TIP: Execute Slash Command with Bind_load_file

[BlackSpectre]

This is a handy little hack of the keybinding system that allows us to set Options settings that aren't "setable" in Options.txt, activate powers, or execute any slash command when we use /Bind_Load_File to load a text file into the game... just like a bind file.

 

Why is it useful? Well, not all options settings are able to be made into a default setting when we create a toon. For example, /tray_labels... whether to number the slots in the power trays 0-9 or A+1 (slot number vs key binding). Personally, I try to automate everything I can so I don't have to think about it. Just create a new toon and hit the ground running!

 

How to Do It

 In almost any text file, add the double dollar signs at the beginning of the line followed by a slash command, and repeat as many times with as many commands as you like. For example:

$$tray_labels 2
$$powexecname super jump
$$monitorattribute current hit points

or whatever slash command(s) you want.

 

 I added "$$tray_labels 2" to the bottom of keybinds.txt, and now whenever a new character is created and keybinds.txt is loaded, it also sets the option for the tray labels. Keybinds.txt is usually located in C:\Games\Homecoming\Settings\Live\.

 

If you want to manually load in your executable commands in game after you've created your toon, then create your own text file (named anything), store it anywhere you like, and use /bind_load_file in the chat box to load in the text file.  For example:

/bind_load_file MyTextFile.txt

 

 

This method can also load in macros, which can be very handy if you use the same macros on every toon. For example:

$$macro "Get Global" "getglobalname $target"

 

 

P.S. In case you were wondering, this method does NOT bypass the normal rules of creating and using binds. For example, if you were to add 2 toggle or click powers, only 1 of the commands will be executed when the file is loaded. Just consider the whole text file as one big bind string.

Edited 16 hours ago by BlackSpectre

[Ukase]

For brevity's sake, if I just wanted to monitor Influence, I would create a new text file? or am I sifting through the CoH game files and editing the file from there and not making a new file? 

I add 
$$monitorattribute Influence  

in the text file. 
I save the text file as keybinds.txt in the same spot it was. And if it's a new file, instead of an pre-existing one, where do I save this new file? 


And if I accurately figure out the file questions, 
Then every character I create will have the influence stat already monitored once I load the file through menu-options?

Sorry, but to this user, it seems like there's some things missing in my brain to properly use your good idea. 

 

[lemming]

I just used this to setup attribute monitoring since I have a standard list and then add other items to some chars.

 

Used this to look up the ones I wanted

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Monitorattribute_(Slash_Command)

 

This file was placed in Homecoming->settings->live->monattrib.txt

$$monitorattribute INF
$$monitorattribute XT
$$monitorattribute N RAT
$$monitorattribute Y RA
$$monitorattribute SU
$$monitorattribute DS
$$monitorattribute PVE

I used the abbreviations recommended and now when I spin up a new char, I can just do the command

bindloadfile monattrib.txt

 

Note that will turn off monitoring if you are already monitoring any of those attributes.

I will probably go thru and use the full names later in the file so I don't have to look it up on further edits

[BlackSpectre]

8 hours ago, Ukase said:

For brevity's sake, if I just wanted to monitor Influence, I would create a new text file? or am I sifting through the CoH game files and editing the file from there and not making a new file? 

I add 
$$monitorattribute Influence  

in the text file. 
I save the text file as keybinds.txt in the same spot it was. And if it's a new file, instead of an pre-existing one, where do I save this new file? 


And if I accurately figure out the file questions, 
Then every character I create will have the influence stat already monitored once I load the file through menu-options?

Sorry, but to this user, it seems like there's some things missing in my brain to properly use your good idea. 

 

 

Sorry, Ukase. I'll do my best to explain.

 

If you want the executable commands to load in automatically, then edit "C:\Games\Homecoming\Settings\Live\keybinds.txt". If you want to load in the executable commands manually after you've created your toon, then you can create your own text file and store it anywhere you like, and use /bind_load_file to load it into the game.

 

In a standard Windows installation of the game, the game stores its user editable default settings files in C:\Games\Homecoming\Settings\Live\ . This is generally referred to as the "default folder".

The default settings files are:

Keybinds.txt - stores custom keybinds

Wdw.txt - stores Window settings

Options.txt - stores Option settings

Chat.txt - stores Chat settings

 

When a new character is created, the game loads in all of these files. So it loads in all of your custom keybinds, and the options, window, and chat settings, that you have previously saved in those files. If you haven't made changes, the game starts with a set of standard settings in those files.

 

You can edit these files directly using a text editor app like Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on Mac, or you can make changes in the Options window while in game and then use the button at the bottom of the screen to save the settings to the default files. Any changes to these files will be used to setup a newly created character by default. To use the method I detailed above you'll need to edit the keybinds.txt file directly, and add the executable commands to the bottom.

 

Note: Adding commands at the bottom of the keybinds.txt file work fine, but adding them to Options.txt can create problems. I'd recommend against adding executable commands to any default settings file other than keybinds.txt. 

 

Alternately, you can avoid editing keybinds.txt by creating your own text file (having any name) and load that in separately after your new character has been created and is in game. This file can be stored ANYWHERE on your computer. All you have to do is tell the /Bind_load_file command where the file is on your computer's drive.

 

***************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

Now, because the default folder is a special working directory for the game, it allows us to use relative file paths that are much shorter than telling /Bind_load_file where to find the file using an absolute path. For example, using /Bind_load_file with an absolute file path to keybinds.txt would look like

/Bind_load_file C:\Games\Homecoming\Settings\Live\keybinds.txt

Whereas a relative path using the default folder would look like

/Bind_Load_file keybinds.txt

 Notice all of the folders before keybinds.txt are missing. This is because if you don't specify an absolute file path, the /Bind_load_file command automatically STARTS in the default folder and proceeds from there. Or to put it another way, the game automatically adds "C:\Games\Homecoming\Settings\Live\" to the file path for us so we don't have to. It's a nice little shortcut.

 

This is why, personally, I store all of my bind files in a sub-folder inside the default folder, and this is where I think I confused you. I do this to keep all my own bind files separate from the game's default files and at the same time utilize the default folder to let me type in a shorter file path for their location. So the absolute path to all of my bind files would look like 

C:\Games\Homecoming\Settings\Live\Binds\

But since "C:\Games\Homecoming\Settings\Live\" is the default folder, all I have to do to tell /Bind_load_file the location of my files is to type

\Binds\

Additionally, I made a copy of keybinds.txt and saved it to my \Binds\ folder so I can edit that file, and when done I just copy it over to the default folder to replace the old file with the new one I just edited. It's just part of my own work flow to make sure I don't accidentally mess things up. It's a preference, and not necessary for anyone else to do. Sorry for the confusion.

 

*************************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

 So to summarize, if you want the executable commands to load in automatically, then edit "C:\Games\Homecoming\Settings\Live\keybinds.txt". If you want to load in the executable commands manually after you've created your toon, then you can create your own text file and store it anywhere you like, and use /bind_load_file to load it into the game.

 

For more information see:

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Bind_load_file_(Slash_Command)

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Macro_(Slash_Command)

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Default_Folder

https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Homecoming_Installation_Folder_Locations

 

 

P.S. I went ahead and edited my original post to try to clear things up. I originally wrote it quickly, and at the time I was a bit tired. Sorry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 16 hours ago by BlackSpectre

[Avernal]

Couple of pointers, since I also use this method for my accounts and have finessed and refined it a lot over the last several years.

 

• You don't need the underscores in the commands - use bindloadfile instead of bind_load_file. This becomes important when you're using rotating files because after 241 characters inbetween the quotations it cuts off, so shorthand and reducing the number of characters by using shorter aliases (lots of good ones on the wiki +canlook instead of +mouselook, mergeinsp instead of inspcombine, etc. etc.) become paramount.

• You don't need to use bindloadfile for keybinds.txt - it's hardcoded to read that specific file if you just type /bindload (first thing I do on all my new alts to load my settings, options, window customisations etc. in)

• You can add stuff to your left mouse button since that is also hardcoded to always be left-click no matter what for that you only need '+$$' followed by whatever else you want it to do, I frequently use this in rotating bind files for cycling 2-3 Auto powers (example: LBUTTON "+$$powexecauto hasten$$bindloadfilesilent bd\ACHA3.txt" ). This can be used in your keybinds.txt file too so you only have to type /bindload then click your left mouse button once and it's immediately cycled through 2 separate files of slash commands/binds. If you use '+$$-$$' at the beginning of each file you can make it trigger on BOTH press AND release, allowing you to cycle through THREE separate files if you do /bindload then click (example: "+$$-$$your custom commands here$$bindloadfilesilent binds\file2.txt", "+$$-$$your custom commands here$$bindloadfilesilent binds\file3.txt"). Very powerful trick. Another good example of how this could be used is: LBUTTON "+$$visscale 2" (replace 2 with whatever number you like that your machine can handle) since relogging or switching characters without closing the client resets visscale to its default of 0.

Since the monitor attribute set-up was mentioned I use the following which also binds O to cycle between several sets of stats (general inf/recovery/regen and positional defense -> typed defenses -> resistances) the wiki does not include the abbreviations for Toxic resist/defense and the Negative energy ones are incorrect as they are hardcoded wrong. The below has all of those quirks fixed...

Default readout:
Will give you Regen Rate, Recovery Rate, End Consumption, To Hit Bonus, Damage Bonus, Recharge Bonus, Mel/Ran/AoE Defense, Influence.

$$monitorattribute N RAT$$monitorattribute Y RA$$monitorattribute SU$$monitorattribute T B$$monitorattribute DA$$monitorattribute ME B$$monitorattribute MEL$$monitorattribute ED$$monitorattribute 2$$monitorattribute INF

Then I cycle between the other panels by pressing O with the attached bind files (all saved in Settings\Live\Bd - I use Bd instead of Binds as the shortened the folder name helps keep things under 241 chars for my fancier binds like rotating Auto powers or combining insps into reds).

Typed Defenses:

$$monitorattribute 3$$monitorattribute 4$$monitorattribute 5$$monitorattribute 6$$monitorattribute 7$$monitorattribute 8$$monitorattribute 9$$monitorattribute 0

Resistances:
 

monitorattribute G R$$monitorattribute L R$$monitorattribute RE R$$monitorattribute Cold R$$monitorattribute DamageType[4]$$monitorattribute GY R$$monitorattribute NIC R$$monitorattribute CR$$monitorattribute C R

 

m1.txt m2.txt m3.txt m4.txt m5.txt m6.txt m7.txt m8.txt

Edited 13 hours ago by Avernal

[Ukase]

Hey, so Mr. Obtuse here had a few questions, but instead of asking them..I looked at the info, then looked again. And then it dawned on me, and I figured it out. And then I had another question, and figured that out, too. 

And I'm ashamed to say it was just there, out in the open, not hiding, and I could have been using this for years, if I'd just taken the time to look and think. 

Now, I do have a headache now, and I do think I developed an aneurism from thinking, but I got it sorted out. 

So thanks to all of you!