What is this?
This is a scene to merge-load into other scenes, so that when configured, it connects triggers in a scene UI to physical buttons in a macro keypad.
Personal interest is for immersion when playing in VR
My interest in macro keypads with VAM is to reduce breaking immersion while playing in VR. Looking for and aiming at a specific UI button or where my controller is, annoys me and breaks immersion, so I'm experimenting with these devices to diminish this problem.
Essentially, this is meant to be a physical representation to the scene main UI buttons.
Instructions and requirements:
You need:
- A macro keypad of some sort (see more about that)
- The VAR in this resource
Merge-loading the VAR scene into your intended scene:
- Load a scene in VAM
- Merge load the scene in this resource VAR into the current scene
- you should see new atoms added: Macro, Keybindings, MacroAudio
- you can move the new atoms as a group as the parent atom is "Macro"
- Load the preset in the VAR of this resource
Configuring the new atoms in the merged scene:
Keybindings:
Plugin "Simple keybinds" listens for the assigned shortcuts in the macro keypad buttons.
- Default keybindings set to Ctrl+Alt+Shift+1-9
- Change the above to suit your macro keypad shortcuts
Macro:
Plugin "VAMStory Director" is the connector between the keybindings and the scene triggers.
- Actions 1-9 are triggered by the corresponding keybindings plugin number
- In the scene, find a UI button that you want to trigger with a macro keypad button
- Copy that button's triggers and paste them in the intended action number of VAMStory Director
- Repeat for all the buttons you want to use and have available
MacroAudio:
An audiosource atom with a plugin SoundFromAB, for playing sounds triggered by the macro keybinds.
An optional feature to use audio feedback when pressing a macro keypad button.
Saving your changes and time
As this is done per scene and takes some time to setup, it's best to save it for scenes you are going to revisit more than once.
Save the scene or "empty" atom presets
The easiest option is to save the scene with your configured setup.
Alternatively, you could save a preset of the atoms to load them later with the suitable configuration in place.
Configuring your own scene to merge load
If you use different keybindings than the ones on my VAR, saving your own version of the scene will save time when loading it to new scenes.
Notes and questions:
Why merge-load a scene and not use a subscene?
A subscene changes the atom names and can create problems with plugins like VAMStory. I'd rather not go through all that pain.
Why separate to different "empty" atoms the Keybindings and VAMStory plugins?
By having them on different atoms, there's more flexibility about using presets for changing the configuration of one plugin without affecting also the other plugin.
For example, you may want to load multiple presets of the VAMStory director on a single scene to reuse your keypad buttons for new actions. Perhaps you changed your macro keypad shortcuts and want to reassign them quickly with a new preset. Having them on different atoms allows for this flexibility at the cost of more atoms in the scene, but I think it's worthwhile.
Do you want to discuss macro keypads use in VAM?
Hopefully this picks up and is not just a monologue
VaM 1.x - Macro keypads in VR VAM scenes
What is a macro keypad? Is something like this: What can a macro keypad do? You use it as a configurable set of buttons, assigning keyboard shortcuts or commands to be triggered when a button is pressed. e.g.: a button can act as a copy/paste shortcut instead of doing Ctrl+C/V, open a web...
hub.virtamate.com
Credits
The plugin makers of this resource: hazmhox, JaxZoa, MacGruber
