Feature Request: Add generic keyboard mapping.

[rbthomp]

Would there be any interest in adding support for generic key binding to functions? Instead of mapping a gamepad key to a function you would map a Engine Driver function to a KeyEvent.

The UI could work like this, select an Engine Driver function from the a list then, you press the key you want bound to function. You would still have default key mappings profiles for devices you want to support, this would just extend the app to allow for any of the multimedia controllers that function as a Human Interface Device to be used with Engine Driver.

Let me know your thoughts, I don't have much Android development experience, but I could probably put together a pull request if needed.

[flash62au]

We already do something related for the gamepads.
The 'icade' format in particular is just upper and lower case characters.

So a generic one for a keyboard would not be overly difficult.

However I have not seen any commercial devices which would be useful enough to make it worth the effort. (other than the gamepads) I have a personal plan to try build a dedicated gamepad using an esp32 and a rotary encoder, but it is held up in the Christmas postal deliveries. That will require a new gamepad configuration, which I can make reasonably generic.

Happy to rethink if I can be shown something commercial that would be usable.

[rbthomp]

I was going to use this. I was also playing with creating my own controller using Adafruit ItsyBitsy M0. I've already done some testing and using the Arduino Keyboard library which worked just fine when mapped existing keyevents as one of the listed gamepads.

I'm also got some inspiration from the following for ideas.
Trinkey
qtpy-knob

The Arduino really aren't a problem as you can control the key's it presses. It's the manufactured controllers which create troubles.

[flash62au]

ok. the 'Mini USB Media Speaker Volume Controller' is kind-of interesting.
Supporting it in a similar way to gamepad controllers 'should' be easy enough (just a matter of figuring how to deal with the source being USB), but something special may be needed for the volume controller. Currently the volume speed control is treated separately to gamepad speed control, and in this case they will need to be linked. (depends how it actually does the volume changes.)

Coming up with a screen to allow customisable configuration of the buttons will not be too difficult, but it may be overkill unless there are likely to be other devices.
It is not on my radar, so I am not overly interested in doing it. But I am happy to assist if you want to take it on.

Having a 'standard' device type/support for Arduino based devices would make sense, and I was expecting to have to create something like that (if in can get the esp32 to do what I want). Even if I don't get mine going I am happy to assist to get yours going.

The USB volume controller one would be much easier to do if you reuse the existing gamepad functionality. (not 'universally' customisable)

[flash62au]

@rbthomp
I did a fairly simple test of plugging in a USB keyboard into my phone.
ED doesn't actually distinguish between Bluetooth devices and USB devices, so if you can tell me the up and down key codes generated by the buttons on the device I can set something up for you. (You can use the gamepad test screen to get the codes.)

Peter

[wgehner]

What would be really cool for my android phone is to regulate speed of the (default) throttle with the volume buttons. Here's a how-to I found:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2874743/android-volume-buttons-used-in-my-application

[flash62au]

You can already control the throttles with the volume buttons. Also with headphone volume buttons, and also USB volume dials.

[chiller-royal]

Hi, I also have a non recommended "Gamepad" which could have a lot more usability if total remapping would be easily possible.
Actually it's some kind of keyboard addition. It has 12 keys and two knobs. The keys are mapped from A-L and the knobs from 1-6. The app recognizes all input but the most is unmapped.
A 3rd party Software remapping didn't worked as engine driver doesn't recognize the remapped input.

But just why it's so complicated?
Just add a mapping for all keyboard inputs and offer a remap option. Call it custom / specialized etc. And it's good to go, so everyone can remap in the way necessary. As the next step it could be good to be able to store and export the settings so they could be shared like the presets which are implemented already. But one step after another.

Please take time and improve this setting option as it has a lot of potential.

[wgehner]

Hi, great idea to use a keyboard addition that has knobs as well. Can you share the make and model?

[chiller-royal]

@wgehner
It doesn't have special specifications.
Its some chinese generic board sold in the big american river.
https://www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B0B8DZYRF3

[flash62au]

That device is designed to have the keys remapped. Don't use a third party keymapper. Use any instructions provided with the device to remap the keys (in the device) to those described here https://enginedriver.mstevetodd.com/operation/gamepads.html#keyboard-commands
Then in Engine Driver select "Keyboard" as the gamepad type.

[flash62au]

But just why it's so complicated?
Just add a mapping for all keyboard inputs and offer a remap option. Call it custom / specialized etc. And it's good to go, so everyone can remap in the way necessary. As the next step it could be good to be able to store and export the settings so they could be shared like the presets which are implemented already. But one step after another.

You are welcome to change the code yourself. It is after all 'open source'.

[chiller-royal]

Thank you for the fast reply.

A remapping on android isn't possible, as there is no firmware for android to remap the keyboard. And I guess a lot more abandoned interfaces share this issue. Maybe not today but more soon than later.

Anyways, if my message for this more than 3 year old request was sound to much demanding I am sorry for that. It's look like a custom preset is not to much of a hustle, as there are more than 10 already set up. Maybe I can get a better explanation why it's not likely to add this feature? Is it not wanted? Is there a technical issue?
Is it possible to explain the process of how to implement a custom preset, to get a view on what we are talking about?

Once again. A fully free custom remap could bring a future proof framework because the users themself setup presets for new hardware. This feature increases usability, scale and compatibility so from user perspective there are only upsides.

[flash62au]

A remapping on android isn't possible, as there is no firmware for android to remap the keyboard. And I guess a lot more abandoned interfaces share this issue. Maybe not today but more soon than later.

You should be able to remap it on/using a PC or Mac. Then use it on an Android phone.

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Maybe I can get a better explanation why it's not likely to add this feature? Is it not wanted? Is there a technical issue?

For good or bad, I wrote the code around the gamepads that existed at the time. They have a limited number of buttons in common locations on the device. Designing for a device with an unknown number of keys and dials, with no set locations will require a complete rethink of the code.

For a completely configurable device It would take me at least two solid days to build the custom screen for editing the mapping. Probably another few days to wire it in to the rest of the code. Then probably another day for the import/export functionality. Then one to two weeks, on and off, to test it. So say a solid two weeks of effort (for me). It is not hard, just time consuming.

If you ditched the UI and simply imported a text file (like the IPLS files) then I could probably do it in under a week.

If you simplified it to 'just gamepads' with a limited number and type of keys, then it would also be less than a week.

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I work on things that a) interest me personally, and/or b) I think will have broad appeal.

I have no interest in coding a completely configurable device as I have no device that could use it, and I am not convinced that many others would be interested either. I have no issue with the feature being added. It just won't be me doing it anytime soon.

The user configurable gamepad is something I would consider doing.

[chiller-royal]

Yeah maybe it's possible but it's an inconvenient way, to need an additional device. It's like using a 3rd party remapping software. If u fight long enough there will be a way.

I have another scenario. A broken keyboard, or a keyboarddesign with missing keys for the preset. But I am sure, there are a lot of interfaces could fit this problem, aside from only keyboards.

I don't know about the total number of users but if 3 people reach the point to request this nice feature here, the unseen amount of people with demand is probably a lot larger. There are people building their own input device. I guess a good part of them would probably use some readymades if they would be easily integrated.

The app already recognizes the input. But it's designed to assign a function to a button. Why it's not the other way around, that the button is assigned to a funktion. So in the setup then I have the "limited" list of functions but I can assign the "unlimited" amount of recognized input keys (not as a list, as a recorded key). The key just needs to be recorded, and doesn't need the "real" name or any preset. Instead of the list of buttons I would need the "static" list of all the functions of the app where I can just record and save the needed input as a trigger all one by one similar to the remap.
In this way any interface could be used, as long as the input is recognized, also gamepads. So the limitation would be the amount of functions and not the amount of keys.
And new presets for other products, gamepads etc. could be made by the users themself.

Today I thought an old sound mixer could be a nice interface too. Especially the faders, but the signal recognition would be a hole new dimension of complicated...

Thank you for your time.

[flash62au]

Yeah maybe it's possible but it's an inconvenient way, to need an additional device. It's like using a 3rd party remapping software. If u fight long enough there will be a way.

I seriously don't understand. According to the instructions here...
It explicitly says that if you run their remapping app on a Windows PC once, and set the keys to do do what you want... When you connect it into something else (e.g. the phone) it remembers what you have set the keys to.

(I note that you have to request their remapping app.)

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Why it's not the other way around, that the button is assigned to a funktion

a) because, for good or bad, that is not the way it is currently written.
b) it would be inefficient as there are more possible commands than likely keys.
c) minor issue: it would not be possible to assign the same command to more than one key.
d) minor point: from a 'recognition' point of view it doesn't make sense. It is event based. It receives a key press as an event. It needs to 'recognise' the key press (event) then 'look up' what it should do when it receives that particular type of key press. Not the other way around. It can be done that way but it it is inefficient.
e) if you wanted to make use of the second dial as a speed control for the second throttle, it would not be one command. Each motion of the dial, would require multiple commands. One to tell it which throttle, then another to tell it the direction/speed change.

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As I said. I am not opposed to supporting devices with an unknown number and type of keys and dials. I am just not currently interested in doing it myself.