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https://github.com/dero/hideous

Map each keyboard separately in Windows
https://github.com/dero/hideous

keyboard macros windows

Last synced: 3 months ago
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Map each keyboard separately in Windows

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README 

          
# HIDeous: Turn every keyboard into a macro pad



HID = [Human Interface Device](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_human_interface_device_class)



Free Windows app that allows the keyboard lying in your drawer to be useful again.



- [Features](#features)

- [UI](#ui)

- [Usage](#usage)

- [Settings](#settings)

- [Profiles](#profiles)

- [Key names](#key-names)

- [Similar Tools](#similar-tools)

- [Troubleshooting & Support](#troubleshooting--support)

- [Disclaimer](#disclaimer)

- [License](#license)



## Features



- **Key -> Combo**: Press a single key to send a combo like `Ctrl+C`.

- **Key -> Text**: Press a single key to send a text like `¯\_(ツ)_/¯`. Supports control keys like `{ENTER}`!

- **Key -> Run**: Press a single key to run a command like `explorer.exe C:\Some\Path`.

- **Profiles**: Switch between different sets of key bindings easily.

- **Any USB keyboard**: No matter how old or cheap.

- **Unicode support**: Emoji, math symbols, katakana? No problem.

- **No drivers required**: Just run the `.exe`.

- **Portable**: No installation required.

- **Minimal UI**: Just the essentials.

- **Configuration in `.ini`**: Simple format, set and forget.



(Granted, the last two features can be viewed as _lack of features_ by the "glass half empty" folks, but I like to think of them as _simplicity_.)



## UI



![UI](./gui.png)



## Usage



0. Plug in a second (third, fourth, etc.) keyboard.

1. Download the latest release from [Releases](https://github.com/dero/HIDeous/releases) and extract it.

2. Run `HIDeous.exe`.

3. Press a key, a key code will appear in one of the rows.

4. Note down the "Device Hash" of that keyboard.

5. Edit `settings.ini` in the application directory.

6. Done! 🎉 Changes are applied automatically.



## Settings



All settings are stored in `settings.ini` in the same directory as the app.



This is my actual `settings.ini` that I use at home, I just added comments to explain each section.



```ini

; ❌ Don't touch Global settings, unless something is broken.

[Global]

; When `1`, it will create `debug.log` in this directory with debug info.

; ⚠ Can be a lot of data, keep this disabled when not needed.

Debug=0



; How long to give the app to register a key, in milliseconds.

; If the app keeps missing keys, try increasing this.

KeyWaitTime=30



; ✅ Edit this section to name your keyboards.

; Left side = Any name you want to give your keyboard.

; Right side = Its Device Hash, find it in the UI.

[Devices]

Main_Keyboard=9CC297

NumPad=1A5553



; ✅ Edit this section to set bindings for a specific keyboard.

; This section configures my main keyboard.

;

; `text:` prefix will send a text. Use {KEY} for special keys, e.g. text:Hello{ENTER}World.

; `keys:` prefix will send a key combination.

; `run:` prefix will run a command.

;

; ⚠ Never include a comment in the same line as a key binding. ⚠

[Main_Keyboard]

MULTIPLY=text:×



; ✅ The same, but for my external numpad.

[NumPad]

Numpad0=keys:WIN+F10

Numpad1=keys:WIN+F1

Numpad2=keys:WIN+F2

Numpad3=keys:WIN+F3

DECIMAL=keys:WIN+F11

ENTER=keys:WIN+F12

Numpad7=keys:CTRL+SHIFT+F9

Numpad8=keys:CTRL+SHIFT+F10

Numpad9=keys:CTRL+SHIFT+F11

ADD=keys:CTRL+SHIFT+F12

MULTIPLY=text:×

Numpad4=run:explorer.exe C:\data\ShareX\Screenshots



; Switch to the `settings.Secondary.ini` profile.

ESCAPE=profile:Secondary



; That's it! Save the file and the app will reload automatically.

```



## Profiles



By default, only key bindings from the main `settings.ini` file are active.



To use a different set of key bindings, create a new `.ini` file in the same directory as the app, e.g. `settings.Secondary.ini`.



To switch to that profile, either select it from the UI or add a key binding with the `profile:` prefix, e.g. `ESCAPE=profile:Secondary`.



This allows you to have different sets of key bindings for different tasks or applications.



Example of the `settings.Secondary.ini` file:



```ini

; https://github.com/dero/HIDeous



; --------------------------------------------------------

; CHANGES TO THIS FILE ARE AUTOMATICALLY RELOADED BY THE APP

; --------------------------------------------------------



; Don't repeat the [Global] and [Devices] sections, they are always

; loaded from the main settings file.



[NumPad]

; Remap the 0 key to a key combination different from the main profile.

Numpad0=keys:CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+F1



; Switch back to the default profile.

ESCAPE=profile:Default

```



## Key Names



You can mostly just use the intuitive name of the key, like `A`, `F1`, `SHIFT`, etc. To find out key codes for more obscure keys, you can use the UI. Press a key and its code will appear in one of the rows.



And if that's not enough, you can find the [long list of key codes baked into the app in the source code](https://github.com/dero/HIDeous/blob/a438428b1621a1244db15162217f867ebe90bb40/src/common/settings.cpp#L19-L131).



## Scan Codes



Sometimes, virtual key codes (like `NUMPAD2`) change depending on the system state (e.g. NumLock). If you want to bind a specific *physical key* regardless of what the system thinks it is, you can use **Scan Codes**.



The syntax is `SC`, for example `SC80`.



**How to find a Scan Code:**

1. Open the HIDeous UI.

2. Press the key you want to map.

3. Look at the **Scan Code** column in the device list (e.g., `SC80 (0x50)`).

4. Use the `SC80` part in your `settings.ini`.



**Example:**

```ini

; This will trigger on the physical "2" key on the Numpad, 

; regardless of whether NumLock is ON (Numpad2) or OFF (ArrowDown).

SC80=text:Hello World

```



You can also use scan codes on the right side of the binding:

```ini

; Pressing F1 will simulate pressing the Enter key (Scan Code 28)

F1=keys:SC28

```



## Similar Tools



How's this different from AutoHotkey or HIDMacros?



It can tell apart individual keyboards. [AHK](https://www.autohotkey.com/) can't easily do that.



It can print Unicode strings, which is something [HIDMacros](https://www.hidmacros.eu/) struggles with.



Then there's [LuaMacros](https://www.hidmacros.eu/download.php), which is a great tool, but it can be a bit hard to wrap your head around.



And it's newer, lighter and simpler than all of them. ⚖



## Known Issues

- **Rapid Toggle Key Usage**: If you map a text macro to a toggle key (CAPSLOCK, NUMLOCK, SCROLLLOCK) and press it very rapidly, the toggle state might get out of sync (staying ON or OFF incorrectly) due to timing conditions. This is a known limitation.



## Troubleshooting & Support



Try running the app as an administrator.



If that doesn't help, it'd be great if you took the time to [create an issue on GitHub](https://github.com/dero/HIDeous/issues). I'll do my best to help you out and you'll be helping make the app better for everyone.



## Uninstall



Make sure the "Run on startup" toggle in the UI is off, then just delete the app directory.



## Disclaimer



This is essentially a keylogger. It doesn't do any shenanigans with your data, but thanks to access to your system, it could. Same as any other software you download from the internet.



If you can read and compile C++, you can check the source code and produce the binaries yourself. If you can't, either trust me or don't use this.



Also, I'm actually a web engineer, not a C++ developer by trade, so the code might be a bit rough around the edges. Constructive criticism is welcome. 🙇‍♂️



## Development



Want to build it yourself? Check out [CONTRIBUTING.md](./CONTRIBUTING.md) for build instructions.



## License



Do whatever you want with this. [MIT License](./LICENSE).



Attribution and nice words are appreciated, but not required. 🙂