SmartNav software taking over keys

[Optotronic]

When I map the "3" key on the numeric keypad to a function (I'm using it for "scroll" at the moment"), the "Page Down" key in the separate edit keys group stops working. This also seems to happen for the other edit keys, and also the slash key. Is this normal? If so, can you fix it?

[Jim]

Hello:

Yes, this is normal. Our keyboard driver sees the scan codes of the keys only, and the number pad duplicates some of the edit keys, but thinks they are both the same. I believe that this works differently from Win98 to Win2K, what OS are you in?

[Optotronic]

I'm using Windows 2000. According to the Win32 SDK help file (and a test program I wrote), one of the bits in the keystroke-message information "Specifies whether the key is an extended key, such as a function key or a key on the numeric keypad. The value is 1 if the key is an extended key; otherwise, it is 0." Also, the virtual key codes are different. This assumes the program uses the standard Win32 keyboard hook.

I can send the test program if you like.

Given that my IDE (Borland Delphi) uses all the function keys, it's important to be able to use other keys while still allowing page up/down, home, end, insert, delete, etc.

[Jim]

Hello:

Thanks for this info. You are totally correct. The problem is that we use a very custom driver for the keyboard hook, not a standard Windows hook implementaion. This has caused problems, like the one you are experiencing, but it makes very sure that we can "trap" all keys, where we weren't able to using the Win2K method.

We are thinking of re-writing the Win2K keyboard hook in a little while, giving it another try. I would be happy to put you in touch with our developers, to see if we can get this fixed ASAP.

[Optotronic]

Sorry for the absence.

I would be pleased to discuss this with your developers to get it resolved quickly.

[Jim]

Bill:

Okay, we will take you up on this. Please email birchAT_AT_AT@naturalpoint.com. He is our C programer, not a C++ guy though. We have some code that an interested party sent us in the past, but haven't been able to compile it, although it looks good. If we could convert it over to MSV C++ then we would be in business as it would be much easier for us to add in. I can also email you this code if you would like to take a look. Email me at jim@naturalpoint.com

[ October 19, 2005, 11:57 PM: Message edited by: NaturalPoint - Birch Zimmer ]

[eric]

I sent support some C code in the past that showed how to capture keystrokes using the low-level keyboard hook in Windows 2000 (LowLevelKeyboardProc/WH_KEYBOARD_LL). If you have need help converting it to C++, please let me know.

[Jim]

Eric:

Got your recent email. I will be getting in touch shortly. Thanks.

[eric]

I still haven't heard from you about this. Do you still need assistance with this conversion?

[Birch]

Eric,

We have compiled the code into a test program and have opened a beta program for it. We want to make sure that the new driver will provide, at a minimum, the same level of keystroke capture that the previous one did before we replace it. If we recieve positive results from our beta testers and internal testing with hardware, then we will implement this in forthcoming software releases.

Birch