Tips & Tricks > Using standard remotes with SongShowPlus
Remote control devices generally send the PgDn and PgUp keys to advance to the next slide or return to the previous. Unfortunately, SongShow does not use the standard PgDn and PgUp keys for going to the next or previous slide.. The solution I’ve implemented and works great is to use a free program called AutoHotKey (http://www.autohotkey.com/). It is an extremely powerful scripting program that allows the user to write scripts to do all kinds of things. In this situation, my script simply checks to see if SongShow is the active window and translates the PgUp and PgDn keys that standard remotes send to the + or – that SongShow wants. If SongShow is not the active window, as is the case if SongShow has started a PowerPoint using the PowerPoint program, then the script simply passes the PgUp and PgDn keys on unchanged. If you download and install the program, here is the script that I wrote:
$PgDn::
IfWinNotActive, SongShow Plus
{
Send, {PgDn}
return
}
Send, {NumpadAdd}
return
$PgUp::
IfWinNotActive, SongShow Plus
{
Send, {PgUp}
return
}
Send, {NumpadSub}
return
If you have installed the program, simply copy and past the above script text into a text document that has the filename extension of .ahk—for example, I named mine SongShowPlus Key Mapping.ahk. You won’t see anything happen when you double click the file except that a green “H” icon shows up in the system tray. I then put a shortcut to the file in the All Users Startup folder.
If you don’t want to install the AutoHotKey program on your SongShowPlus computer, you can compile your script into an executable program that can be run on the SongShowPlus computer without installation.
Inquiring minds want to know....
Yes, but will the new "User-customizable interface" allow us to map the + and - to page up/page down or left and right mouse clicks?
Inquiring minds want to know....
That depends if it rises to the top of the Interactive Wish List
.Actually, I think that I will discuss the whole page-up/page-down issue on a future blog. I know it's been a topic of discussions and inquiries many-a-time.
HOWDY!
We use a remote control called RemotePoint RF that allows the user to program the keystroke that each button performs. So, I can program PgUp/PgDn as well as + and - to each button. The other great thing is that I can save different profiles so that I can use different RP setups for different events.
The only problem: RF stands for Radio Frequency so if you have a lot of Radio Signal in your area, you may have to change the RF channel within RemotePoint. It's an easy fix. If you get RF interference from outside sources, your mouse will "drift" all over the screen, but, again, it is an easy fix-just a few switch changes and all is well.
Hope this helps!
Jess
TerryIt worked except the Hide Key and Esc from slideshow does not work.
Thank you,
Papa Terry
If you look in the help file for the AutoHotKey program, you will find the WinActivate,[WinTitle] command. This could be used to activate Powerpoint when the B or period is pressed before passing on the key. You might want the script to check to see if both Songshow and PowerPoint are running and Songshow is the active window before changing focus to PowerPoint. You might also want to change focus back to Songshow after sending the key.
I'm sorry I don't have time to do more with this now--this is a very busy time for me. My remote only has three buttons: forward, reverse, and laser pointer. If you do add to the script, please share it with the group.
That link is toward the bottom of the Wish List page.
My presenter remote has a "blackout display" button which, after some experimentation with my Auto Hot Key script, I discovered is tied to the period key "." on the main keyboard (not the numpad period). SongShow Plus' black screen toggle is the numpad "/" key. So I changed the Auto Hot Key script that jhaarer supplied at the top of this thread to include a black-screen function. If you're using jhaarer's script, right-click the Auto Hot Key icon in the task tray (a white letter H on a green background) and click "Edit This Script." Then copy the following and paste in place of jhaarer's original script. Make sure to save.
$PgDn::
IfWinNotActive, SongShow Plus
{
Send, {PgDn}
return
}
Send, {NumpadAdd}
return
$PgUp::
IfWinNotActive, SongShow Plus
{
Send, {PgUp}
return
}
Send, {NumpadSub}
return
$.::
IfWinNotActive, SongShow Plus
{
Send, {.}
return
}
Send, {NumpadDiv}
return
Thanks for the great tip!
AHK (AutoHotKey) is a really cool program. I use it to input repeated text and keyboard shortcut commands as a part of my work duties. Whenever I add a new "script", I have to right-click the AHK icon (in the system tray) and select reload script. This causes AHK to load the new commands into memory. Logoff and back on, or rebooting will do the same thing.
The one thing you have to be carfule about, is the AHK runs on which ever item/window is active. If you click the Start Menu button while AHK is running a script, watch out.
I keep notepad in my quick-launch just for times like this. The basic level at which I run AHK, it sends keyboard commands to the OS, as if someone was typing on the keyboard (about 250 WPM???). I have found that not all commands work as they are supposed to, so I test them in a notepad to make sure, before using them in the intended program.