A couple of questions about hotkeys

[Brinnie]

Before the last update I was using a couple of mods that allowed me to use more hotkeys, they worked together with the python server and support scripts by Kuertee. Since update v.7 I understand all hotkeys scripts have stopped working.

For the sake of this post I will just focus on "Map Hotkeys" by Mycu. The mod (which I miss a lot) lets the user assign player's assets to hotkeys in the traditional RTS way, like it has been done for donkey's years.

For ex. : to assign a unit/asset to key 1, while the unit is selected, you press Ctrl+1 and after that, hitting 1 would select that unit.

With "Map Hotkeys" the first click on 1 would only select the unit and the second click would centre the screen on it. The target could be a ship, a station, etc..


The questiions:

1 - Will support for hotkeys mods be restored?

2 - If the answer to question 1 is "No", will the functionality described above ever be included in the base game?

[Trajan von Olb]

Exactly my questions! I also really miss the hotkey engine, especially for switching on the various destinations in my ‘MoreHotkeys’ mod...
My repeated requests (including one to Bernd) as to when Egosoft will finally give modders access to hotkeys have all gone unanswered...
But I'm looking into it right now. The problem seems to be Egosoft's reorganisation of the menus, which is why you can no longer set hotkeys. At the same time, they should actually still work. And it looks like there is a ‘walkaround’ option to ‘hardwire’ the hotkeys directly in the mod. Maybe you can work around it - but that's a long way from ‘user-friendly’.
Well, let's see. If there's any news, please let me know - without hotkeys, I've unfortunately lost interest in X.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

[Trajan von Olb]

Hi, after a few tries I found a temporary workaround how to use the hotkeys again, at least until 7.10! All at your own risk, don't forget to make backups!!!

By the way, I would like to take this opportunity to recommend my MOD ‘More Hotkeys - Advanced Targeting’... I think it's a must for Hotas players, especially as the targeting itself is more precise and carries much further (it makes no sense that you can't select a ship you can see because it's a bit too far away)...

WORKARROUND for the Hotkey API (SirNukes)!

unfortunately the hotkey function is switched off from version 1.89 of SirNukes
Mod-Api. However, there is a workaround that I have found.
Admittedly, this is not very user-friendly, but it reliably restores the hotkey
functionality (status: game version 7.10, MOD-API 1.90).
You have to:

1. deactivate the Steam mod download in the game
2. back up the complete MOD folder!
3. Empty the mod folder completely and only leave the following mods in it:
- DLC
- All mods that access the hotkey api and define hotkeys
- SirNukes Mod Support Apis in version 1.88 (!)
- Kuertee's UI Extensions and HUD in a version that is compatible with
6.2 (I use a version from February 2024; if necessary, ask Kuertee,
maybe he offers it for DL)
4. downgrade the game to 6.20 (select BETA in the game settings on Steam, then you can set the downgrade there)
5. start the game, switch on extensions in the menu if necessary
6. Start a new savegame
7. set the keys for the hotkey mods IN THE GAME (there is no other way),
save for safety (don't know if this is necessary), exit the game
8. upgrade the game to 7.10 (in Steam in the settings, see above)
9. empty the MOD folder and restore the one saved under 2), leave the DLCs
alone, make sure that SirNukes Mod Support Apis version 1.90 is
installed
10. start the game, enjoy the hotkeys

For your information: It is quite possible that the hotkey settings are
still completely ok and you don't have to do anything at all, just
install 1.90 Mod Apis and access the hotkeys. But then you can't change
anything!

It looks like the data is in the documents --> Egosoft --> X4 --> strange number --> uidata.xml ! However, it
is very cryptic there, it does not seem to be an ASCII code, but a
corresponds to ‘1’ etc... But if you want, you can experiment with it
and then write in the discussion what you have found out.

Greetings Trajan von Olb

[Brinnie]

Thank you for your suggestions but I will have to pass, at least for now, at present I can't even find the time to play the game and what you describe seems too complex (for me) to follow.

Nevertheless I do appreciate your post.

I talked about Map hotkeys as I was hoping that something very much like it would find its way into the vanilla game, it is a very basic function in all RTS games.

ps. I did use and endorse your mod already, thank you for making that too.