DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

[unmanaged]

I am looking for a simple program that will display a button on the screen with a custom name and/or graphic and will execute a keyboard command (ex... crtl-c or a 'C' key press). Its for a touchscreen so it really would need to stay into a locked position on the screen.

Thanks Guys Love Your Work,

Gavin (unmanaged)   

[rjbull]

Er...  isn't this available in pretty much all macro programs?  Such as:

• PowerPro (freeware)
• Macro Express (payware)
• AutoHotkey (freeware, popular on DC)

[skwire]

Agreed.  This is easily accomplished in AutoHotkey with just a couple of lines of code.  Unless, for instance, Gavin meant an entire touchscreen overlay.  Can you fill in some details, Gavin?

[Ath]

Application Name	WinButtons
Version	3.6.1.0
Short Description	Display a window with large buttons to allow applications to be started, commands sent to applications, submenu's to be shown, useful for a touch-screen equipped computer Now Application-focus sensitive, supports Drag&Drop of files on buttons
Supported OSes	Windows
Web Page	This thread and a DcMembers page
Download Link	From my DCmembers site
System Requirements	Some applications to be started, or Keyboard sequences to be sent, or...
Version History	3.6.1.0 October 23rd 2012: Open dropped .ini or .wbuc if dropped on the surface/button and no On Drop command set 3.6.1.0 October 23rd 2012: WinButtonEdit 1.1.0.3: Bugfixes 3.6.0.2 October 20th 2012: Bugfixes 3.6.0.2 October 20th 2012: WinButtonEdit 1.1.0.2: Bugfixes 3.6.0.0 October 9th 2012: Added support for [VarParams] for display and entry of parameters, directly applied to buttons 3.6.0.0 October 9th 2012: WinButtonEdit 1.1.0.0: Added support for [VarParams] and other new features of WB 3.6.0 3.5.1.1 October 11th 2011: WinButtonEdit 1.0.5.2: Ask confirmation before update and quit WBE on update 3.5.1.1 October 8th 2011: WinButtonEdit 1.0.5.1: Adds Image parameters configuration window 3.5.1.1 October 8th 2011: Version bump to align updates with WinButtonEdit 3.5.1.0 September 26th 2011: New feature: Borderless buttons now support splitting the caption on @LF@ 3.5.1.0 September 26th 2011: WinButtonEdit 1.0.4.4: Preview support for WinButtons 3.5.1 feature 3.5.0.2 September 24th 2011: New features: Borderless buttons, Button Layout combining Image and caption and PNG file support 3.5.0.2 September 24th 2011: WinButtonEdit 1.0.4.2: Support for Borderless buttons and several improvements 3.4.2.3 September 13th 2011: Minor bugfixes, fixed dcuhelper missing files , added numkeypad samples 3.4.2.3 September 13th 2011: WinButtonEdit 1.0.3.3: Several anomalies and bugs fixed 3.4.2.2 September 11th 2011: Adds FlipKeyColor feature and improvements after receiving and testing a real touch-screen 3.4.2.2 September 11th 2011: WinButtonEdit 1.0.3.1: Adds checking for updates (dcuhelper) and updated for new WB options. 3.4.1.1 September 7th 2011: Bugfix for CursorRestore feature 3.4.1.0 September 6th 2011: Improved CursorRestore by providing a configurable buffersize 3.4.1.0 September 6th 2011: WinButtonEdit 1.0.2.0: Updated for new CursorRestore options. 3.4.0.1 September 2nd 2011: New feature: CursorRestore 3.4.0.1 September 2nd 2011: WinButtonEdit 1.0.1.1 supporting CursorRestore and displays Preview window position 3.3.2.1 July 27th 2011: WinButtonEdit 1.0.0.0 released (no changes since RC10) 3.3.2.1 July 5th 2011: Version bump to celebrate that the new version number actually was put into the exe 3.3.2.0 July 4th 2011: New feature: Optional resize of .bmp image to button-size 3.3.2.0 July 4th 2011: Updated WinButtonEdit to 0.9.3.0/RC10 3.3.1.2 July 2nd 2011: New feature: Display icons from .exe, .dll, .ocx and .icl files on buttons 3.3.1.2 July 2nd 2011: Updated WinButtonEdit to 0.9.2.3/RC9 3.3.0.0 June 20th 2011: Updated WinButtonEdit to 0.9.1.1/RC8 3.3.0.0 June 19th 2011: Updated WinButtonEdit to 0.9.1.0/RC7 3.3.0.0 June 18th 2011: WinButtons prefered file extension now .wbuc 3.3.0.0 June 18th 2011: Updated WinButtonEdit to 0.9.0.0/RC6 3.2.1.0 June 16th 2011: 2 Bugfixes for WinButtons 3.2.0.1 June 14th 2011: Updated WinButtonEdit to 0.8.4.1/RC5 3.2.0.1 June 13th 2011: New feature Drop files on a button 3.2.0.1 June 13th 2011: Updated WinButtonEdit to 0.8.3.1/RC4 3.1.2.1 June 11th 2011: Updated WinButtonEdit to 0.8.2/RC3 3.1.2.1 June 9th 2011: Updated WinButtonEdit to 0.8.1/RC2 3.1.2.1 June 5th 2011: New feature: Group context switch based on current focussed control 3.1.2.1 June 5th 2011: WinButtonEdit 0.8.0 (RC1) configuration editor added to the set (exe only) 3.0.0.2 April 22nd 2011: Major new feature: Condition availability of buttons (totally hidden, invisible or disabled) 2.6.2.3 April 15th 2011: Bugfix release for the transparency issues, reported by cranioscopical (thanks!) 2.6.2.1 April 14th 2011: Support for an alternate Hide method using althide setting or -ah parameter, Caption also set as each button's Tooltip 2.6.1.2 April 13th 2011: Minor updates in environment variable support, documentation updates, DcMembers server updated 2.6.1 April 12th 2011: New feature, environment variable expansion supported in captions and commands, bugfixes 2.6.0 April 8th 2011: New feature, variable replacement with parameters 2.0.1 March 13th 2011: Minor fix, left and top are not limited to main monitor 2.0.0 March 11th 2011: Major update, adding focused application button-context switching 1.0.0 March 4th 2011: Initial release (after several private pre-releases)
Author	Ath

Description
Solving a Coding Snack request for a tool to display large buttons to be used on a touch-screen, that ended up in the Unfinished section because it never really got honored.
Then the March 2011 Fundraiser event came around, so I tried to get this request eventually realized, and, combined with the rather large feature-set, compared to the Coding Snack 'requirement' of being small and quickly created, I decided to aim for a release during the Fundraiser event.

Features
Display a set of large buttons, with descriptive captions, that can open a sub-menu, start an application, send keystrokes to another application (using WinSendKeys), or whatever can be done using a windows command-line.
The window can have enabled/disabled a border, close button, taskbar button, different colors and sizes per button, display a bitmap or icon instead of a text-caption, hide itself (and optionally a preceding chain of WinButtons instances) during execution of a command, wait for completion of the command, or exit after starting a command.
Version 2.0 adds the feature of focussed-application sensitive button-context switching, and arrangeble button-configurations, with different size buttons, based on arrangement-types. Buttons can be extended to double size (1 direction only), 1/2, 1/3rd, 1/4th, 1/6th or 1/9th default size, and combined into 1 'button-area', see the screenshots for a chaos example  
The 3.0 version adds an optional condition per button to Enable/Disable a button on a file/directory availability, exe loaded in memory or an AutoIt3 function evaluation. The result can be a totally not available button (the window is re-drawn), visible/invisible or enabled/disabled button, a (long) tooltip per button instead of the default caption tooltip, with support for AutoIt3 macro's like @CRLF@ to have newlines in the tip.
Version 3.1 adds a configuration editor called, surprisingly, WinButtonEdit. It's a GUI to change all features available in WinButtons. Additional information is available in WinButtonEdit.readme.txt. (Currently without sourcecode, mainly because of RC1 status)
Another new feature is the option to set a global and per group button surface and text color.
The Group context switching feature has been enhanced to allow switching on specific controls and application windows. This gives a feature to present a set of buttons that link to relevant information, depending on the control currently having focus.
Version 3.2 Adds support for Drop Files on a button if it has a dropcommand defined for that button (requested by ewemoa)
A full description of all features is included in the zip-file in WinButtons.readme.txt
Version 3.3 Changed the preferred file extension from .ini to .wbuc (WinButtons Configuration). Open associatin can be set from WinButtonEdit (0.9 and up)
Version 3.3.1 Adds the feature of displaying an (indexed) icon from .exe, .dll, .ocx, .icl and .ico files.
Version 3.3.2 Adds optional scaling for .bmp images on buttons to the size of that button.
Version 3.4.0 Adds optional CursorRestore option, to restore the cursor to teh last known position outside of the WInButtons windows, when using an (external) touch-screen (should be real-world tested though...)
Version 3.4.1 Improves handling of the CursorRestore by a configurable buffersize, and better handling of the buffer if the mouse position is not changed
Version 3.4.2 Adds optional FlipKeyColor option to better indicate a button was pressed. WBE now offers a Check for updates... menu-item, to update both WinButtons and WinButtonEdit. Uses dcuhelper.exe and .dcupdate files.
Version 3.4.2.3 A lot of small fixes to WinButtonEdit and a minor one for WinButtons come with this update, as well as extra samples & screen shots and the missing .dcupdate files of the previous release  
Version 3.5.0 Adds support for Borderless buttons, (enables the Metro UI design of WPhone 7 and Win8), combining Image and Caption on a Borderless button and PNG file support for smoother graphics display.
Version 3.5.1 Adds Borderless buttons with 'split' captions using @LF@ macro.
Version 3.6.0 Adds the optional display of parameter edits/comboboxes/checkboxes as variables in command-lines configured for a button.
The tooltip of each button shows the effective command-line, instead of any configured tooltip.
Added a common confirmation per button, besides the -asc/-ask command option.
WinButtonEdit is updated to support all these features and options.
Version 3.6.1 Adds default feature of opening a .ini or .wbuc files that is dropped on WinButtons.

What's new

• Version 3.6.1: Drop a .wbuc or .ini file with a non-empty Buttons section and the file will be loaded if no On Drop command is defined for the button it is dropped on.
• Version 3.6.0.2: Removes some bugs found during testing, allows a button-Condition to automatically check the condition, even if no button is pressed (-ref option), as demoed in ConstanceJill.wbuc configuration.
• Version 3.6.0: Optional display of parameters to be entered and applied to configured command-lines per button. The already available :varVarName: replacement feature is used for this.
• Per button common confirmation message before running the command configured for that button.
• WinButtonEdit asks for confirmation before starting DCUHelper, and asks to save the current file if it wasn't saved
• WinButtonEdit now has an Image parameters window for easier config, with sliders and up/down controls
• Borderless buttons can have a split caption by using @LF@ at the position where it should split (multiple if needed) see updated metro.wbuc
• Borderless buttons, .png image support, combining image and caption on 1 button (borderless button only)
• Added some screenshots to this post
• Several improvements after testing with a real touch-screen, generously donated by nudone
• FlipKeyColor option
• Update fetching using DCHelper/DCUpdater
• Enhanced CursorRestore option
• Added CursorRestore option, and WBE also offers to copy the current preview window position to Top and Left after dragging the preview in the desired position
• Released WinButtonEdit 1.0.0.0, since no questions where posted for several weeks. No changes since RC10
• Added option scaling for.bmp images
• Updated WinButtonEdit 0.9.3.0 (RC10, should be the last RC...) with scaling supported in the preview
• Display a (indexed) icon from .exe, .dll, .ocx, .icl and .ico files on buttons.
• Updated WinButtonEdit 0.9.2.3 (RC9) configuration editor (select icon from supported files, some bugfixes/improvements)
• Updated WinButtonEdit 0.9.1.1 (RC8) configuration editor (drag&drop for WBE, set file-associations, Move button to Group)
• Bugfixes: Close button won't work on XP when movable is enabled, and :dropItem<n>: gave upto (count - 1) dropped items (nothing with 1 item dropped)
• Added Drop files per button (dropcommand) to WinButtons
• Default button surface and text color
• Group context switch based on control/window instead of just active exe
• A condition per button to determine if that button should be available. Much more fine-grained then the Groups feature
• Tooltip per button, that supports AutoIt3 macro's
• Multiple commands executed from 1 button, with a configurable separator
• Variables can be defined and re-used in a lot of parameters of the configuration. They can even use parameters! A full description is in the readme file.
• Commands and captions (button, window, messages, questions) support environment variable expansion (the familiar %varname% syntax)
• Button caption is now also set as the tooltip for each button. (Thanks cranioscopical for the tip!)
• Alternate Hide method to resolve possible compatibility/repaint issues.
• Transparency issues on Win XP (pre-Win 7?) resolved.

Planned Features

• Quick create/edit of a button configuration, as WinButtonEdit can be a bit daunting for new users
• Feature requests welcome

Screenshots
I created a few dummy menu's. (included in the zip-file)
This is a vertical, no-border, 2 buttonrows menu with 10 buttons, 'Submenu 5 extra words' is opened, and it's button 'Run & Wait' pressed, giving another vertical menu. (A bit crowded):
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

The same menu, but now a border without close button is shown, and button 'Submenu 4' was pressed, showing the same vertical menu with 2 buttons:
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

Most buttons are the default size of 128x128 pixels, except 'Button 10', that's 100x100 pixels.

This menu was the model for the application-icon, buttonsize down to 78x78, so the entire window is about 256x256:
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

A menu showing a chaos of different sized (buttonarrangement) buttons:
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

A screenshot of WinButtonEdit:
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

A small part of a configuration ini file: (4 buttons)

Code: Text [Select]

1. [Buttons]
2. button1=&Back <--
3. command1=-exit
4. button2=&Run && Exit
5. command2=-hideWinButtons -?
6. button3=Run && &Wait
7. command3=-sub :debug: -t :top:-(:height:/2) -l :left: -w :width:*2 -h :height:*2 :hndlist: submenu4.ini
8. color3=0xFFD147
9. button4=Send S&cite something (in new document)
10. command4=-hide-send scite ^n "A single sentence"

Some screenshots of the numkeypad samples included since v3.4.2.3:
(Based on nudone's touch-screen panel)
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

Large numpad (NumPad On):
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

Right-hand large numpad (NumPad R):
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

Small numpad covering 5 rows (NumPad s5):
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

Small numpad covering 4 rows (NumPad s4):
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

Right-hand small numpad covering 3 rows (NumPad sr):
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

Right-hand small numpad covering 3 rows (NumPad sr3) (not hiding any other keys):
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

Since v3.5.1: Borderless buttons with split caption (metro.wbuc example):
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

WinButtonEdit 1.0.5: Image parameters window:
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

WinButtons 3.6, showing some odd input controls (Textbox, Combo, Editable combo and a checkbox)
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

Usage
Installation

• Unpack the zipfile in it's own directory. You are required to edit some ini/wbuc files, so it better not be a subdirectory of Program Files, to avoid UAC issues.
• Edit WinButtons.ini/WinButtons.wbuc to change the captions and commands to the desired settings, using WinButtonEdit
• Optionally: Give colors to the buttons, or select images or icons to display on the buttons
• Optionally: Create extra ini/wbuc files, containing more commands, to be used as submenu's
• Optionally: Create button-groups to enable context-switching buttons dependent on the currently active application
• (A full description of all options and features is available in WinButtons.readme.txt)

Uninstallation
If an association was set using WinButtonEdit, then run WBE and de-select any checked option under menu Options/'Set file association for .wbuc'
Delete all WinButtons related files from the computer, (no settings are stored in the registry, except file association), remove any shortcuts created.

Known Issues

• On Windows XP the settings closebutton and movable can't be combined, a solution is to be found (for now, movable is disabled in this case)
• Images and caption texts or colors can't be combined (yet) They can using Borderless buttons (v3.5.0 and later)
• After a -hide, the restore afterwards displays the entire chain of windows...(Explained in the readme)

Download
Available are the AutoIt3 source for WinButtons, WinButtons.readme.txt, sample configuration files, all resources and compiled exe's:
This download links to v.3.6.1.0 on the DCmembers server. Older downloads removed from this message... (available on special request but should not be needed)
Source for WinButtonEdit is not (yet) included because it's in a RC state, IMHO, and I'm not sure I want to release this source...

[jgpaiva]

That's really nice Ath! I like its looks

[tomos]

That's really nice Ath! I like its looks

-jgpaiva (March 04, 2011, 07:25 AM)

yeah, it looks great Ath

[Ath]

Now I got to give myself a touch-screen for my next birthday, so I can test it's original use-case

[cranioscopical]

a tool to display large buttons to be used on a touch-screen

-Ath (March 04, 2011, 06:43 AM)

That's a nice touch, Ath 

[timns]

Probably all the incentive I need to get one of those mini touch screens to live next to my keyboard. I think they're called "Mimo" - anyone here got one?

[skwire]

Nice work, Ath.   

[Ath]

Thanks for the thanks

[cranioscopical]

I think they're called "Mimo" - anyone here got one?

-timns (March 04, 2011, 10:40 AM)

Just a case of waiting for nudone to see this post, isn't it? 

[4wd]

Yoohoo!  nudone!

Looky what we got for you

[Ath]

Just a case of waiting for nudone to see this post, isn't it? 

-cranioscopical (March 04, 2011, 02:09 PM)

Yoohoo!  nudone!

Looky what we got for you

-4wd (March 05, 2011, 01:35 AM)

Guess he hurried to the shop to get one (or two), so he can brag write about it here

[nudone]

heheh, i've already had a long chat about those touch screen thingies with timns.

the conclusion: i'm waiting for him to get one. BUT... Ath's "Winbuttons" does make it all the more tempting.

i shall have to look into it, and i shall definitely be bragging about it if Winbuttons and a touch screen let me do want i need.

now, did i ever tell you about my four monitors and cintiq and three tablet pcs and eight keyboards and twenty... and... and... blah, blah, blah.

[nudone]

Ath, i have a question about Winbuttons (which would determine whether i even bother to look for a touch screen)...

Can Winbuttons be made to recognise the "main" program that has focus - and then change the buttons displayed?

As an example, I'm using Photoshop, Winbuttons displays the buttons configured for Photoshop shortcuts, then I swap to Illustrator and Winbuttons now changes its display to show only Illustrator related button shortcuts. And more, only my desktop is visible (all other apps minimised), Winbuttons now displays whatever set of buttons related to useful everyday shortcuts.

(Maybe this kind of quick button swap type app is already included with touchscreens, I'm guessing it isn't, and that's why I wanted timns to be the guinea pig and buy one to find out.)

[nudone]

p.s. i think you've made a great little app.

I particularly like the ability to use graphics on the buttons, this really opens up a whole world of possibilities.

Another question or suggestion for future releases - could the buttons be made irregular sizes, so maybe you could have the standard button layout, and then some of those buttons were doubled up (connected to each other) and other buttons were split in half, or thirds, or quarters.

So, rather than being a regular button interface, it become more like a custom control panel with different zones or sized buttons across it.

(Okay, this is pushing it, I know, but could Winbuttons be made to work on more than one touchscreen at a time - each one having its own set of functions.)

[Ath]

Can Winbuttons be made to recognise the "main" program that has focus - and then change the buttons displayed?

-nudone (March 05, 2011, 04:15 AM)

ATM, it's only sort-of 'context-aware' to other WinButtons instances, that have passed their form-handle(s) (using :hndlist: variable) to all instances in the chain, to be hidden when the -hide command option is used. So using the supplied demo configuration, Click: 'Submenu 5 extra words', 'Run & Wait', 'Push 2nd', then the WinButtons -? help-message is shown, while all 3 instances of WinButtons showing the menu-chain are hidden.
It's now rather static, in that each configuration-file has 1 set of buttons that is displayed on the screen and then waiting for the user to interact with it. Making it this kind of application-aware is quite a different approach, but I'll investigate it. Sounds interesting, indeed.

could the buttons be made irregular sizes, so maybe you could have the standard button layout, and then some of those buttons were doubled up (connected to each other) and other buttons were split in half, or thirds, or quarters.

-nudone (March 05, 2011, 04:26 AM)

That's quite a challenging (but interesting) feature to implement, I'll certainly think about it, and report back later.

could Winbuttons be made to work on more than one touchscreen at a time

-nudone (March 05, 2011, 04:26 AM)

It can do that already, just pass it an ini file with button definitions (-f parameter can be used for clarity, but not required), using explicit top and left values (or on the commandline using -t and -l parameters), multiple instances should run happily side by side.

[nudone]

Okay, very good, that's sounds very hopeful, Ath. I'll start looking into touch screens (as I'm sure timns will do too).

My major stumbling block is simply that if the touchscreen (running Winbuttons or something similar) doesn't do what I described above then it's not "feature rich" or advanced enough to be useful.

For my own personal use, a touchscreen has got to do more than what a typical keybad can do.

Being focus-program aware and changing layout and buttons to compliment the actions required for that in focus program is the "killer" feature. It means not having to memorise program hotkeys or their layout on an extra keypad.

Really, we are discussing something that could well be the next big must-have peripheral for many computer users. It's probably already available - but at a stupid price. Essentially, we are talking about a magic pad that does whatever you want and has the benefit of showing easy to understand buttons/graphics/words that means you don't have to remember stuff yourself. I honestly think it would be amazing.

[Ath]

could the buttons be made irregular sizes, so maybe you could have the standard button layout, and then some of those buttons were doubled up (connected to each other) and other buttons were split in half, or thirds, or quarters.

-nudone (March 05, 2011, 04:26 AM)

That's quite a challenging (but interesting) feature to implement, I'll certainly think about it, and report back later.

-Ath (March 05, 2011, 04:47 AM)

I'll show a teaser for this feature:
DONE: On Screen Button That Sends Keyboard Commands

The same demo-items as with the previous screenshots, just added a 'buttonarrangement' option to some buttons.
Still got to implement 'third-size' option.

[nudone]

That looks perfect. One extra thing to ask though, could the background (behind the buttons) be a user defined colour - or just black - or even a user defined graphic? Just black would be the first option.

[Ath]

That looks perfect. One extra thing to ask though, could the background (behind the buttons) be a user defined colour - or just black - or even a user defined graphic? Just black would be the first option.

-nudone (March 06, 2011, 07:02 AM)

Never thought about that until now you bring it up
I can add an option for that, it'll be in the 1.1 update I'll publish probably around tomorrow night (CET) (won't be working on it much today any more), it'll get the same color options the buttons have.
And the 1/3 button size I got also finished.

[cranioscopical]

And the 1/3 button size I got also finished.

-Ath (March 06, 2011, 10:13 AM)

Keep this up and all of us will be running out to buy mini touch screens!
Oh, and while you're at it, can you write something that will prevent the surface from picking up fingerprints? 

[Ath]

There are screen-savers with pretty ladies that can do the inside of your screen. You could equip them with magnetic double-side window-cleaners

[Ath]

Just an update,

• I'm a bit later then I promised with my next release, but I'll get to that in a minute...
• I'm still testing with the buttonarrangement settings and ironing out the last minor bugs. Placement has to be just right when combining several kinds of smaller buttons in place of 1 big button.

What I got so far for this: (smaller buttons)

• 2 buttons horizontal or vertical
• 3 buttons horizontal or vertical
• 4 buttons equally divided
• 6 buttons arranged 3x2 or 2x3
• 9 buttons equally divided
• And a big button spanning 2 standard buttons

And the smasher that is taking some more time:

• A set of buttons depending on the active application...

I'm fighting with the colors (disappearing) now, as it's obviously in beta, but I'll report back soon.