[MOD] Simple Hotkeys

[ChemODun]

Simple Hotkeys

A small, growing collection of simple hotkey actions for X4: Foundations, built on top of the Native Hotkey API - every action below is bindable by the player through the native game keybinding UI, just like a vanilla control.



Overview

This mod doesn't add any UI of its own. It registers a set of small, focused actions with the Native Hotkey API, which then exposes them on its own Hotkey Management > Hotkey Bindings page (under Options), where the player assigns the actual physical key through the same native remap UI (and conflict-detection) every other control uses.

Most actions only fire while the player is actually piloting their own ship (no menu open); a couple are map-only instead - see each action's description below for where it applies.

Requirements

• X4: Foundations: Version 9.00 or higher.
• Native Hotkey API by Chem O`Dun, version 8.00.01 or higher:
  • Available on Nexus Mods: Native Hotkey API
  • Available on Steam Workshop: Native Hotkey API
• Indirectly depends on the UI Extensions and HUD mod by kuertee, which is a dependency of the Native Hotkey API:
  • For Game Version 8.00HF4 or higher - Version v8.0.4.9 or higher on Nexus Mods: UI Extensions and HUD
  • For Game Version 9.00 or higher - Version v9.0.0.6 or higher on Nexus Mods: UI Extensions and HUD

Installation

• Steam Workshop: Native Hotkey API
• Nexus Mods: Simple Hotkeys

Hotkey Actions

All of the actions below show up automatically on the Native Hotkey API's Hotkey Bindings page once this mod is enabled - there is nothing to configure here, just assign a key to whichever ones you want to use.

Spoiler

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• Rename Selected/Targeted Object - opens the vanilla rename popup for the selected (map) or targeted (piloting) object, if it's player-owned.
• Follow Target - engages autopilot to the current target (which tracks a moving target, i.e. "follow"); pressed again on the same target, it disengages autopilot instead.
• Eject Illegal Wares - drops all illegal cargo from the ship's hold and the player's own inventory, based on the local sector's police faction.
• Print Combined Skill of Target - shows a notification with the combined skill of the current target's crew.
• Zoom In (Flight Mode) - piloting only: steps the camera FOV through increasing zoom factors (1x -> 2x -> 4x -> 8x) on repeated presses; pressing again once at the highest factor resets straight back to the FOV that was active before zooming started.
• Launch Satellite / Launch Advanced Satellite - launches a satellite or advanced satellite, if one is carried.
• Launch Laser Tower Mk1 / Mk2 - launches a laser tower of the chosen mark, if one is carried.
• Launch Mine / Launch Tracker Mine / Launch Friend-or-Foe Mine - launches the chosen mine type, if one is carried.
• Toggle Right Info Panel - map only: toggles the map's right-side info panel for the current selection, mirroring the existing sidebar icon (there's no vanilla hotkey for either side's info panel, only mouse clicks).

Please not forget - you can disable any of these actions in appropriate Hotkey Requests section of the Native Hotkey API's menu, if you don't want to use them.

Spoiler

Show

Credits

• Author: Chem O`Dun, on Nexus Mods and Steam Workshop
• "X4: Foundations" is a trademark of Egosoft.

Acknowledgements

• EGOSOFT - for the X series.
• kuertee - for the UI Extensions and HUD that the Native Hotkey API (and therefore this mod) relies on.

[ChemODun]

Changelog

[1.02] - 2026-06-30

• Added
  • Toggle Right Info Panel (map only) - no vanilla hotkey exists for either side's info panel, only mouse clicks.
• Removed
  • Launch Navigation Beacon / Launch Resource Probe - vanilla already has native hotkeys for these (Deploy Navigation Beacon / Deploy Resource Probe).
• Changed
  • Renamed Zoom In to Zoom In (Flight Mode) to make clear it only works while piloting.

[1.01] - 2026-06-28

• Fixed
  • Minor bug fixes and improvements.

[1.00] - 2026-06-24

• Added
  • Initial version: rename selected/targeted object, follow target, eject illegal wares, print combined skill of target, zoom in/reset, and the full deployable launch family (satellites, navigation beacon, resource probe, laser towers, mines).

[azaghal]

A rename hotkey in X4... Now I have seen everything... Does this mean I can finally get rid of this atrocity?

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash

offset_x=600
offset_y=200

window_id=$(xdotool search --class x4)

original_position=$(xdotool getmouselocation --shell)

original_x=$(echo "$original_position" | grep "^X=" | sed -e 's/X=//')
original_y=$(echo "$original_position" | grep "^Y=" | sed -e 's/Y=//')

xdotool \
    search --class X4 windowactivate --sync \
    mousemove --sync "$offset_x" "$offset_y" \
    key Ctrl+Return sleep 0.1

box=( $(flameshot screen --region "300x540+${offset_x}+${offset_y}" --raw | tesseract - - hocr | grep Rename | head -n1 | grep -o "bbox[^;]*") )

left="${box[1]}"
top="${box[2]}"
right="${box[3]}"
bottom="${box[4]}"

number_regex='^[0-9]+$'

if [[ $left =~ $number_regex && $top =~ $number_regex && $right =~ $number_regex && $bottom =~ $number_regex ]]; then
    (( pos_x = offset_x + left + (right - left) / 2 ))
    (( pos_y = offset_y + top + (bottom - top) / 2 ))
    xdotool \
        search --class X4 \
        mousemove --sync "$pos_x" "$pos_y" sleep 0.2 \
        key Return sleep 0.1 \
        key Home key --repeat 11 Right sleep 0.1
fi

xdotool search --class X4 mousemove "$original_x" "$original_y"

Thank you

[ChemODun]

Enjoy!

[ChemODun]

[1.02] - 2026-06-30

• Added
  • Toggle Right Info Panel (map only) - no vanilla hotkey exists for either side's info panel, only mouse clicks.
• Removed
  • Launch Navigation Beacon / Launch Resource Probe - vanilla already has native hotkeys for these (Deploy Navigation Beacon / Deploy Resource Probe).
• Changed
  • Renamed Zoom In to Zoom In (Flight Mode) to make clear it only works while piloting.

[beko]

A rename hotkey in X4... Now I have seen everything... Does this mean I can finally get rid of this atrocity?

Haha tesseract, awesome I'm not the only crazy who used this before to automate some gaming bit: https://beko.famkos.net/2022/12/09/surv ... singworld/

Sorry for OT