VaM 1.x Macro keypads in VR VAM scenes

[atani]

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 browser, and many more other things.

And in VAM?

In VAM, you can set keybindings for a global use with the session plugin Keybindings, and a scene use with the scene plugin Simple Keybind. Maybe other plugins exist, IDK.

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Using a macro keyboard when playing VAM in VR

This is the scenario that I would like to explore more about.
I only play VAM in VR, currently using a lot of passthrough and the ocasional bigger accessory. I'm often looking for immersion experience improvements, and one thing that breaks it, especially at some crucial moments, is having to grab my controller, find the UI, aim well to trigger the button even if it's at an awkward angle from my position, to finally trigger what I want. Uffff...

Speech recognition could be an option, but it's a chore to get it right, to configure to scenes, to work consistently, and I would feel a little silly doing this .

So I was thinking that for now, a macro keypad could be a decent compromise. It's reliable, it's small enough to put somewhere out of the way but within reach, and pressing a button barely "takes you out" of what's happening.
I'm currently exploring this option, will post more about it soon.


What about you? Do you use macro keyboards in VAM? What about other ways to trigger things in scenes without using the controller or have to hold it?

 

[atani]

I made this resource to include in scenes, mine and others, thinking already about how to make it modular and flexible.
Yesterday I tried it playing VAM in VR passthrough, and it's definitely something I intend to keep using and exploring.

Macro Keybindings scene trigger connector - Other -

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...

hub.virtamate.com

 

[atani]

My macro keypad is a DIY device following this project:

How to Build a Raspberry Pi Pico-Powered Stream Deck Keypad

Control OBS or run macros with your own custom USB keypad.

www.tomshardware.com

A pi pico, 6 buttons, a 3D printed case, some wiring and soldering, a usb cable, and that's it hardware-wise. The code provided in the page is very simple to change and works great on Windows and Linux.

I'm using a 5 meters long usb cable to connect my PC and macro keypad, so that I can use it on bed. Would be great to find a powered and wireless solution, but it's a lot more work and for now this is more than good enough.
While a macro keypad is a low bandwidth device, keep in mind that passive usb cables have recommended length limits to provide a reliable use.

Assigning keybinds to VAM scene triggers

So far I've set it the buttons on one scene to do the following actions:

• Play the "cum" animation
• Reset/play the scene (mocap scene)
• Calibrate Naturalis
• Load a random appearance preset using ky1001 preset loader plugin
• Play the next music of an audiobundle

These follow some of the scene's particularities and my often used operations in a scene.

There are some options I want to explore with my current pad, like:

• using a button to load a different collection of triggers (preset of Macro atom)
  • this extends my 6 buttons to unlimited associations
  • a sequence choice logicbrick seems to be a good option to handle multiple preset loading with one button
• using the included audiosource as audio feedback for:
  • when the button is pressed
  • audio description of what that button does (pre-recorded sounds in an audiobundle)