Having trouble remapping menu keys (Not to be confused with Action maps)

[ReconArbiter189]

I am currently trying to remap the menu cancel key (The default is E to cancel) to a key I prefer better, which would be the tab key. A good example would be for the VATS menu keys. Accept is E and Return is B or RMB. I am having trouble remapping return from B to Tab. Currently, I am trying to edit the menu file "vats_menu.xml" located in Fallout 3\Data\Menus. The specific part I am trying to edit is the following:

 

<_PCButton_B> return_button </_PCButton_B>

<_PCButton_E> accept_button </_PCButton_E>

 

 

I have tried replacing "PCButton_B" with "PCButton_Tab" and "PCButton_TabButton" with no success. Is there a way to remap the button to Tab? If so, is this the best way to do it and what do I need to replace "PCButton_B" with if anything?

 

If I left something unclear, please ask me to clarify something if you need more information on a subject.

 

[Purr4me]

I am currently trying to remap the menu cancel key (The default is E to cancel) to a key I prefer better, which would be the tab key. A good example would be for the VATS menu keys. Accept is E and Return is B or RMB. I am having trouble remapping return from B to Tab. Currently, I am trying to edit the menu file "vats_menu.xml" located in Fallout 3\Data\Menus. The specific part I am trying to edit is the following:

 

<_PCButton_B> return_button </_PCButton_B>

<_PCButton_E> accept_button </_PCButton_E>

 

 

I have tried replacing "PCButton_B" with "PCButton_Tab" and "PCButton_TabButton" with no success. Is there a way to remap the button to Tab? If so, is this the best way to do it and what do I need to replace "PCButton_B" with if anything?

 

If I left something unclear, please ask me to clarify something if you need more information on a subject.

 

(kbsys.sys) is the file that controls that key board, so I need to know the brand of key board you own?

I use a razor key board, it's designed for gaming. there are different layouts for all languages so the key bindings will differ from one to another.

 

it's not generalized in any way. with the right information I can get you the keyboards layout so you "can" change the correct key bindings to match what you own. that's the problem. a driver issue

[ReconArbiter189]

 

I am currently trying to remap the menu cancel key (The default is E to cancel) to a key I prefer better, which would be the tab key. A good example would be for the VATS menu keys. Accept is E and Return is B or RMB. I am having trouble remapping return from B to Tab. Currently, I am trying to edit the menu file "vats_menu.xml" located in Fallout 3\Data\Menus. The specific part I am trying to edit is the following:

 

<_PCButton_B> return_button </_PCButton_B>

<_PCButton_E> accept_button </_PCButton_E>

 

 

I have tried replacing "PCButton_B" with "PCButton_Tab" and "PCButton_TabButton" with no success. Is there a way to remap the button to Tab? If so, is this the best way to do it and what do I need to replace "PCButton_B" with if anything?

 

If I left something unclear, please ask me to clarify something if you need more information on a subject.

 

(kbsys.sys) is the file that controls that key board, so I need to know the brand of key board you own?

I use a razor key board, it's designed for gaming. there are different layouts for all languages so the key bindings will differ from one to another.

 

it's not generalized in any way. with the right information I can get you the keyboards layout so you "can" change the correct key bindings to match what you own. that's the problem. a driver issue

 

 

The problem isn't that my keyboard has an issue. My keyboard is working perfectly fine. What I am trying to do is edit the game's actual menu xml file so that when I press Tab in VATS, it replaces what B does for the specific menu. My problem is that I am unable to get the xml file to reflect the change to the game. I believe that this is so because the game's engine doesn't have coding for Tab for PCButton or I am inputting the wrong code for PCButton. Again, this is specifically in the xml file for Fallout that I am trying to edit. Not the game's actual action mapping for controls or my keyboard. I want to maintain the functionally of Tab to raise the Pipboy/Activate light WHILE also allowing Tab to act as a replacement for "<_PCButton_B> return_button </_PCButton_B>" and for <_PCButton_E> cancel_button </_PCButton_E> for popup menus only.

[Purr4me]

good luck then.

[AlliedKhajiit]

I found a "solution" to the problem for those who might search for it later.

 

Essentially, what you need to do is change the desired exit key to any letter or number, for this example we'll use 'x' because that's already integrated to some extent.

Now, you need to, through one program or another, change the functionality of the 'tab' key to both press 'tab' and 'x' at the same time. I would typically accomplish this task using autohotkey. If you already have and use AHK, then great, but if not, head on over to https://autohotkey.com/ and download it.

 

Simply put, all you'll need to do is make a blank .txt file, open it in your favorite text editor program (I use NP++), and input the lines

#ifwinactive ahk_exe FalloutNV.exe
~TAB::x

You could do TAB::x without the ~ tilde key, but what this will do is rebind tab to x, instead, the tilde key will make the tab key retain its functionality, as well as firing off the script in ahk (which is to press X).

 

The #ifwinactive portion is self explanatory, it means it will only work when the game window is in focus.

 

Next, change the file type to an .ahk file, then double click it to launch it. If you want the icon removed from the tray in the taskbar, put #notrayicon above #ifwinactive.

If you want this file to run on startup of windows, simply make a shortcut of the .ahk file (right click the file, create shortcut), press Win+R, type and enter 'shell:startup', and drop the shortcut file in the folder that appears.

 

Voila, you are done. I've not yet tested this method of rebinding too much in-game, it's possible you might run into a situation where pressing the exit key and tab at the same time would cause an issue, but I think it's pretty unlikely. You can't exit from the pipboy or barter menus while an item quantity menu is up until that quantity menu is closed, and that's the only problem I thought might have been an issue.

 

All said, if somebody finds a way to actually rebind the exit function to Tab in the .xml files we're modifying, that would be hella nice, but I've had no luck with it myself.

Edited July 6, 2017 by AlliedKhajiit

[sr383]

I found a "solution" to the problem for those who might search for it later.

 

Essentially, what you need to do is change the desired exit key to any letter or number, for this example we'll use 'x' because that's already integrated to some extent.

Now, you need to, through one program or another, change the functionality of the 'tab' key to both press 'tab' and 'x' at the same time. I would typically accomplish this task using autohotkey. If you already have and use AHK, then great, but if not, head on over to https://autohotkey.com/ and download it.

 

Simply put, all you'll need to do is make a blank .txt file, open it in your favorite text editor program (I use NP++), and input the lines

#ifwinactive ahk_exe FalloutNV.exe
~TAB::x

You could do TAB::x without the ~ tilde key, but what this will do is rebind tab to x, instead, the tilde key will make the tab key retain its functionality, as well as firing off the script in ahk (which is to press X).

 

The #ifwinactive portion is self explanatory, it means it will only work when the game window is in focus.

 

Next, change the file type to an .ahk file, then double click it to launch it. If you want the icon removed from the tray in the taskbar, put #notrayicon above #ifwinactive.

If you want this file to run on startup of windows, simply make a shortcut of the .ahk file (right click the file, create shortcut), press Win+R, type and enter 'shell:startup', and drop the shortcut file in the folder that appears.

 

Voila, you are done. I've not yet tested this method of rebinding too much in-game, it's possible you might run into a situation where pressing the exit key and tab at the same time would cause an issue, but I think it's pretty unlikely. You can't exit from the pipboy or barter menus while an item quantity menu is up until that quantity menu is closed, and that's the only problem I thought might have been an issue.

 

All said, if somebody finds a way to actually rebind the exit function to Tab in the .xml files we're modifying, that would be hella nice, but I've had no luck with it myself.

Thanks for the tip! Works perfectly, so far.