Best regards,

Thomm

[ronft]

Hey do i understand correctly that i cannot assign "Clear Target"? Wo when i change to direct keys i do not have that command any more???

kr ronf

[Aloko Mac]

Tehre might be somehting wrong with my install then cause the above file is causing a crash.

I've deleted the space between the > and <

Rewritten every key with the F for FRENCH but still crash.

So far I cant use the direct key assignment.

[Aloko Mac]

I messed up with my hotkey.txt

Could someone send his file to :

alokomac at gmail.com

Thanks !

I promise, I will make a backup next time