Is it a bug or a feature?

[Crrispy]

Sorry to somehow flood the forum and bug reports, but I'm currently spending all my spare time on freestyler 'cause next party is on saturday (one of best friend's marriage) and I'm getting a bit nervous

Question:
Keyboard shortcuts don't work if the FS window does not have the focus. This is very annoying if using FS together with a DJing program on the same machine (I don't need kb shortcuts for Virtual DJ so I disabled them). Maybe this is a Windows limitation and only CTRL-.. or Alt-.. can be detected if the program window doesn't have the focus? Then it would be fine to allow this kind of shortcut keys,currently I can't choose CTRL-somekey or Alt-somekey.

Once I have programmed everything in the way I like in FS (long is the road.. lol!), I'd just want to use keyboard shortcuts during live use, with VDJ in the foreground (takes up all the space on my 1024x768 laptop..).

Which brings another question: seems that kb shortcuts can't be assigned to cues? Tooo bad since this seems the good way to call back multi-step scenes, pile them etc..
EDIT: just found that "cue" = "sequence" in the keyboard shortcuts menu. Works fine, but naming is a bit confusing

[Mattotone]

Correct The program most have the keyboard focus for the shortcuts to work.
There is no work around that i know of and believe that is the way windows in designed to run to stop other programs with the same shortcut keys operating when out of focus.

You could invest into MIDI, that works without focus its the way iv gone it so much easier to use.

[Crrispy]

Hmmmm thanks. I could use an old rythm box I have with midi maybe to use its pads Or I think I'd better hunt for an old laptop which would then be dedicated to freestyler.. AND backup of the main one for the sound part.. not a bad idea. But as usual , still more $$$

[Mattotone]

any midi interface will do, most night clubs use simple midi keyboards to trigger scenes and they work well.
I use the behringer BCF2000 its cheap and cheerful but it works,

Using a drum machine would be a great idea, how cool would it look to be playing the drums and the lights are following your control.

[djSupport]

yes that fovus thing is exactly what mattotone said its an MS thing and quite a sensible option too..

[mcmcomput]

There is a way to map buttons, as I use a program called TeamSpeak which sits in the tray area during full screen games (counterstrike or World of War Craft) and overrides keyboard keys.

[Crrispy]

Can you be a little more precise? You mean it can take key presses "outside" a program, and send them "as is" to a particular, chosen, program window?

[Mattotone]

Team speak is a program for voice communication etc, used normally by gamers. It does have shortcut keys and can be used without having focus.
But that will require a custom api and some clever coding.
for the vb coders out there. (Freestyler is VB too.) Check this api out.
http://allapi.mentalis.org/apilist/RegisterHotKey.shtml

It is a good design choise on M$ part, could you imagine if you pressed ctrl P with many apps open.

matt