Three unrelated queries

BlitzMax Forums/BlitzMax Programming/Three unrelated queries

Ninjacrat(Posted 2006) [#1]
So there are still a few things about Bmax that stump me. Can anybody help with one of these issues?

1) KeyDown only seems to catch two or three keys being pressed simultaneously. For instance, a game I'm working on can't register 'up' and 'left' and 'shoot' at once.
I'm pretty sure there is a workaround to it, because I've player several bmax games without this problem. Anyone know?

2) Is there a way to mark a MaxGui window to be always on top, provided the program it's attached has focus? (like the preferences panel in your web browser, eg.)

3) Is there equivalent to Blitz3d's 'ExecFile' command, or another way of running an external program?


Matty(Posted 2006) [#2]
Most keyboards can't handle more than a few keys being held down at once. Fancy keyboards as used in some arcade cabinets like ArcadeEds allow multiple keypresses at once. It is a limitation of the hardware not the software.

Can't help with the other two questions though.


Dreamora(Posted 2006) [#3]
2) Yes there has been a WinAPI hack on the module tweak board, that allows you to do that.

3) There are even 2: if it shall run without make your app wait, use CreateProcess (see pub.freeprocess module). If you want your app to wait for the other apps end as in old blitz, use system_(path$)


hub(Posted 2006) [#4]
2) http://www.blitzbasic.com/Community/posts.php?topic=57120#635232


Ninjacrat(Posted 2006) [#5]
@ Matty
Hm. But Grid Wars (to pick an example at random) doesn't mess up even if I mash all the keys at once. :| There must be more to it somehow.

@ Hub
Oh dear. I don't suppose there's a multiplatform version?

@ Dreamora
Ta. Would be nice if it were DOCUMENTED ANYWHERE.