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 14 minutes 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 10 minutes ago by BlackSpectre