The Incomplete and Unofficial Guide to /bind (1.1)

Oh, *man*... that *is* really cool.

Not sure if you've seen this but, actually, it IS possible to activate multiple powers with a single key-press (not a single bind). It works using the '+' prefix, the details of which I learned from a wize old bindster that shall remain nameless

The way it works is you create two bind files such as:

bind1.txt
b "+down$$-down$$powexec_name build up$$bind_load_file bind2.txt"

bind2.txt
"+down$$-down$$powexec_name aim$$bind_load_file bind1.txt"

With the '+' functionality, I reasoned that what it actually does is execute the key functionality on both the press and release. By loading a second bind on the press, you can execute that bind on the release, and then re-load the first bind. It's really just a toggle bind that toggle's mid-keystroke. By using the auto power command, you can get that up to three powers in a single press. This concept is actually the key to the speed-on-demand binds that Grotus and others have put up on that thread. By the same token, you could also string multiple sets together, and execute 4 powers in 2 presses, etc.

Oh, and using '+down$$-down' gives you the functionality without actually making the character move.

Let me know if you have any questions.

By the way, what bood are you writing?

Volt

Volt - are the new toggleon/toggleoff binds "live" now or after issue 3?

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Volt - are the new toggleon/toggleoff binds "live" now or after issue 3?

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powexec_toggleon and powexec_toggleoff are both in Update 3 and both commands currently work on the test server. Sorry if I gave the impression they were on live.

No problem - I thought it was part of Issue 3, but after the posts, I thought maybe they added it in somewhere without me noticing.

Thanks for the quick response.

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Oh, and using '+down$$-down' gives you the functionality without actually making the character move.

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Unless, of course, you're hovering, flying, or just teleported.
Hopefully, that wouldn't matter, though.

Hey Panther, actually, no, it doesn't matter. Having the '-down' counteracts the '+down', so no movement occurs.

Volt, erm, the Blue one, that is...

Hi folks!

Looking for some guidance here.

I want to bind Target Nearest Enemy and Hasten to Numpad1

Could someone suggest the correct syntax because I've tried it myself and can't get it to work?

Many thanks for help

Cheers!

Here you go:

/bind Numpad1 "powexec_name Hasten$$target_enemy_near"

My turn, my turn!

This idea was kicked around long ago, but either it never worked or I just could never get it to work.

Could one load a bind file named "heroname.txt" or "heroname" (still a text file but without the extension) with the $name command? (or is $$name? I forget)

Examples that don't work:
/bind x "c:\$name"
/bind x "c:\$name.txt"

The idea is that pressing X, depending on the hero you are on ($name), would automatically load that hero's bind file.

I've already forgotten about most of you

Voodoo,
I don't know that anyone actually got this to work. I think that there are issues with the length of the hero name, the presence of spaces, etc.

However, I remember this conversation ending with, "why whould you want to?" When you load a set of binds for a character, those binds are saved on the server with the character. So, there is no need to re-load binds when changing the character you are playing.

Now, is there a use for this that you have in mind that I am missing?

Volt

It's not a problem of character length or spacing that I can tell.

It's not so much as a changing of binds for character, but I add/edit the actual text files that I have saved on my computer by hand. I then load the bind file named after the hero once I log on (by /bind_load_file), or while still playing that character.

It would save me a few keystrokes if the above bind would work, once already stored, allowing me to append the changes I made to what is already stored on the server.

I've already forgotten about most of you

The "what's the point" argument come in play because you could just as easily bind x to "bind_load_file C:\VoodooCompany.txt" as to "bind_load_file C:\$name.txt". Either way, it's a one time per character bind.

Because if you have multiple characters, and you want to keep each character as a different text file for modifying, you need to bind each of those to a different key. If you could use $name for a bind, you could just use one key instead. I have 20 different alts, each with their own file, plus a generic file that has the common binds they all use.

I have the following line in my basickeybinds.txt file.

shift+l "show chat$$beginchat /bind_load_file c:\kb\keybinds.txt"

I hit shift+l, backspace in front of keybinds.txt and type basic or amaranth or cf or whatever bindfile name I want to load.

Hwy JusticeBlues, you could just as easily bind any single key to (for example):

u "bind_load_file c:/bind/name1.txt"

So, you bind the 'u' key to load the bind file for the given character. YOu do that once for each character, and you don't need to change it ever again. You don't need to bind a different key for each character. It can be the same key.

Volt

Using the same idea as the location power bind or the "TP bind", I'd like to shift-click on a player and target/execute a power on that player.

I can get it to work for shift-clicking on character models using the toggle-file method like so:

<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
in file heal_other_1.txt:
SHIFT+LBUTTON "+down$$-down$$powexec_unqueue$$unselect$$bind_load_file c:\heal_other_2.txt"

in file heal_other_2.txt:
SHIFT+LBUTTON "+down$$-down$$powexec_name Heal Other$$bind_load_file c:\heal_other_1.txt"
</pre><hr />

Unfortunately, it does not work when I click on a character name in the team screen. The target changes correctly, but no power is activated. Any ideas how to make it work for the team screen?

TIA!

I worked out another neat thing to do with binds.

So, let's say your an invuln with both hasten and dull pain. Let's say you hate the limitation of haveing only one of them being autoexecuted. You want both on in combat without having to think about firing either of them off.

Fear not! a pair of bind files can accomplish this. Behold, the contents of AshDullPain.txt and AshHasten.txt.

AshDullPain.txt
1 "powexec_name Smite$$powexec_auto Dull Pain$$bind_load_file C:\Coh\AshHasten.txt"
2 "powexec_name Shadow Punch$$powexec_auto Dull Pain$$bind_load_file C:\Coh\AshHasten.txt"
3 "powexec_name Shadow Maul$$powexec_auto Dull Pain$$bind_load_file C:\Coh\AshHasten.txt"
4 "powexec_name Boxing$$powexec_auto Dull Pain$$bind_load_file C:\Coh\AshHasten.txt"

AshHasten.txt
1 "powexec_name Smite$$powexec_auto Hasten$$bind_load_file C:\Coh\AshDullPain.txt"
2 "powexec_name Shadow Punch$$powexec_auto Hasten$$bind_load_file C:\Coh\AshDullPain.txt"
3 "powexec_name Shadow Maul$$powexec_auto Hasten$$bind_load_file C:\Coh\AshDullPain.txt"
4 "powexec_name Boxing$$powexec_auto Hasten$$bind_load_file C:\Coh\AshDullPain.txt"

What do these binds do? Well, whenever I use one of my 4 major attack powers, it sets up either Hasten or DP to be autocast after it finishes that attack power. The one set up on autoexec changes every time I fire off an attack power, so I never have to worry in the heat of combat about firing either of these off. So once I break my habit of pounding the attack keys, this will be an entirely hassle-free way to have both of my powers autoexecute.

These can be modified to use any attack power, either by name or by tray slot (using powexec_tray (slot #) (tray #).

You can also use multiple bind files to do even more if you're, say, an SR scrapper with PB, Hasten, and Elude. It works with any character that attacks regularly and has multiple click powers that are desired to be fired as soon as they're ready.

ok I am an admitted dummy. Im just not getting this.
I dont have a bind folder, just a keybind text file. I created 5 bind texts and the game says I have 4 arguments and need only one. I dont want to drive my teammates nuts, but it seems they enjoy my quips, and when the chips are down, it seems to help the moral.
Anyway my binds look like this:

numbpad3 "Local Stand still so I can HIT YOU!!$$powexec_name Build UP$$bind_load_file D:\Program Files\City of Heroes\build2.txt"

The guys screams, does build up, then starts swinging. However the game doesnt like it, and then he won't go to the next file.

Now, am I supposed to create the bind in the keybind text file or make it up seperately? Currently they are seperate files, but the game seems to find them...

Help?
thanks

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ok I am an admitted dummy. Im just not getting this.
I dont have a bind folder, just a keybind text file. I created 5 bind texts and the game says I have 4 arguments and need only one. I dont want to drive my teammates nuts, but it seems they enjoy my quips, and when the chips are down, it seems to help the moral.
Anyway my binds look like this:

numbpad3 "Local Stand still so I can HIT YOU!!$$powexec_name Build UP$$bind_load_file D:\Program Files\City of Heroes\build2.txt"

The guys screams, does build up, then starts swinging. However the game doesnt like it, and then he won't go to the next file.

Now, am I supposed to create the bind in the keybind text file or make it up seperately? Currently they are seperate files, but the game seems to find them...

Help?
thanks

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi - the bind files don't like spaces in the directories - Most everyone (myself included) have created a separate bind folder on the hard drive. Mine is c:\cohbinds (notice no spaces or long names).

If you change your directory, your binds should work properly.

Someone asked me this and I was stumped. They wanted to combine the defaults for LBUTTON and RBUTTON, so you could mouse_view with the LBUTTON, and click on "clickable" stuff/NPCs, etc. Can you rebind the LBUTTON to do this?

Apparently, there is no default command bound to LBUTTON. Its "select" function seems to be intrinsic to the game.

yeah -- you can't actually bind anything to LBUTTON that will override it's select functionality. You can, however bind commands that don't interfere with it.

For example, my rbutton bind looks like this:

/bind rbutton "++mouse_look$$forward"

This allows me to go into "movement mode," so that I can use the right mouse button and mouse movement to steer my characters.

(Note that it's been a while since I've actually *looked* at the bind, so I may have parsed it wrong)

In order to free the mouse cursor for when I need to actually click on things, I also use this bind:

/bind lbutton "-mouse_look"

Whenever I click the left mouse button it sends the -mouse_look command, which will release the mouse from mouse look mode if it's in it but will not affect the game any other way. Since this doesn't actually impair the select function, the bind works.

Early in beta when I started looking into this I found that if I tried to bind certain commands to the select button, the results would be inconsistent and annoying. I can't really remember what they are at the moment.

Question:Can I make a macro run into its self and activate the action a second time?Like can I got /macro ACC,"powexec_auto Gloom$$powexec_name ACC"?(Actually a shorter version of what I got going but It does the action and I have ato click it again to make it work)

You can't create a macro that automates anything. So I doubt that would work.

See that! Such a simple thing! I will give that a shot.
I don't want to bore my friends with the same quips over and over, so I really wanted to rotate them.
But!
I can just stick it on the drive and the client will find it eh?
Thanks a million!