# Is it possible to stop a program from accepting certain input?



## Pedeadstrian (Feb 23, 2014)

So, here's my problem. I like to read visual novels while bundled up in my blanket. Using a mouse and keyboard makes that difficult, so I use my PS2 controller. However, whenever I play visual novels, some controls are already assigned to the controller, so while I'd want JoyToKey to make the X button act as a mouse click, it ends up doing both the mouse click and whatever the game already assigned that button to. 

I know I can just use another button, but you're asking me to use Triangle as "Accept/OK" and that is NOT acceptable OR OK. It was bad enough when Final Fantasy 8 made me use Circle as Accept/OK, but this is crossing the line.

*ahem* So, is there a way to block a device's input on a program-level only, and not end up blocking it completely?


----------



## Foxi4 (Feb 23, 2014)

I'm an XPadder user and I've never encountered the _"double input"_ problem, to be honest. Actually, there seems to be something wrong with the game, not your setup. I mean, it should either read keystrokes or the game pad, but not both at the same time. 

Are you sure that you can't change in-game key bindings?

As for blocking input, I know AutoHotkey allows blocking keyboard and mouse input, but I don't think I've seen one of those for controller input. Moreover, if you block controller input altogether, JoyToKey won't read it either... so you sort of need it blocked for just he one application... a bit of a pickle right there.


----------



## Pedeadstrian (Feb 23, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> I'm an XPadder user and I've never encountered the _"double input"_ problem, to be honest. Actually, there seems to be something wrong with the game, not your setup. I mean, it should either read keystrokes or the game pad, but not both at the same time.
> 
> Are you sure that you can't change in-game key bindings?
> 
> As for blocking input, I know AutoHotkey allows blocking keyboard and mouse input, but I don't think I've seen one of those for controller input. Moreover, if you block controller input altogether, JoyToKey won't read it either... so you sort of need it blocked for just he one application... a bit of a pickle right there.


I've had it occur with most (if not all) visual novels I've read/played on the computer. I always make the X button LMB or Space, and in Japan, the X button is usually for menu or back, which is the exact opposite of what I want it to do. As for changing the hotkeys, there's rarely an option to do that in these types of programs. So yeah. A pickle indeed. Using Triangle to advance text is just... barbaric.


----------



## _v3 (Feb 23, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> I'm an XPadder user and I've never encountered the _"double input"_ problem, to be honest. Actually, there seems to be something wrong with the game, not your setup. I mean, it should either read keystrokes or the game pad, but not both at the same time.
> 
> Are you sure that you can't change in-game key bindings?
> 
> As for blocking input, I know AutoHotkey allows blocking keyboard and mouse input, but I don't think I've seen one of those for controller input. Moreover, if you block controller input altogether, JoyToKey won't read it either... so you sort of need it blocked for just he one application... a bit of a pickle right there.



What he was trying to say is that the game already has predefined non-changeable gamepad controlls and since the controller has already been mapped (by the game) to do certain functions, binding controller functions to Xpadder/JoyToKey would result in a "double-action".

@ OP some games don't give an option not to use the controller while it's plugged in (which is, frankly, very stupid). I don't know if there is a solution to this problem. Sorry I couldn't help much.


----------



## Foxi4 (Feb 23, 2014)

_v3 said:


> What he was trying to say is that the game already has predefined non-changeable gamepad controlls and since the controller has already been mapped (by the game) to do certain functions, binding controller functions to Xpadder/JoyToKey would result in a "double-action".
> 
> @ OP some games don't give an option not to use the controller while it's plugged in (which is, frankly, very stupid). I don't know if there is a solution to this problem. Sorry I couldn't help much.


I know what he meant, I'm just thinking if I know an app that sandboxes other programs in a way that could filter that problem out.  All that's coming to my head are convoluted VM setups or digging in the game config files right now, but I'm sure there's _"something"_ out there that could solve his problem.


----------



## Ericthegreat (Feb 23, 2014)

Pedeadstrian said:


> I've had it occur with most (if not all) visual novels I've read/played on the computer. I always make the X button LMB or Space, and in Japan, the X button is usually for menu or back, which is the exact opposite of what I want it to do. As for changing the hotkeys, there's rarely an option to do that in these types of programs. So yeah. A pickle indeed. Using Triangle to advance text is just... barbaric.


I cannot stand the O as yes/enter either lol. This is a tough one, but perhaps there is a control config file you could manually edit? (there a chance its encrypted tho and would be more work then worth it, especially if you had to repackage it.)


----------



## Pedeadstrian (Feb 23, 2014)

Ericthegreat said:


> I cannot stand the O as yes/enter either lol. This is a tough one, but perhaps there is a control config file you could manually edit? (there a chance its encrypted tho and would be more work then worth it, especially if you had to repackage it.)


There is no simple .ini. I'd have to mess around with the files, unpack them, repack them, etc., assuming I can even find a tool to do so. I guess I'll have to stick to /\ for now.


----------



## YayMii (Feb 23, 2014)

You could try plugging in your controller after the game starts. I found that some games only tend to detect controllers at startup while Xpadder can detect them upon plugin, so having the controller unplugged at startup would prevent the game from seeing the controller. That's how I got my Rock Band guitar to work with GH3 PC despite the game not properly supporting it.
I'm not sure if JoyToKey works the same way, but it should be easy enough to find the old freeware version of Xpadder (or the latest non-freeware version ) somewhere online.


----------



## Pedeadstrian (Feb 24, 2014)

YayMii said:


> You could try plugging in your controller after the game starts. I found that some games only tend to detect controllers at startup while Xpadder can detect them upon plugin, so having the controller unplugged at startup would prevent the game from seeing the controller. That's how I got my Rock Band guitar to work with GH3 PC despite the game not properly supporting it.
> I'm not sure if JoyToKey works the same way, but it should be easy enough to find the old freeware version of Xpadder (or the latest non-freeware version ) somewhere online.


Oh god, I completely forgot about that. I have to restart PCSX2 all the time because I plug in my controller after I started the game. It worked. You're awesome. You saved me from the lunacy that is using /\ as accept/enter/ok.


----------

