Re-Assigning Keyboard Keys

j0k3r · August 11, 2003, 01:17 PM

I got this ergonomic (split) Microsoft (ew) keyboard, and I want to reassign the command buttons (next track, previous track, stop, pause) but it only gives the option to reassign to a program or disable them. I want to reassign "next" and "pause" and such to winamp.

Any ideas on how to do this?

Adron · August 11, 2003, 01:21 PM

Reassign to winamp?? How would that work? As far as I know, listening for and handling the keypresses would be something you coded inside Winamp...

j0k3r · August 11, 2003, 01:54 PM

I thought it was when you clicked the key it sent it sent the command to the program to do whatever.

If you can do it your way (this would have to work with winamp running in the background not on top) then I'm all ears.

Adron · August 11, 2003, 02:26 PM

Winamp would have to understand the keys itself. There are standardized messages sent to applications when you push "Play" or "Stop" etc. If Winamp doesn't listen for such messages, it's not the keyboard's fault. You could write some application or plugin to listen for those messages and forward it to Winamp as one of the messages Winamp understands?

iago · August 15, 2003, 02:31 AM

I think he wants to know if he could change the messages that are being sent to something that winamp can proces, maybe?

Adron · August 15, 2003, 04:38 AM

Quote from: iago on August 15, 2003, 02:31 AM
I think he wants to know if he could change the messages that are being sent to something that winamp can proces, maybe?

He wants them to be sent to Winamp no matter what application is has focus. IIRC, these messages that *are* being sent are sent to all applications. Winamp only understands messages that are sent to one application only. So even if he did redefine the keys, it still wouldn't work.

j0k3r · August 15, 2003, 07:20 AM

Ok an idea just came to me thanks to Adron. I can forward the button to a program, so I could write a program for play, pause, stop, next and previous. These programs can send the message to winamp and then close themselves down, hopefully without using alot of system resources... Only problem now is figuring out what commands to get the programs to send... I have no idea how to do that.

Adron · August 15, 2003, 08:03 AM

What Winamp version are we talking about? I have dealt with the 2.x versions only so far.