Help:Getting started
From StrokeIt
Nice video is here too from Immow.
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[edit] Tutorial: Creating MSN Messenger gesture actions
First of all I’d like to say that Jeff did a fantastic job writing this program! Thank you Jeff!
Make sure StrokeIt is on. Then open it to this screen:
Alright, this tutorial is going to illustrate to you how to create some customized gesture actions for MSN messenger (as the title denotes).
For instance, say you use the phrase "LOL" very often, and find it tedious to type it all the time, or you mistakenly jumble the phrase by typing "lOL" or "lom"; not very good. I personally have StrokeIt recognize when I make an "L" motion with my mouse, it will type in "LOL" for me, and enter it in, as if I typed it myself. This is what I’m going to show you how to do.
Ok, you have StrokeIt open, and you’re in the main screen right? Good. Right click over in the white area and select "New Application".
This will create a new application on the list entitled "App", let’s rename it now for readability later to "MSN Messenger" by right-clicking on "App" and then clicking "Rename".
Ok, now we have to make StrokeIt recognize the MSN Messenger program, this is done very simply. First make sure MSN Messenger is open, then, from StrokeIt, drag the crosshair on the right, under "Identify Window By" over to the MSN Messenger window, as shown below:
Note: Any where on the MSN window will do. Make sure the "File Name" radial button is checked on the StrokeIt window (highlighted in green on above picture)
Now lets add an action to it by right-clicking once again on the newly renamed "MSN Messenger" app, and clicking on "New Action".
Your window now should look like this:
If you would like, you can rename "New Action" to say "LOL" for readability. You rename this in the same manner you renamed "App" to "MSN Messenger".
Now it’s time to associate a gesture with what action we want StrokeIt to perform. Click on the down arrow right above "Remove Gesture" and you will see a list of pre-programmed gestures that come with StrokeIt. I chose to use "L" you can choose what ever you’d like, but this tutorial will continue as if you chose "L" also.
Click "Add Gesture" so that StrokeIt will perform an action when you make the "L" gesture.
Note: You may add multiple gestures to perform one action if you so choose.
Ok, now let’s add an action to this gesture. Go back over to the right and right-click on your newly added action, and select "New Command".
You’ll notice that the right side of StrokeIt has changed once again, this time to the command editor view.
From the down arrow menu near the top, select "Keys - Send Keystrokes"
And follow the model below:
The "[enter_down][enter_up]" command simulates an ‘enter’ key press. So after you make the "L" gesture, it will type "LOL" and then press ‘enter’ for you so that the message is send without a single keystroke by you. Isn’t that nice? Alternatively, you could just use [enter], since it's easier. Using [enter_down] and [enter_up] is perfect for situations where you need to hold a key down while pressing another key, for example: [alt_down][f4][alt_up] will press and hold Alt, press and release the F4 key, and the release Alt. Nifty, eh?
And that’s all there is to that, why don’t you try it out! Just for reference, the "L" is made as follows:
Hope this was helpful.
-Carl
[edit] Have each gesture tell you what it does in text, and make a sound, every time you perform it
When you perform a gesture, sometimes you cannot remember exactly what you had programmed it to do. That is why it is useful to have a gesture display what it does, by a text that is shown for a brief moment.
You may sometimes draw a gesture a bit carelessly, so that StrokeIt doesn't recognize it. You then wait for the command to happen, but nothing happens because you didn't draw it correctly. This is another reason why a sound and/or displayed text can help: if the sound doesn't ring, you know the gesture was not performed correctly.
[edit] Add displayed text
To have your command that does Copy display a text "Copy", do the following.
- Go to the Copy action.
- Right-click in it.
- Click "New Command".
- In the scroll menu to the right, select "On Screen Display".
- In the field "Text" type "Copy".
You can see what the text "Copy" looks like here. Note that there is no preview in StrokeIt: you can see the dark red "Copy" here only because the gesture is actually performed in this picture.
Optional:
- In the field "Time" type "300". That is 0.3 seconds, which is usually enough. Note that, while a text is displayed, if you click on the actual letters, your mouse click will do nothing; that is why you shouldn't have the text displayed any longer than necessary. If you click just next to a letter, your mouse click works as usual; it even works if you click in the opening within the circle of the letter O.
- In the field "Text Size", "96" is standard, which is a good size.
- In the position fields, you could pick Center and Center, because that gives you the least chance of missing it.
- You could pick special colours for important commands: if you make Copy red, while other actions have different colours, you can always see, even from the corner of an eye, that you have performed Copy.
- Copperplate Gothic Bold is a good font, because it is clear and not so ugly.
[edit] Add sounds
Adding sounds has basically the same function as text. It has the advantage that you will hear it even when you are not looking; it has the disadvantage that you might miss it if your music is too loud. You could program each action to have its own sound, different from those of other actions, so that you will know by its sound what action you have performed; the disadvantage is that you will probably be able to remember sounds only for actions that you perform quite often.
- Go to the Copy action.
- Right-click it.
- Click "New Command".
- To the right, in the scroll menu, select "Utilities - Play Sound".
- In the "path" field, browse to the folder where you can find the sound file you want. Some standard sounds can be found in C:\Windows\Media.
You could even record some sounds yourself: say "Copy" into a microphone and make it a very small sound file; add it to your action, and you will hear yourself say "Copy" every time you perform the gesture. Perhaps you can even find a page on the internet that has pre-recorded sounds.
[edit] Adding text and sounds efficiently
- Go to a random action.
- Create an On Screen Display command that displays the text "Gesture"; then at least you will know that you have performed [i]some[/i] gesture, which is better than nothing.
- Create a Play Sound command that plays a non-offensive sound, such as C:\Windows\Media\Windows Pop-up Blocked.wav
- Select both commands.
- Copy them.
- Paste them in all of your actions.
- Edit the text to be displayed into "Copy" or "Go to obscene website" for those actions where you want to know exactly what the gesture does when you perform it. Same for the sounds.
- Cerberus™