How to set up Keyboard and Mouse macros?

[dicky96]

Hi guys
I'm thinking of getting another gaming keyboard for one of my PCs. I recently got interested in programming macros for gaming - I watched a youtube video where a guy was using a macro to send a sequence of keyboard and mouse clicks to take advantage of a bug in a game (Borderlands 2) which gives a very rapid fire rate

This video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLw0Qek2lIs

So I was looking around at gaming keyboards and mice, but I got myself a bit confused. Some have 'fully programmable macro keys' and come with 'recording software, but they are generally more expensive. It also seems that this software only works on the specific brands who supply it.

Then I googled for 'free macro software' and found loads of programs that will do this. Such as this one https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...f-ddeeb04da2fb

Which I think think the guy was using in the video I watched. But does that only work with microsoft keyboards and mice?

So basically, to play around with this macro thing for games, do I need to buy a specific mouse and keyboard to take advantage of it or could I just use some software with any keyboard and mouse combo and for example put macros on unused F1 to F12 keys?

[eccerr0r]

Re: How to set up Keyboard and Mouse macros?

Depends on the software, hardware, and drivers of course.
Software problem: Some software really don't want you to be messing with the keyboard. Things like Blizzard Warden probably prohibits people from messing with keyboard macros and only provide their own in-game macros...

Some hardware you can program keys. Could do from the computer or you may have to do it on the keyboard itself.

Then there's the driver issue. Theoretically you should be able to make the driver reinterpret keys but this depends on how nicely the software interfaces with the driver, or does it go around the driver...

So typically yes, for the general case you need a specific macro programmable mouse/keyboard basically so the software can't tell you're cheating it in general. This bypasses things like Warden and sneaking past the driver.

[ChaosLegionnaire]

Re: How to set up Keyboard and Mouse macros?

gaming kb and mice come with their own macro software which works only on that brand's gaming kb and mice. u also need to install their kb and mouse drivers so the macro keys on the gaming kb and mouse can be recognised by the os.

take a look at the attached screenshots for what i use and how i configured mine in one game i play that can benefit from macros, for example. its command and conquer 3 tiberium wars. the macros really help in quickly selecting what to build so i can build up my base and army faster than other players!

also note how i customised the 4th and 5th mouse buttons on my mouse. i set it to be able to crouch and jump from my mouse also instead of using the keyboard so that helps a lot also in FPS games. i also set the middle mouse button, 3rd mouse button or the wheel button on the mouse to "reload weapon" in the game's config menu, so i can reload, crouch and jump from the mouse without needing to hit the keyboard.

otherwise, in typical wasd movement config in FPS games, u wont be able to move right while reloading or crouch and move right at the same time quickly because your index finger would be on the 'R' or 'C' keys, so u wont be able to hit the 'D' key then to move right. that is all! happy fragging, soldier!

[dicky96]

Re: How to set up Keyboard and Mouse macros?

Thanks guys, it's still kinda clear as mud to me

OK first, I don't play multiplayer or onliine games, I'm not interested and don't have the time to commit. So I am hardly 'cheating' LOL

I was thinking of this one
https://www.amazon.co.uk/havit-Mecha...dp_ob_title_ce



or this version of the same
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QR39D...NsaWNrPXRydWU=


They say they have a 'programmable mouse' but that may just be sensitivity settings. These have very good reviews. And that RGB mouse mat just looks like I really want one, even though I never thought I needed one LOL

Is this going to do what I want, with whatever software, or do I need to look elsewhere. I don't want to spend any more than this. Any recommendations?

Cheers

[ChaosLegionnaire]

Re: How to set up Keyboard and Mouse macros?

that keyboard doesnt seem to have any programmable macro keys on it, so it defeats the purpose of buying it. it just has better "feel" for gaming. that is all. u can just use any other keyboard with software macros. why do u still need that? and yes the mouse just has programmable dpi settings for up to 4800 dpi.

my ms sidewinder x4 keyboard has 6 programmable macro keys times 3 banks. i was also allowed to remap the multimedia play/pause, forward and backward keys in control panel keyboard properties to macro key functions as well, so i have a total of (6+3)x3 macro keys for a total of 27 macros in the end at most. nice messing around with the kb driver software eh?

[eccerr0r]

Re: How to set up Keyboard and Mouse macros?

Still depends on the software, some games take cooked keystrokes and is easy to hack the driver to send multiple keys. The harder ones are the raw keyboard drives that take the scan codes from the keyboard, so basically you have to hack in a release scan and a rescan. You can tell the games that are the harder to external macro when the software can distinguish when you lift your finger off a button along with when you depress it. If it doesn't matter when you lift your finger, likely this is "cooked" and a driver based macro is easier to do.

However if your game uses raw scancodes, macroing is usually done in hardware to hide the "cheat". The hardware based macro generators have this in mind already so it can deal with the sending the release scan codes.

Note these hardware based macro generators tend to use proprietary software. I got two Logitech G-series gaming keyboards, and couldn't find documentation or the macro software...grr. Well, not that I wanted to macro anything but rather program the extra keys to something more useful.