Creating a Secondary Keyboard with LuaMacros

The process of creating a secondary keyboard using LuaMacros is quite straightforward and requires minimal technical expertise. The first step involves running LuaMacros, which is a powerful tool for capturing and manipulating keyboard input. Once the application is open, you need to navigate to the "quickstart.lua" file and click on the play button. This will prompt you to identify the device that you want to use as your secondary keyboard.

To do this, simply press any key on the second keyboard you want to use. LuaMacros will recognize it as such and begin capturing its keystrokes. You can then continue using the application to write your own code or download pre-made scripts from the community. One popular script that is often used is a simple one that writes a string to a file on disk and then presses the F24 key.

To get started with LuaMacros, you will need to create an icon for your secondary keyboard. This can be done by creating images of the keys and attaching them to the existing keys on your keyboard. However, it's worth noting that this process may not work seamlessly with all keyboards, especially those with non-standard layouts.

For example, if you use a Logitech K120 keyboard like the author did in his tutorial, you will need to be careful when designing your keycap images to maintain the underlined QWERTY layout. However, even with some limitations, this process can still yield excellent results and provide a convenient way to create custom keyboards.

When using the secondary keyboard, it's worth noting that there may be a slight delay in response due to the nature of the system. This means that you will need to look away from your primary keyboard for a brief moment before returning to it. To minimize this issue, it's often best to use the secondary keyboard for tasks that don't require frequent attention.

LuaMacros itself is still a work in progress and can be prone to bugs at times. However, its open-source nature means that the community is always eager to help improve the application. If you're interested in contributing to LuaMacros or have suggestions for how it could be improved, there are resources available online to get started.

Personal Experience with Secondary Keyboards

The author of the tutorial has had a positive experience with creating and using secondary keyboards. He notes that while it may take some time to adjust to the new layout and key mapping, the benefits of having a custom keyboard can far outweigh any initial difficulties.

One approach that the author used was to create images of his keys and attach them to the existing keys on his primary keyboard. This allowed him to maintain the standard QWERTY layout while still creating a unique and personalized experience.

However, even with some creativity and experimentation, there are limitations to what can be achieved with secondary keyboards. For example, if you use a particular key frequently, it may not respond as expected due to the way LuaMacros handles modifier keys or double-tapping actions.

The Smartped, FlyKly, and other devices mentioned in the video description offer an interesting alternative approach to creating custom keyboards. However, these products have their own set of issues and limitations, and the author notes that they are not without their drawbacks.

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating a secondary keyboard with LuaMacros is a fun and rewarding process that can provide a unique and personalized experience for keyboard enthusiasts. While there may be some limitations to what can be achieved, the community surrounding LuaMacros is always eager to help improve the application and provide resources for those looking to get started.

By following the steps outlined in this tutorial and experimenting with different approaches, you can create your own custom secondary keyboard that meets your needs and preferences. Whether you're a seasoned programmer or just starting out, LuaMacros offers a powerful toolset that can help you unlock new possibilities and push the boundaries of what is possible with keyboards.

Supporting TunnelBear

As mentioned in the video description, the author recommends using TunnelBear for its ease of use and robust features. This VPN service allows users to browse the internet and access online services as if they were located in a different country. With 500MB of free data available and unlimited plans starting at a discounted rate, TunnelBear is an excellent option for those looking to stay safe and anonymous online.

TunnelBear's Chrome extension is particularly useful for quickly switching between countries and accessing different online resources. The service also offers robust encryption with AES 256-bit protection, ensuring that user data remains secure even when accessed from outside their usual region.

By using TunnelBear, users can enjoy the freedom to access content and services from around the world without worrying about geographical restrictions or IP address tracking. With a range of plans available to suit different needs and budgets, there's never been a better time to try out this excellent VPN service.

Supporting Linus Tech Tips

The author also recommends checking out the discussion thread for Linus Tech Tips, where he shares his thoughts on LuaMacros and its potential applications. This community-driven forum is always active and engaging, with users sharing their experiences, asking questions, and offering suggestions for how to improve LuaMacros.

By joining the conversation and participating in the community, you can help shape the future of LuaMacros and contribute to its continued development. Whether you're a seasoned programmer or just starting out, there's always something new to learn and discover on this forum.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enWhy on Earth would anyone WANT a second keyboard?Linus asked me when i tried to show him this project i've been working on for quite a whileWell, let me tell youIt's not for everyone, but if you are a productivity freak, like meThe concept might really appeal to youBasically, this ENTIRE keyboard has been converted into a set of 87, fully programmable, macro keysIntel brings DDR4 to the mainstreamWith their new Core i7-6700K and Core i5-6600K processorsCheck out the link in the video description to learn moreSo, to give you some background on why I NEED a second keyboard...I'm the video editor for most of the videos that go up on this channelThat's a LOT of videos...And the more quickly and efficiently i can edit them, the betterNow, Fast and Efficient video editing relies heavily upon keyboard shortcutsSo much so that inside Premiere, i assigned functions to all the numbers...Letters and symbols...All the function keys...The entire numpad...AND...Most of the reasonable combinations of Ctrl, Shift, and AltThat's a LOT of shortcuts, and yes, I do use all of those on a daily basisIt's easy to remember single key shortcuts...But the more keys you need to press in a row...The more difficult it is to not only remember the key combinations...But also to physically press those keysThat's what macro keys are good forIf you don't know, a macro key will basically launch a pre-programmed series of keystrokes and/or mouse clicks...Which you would otherwise have to press manually everytimeFor example, let's say i'm editing a video in Premiere and i want to reverse a clip on the timelineTo do this, i could...Click on the clip...Mouse over to the Clip menu...Select Speed/Duration...Mouse over to the panel that appears...Click Reverse...And then mouse over to Enter and click on thatThis takes, a few seconds to doAlternatively... i could just press one single macro button which automatically executes the keystrokes...Ctrl + R + Tab + Tab + Space + Enter...Which accomplishes exactly the same thing, but in a fraction of a secondThat's the power and usefulness of a keyboard macroGamers will use macros in games like WoW, DOTA, Starcraft, LoL, and so on...But, pretty much any game can be made easier with macrosAnd keyboard macros are also really useful for certain jobsLike video editing, animation, graphic design, programming, music creation...And...I don't know... accounting... maybe...I don't really know what accountants do all day...But pretty much anything that involves heavy computer use and repetitive tasksUsually, macros are just a series of blind keystrokes and mouse clicksBut, you CAN make even more powerful macros using AutoHotkeyAutoHotkey is a free, brilliant little program that you can use to completely automate repetitive tasks...Remap keys, intelligently simulate clicks...And keystrokes, and do a lot more stuff that i don't even understandI use AutoHotkey to program a TON of useful features for Premiere Pro that don't even exist in the app itself...Like, recalling saved transitions, and applying effects directly onto selected clipsBut my problem now is that i use so many macros and so many keyboard shortcuts...That i have now physically run out of keys on the keyboardAnd what can you do then..?Well...We have a few of these cool little... TechKeys keyboards lying around the officeSo i experimented with thoseWe also have a Razer OrbwaeverWhich is actually pretty awesome, and it's been designed for this exact purposeAll of it's keys can be remapped to any key, or key combinations you desireNow, since you're still restricted to standard keyboard keys...What i like to do is program the keys on these extra keyboards to execute very obscure key combinationsLike Ctrl + Alt + F1...And then i program AutoHotkey to listen to these key combinations...And then execute whatever function i desireThe trouble is, if you do too much of this, it's tough to remember what combinations you've already used...And what combinations all your various different applications might already be usingBut you know what...The TechKeys keyboards, and the Orbweaver...Still don't have enough keys for all the extra functions that i wantAND... these keyboards are surprisingly expensiveAnd that's when it hit meWhy can't i just hook up a second keyboard to my computer?Well, it turns out that Windows will treat every keyboard that you plug in as one keyboardYou can plug in all the keyboards you like...But your computer can NOT tell the difference between themBummer...Fortunately, one of my Twitter followers linked me to this video by Tom Scott who successfully got 14 keyboards...to work as their own separate inputsHe used a program called LuaMacros, which was actually developed for flight simulator enthusiasts...Who want to have a lot of switches and buttons for their virtual cockpitsGreat! so it is possibleNow all i needed to do was figure out how to code in Lua...And find a way to get LuaMacros to communicate with AutoHotkey...Which is where all of my functions already areTom Scott had done this, but he didn't provide any of the necessary details...Like... you know... sample code: Then, it presses the F24 keySo, after quite a bit of frustration, i finally figured out how to do itMy second keyboard now WORKS as it's own unique inputAnd every single one of these keys acts as a macro button which will launch it's own unique AHK scriptSo here's how you do it:First : Download LuaMacros and AutoHotkeyPlug in both of the keyboards you want to useRun LuaMacros, and open up quickstart.luaThen, click on the play buttonyou'll get a prompt asking you to identify device MACROS...Which will become the name of the second keyboardAll you need to do is press any key on that second keyboardLuaMacros will now recognize it as such, and those keystrokes will now be intercepted...By LuaMacros, and therefore blocked from normal typingOnce you get that working, you can write your own code, or download and use My Lua code...Which basically just writes a small string to a file on disk, and then presses the F24 keyDownload my AHK script, or write your own, and double click on it to get it runningAn icon for that script will now appear on the TaskBarNow, anytime the F24 key is virtually pressed by LuaMacros, This AHK script will read the string in that file...And execute the correct associated functionTA-DA!I knew it would be difficult to remember which key did what...So i created a bunch of key cap images in Photoshop, printed them, cut them out...And taped them onto the existing keysIf you do this, keep in mind that your keycaps will not necessarily be compatible with every slot on the keyboard...So you may have to be careful to maintain the underlined QWERTY layoutAlthough for me i think it was just the F and J keys...The keyboard that i used for this project was the Logitech K120And it's nothing special at all...Any cheap or old keyboard will work perfectlyWhen using the second keyboard, it does take about two seconds to look down...find the key you want, move your hand over to that key, press it, and then move your hand back to the primary keyboardSo it's best to use the secondary keyboard for secondary functions that you don't need all that oftenIf You want to try building and programming a second keyboard..I WILL be providing all the necessary code in the video descriptionYou're welcome :)And before you say it, I know... that my code is sloppy and sub-optimal, i know...But guess what, it still worksSo if any of you real programmers out there who want to complain about my messy code...I sure would appreciate it if you can provide a functional sample of some code that will work even betterA great place to do this will be in the Linus Tech Tips discussion thread that is associated with this videoAlso linked belowThere's still a lot top figure out, like using modifier keys and double tapping to launch a different functionIn fact, LuaMacros itself is just a side project of a single man with very little free timeIt's not even out of Beta, and it still got a lot of bugsThe good news is the software is open source so if You can help to make LuaMacros better...I really suggest that you doI think it would be great if we can use the power of our community to improve useful niche software...Like LuaMacrosPersonally, i'm very satisfied with my secondary keyboard...And i'm really looking to seeing what you guys come up withTunnelBear is the easy to use VPN app for mobile and desktopIt allows you to tunnel through 16 different countries, and browse the internet and use online services...as if you're in one of those other countriesThey have apps for iOS, Android, PC, and Mac...And they also have a Chrome extensionWhen you pick a country and pick TunnelBear on, two things will happen...Your connection gets encrypted with AES 256-bit encryption, the strongest available...And, your public IP address gets switched, so you can show up, as if you're in, a different countryWith TunnelBear, there's no need to mess around with port configurations, DNS, or router settings, or all that nonsense...It just handles all of that, by itself, you don't have to worry about itThey also give you 500MB of data for free so you can try it out, no credit card requiredAnd if you want to upgrade to unlimited data, you can save 10% by going to TunnelBear.com/LTTThanks for watching, guys!Give the video a like or a dislike, get subscribed, join the forum and talk about LuaMacros or whatever...Uhh, you can support us by changing your Amazon bookmarks to one with our affiliate code..so we can get a small kickback whenever you buy.. something...And you should check out another one of my videos, here or wherever...Where i talked about the FlyKly, and how incredibly dissappointing it was...No, the Smartped... i- i keep forgetting what it was called... it's terrible though...\n"