DF2014:Fluxbox macros

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Macros with fluxbox & xvkbd

In this context the macro is mean a set of keystrokes / input from the player. Keymap is a set of special key combinations to get special function, or shorten input.

What this is good for? Did you had a migrants of 20 or more, and you were in trouble of make enough accommodations for them, before they got unhappy thoughts? Were you bored, by the repetitive creation of a big bedroom? Not to worry anymore, it's possible to break down the task into much less interaction, and to speed up things.

What you need: under linux:

* fluxbox (or your steady window manager, or shortcut editor)
* xvkbd (or anything, that allows you to type something into an active window / program, as came from stdin)

winder windows:

*a good (free) program, that can do the same, and supports special characters

Fluxbox

Fluxbox is a tiny window manager, that allows a lot of powerful customization. If you don't want to install fluxbox just for this, you should look for other solutions in your distro (KDE / Gnome). If you use / successfully setup fluxbox [1] you only need to edit .fluxbox/keys files. This contains the keyboard shortcuts.

Mod1 Mod4 m None d b :ExecCommand xvkbd -text "\D2r\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\r"

Mod1 means windows / command funciton key (If you use keychains, the order of the modificators seems important :( )
Mod4 means alt 
m is for the key m (so this will be windows + alt + m (special enough not to used in any other application 
(this is important, because if fluxbox is intercepting a hotkey, it not pass along to the active application!))
None the following combinations are not using modifications keys (Important: use your last key in keychain as 
non-modified key, or a big enough delay, or else your macro input will be applied to the modifier, you currently 
pressing (see below))
d is for key D (like Dwarf Fortress)
b is for key B (as bedroom)
: means, that this is the end of key combinations, and from here the command to apply.

So, to start this particular keychain (hotkey), (windows + alt + m) d b

:ExecCommand  tells fluxbox, to execute the followings

xvkbd this the virtual keyboard we will use
-text tells xvkbd to don't display the virtual keyboard, just get the input from command line 
(there's file input is available, but it does not support special keys so easily)
"\D2r\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\r" This is the input, we will pass to 
Dwarf Fortress (which will press r, and gives 12 + and a final enter)
The beginning \D2 commands xvkbd to wait 2*100ms. You might want to play with this, but I found, 
that I need this, because the first input key is not passed always otherwise.

The + is used on keypad under DF, we access this by \[]. The enter is also a special character, used by \r. You might want to take a peek into the xvkbd's man page for some special keys.

So what this macro does at all: if you press: if you have large bedroom, and you don't want to make the boring task to create a large bedroom for all the beds, you can manage the bed by q (task and preferences in DF), and then press (windows + alt + m) d b, which will give the order of r ++++++++++++ and an enter.

Trouble shooting

• My first characters are missing from the input
  • - You have most probably insufficient delay at the start of the text. Try a bigger number, or a delay at all (\D2)
• My macro fails / I cannot get it work at, and not even prints into a textbox.
  • - You might have a last keychain key with a modifier.

 Mod1 Mod4 b :ExecCommand xvkbd -text "Hello World"
 This will most probably not give you any output, or even worst, start a few other applications. This is because the 
 keyboard interface is behaving additively. This means, if you plug 2 keyboards, and press a key on one of them, and 
 press another on the other one, the OS will see as both of them pressed. So, if you press on your keyboard Mod1 + Mod4, 
 and sending a stream of keys on the other, they will add up, and you will end up, as you typed the Hellow World 
 with Mod1 + Mod4 pressed (Windows + Alt).
 Solutions:
 **Set a big enough delay at the beginning of your string (\D5Hello World), so you can release them.
 Mod1 Mod4 b :ExecCommand xvkbd -text "\D5Hello World"
 **Set the hotkey to a keychain that ends with a non-modified key
 Mod1 Mod4 m None b :ExecCommand xvkbd -text "Hello World"

Some useful macros with a short description

• Quick resizes a (bed)room (from the 'q' and set into cursored the bed)

Mod1 Mod4 m None d b :ExecCommand xvkbd -text "\D2r\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\r"
(Windows + Alt + m) d b

• Quick resizes 6 (bed)room, that are inline to the right with a distance of 2 title.

Mod1 Mod4 m None d v :ExecCommand xvkbd -text "\D2r\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\r\[Right]\[Right]\[Right]r\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\r\[Right]\[Right]\[Right]r\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\r\[Right]\[Right]\[Right]r\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\r\[Right]\[Right]\[Right]r\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\r\[Right]\[Right]\[Right]r\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\[+]\r\[Right]\[Right]\[Right]"
(Windows + Alt + m) d v
b..b..b..b..b..b..x (and the cursor will be stopped at the next item)

• Mass selector. It selects a lot of items from a list ((enter then down) * 39) (this is about 3 page down)) I use this particular macro to sell Junk to traders, without selling the bins. (If you select the bin, and then select any item for trading, the bin will be deselected.)

Mod1 Mod4 m None d t :ExecCommand xvkbd -text "\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]\r\[Down]"
(Windows + Alt + m) d t
Warning, if you sell ~20 finished goods bins' contents, then you may expect that 
the merchants will pack up for a while (probably for a few months).

• Quick macro to build a repeating pattern. For example, you want to build a bedroom, where the dwarf's items are 3 titles apart (2 title between them, and 6 of them). Will select the first available item, so if there's something, you don't want to used, forbid them (coffers / bags).

Mod1 Mod4 m None d 3 :ExecCommand xvkbd -text "\r\r\r\[Right]\[Right]\[Right]\r\r\r\[Right]\[Right]\[Right]\r\r\r\[Right]\[Right]\[Right]\r\r\r\[Right]\[Right]\[Right]\r\r\r\[Right]\[Right]\[Right]"
Build menu, and select the item, you want to build (with /*-+, not the keycode!, otherwise you end up 
one wanted item, and 5 other armor stands) (Windows + Alt + m) d 3
b..b..b..b..b..x (and the cursor will be stopped at the next item)

Feel free, to add your own macros.