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Newbie Joined: 18 Dec 2003 Posts: 9

Hi,

I use the ALT key to make macros that are extremely fast to type. For example, ALT-H will make my character quaff a health potion. Often, I keep my ALT key pressed while I wait for an event, to be able to start a macro faster. But I have the following problem:

If I release the ALT key without pressing another key, my main window will lose focus and the task bar will be focussed instead. I'll lose about half a second switching the focus again. In a combat, that delay is unacceptable.

I tried to prevent this by creating an empty macro named only 'ALT' (and some variations). No luck there. I selected the option 'Allow any key to be a macro', and it still didn't work.

Using the control key instead of the ALT key works, but it's much slower to type. One temporary fix I use is to swap the Control and ALT key system-wide. Of course I'd rather not resort to such tricks.

Do someone else had this problem and if so, how did you resolve it?
If nothing can be done about it currently, I think adding an option in the preferences to correct this problem would be interesting.

Thanks

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

i don't know all the fancy programming terminology for this stuff but i don't think you can change the behaviour of the ALT key. It's build into the CORE of windows itself. I don't believe this is something Zmud can correct.

If someone else can prove me wrong, please do. I'm always open to new ideas and being learned a new thing.

Newbie Joined: 18 Dec 2003 Posts: 9

I programmed in Delphi and I know one radical way to fix it...set the task bar visible property to false. That way there will be no window to switch to. Of course in that case there must be an option to make it visible again (from the main window), or a key combinaison.

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2003 12:37 pm

I am a little confused - you hold the alt key down, which is what causes you problems, but typing ctrl as part of the key combo is slower to type? Why not hold the ctrl key down? Or do you have some weird keyboard layout which doesn't have alt and ctrl next to each other?

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2003 1:07 pm

I think this is quite likely your problem: When you press alt-key without pressing anything else, and then releasing it, it goes automatically to the File menu in your Toolbar.
Standard behaviour for the alt key in Windows.

Newbie Joined: 18 Dec 2003 Posts: 9

StackAdder -- I have the problem described by Danlo. You don't get that behavior if you use the control key. So I could use the control key instead of the ALT key to make macros. However, it is slower to use the control key rather than the ALT key, because it is farther on the keyboard.

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2003 2:03 pm

Decker, the purpose of my post, was to say that there is nothing you can do about changing that behaviour of the alt key. You don't get that on control key, simply because it is not the one used in windows to go to Menus's. You'll just have to make do.

Newbie Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 4 Location: USA

I have several macros set to use the ALT key and have not had this problem at all. By chance, what version of Windows are you using, i am using WinXP Pro.

Newbie Joined: 18 Dec 2003 Posts: 9

Same as you...with zMUD 6.62.

Newbie Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 4 Location: USA

Strange, i have never run into this problem...
I am running the 6.66 beta though, so they may have addressed the issue.