AutoHotkey Community

[Micahs]

This is an onscreen keyboard that does not steal focus from the active application.

Function key labels using Wingdings, Webdings, Etc. It can look like a conventional keyboard.


Right-click ThumbLauncher activation.


Can dock to the titlebar of the active window. Hover over the placeholder to activate.
Standard placeholder center justified.


Image placeholder right justified.


Also can be positioned anywhere. Just click on the "titlebar" area and drag where you want it.


Hotstrings: User-added abbreviations to expand into words or phrases.
Faststrings: User-added words or phrases to speed typing. Just click to send.
Edit the 'kb_fastStrings.txt' and 'kb_hotStrings.txt' files in the resource folder to add your own.

Hotstrings and Faststrings in action

Can show hardware keypress.


-Download Source-
-Download Binary-

Changes:
03-11-08

• Extended placeholder capabilities. Can now specify location on titlebar - Left, Center, or Right. Can choose a picture for placholder instead of just an oval.
  
• Improved thumblauncher right-click functionality. No longer prevents right mouse dragging or other features.
  
• Organized and commented kb.ini for better readability.
  

03-03-08

• updated xml layouts to new specs.
  

02-23-08

• Fixed the no zero problem.
  
• Fixed Sympad. It is now an xml layout.
  
• Multiple gui support - Have any number of keyboards open at once.
  
• HotStrings - kb_hotstrings.txt is located in the resource folder. Supports no backspace and no end char options.
  
• FastStrings - kb_faststrings.txt located in resource folder. User added commonly used phrases to speed up typing.
  
• Different fonts for each row/key.
  
• New launching method. Right-click for 500ms and a thumbnail of the keyboard appears. Click on it and the keyboard opens. If you move the mouse off of the thumb without clicking, it disappears. This method is now the default.
  

10-08-07

• really fixed "slow shift" this time
  
• added transparent background option
  
• added "blob" feature - irregularly shaped keyboard
  
• supports multiple modifiers - EG: Shift-Ctrl-F5 or Shift-Alt-Tab, Etc
  
• per request, added sound play on click option
  

09-07-07

• fixed "mystery highlighting" and "slow shift" problems
  
• full layer implementation
  

Features:

• Minimize and dock to titlebar - When the mouse hovers over the placeholder hotspot in the center of the active window, the kb activates after a delay (adjustable). When the mouse leaves the kb, it fades. After 5 seconds (adjustable), the kb minimizes again. When active, this disables the previous feature - bump.
  
• ThumbLauncher - Right or Middle click for >500ms and a thumbnail of the main keyboard appears. Click on it to activate the keyboard. Move the mouse off of it to dismiss it.
  
• right-click and drag to un-dock and position anywhere
  
• click the "dock" button to re-dock
  
• displays keys typed on the hardware keyboard(optional)
  
• multiple keyboard selection from tray menu - various layouts included
  
• does not steal focus from active app
  
• full language localization - except languages requiring unicode characters
  
• full keyboard layout customization
  
• keyboard layout and language is read from an xml file
  
• move it anywhere, just right-click and drag
  
• groovy rounded corners : )
  
• transparent when the mouse is not over it, becomes solid on mouse-over - optional
  
• typomatic rate, adjustable repeat - optional
  
• Sticky Shift,Ctrl,Alt,Win keys - click once to sticky, twice to unsticky, and three times to send the key to the active window.
  
• Is it in the way? Just bump it out if the way! Quickly move the mouse over and back off the kb within the bump range - 35 px(adjustable), and it will jump out of the way. The kb will jump 100px(adjustable) in the direction of the inward vector of the mouse. To get a feel for the bump range, there are bump trails(optional) - the last 5 coords recorded before the hit, briefly displayed to show the inward vector.
  If this doesn't make any sense, just play with it!
  

TODO:

• improve faststring scrollbar and arrow key handling
  
• keyboard editor/designer
  
• resizable keyboards
  
• unicode support
  

For the sordid tale of its origin, see this thread: http://www.autohotkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=92566
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[HuBa]

OH MY GOD! This is beautiful!

Brilliant work! You are a real developer
Storing key-map in xml file is a very good idea. It can now be extended with other languages.

I used to play with the older On-screen keyboard, but that cannot be converted easily to hungarian.

Your solution is superior!

Maybe it could be improved by disabling transparency while dragging to speed up drag.
And how about some Show keyboard/Hide keyboard menu items in tray menu?

[Micahs]

[majkinetor]

/applaud

[Micahs]

Not crazy. Insane.
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[Micahs]

I added a large english keyboard (for those with high-res monitors) and changed the docking behaviour. When you drag the keyboard it automatically un-docks and stays where you leave it. To re-dock, click the "dock" button. I also sped up the keyboard creation routine.
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[islisis]

can't thank you enough for this script... the tablet xp keyboard sucks so much it's insane (just not perfectly insane like you would prefer)

[Rhys]

This is a fantastic script... I do have a couple of ideas that might make it easier to use:

Add a 'Num' button like the 'Sym' button so the num pad can be easily launched?
Add the * and / characters to the num pad?
It doesn't seem like I can do multiple modifier presses (CTRL+SHIFT+Z) that might be needed for some apps.

I'm really impressed by this script... Keep up the great work!
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[Join IRC!]

[ManaUser]

So... what's the differnece between the dock and hide buttons? They seem to do the same thing.

[Micahs]

[RedX]

Hi!

I just discovered this really neat script and was wondering if you are planning to introduce support for international kb. I was thinking about the german keyboard since it has one feature that american keyboards do not have and that is the AltGr key that is somewhat a combination of Alt + Ctrl.

I'd really appreciate if this was possible since it would make implementation of the NEO-KB layout for german users very easy.

Are you also planning the introduction of more then 2 display layers for the keys? That keyboard layout has 6 but the most important are only the first 4 ones.

The best would be to have something like:

[Micahs]

I don't see that this will be a huge problem. I envision layer 0 being "normal" keyboard functions: unshifted and shifted in the primary language. Layers 1-? being international stuff, toggling through the layers with a "Func" or "Fn" key or something. I'll look into this too.
Thanks for the suggestion. Keep 'em coming!
(If this isn't quite what you had in mind, give a holler.)
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[tarc]

Thanks for a very useful utility. Much better than window's tablet pc onscreen keyboard.

-Tarc

[StanK]

I love this!

Thank you.

[Micahs]

Howdy!
I have the layers capability added, just working out some nagging issues. (Although if I were Microsoft I would release it anyway and call them "Features".)
More updates coming!
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