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Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2019 6:56 pm
by choin
XMBC Version: 2.18.8
Windows Version: 8.1 x64
Mouse Information (brand/model): Mionix, USB

Did the problem occur after an upgrade of XMBC? (If so, from what version?): Yes
Did the problem occur after a Windows update/upgrade? (If so, from what version?): 2.17
How long have you used XMBC?: 6 years
What language and keyboard layout do you use in Windows?: En

Clear description of the problem - try and include as much information as possible, including what button and mappings you are having problems with (if applicable).:

For opera.exe:
Mouse 4: {F1}, repeat (mode 6)
Mouse 5: {F2}, repeat (mode 6)

It doesn't work properly anymore. When I click the button, XMBC acts like I'm holding it - sends F1/F2 continuously every time.

I reverted to 2.17 and there is no such problem.

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2019 12:34 am
by phil
I'm not sure what you mean. If you set XMBC to repeat {F1} then it should keep repeating it while the button is held.
I'm trying this in firefox on 2.18.8 with {F5} and it seems to be working fine - it continually refreshes the page while the button is held down.

What exactly are you seeing differently between 2.17 and 2.18.8 (I need detail because 2.18.8 is quite old now > 6 months and no one else has reported any such problems).

Maybe its too quick and optimizations have improved performance, causing this trouble - if you add {WAITMS:100} or something after the {F2}/{F1} does it make any difference?

Regards,
Phil

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 7:58 pm
by choin
I mean that with 2.17 it worked like this:
I click Mouse 4 -> App acts like F1 was clicked once.
I hold Mouse 4 -> App acts like F1 is held.

In 2.18.8 (the latest version website offers afaik):
I click Mouse 4 -> App acts like F1 is held. It does not stop acting like it's held after I release the button, and it keeps acting like that infinitely or until I move the mouse outside of the app window.
I hold Mouse 4 -> Not sure because clicking it once makes it act like F1 is being held already.

I've tried increasing the delay to 500ms, and it didn't solve the problem.

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2019 1:12 pm
by phil
OK well method 6 should repeat the key (as if you quickly press and release the key repeatedly) while you hold the mouse button down.
If you just want it to hold the key down while you hold the button down, you should be using method 3 (during). That will press the key when you press the mouse button and release the key when you release the mouse button.

There have been quite a few fixes in 2.19 beta since 2.18.8 but I don't recall anything particularly in this area. You might want to check on the latest beta as its just about to be released (early next year) so if your still having issues in that beta its defiantly something I will have to have a look at (as much as I don't want to delay release, I'd rather sort these little issues out before hand)

You can find 2.19 beta in the "beta" thread on the forums.

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2019 3:28 pm
by choin
I've tried 2.19 beta 18. Same issue as 2.18.8.

Yes, mode 6 does (should do) exactly what I need - smashes the button as long as I keep the mouse button held. Problem is that it doesn't work this way, and it fails to detect whether I'm holding the mouse button and whether I stop holding it. It just assumes I hold it, while I just clicked once and released it.

Ideally, Mode 3 is what I want though. But Mode 3 doesn't work like I need, in any version I tested. Like, if I press and hold F1 in the application, it works like I want - it repeats the action, much like Notepad repeats an input if you hold some symbol button or space. But XMBC doesn't emulate this behavior in mode 3 - it only emulates 1 press if I hold the mouse button. Mode 6 worked like I wanted but it doesn't work in newer versions.

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2019 3:33 pm
by phil
OK I'll have to take a look next year (because when I checked the other day it was working for me).
Might be worth rolling back to (presume 2.17) and confirm it still works OK there (because on the odd occasion, the problem has been that the mouse button itself is getting old and starts contact "bouncing" (I had to replace the left click micro switch in my mouse just the other day for that reason).

But I'm out for NY now so wont get a chance to look until Friday/the weekend.

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 12:30 am
by choin
Right, I've reverted to 2.17 as soon as I could and using it now.

If there is an archive of old builds (between 2.17 and 2.18.8) I could try them and let you know which exact version introduced this bug with mode 6.

But I guess mode 3 should also be checked, and I don't know if it ever worked properly in more older builds.

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 2:22 pm
by phil
There were release builds 2.18, 2.18.1, 2.18.2 ... 2.18.8
There were also about 20 or so beta builds between 2.17 and 2.18.
I can provide links to all, or you can use the following URL and adjust numbers at the end of the links to get the correct version.

2.18: https://www.highrez.co.uk/scripts/downl ... on=2180000
2.18.1: https://www.highrez.co.uk/scripts/downl ... on=2180100
2.18.5: https://www.highrez.co.uk/scripts/downl ... on=2180500

Notice the number at the end - so for 2.18.3 you would want 2180300 instead.
I wont bother with the 2.18 beta builds for now!

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 2:24 pm
by phil
BTW: Mode 3 is working perfectly as designed here (but then so is mode 6 as far as I can tell!).
Also, many many people here uses mode 3 quite often so I would be alerted pretty quickly if something was wrong - I'm so surprised that you are the only one suffering - although mode 6 if far less common I suspect, that's why I wondered about the button bounce problem I mentioned above - but if 2.17 is working then that's definitely strange.

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2020 2:02 pm
by phil
For what it is worth, I have tried again, with 2.17, 2.18.8 and the latest beta - they all seem to behave the same for me here (in notepad) with method 6.

I wonder if maybe you send me a copy of your settings (you can create a copy using the "Save profile" button on the main screen, then send me that file (attach it here to a PM if you can or email it to me). Maybe there is some particular setting you have that I havn't that's causing the issue and I'm just missing it. I would also be interested to see if it works in 2.18 (and if it does, which release it stopped working in for you [if you have time to try and find out (using the links I provided above)]).

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2020 3:13 pm
by injtsvetkov
I did some tests but I don't see anything strange with 'method 6' (which doesn't mean there is no problem). I presume choin uses these settings for some online browser game which makes me think that maybe there is some nasty timing issue which affects the game but nothing else... Or maybe something has been broken somewhere around 2.18 beta 10 as I see there were some changes to the 'sticky buttons'.
Suggestions to choin:
- try with other mouse buttons
- try to simulate keys other than the 'F' keys and see if the result is the same
- try using methods '3', '7', '8' and maybe even '9' to test and see if there is anything wrong there
- try some '2.18 beta' versions to confirm where exactly the problem appeared

I found out that using 'method 3' in firefox (to hold down the key '1') results in typing only one '1' while holding the mouse button, however holding the physical key '1' results in repetitive typing '1'. I'm not sure whether that's normal.

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:54 am
by phil
injtsvetkov wrote: Tue Jan 07, 2020 3:13 pm I found out that using 'method 3' in firefox (to hold down the key '1') results in typing only one '1' while holding the mouse button, however holding the physical key '1' results in repetitive typing '1'. I'm not sure whether that's normal.
Yes that IS normal and is essentially why method 6 exists in the first place. When using the MS SendInput API (as Simulated keystrokes does) it goes in after the key repeat feature found in the keyboard - i.e. that's done at a lower level. So simply sending KEY DOWN.... then waiting and later sending KEY UP, nothing happens in-between to "auto-repeat". Method 6 solves this by XMBC effectively doing the auto-repeat bit itself - but for some as yet unknown reason this is not working properly for the OP. I still havn't managed to figure it out and Ive not heard anything since. So its less likely that I will get a chance to do any more about it before releasing 2.19 as I cant wait forever!

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 2:04 pm
by choin
Sorry for late response.

I've tried older versions and noticed that the issue happens in 2.18 already, so if there were no other builds between 2.17 and 2.18 then 2.18 introduced the problem.

Next, I've tried creating a new profile for notepad.exe. No issues there - mode 6 works fine.
Then I've tried creating a new profile for opera.exe from scratch - same, no issues. I've then noticed that in the older profile I had the "Only send if profile's process is active" option enabled, but it was disabled by default in the new one (User Guide says it should be enabled by default). I've enabled it in a new profile too and the problem started happening again.

There you go then. 2 issues:
1. Enabling "Only send if profile's process is active" creates issues with Mode 6, possibly when several processes under the same name are running (I also have several different opera.exe builds running).
2. Mode 3 works like Mode 1. Tested in notepad.exe. If I press and hold 1 on keyboard - I get "111111111111111111111111" in Notepad window. If I press and hold the mouse button configured with Custom key "1" and mode 3 (During), all I get is "1".

All tested under current 2.19 beta 19. All options were set in Simulated Keys mode.

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 6:19 pm
by phil
OK Thanks for the detail I will have a go again and see if I can reproduce.
Please remember, that mode 3 IS working as expected. It should NOT repeat the key - as I described before. But it is NOT behaving like 1 (even if you cant see the difference!). As I though I explained before, DURING (mode 3) pressed the KEY when the button is pressed and releases the KEY when the button is released. But there is no "keyboard auto-repeat" because that is done elsewhere in Windows - not simply by sending a key down SENTINPUT command. If you were to use {CTRL} with mode 3, you will see that it IS held down and if you then hit C or V on the keyboard (while holding the button) it will invoke copy/paste as CTRL is being held down. Mode 6 is there PRECISELY because more 3 does not have auto repeat! But Ive had enough of trying to explain that to everyone now so I'll go look at the actual problem :).

Re: Newest version doesn't work right with repeat

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 9:13 pm
by choin
phil wrote: Sun Jan 19, 2020 6:19 pm But there is no "keyboard auto-repeat" because that is done elsewhere in Windows
Oh... my bad. Sorry. I don't think this was properly explained before, or at least in this thread.

But then I wonder if there is any real use for mode 3 when it comes to Windows applications, or even games.