How to create a keyboard shortcut for TWO powers at once?

[MikeSol]

I know how to create keyboard shortcuts for ONE power. But is there a command for creating keyboard shortcuts for turning on and off TWO powers at once? I simply want a keyboard shortcut to turn Sprint and Athletic Run on and off. I am currently turning them off with one keyboard shortcut each which is doable but not ideal.

[Snarky]

I am no haxor but i heard the closest you can get is a button that runs through one command in sequence 1st power 2nd power 3rd power (or choice/activation) but in this game no binds to multiples.  That is my understanding 

[oedipus_tex]

Pretty sure Snarky is right. What I think you'll need is a macro that performs the button click, then rebinds the key to a new command file. Clicking the macro again would execute the second power, then rebind back to the first. So, you can do it all with one macro button, but its still multiple clicks.

[Blackbird71]

Using only the in-game available commands and a standard keyboard, you can't.  You can bind keys to turn more than one power off, but can only turn one on with a single command.

 

As the others mentioned, you can make rotating bind files so that you can use the same key to trigger two powers by pressing it twice.  You could even set it up so that pressing it twice turns on each power in sequence, then pressing it a third time turns them both off with a single use.

To do this, make a folder somewhere on your computer named "binds"; and remember the path.  For this example, we'll assume it's in the main directory of the C drive and use "C:\binds\" as the path, but be sure to change this for whatever your actual path is (I don't actually recommend putting it in the root directory of your C drive).

 

In this "binds" folder, make three text files named:

sprinton.txt

athleticrunon.txt

runoff.txt

 

Paste the following text into "sprinton.txt" and save the file (replace "g" with whatever key you want to use for your shortcut; you can also do key modifier combinations, such as "lalt+g"): 

 

g "powexec_toggleon Sprint$$bindloadfilesilent c:\binds\athleticrunon.txt"
 

Paste the following text into "athleticrunon.txt" and save the file (make sure you use the same key in place of "g" as you did for sprinton.txt):
 

g "powexec_toggleon Athletic Run$$bindloadfilesilent c:\binds\runoff.txt"

 

Paste the following text into "runoff.txt" and save the file (again, same key in place of "g"):
 

g "powexec_toggleoff Sprint$$powexec_toggleoff Athletic Run$$bindloadfilesilent c:\binds\sprinton.txt"

 

Once these files have been created, type the following in your chat bar and hit Enter:

 

/bindloadfile c:\binds\sprinton.txt

 

Now, the first time you hit "g" (or whatever key you've assigned), it should turn Sprint on.  The next time you use it, it will turn Athletic Run on, so you can turn on both powers with a quick double tap.  The third time you use "g" it turns both powers off and resets the key back to the beginning, ready to turn Sprint on again.


Again, all of this is for what's available in game with a standard keyboard.  There are easier ways to do what you want if you have a gaming keyboard with programmable macro keys.

[MikeSol]

Blackbird71, your instructions work fine if the folder path does not include any spaces in the file path. I wanted the files in my City of Heroes Directory so I had to rename it to COH to make this work. Thank you for the instructions.

[Shenanigunner]

36 minutes ago, MikeSol said:

Blackbird71, your instructions work fine if the folder path does not include any spaces in the file path. I wanted the files in my City of Heroes Directory so I had to rename it to COH to make this work. Thank you for the instructions.

 

You might want to look at the Tech Guide (see sig); it's all about this stuff. Good post by Blackbird71, though.

 

A fundamental way to make binds much easier to use, especially if you use 'rolling binds' like these, is to put all bindfiles in the default location, so no paths are needed. You can use just the file names. MUCH shorter commands, MUCH easier to use, FAR FEWER points to glitch:

• If you use the Tequila launcher, put all your keybind files in [GAME ROOT]\data.
• If you use the Homecoming launcher, put all your keybind files in [GAME ROOT]\settings\live.

 

ETA: Make a desktop shortcut for this folder, to make editing etc. that much easier.

 

And yes, rolling binds and a few other tricks are the only way to activate multiple powers with "one" key.

 

Edited July 10, 2021 by Shenanigunner

[MikeSol]

Thank you Shenanigunner!

 

That not only made it easier, I was able to rename the game path back to City of Heroes! Thanks to both of you for the help!

[srmalloy]

3 hours ago, Blackbird71 said:

In this "binds" folder, make three text files named:

sprinton.txt

athleticrunon.txt

runoff.txt

You don't need two 'on' files:

 

/bind ctrl+O "powexectoggleon Sprint$$powexectoggleon Athletic Run"

 

You have to use the bind twice, but because whichever one is active is invalid for toggling on, the bind will start the other. So you hit Ctrl-O, and Athletic Run starts; hit it again, and Sprint starts.

[Blackbird71]

4 minutes ago, srmalloy said:

You don't need two 'on' files:

 

/bind ctrl+O "powexectoggleon Sprint$$powexectoggleon Athletic Run"

 

You have to use the bind twice, but because whichever one is active is invalid for toggling on, the bind will start the other. So you hit Ctrl-O, and Athletic Run starts; hit it again, and Sprint starts.

 

But then you can't use the same bind to toggle both off.

[srmalloy]

1 hour ago, Blackbird71 said:

 

But then you can't use the same bind to toggle both off.

I bind shift+O to "powexectoggleoff Sprint$$powexectoggleoff Athletic Run" -- drops both of them at once.

[Blackbird71]

1 hour ago, srmalloy said:

I bind shift+O to "powexectoggleoff Sprint$$powexectoggleoff Athletic Run" -- drops both of them at once.

 

That's great, but the OP wanted a means to turn them both on and off with one "shortcut."  I interpreted that as all triggered with the same key, not different keys/key combos.

Edited July 10, 2021 by Blackbird71

[Shenanigunner]

Bottom line, no, there is no way to create a single bind that will turn on two powers and turn them off. Rolling binds are one trick but for something as basic as your travel/speed power it's... overkill.

 

These are the binds I use with most of my alts, with adaptations to other travel powers. If I take Athletic Run, I tend to drop Sprint from the mix. The stack isn't all that great, it increases End consumption and usually I want a "fast but not too fast" mode for missions, caves, etc. If I want to haul ass, I use Super Speed, Speed of Sound, etc. And with one of those slotted a bit, adding Athletic Run is pretty much meaningless for a tiny bit of speed vs end. If it's on, great, if not, who cares.

 

So an alt with SS/SoS and Athletic Run uses:
 

R "powexectoggleon Super Speed$$autorun 1"
MBUTTON "powexectoggleoff Super Speed$$powexecname Athletic Run"

 

So I start off with W. Whack R to go into full speed autorun. And use the middle button to toggle SS/SoS off and turn Athletic Run on if it's not. A second MBUTTON click turns AR off; continued clicks toggle it.

 

This, or some slight variation, covers pretty much all the slow/quick/realfast situations I use. With a few support binds to kill autorun, jump using the mouse, etc.

 

[BlackSpectre]

On 7/10/2021 at 7:35 AM, MikeSol said:

I know how to create keyboard shortcuts for ONE power. But is there a command for creating keyboard shortcuts for turning on and off TWO powers at once? I simply want a keyboard shortcut to turn Sprint and Athletic Run on and off. I am currently turning them off with one keyboard shortcut each which is doable but not ideal.

Yes, you create a "toggle text bind." It will turn on 2 toggle powers with one key by turning on the first power on key PRESS and the second power on key RELEASE.

 

First, create 2 text files. You can name them anything, so how about TwoPowers1.txt and TwoPowers2.txt

 

Next, put the bind command for one power in one text file, and the other power command in the other text file. Add a toggle key "+" to the front (left) of the bind.  Add a BindLoadFile command to the end (right) of the bind string that refers to the other text file and visa versa in a loop. Done.

 

Example:

 

TwoPowers1.txt

G "+$$PowexecToggleOn Tough$$BindLoadFIle /binds/TwoPowers2.txt"

 

TwoPowers2.txt

G "+$$PowexecToggleOn Weave$$BindLoadFIle /binds/TwoPowers1.txt"

 

To toggle the powers off with the same key, create 2 more text files as above with the PowexecToggleOff command and put them in the loop too for a total of 4 text files.

 

For more information you can read my Advanced Bind Guide that I wrote many years ago... and also look over my example binds page for some ideas if interested.

 

 

P.S. If you don't care about turning them off with the same key, you might be able to do the whole thing with just a single toggle bind...

 

/Bind G "+$$PowexecToggleOn Tough$$PowexecToggleOn Weave"

 

Edited February 1, 2022 by BlackSpectre

[Redletter]

6 hours ago, BlackSpectre said:

Yes, you create a "toggle text bind." It will turn on 2 toggle powers with one key by turning on the first power on key PRESS and the second power on key RELEASE.

 

I was just about to say this - im not sure how far you could take this? Like, Im not sure if you could do something like a rolling keybind on top of those? So like "pressing t executes Deflection Shield, releasing t executes Insulation and rolls the bind over so when you next press t it will execute Howl and releasing t will cast Shockwave and then reset the sequence" so I have no idea HOW crazy this could get? Because, if you CAN do this, you could theoretically just "roll over" bind your enter kit and just keep mashing "t"?

 

I have no idea. But the point here is that I was gonna say "you can set up a macro to cast a power on press and on release", and that's the most important thing!

[srmalloy]

10 hours ago, BlackSpectre said:

 

P.S. If you don't care about turning them off with the same key, you might be able to do the whole thing with just a single toggle bind...

 

/Bind G "+$$PowexecToggleOn Tough$$PowexecToggleOn Weave"

You can also do this for functionally mutually exclusive powers -- for example, I would never take both the Flight and Sorcery pools, so I can create a bind in my 'load for all characters' bindfile that does a powexecname for both Fly and Mystic Flight, and the key will toggle whichever of the two the character has, ignoring the other.

[Shenanigunner]

2 minutes ago, srmalloy said:

You can also do this for functionally mutually exclusive powers -- for example, I would never take both the Flight and Sorcery pools, so I can create a bind in my 'load for all characters' bindfile that does a powexecname for both Fly and Mystic Flight, and the key will toggle whichever of the two the character has, ignoring the other.

 

I have seen a number of players post these sort of "generic" binds, and yep, they work. No real downside in functionality... BUT

 

Keep in mind that bind strings and bind files have size limits. It's good practice to keep each bind as short as possible, and to keep unused/irrelevant binds out of a working file.

 

It's not that hard to maintain a bind file for each alt and thus be able to tweak on a power-by-power, set-by-set, play style-by etc. basis.

[Shenanigunner]

On 7/10/2021 at 2:05 PM, srmalloy said:

I bind shift+O to "powexectoggleoff Sprint$$powexectoggleoff Athletic Run" -- drops both of them at once.

 

All 'off' toggles will work in any length or combination. What I've found useful is the following:

 

/bind CTRL+U powerstogglealloff

 

...when you want to drop EVERYTHING, usually in a base or safe zone.

[srmalloy]

1 hour ago, Shenanigunner said:

Keep in mind that bind strings and bind files have size limits. It's good practice to keep each bind as short as possible, and to keep unused/irrelevant binds out of a working file.

I have one file that I load at first play for all characters; it's a small file that does things like unmap mouse autorun and swap the default 'turn' and 'sideways' keys, and is only about ten lines in length; it establishes common binds for a uniform base UI. Anything beyond that is character-specific.

[BlackSpectre]

8 hours ago, Redletter said:

I was just about to say this - im not sure how far you could take this? Like, Im not sure if you could do something like a rolling keybind on top of those?

Sure, it totally works.
 

Toggle text binds can sometimes get messed up and out of order due to pressing the key to fast or lag. To combat this, i have another bind that reloads the first text file… essentially resetting the whole bind back to the beginning of its sequence.  You don’t have to reset it often, but the reset bind is a godsend when the toggle key bind messes up… and it will, eventually, mess up. 
 

The way I do it is… I have my travel bind on the G key, and the reset bind on the CTRL+G key. 

[Shenanigunner]

2 hours ago, BlackSpectre said:

Sure, it totally works.
 

Toggle text binds can sometimes get messed up and out of order due to pressing the key to fast or lag. To combat this, i have another bind that reloads the first text file… essentially resetting the whole bind back to the beginning of its sequence.  You don’t have to reset it often, but the reset bind is a godsend when the toggle key bind messes up… and it will, eventually, mess up. 
 

The way I do it is… I have my travel bind on the G key, and the reset bind on the CTRL+G key. 

 

Good practice. My suggestion would be to expand this to the whole bind file for the alt; use whatever key re/loads it as your reset.

 

That saves one bind per toggle bind you might need to reset, or at least one overall. 🙂

 

That said, though, a properly crafted toggle/rollover bind should never get out of sync in a way that isn't self-fixing.

 

Edited February 1, 2022 by Shenanigunner

[BlackSpectre]

Oh, hey Shenanigunner! I just realized it was you! 

 

As long as I have you here, I just wanted to say you did an amazing job on your Technical Guide! Your guide is thorough, well organized, and clearly written. Obviously, you put a lot of time into writing it... and it shows. 

 

I read your guide a while back... not sure if it was before Homecoming went public or after. But I do remember thinking "Whew! That was a lot of work!" It is awesome when I run across someone, like you, who has poured their heart and soul into something, and into helping others. Your love for COH shines through every word you write. Keep up the good work!    

[Shenanigunner]

Well, thanks. As I always say when asked for my ID, "Yep, it's still me."

 

The whole Guide thing and other projects are just what falls into my wheelhouse. I don't write about leveling or strategy or (augh!) IOs and AE... just the nuts and bolts. it's still a renewed pleasure to have it useful after all this time.