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Tutorial: Switching Modes by Modifier Keys and Modifier Key Combos


hika421

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I'd like to start by saying, although I do like and play a lot of video games, I was drawn to RGB mechanical keyboards by the idea of using them as a productivity tool for software like those found in Adobe CC. I wanted to optimize my productivity and speed by remembering shortcuts. An RBG keyboard seemed like the answer! Hold CTRL, and C & V light up in green, etc.

 

It is possible, exactly as described! I saw a lot of people here asking about it and a lot of tutorials not quite helping, or, only helping with one modifier key and not a combination of them, but I'm gonna show you how to switch modes via modifier key/modifier key combo, while retaining the functionality of those keys.

 

1. First, go to the Profiles window and create a profile for your software of choice with modes for:

  • Default
  • Ctrl
  • Alt
  • Shift
  • Ctrl + Alt
  • Alt + Shift
  • Shift + Ctrl
  • Ctrl + Alt + Shift

 

Set the lighting of each mode to fit the shortcuts and keys of the software you're making the profile for, decorate, etc.

 

2. Now it's time to set up the mode switching. Go to the assignments pane and start with the Default mode. Set the Ctrl keys to both take you to the Ctrl mode, the Alt Keys to both take you to the Alt mode, and the Shift Keys to both take you to the Shift mode, while pressed.

 

http://i.imgur.com/1aVa5e7.png

 

Important: Uncheck "Apply setting to the same button/key in the current profile"! We only want this to happen in the default profile, so when you hold one key and switch from the default profile, you're able to press another key to move to a combo profile and perform combo shortcuts.

 

3. Now, go to the Ctrl Mode. Assign its two Shift keys to take you to take you to the Ctrl+Shift mode, while pressed, with "Apply setting to the same button/key in the current profile" unchecked once again. (Mode switching settings should look the same as last time, but for the combo mode instead). Now, when you're finger's already on Ctrl and you're in Ctrl mode, adding Shift will take you to Ctrl+Shift mode!

 

4. Repeat Step 2. for all the other combinations. It helps to think of all of them as branching paths. For example in Alt Mode, set both Ctrl keys to (ONLY IN THAT PROFILE) take you to the Alt+Ctrl mode while pressed.

 

5. Once you have all the mode switches set up, go to any mode but Default, and set the only mode switch that'll work across all profiles. set the Pause Break key, or some other key nobody uses, to take you to the default mode with a press, not while pressed. This is just in case you exit the CUE editor on one of your modifier key modes or something and need to start at default again.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Y2Rqtkm.png

 

6. This is the annoying step, and I'm literally so sorry about it. In your Ctrl mode, you have to set all the keys (minus the two Ctrls) to send the keystroke of "Ctrl + That Key". Likewise, for combo modes like Ctrl + Shift, you gotta set all those keys (excluding Ctrl +Shift) to send the keystroke of "Ctrl + Shift + That Key". An easy way to do this Quickly is to go to Profiles>Assignments>Actions List and drag them all on, one by one.

 

For K65 users, I'll include my list of all these keystroke actions, so all you gotta do is drag them onto the keyboard. The important settings for these is to have them repeat while pressed with a delay of about 75ms or so.

 

http://i.imgur.com/FYMmjpl.png

 

Sorry if this tutorial is a bit wordy or hard to follow. I'm not really good at teaching/explaining. Please reply if you're having any issues.

Keys.act

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Could someone give me some tips other than not having slopping fingers with this?

 

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I basically want everything shown above, but if I release the keys in a different order, I'd like to have it just go back to default. I can create a script in AHK that forces some action(s) but I am not sure how to pass that to CUE 2 and say hey Cue, switch back the default PS profile short of forcefully alt tabbing away and back?

 

Also, I didnt trim the video soon enough so if you watch after 3:19 it kind of goes no where because I didnt have the example lined up and possibly this was implemented in a way that would not have caused the issue with losing program focus.

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i also tried adding timers to execute the actions on start or on end for each modifier key and within each profile with and without retain original output checked and with and without restart on press and with various 0, 1, and 2 second timings but that seems to make things worse, less reliable and in the latest version while testing only inside of cue 2, i caused a crash.

 

i'm almost certain the solution would be to poll for release of a modifier key in some program that then tells CUE "hey switch back to the default profile for this program now bc the modifier keys have been released" but I don't get the impression the SDK has much to do with what profile is active as much as what lights are active?

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i'm almost certain the solution would be to poll for release of a modifier key in some program that then tells CUE "hey switch back to the default profile for this program now bc the modifier keys have been released" but I don't get the impression the SDK has much to do with what profile is active as much as what lights are active?

 

You don't really use profiles, per se, when programming the SDK. However, one can indeed set asynchronous event handlers to change the lighting based on key events as you wish.

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Could someone give me some tips?

if I release the keys in a different order, I'd like to have it just go back to default. I can create a script in AHK that forces some action(s) but I am not sure how to pass that to CUE 2 and say hey Cue, switch back the default PS profile short of forcefully alt tabbing away and back?

 

Have you tried the process in the tutorial at the start of this thread, rather than using Auto-HotKey? (Auto HotKey cannot pass things back to CUE, except that it can execute programs utilizing the SDK to override CUE settings....)

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Have you tried the process in the tutorial at the start of this thread' date=' rather than using Auto-HotKey? (Auto HotKey cannot pass things back to CUE, except that it can execute programs utilizing the SDK to override CUE settings....)[/quote']

 

Right but if you watch the video, if you do not release the modifiers in the same order, you have to hit the go to default button... bummer if you have lots of key combos you hit regularly.

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  • 1 month later...
if you do not release the modifiers in the same order, you have to hit the go to default button... bummer if you have lots of key combos you hit regularly.

 

I have not yet compared to previous versions, and maybe I am an idiot, but no one pointed my mistake out to me previously, I just was able to get this to work by disabling the "while pressed" in each of the modifier modes that succeed the initial mode.

 

In other words, Photoshop base profile has "while pressed" profile switches for ctrl alt and shift and then the subsequent ones do not. That was my issue when I would release keys in the wrong order. It seems stupid in hindsight and I almost think I tried that in earlier CUE 2 versions but maybe i didn't.

 

This will still break if focus is lost, but that is acceptable. I'm excited.

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