Zugg Software :: View topic

Newbie Joined: 17 Dec 2002 Posts: 2

Whenever I try to make a macro with a letter key like "a" I get this message: "Cannot assign a macro to Key SHIFT-ALT-CTRL-RIGHT-LEFT-MIDDLE-DOUBLE-254". The help file seems to suggest you can do any key. Whats going on?

MASTER Joined: 28 Nov 2000 Posts: 4817 Location: USA

You can't assign a macro to the SHIFT keys, the ALT keys, the CTRL keys, and many others. This apparently includes the unshifted alphabet. I guess Zugg thought it was important to ensure people would always be able to get an "a" when they hit the "a" key.

I agree with him. After all, once you've assigned a macro to the "a" key, it's going to be extremely difficult to write another macro for some other key so you'll have a way to type "a", since you won't be able to type the "a" as the value of the other macro without having the "a" available.

LightBulb
Senior Member

MASTER Joined: 28 Nov 2000 Posts: 4817 Location: USA

I realize that second paragraph probably isn't very clear. Here's another attempt at what I was trying to say:
Step 1. You assign a macro to the "a" key (if it was possible), so whenever you press "a" you "attack".
Step 2. You try to cast armor. Oops! Comes out as
attack
attack
cst rmor
Step 3. You wonder "What happened?" After awhile, you figure out that your macro went off every time you pressed the "a" key. That is:
c(attack)st (attack)rmor
Step 4. You decide you can't live without the "a", but you still want that macro. So instead, you decide to make a new macro so whenever you press ALT-a you'll get an "a" instead of an "attack".
Step 5. When you try to make the macro, you get
attack
attack
attack
#key lt-
Step 6. You figure out that was
#key (attack)lt-(attack) (attack)
Step 7. You finally get smart and delete the old macro, then make a new one using alt-a for attack

LightBulb
Senior Member

Newbie Joined: 17 Dec 2002 Posts: 2

I'm sorry, that just doesn't seem like a major problem. Sure someone might not think and make a macro when that key is needed for other things, but its very easy to figure out you just delete the macro.

I'm wanting to put all these macros in a class and toggle it on and off with another macro not in the class. This would allow me to move, bash, ref, flurry, etc all with one touch keys and the ability to immediately type something else in normal mode.

Can someone confirm that it isn't possible to create a macro on the letter keys. LightBulb seems to be making an educated guess (which I respect), but there might be some option somewhere that will allow you to do it.

GURU Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 4379 Location: USA

The only person that knows the code of zMUD is Zugg. So only he is able to completely confirm that you can't.

I can however, confirm your findings and tell you that there is no option in zMUD that has any effect on this whatsoever. Also, it would not surprise me if zMUD simply doesn't allow a macro to be created on this kye for the reasons LightBulb mentioned.

Kjata

Magician Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 356 Location: USA

what about using aliases? as far as I know aliases don't process like macro's. Lightbulb, am i wrong?

if you make an alias a and type: cast armour, it wont recognize the A's in the command as the alias.

Just another suggsetion. your alias should be able to do everything that a macro can.

Killing a fly on a friends forhead may not be overkill, use a hatchet to make sure the job is done.

MASTER Joined: 28 Nov 2000 Posts: 4817 Location: USA

Aliases are indeed different from macros. When using an alias, nothing happens until you press the ENTER key, whereas macros usually fire at once and ignore the command line. This allows you to use macros while you're in the middle of typing something else into the command line and saves at least one keystroke over using an alias. So aliases probably aren't what bradsteel wants, but that's up to him.

There are other methods besides zMUD for reprogramming the keyboard, but I'm not familiar with any of them, and they'd have the same problem I referenced above (interfering with normal typing) without any easy method of toggling them on and off. For one-touch macros, most people use the function keys (F1 to F12).

LightBulb
Senior Member

Newbie Joined: 02 Mar 2002 Posts: 7

Okay.. In 6.40, you can set macros to a and such, but they dont seem to work. Heh.
I just read this.. so i may not be correct in assuming.. But the person who asked about the letters, a,b,c etc. May want to have like.. a different setting for all of that. And when you open the macro window.. your macros dont affect the mud, you can still type. So.. If letter macros did in fact work, you could create a whole keyboard full of only the commands youll need. (ex: flying a ship or something has limited commands)Then switch settings when your done.
May zugg should make this possible..

-~~~===|!!MINSK!!|===~~~-
Beuty,
Is in the eye,
Of the Beholder.

You,
Are in the stomach,
Of the Beholder.