[RWP] AutoHotKey A Few HotSpots

Wed Mar 13 10:44:52 EDT 2013

With this same wife that helps me now, I used a much simpler macro 
program to run a totally non talking Atari ST.
She would go through the mouse moves and clicks to do something, like 
open a program, or throw something in the waste basket, and the macro 
program recorded all the mouse moves and clicks, then afterward I could 
edit the recording and remove all the unrequired time, like leaving only 
just enough time to let the Atari get the program open after she clicked 
on it's icon.
The final edited macro ran as quick as lightening.
I think, that may be how the basic AHK also works, as a recording macro; 
but from their website; AHK seems to go way beyond that.
Man, how great if it could record the pixel image of buttons, plus their 
coordinates;  as my wife moused across them.
That alone could sure speed up what gets done during sighted help with 
screens.
Afterwards I could do labeling, and assign shortcuts on my own; without 
her waiting there.
Indi

On 3/12/2013 10:46 PM, Jim Snowbarger wrote:
> More about the AHK coordinates provided by a drying out David P Shortland from the Sunshine Coast.
>
> AHK uses window-relative coords by default, but they are relative to the "active" window", or what some people call the foreground window.
> In this case, they are relative to the top left corner of the Reaper application.
> Once I use that window as a reference, I got this to work.   I got the context menu that starts with input monitoring. but I had to do right click, not left click.
> That didn't surprise me, except that his script said "click" and only provided coords, which is, as I read the AHK document, a left click by default.
> So anyway,  Not sure about why that is.
> But, that is what AHK does.  It apparently can not use smaller child windows as a reference, but uses absolute screen coordinates, or application-relative coords, depending on the CoordMode command, application relative by default.
>
> AHK is a pretty interesting program, and it seems to be focused more on automating user tasks from the standpoint of a user manipulating multiple applications and perhaps less on working inside of an app.  Not sure yet.
> Naturally, I'm interested in learning more about what it can do.  Maybe it can correct my incessant typing errors, turning, teh, into, the, and smae into same.   That would be nice.
> Perhaps the most interesting part was the ability to search for an image, including the ability to allow a measured amount of forgiveness on color matches.  You can do that forgiveness thing on single pixel color searches too.  Basically, you provide it with a .GIF, or .ICO, or any of several file formats that contain  the image or icon you are looking for, tell it a region to search, and it pokes around looking for it.
> I suspect that is a noticeably slow process, because they suggest ways to try to speed it up.
> And, I'm not currently quite sure how we will identify the images to search for.  We've got a boot strap problem there.  I am class A stupid as a windows programmer.  So, I'm more than a little behind the curve.  but, the doc suggests you can often extract the icon images right out of the program itself.  Yeah,  go find that one.
> But, how you actually do that is, so far,  less clear.
> I wonder if there is a way to gen up a little utility that lets a sightling click the mouse at the top left, and bottom right corners of an image of interest, and have the utility save that image as something we could then use AHK, or other equally equipped tool, to look for.
> I think I have a sighted programmer who is interested enough in this stuff to help see if that can be done.
> I shall pursue.
>
> Anyway, David, thanks for breaking the ice.  I have needed to check this out for some time, but just haven't gotten around  to it.  Their web site is wonderfully accessible.  Very nice.
>
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>    ----- Original Message -----
>    From: David P Shortland
>    To: Reapers Without Peepers
>    Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2013 1:13 AM
>    Subject: [RWP] AutoHotKey A Few HotSpots
>
>
>    Hi & Greetings from a drying out Sunshine Coast
>
>    Thought I would share this with anyone who may be interested
>
>    As I am charting my way thru the  Help files of AutoHotKey and learning to Script this and that, well mainly for Omnisphere at present,  here are a couple of co-ordinates that may be of helpin REAPER,  with regards to a Certain Menu not opening with Apps Key & Up Arrow key
>
>    These co-ordinates will give access to a menu that will be spoken and contains settings for Audio & MIDI Inputs & Outputs.
>
>    136, 176 is for Trak 1
>    136, 276 is for Trak 2
>
>    Now for those of us who may be a little apprehensive in trying to write a script to access these co-ordinates,here its is...
>
>    Open up Notepad and type these lines as is, or just copy them across..
>
>    Numpad9 & Numpad1:: Click 136, 176
>    Numpad9 & Numpad2:: Click 136, 276
>
>    Save this document as AutoHotKey.ahk
>
>    Go to the directory where you just saved that script
>
>    Double Click on the file and it should ask you with what file do you wish to run the program?
>
>    Navigate to AutoHotKey and voila ... all should be good
>
>    Okay, just remember that the resolution on my System is 768 x 1024 , so one can deduce that if your resolution is different the co-ordinates will not match.
>
>    Now all you have to do when REAPER is open and you have several tracks in place
>
>    Press Numpad9 (hold it down and Press Numpad1 the Menu should open, make yourselections
>
>    Remember that this combination is for Trak 1.
>
>    I have also used the Numpad as ReaAccess and REAPER use a lot of keyboard combinations and this should not interfere.
>
>    Oh yes... DO NOT forget to press the NumLock .. it must be ON!
>
>    I have only given the co-ordinates for two trax, because I figure if you want to set up several combinations of In & Outs, just coply one of the tracks to another place.
>
>    Hopefully all will go smoothly... if not...I have left the country and gone into hiding...
>
>    Take care all
>
>    David P Shortland
>    DragonScore Productions
>
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