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Select Between/Execute Skins with keyboard

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Monarch
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Joined: August 18th, 2021, 10:37 am

Select Between/Execute Skins with keyboard

Post by Monarch »

Hey Guys, I am trying to figure out how to use arrow keys to select between different loaded skins, Similar to the way if you have a file on your home screen and you type any of the arrows it will select between icons. Then have it execute when an assigned key is pressed. My main goal is to use this as a livingroom setup, so when i use a software to bind my Xbox controller to a specific key, it will select between/start different skins

Thanks for the help :)
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jsmorley
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Re: Select Between/Execute Skins with keyboard

Post by jsmorley »

If I understand you correctly, you are likely to have to "simulate" this in a sense.

I think it would be hugely complicated to try and use arrow keys to "give focus" to a Rainmeter skin and take some action based on simulating the "enter" key while a skin has focus. In and of itself, Rainmeter doesn't support any keyboard actions. That would require the Hotkey plugin to react to the arrow keys, and then the Focus plugin to give focus to a running skin, and then the Hotkey plugin again to react to the enter key. Keeping track of where the "highlighted" skin should be would also be complicated. I simply would not go down this rabbit hole.

It would be a bit easier I think to just have a single skin, with let's say 5 Image meters that are the icons you want. Then you have the arrow keys (with the Hotkey plugin) cycle through a variable that more or less would be a number representing 1-5 for those 5 Image meters.

When the variable is "1", you have Rainmeter change the icon for the first Image meter in some way, color, size, transparency, whatever you want. At the same time, you have the action for the enter key in HotKey change to take the action you want to assign to the first icon.

While I think doable, this is not going to be trivial to pull together.
Monarch
Posts: 15
Joined: August 18th, 2021, 10:37 am

Re: Select Between/Execute Skins with keyboard

Post by Monarch »

Thankyou, ill give this a shot, appreciate the reply!
Monarch
Posts: 15
Joined: August 18th, 2021, 10:37 am

Re: Select Between/Execute Skins with keyboard

Post by Monarch »

Okay so my best bet will be to have my entire Screen layout as 1 skin, how is this possible using skin muiltiple packs?
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jsmorley
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Re: Select Between/Execute Skins with keyboard

Post by jsmorley »

Monarch wrote: August 18th, 2021, 11:45 am Okay so my best bet will be to have my entire Screen layout as 1 skin, how is this possible using skin packs?
Very difficult if you already have multiple skins. I may not fully understand what you are trying to do, but honestly, I don't see a reasonable way right off the top of my head to accomplish this. I just don't think it is practical to try and arrow around between different skins, have them react to the focus being given to them, and take action based on enter being pressed. Just the complexity of knowing where the arrow key should "move" next in a logical way makes me scratch my head a bit.
Monarch
Posts: 15
Joined: August 18th, 2021, 10:37 am

Re: Select Between/Execute Skins with keyboard

Post by Monarch »

the main reason for it all is im basically trying to create a Xbox dashboard, thatway everything is done with a xbox controller
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jsmorley
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Re: Select Between/Execute Skins with keyboard

Post by jsmorley »

Monarch wrote: August 18th, 2021, 11:51 am the main reason for it all is im basically trying to create a Xbox dashboard, thatway everything is done with a xbox controller
I still maintain that this is going to be the most practical if it is done in the context of a single skin. I can't advise much on how you turn a bunch of separate skins into one skin, I personally would just start from scratch and create a skin with as many Image meters as you need to represent the icons, and assign LeftMouseUpAction options to each. Get it looking and working the way you want with just the normal mouse behavior, and then go back and jury-rig in the HotKey arrrow/enter stuff.
Monarch
Posts: 15
Joined: August 18th, 2021, 10:37 am

Re: Select Between/Execute Skins with keyboard

Post by Monarch »

If i only use for say omnimo Skin pack, mainly using Custom panels\Extras Creator, is it possible?
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jsmorley
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Re: Select Between/Execute Skins with keyboard

Post by jsmorley »

Monarch wrote: August 18th, 2021, 11:59 am If i only use for say use only omnimo Skin pack, mainly using Custom panels\Extras Creator, is it possible?
I'm sorry, but I wouldn't touch Omnimo with a ten-foot-pole. It is very old, complex to the point of being ridiculous, and I certainly would have no idea at all how you would even start to modify it in any way.
Monarch
Posts: 15
Joined: August 18th, 2021, 10:37 am

Re: Select Between/Execute Skins with keyboard

Post by Monarch »

Would anyone have a layout for this in the text.ini? if not i know im asking alot, what would something like this look like?