WASD -> arrow keys

[numaQ]

I've post last year a request for a "kind of standardization".
I know most of you have a QWERTY keyboard. So you use WASD keys to move objects in GE.
But in other sides of our big world, keyboards are weird and the WASD keys are not in the same place.
When you release a blend file, it's easy to modify. But when it's exe, it could be harder.

So please, try to use keyboard arrows (UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT,) to move objects.

AZERTY peoples will thanks you !

[Arr Matey!!]

Well, I am so used to using wasd tough :| .

[Doc Holiday]

I'm playing with AYQW (german Keyboard). On an English Board it's AZQW. I hate WASD because i can't handle that.
I think most Player using WASD, but not all. A good Game needs strongly a Keyboard Config Possibility. This should be no Problem with Python.
Doc

[PlantPerson]

I don't understand why using the letters is better than using the arrows. I always use the arrows.

[z3r0 d]

Originally Posted by PlantPerson I don't understand why using the letters is better than using the arrows. I always use the arrows.

its personal prefrence

with WASD your hand is positioned more over the keyboard, for those of us with small desks it allows us to put our wrist on the desk....

also there are a bunch of other keys near WASD... that's probably the best reason to suggest using them.

[ST150]

The reason I use WASD over arrow keys is because there are many more keys nearby for performing other functions.

I'll make sure to include custom keys in future projects though, or at least include arrow keys as an optional control system. It's not something I've looked at before but it seems fairly simple to do.

[SerpLord]

Is there a website with pictures of different keyboard layouts?

[numaQ]

http://www.terena.nl/library/multili...t/kbd-all.html
( so much keyboards ! )

I understand for FPS we need more key than arrows.
But for small games/demos arrow keys could be enough isn't it ?

[SerpLord]

Thanks for the link!

If I understand correctly: Most keyboards are variations of the AZERTY (french) QWERTZ (german, central european) and QWERTY layouts. As long as you avoid punctuation and special characters, there are only a few differences between these three designs.

You could write a python script that remaps all keyboard sensors between QWERTY/AZERTY/QWERTZ modes, or you can just stick to the keys that do not change:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
     E R T   U I O P
    S D F G H J K L
     X C V B N
       Spacebar

Plus: arrow keys, numpad, and what else?

I like ESDF better than WASD anyway. F is the "home" key for the index finger, and often marked by a little bump on the key.

(There are technical advantages to WASD - the nearby Shift and Ctrl keys are often on a different scanning row from the alphabetic keys, but this is only an issue if your game requires characters to run, duck and jump with the keyboard while the mouse buttons are tied up doing something else.)

[Prince]

why wasd? here's the answer:

because with FPS (or any game that requires keyboard motion control and mouse input) the letters WASD are in the proper location and orientation for your ring, middle, and index fingers and it frees up your pinky for shift/cntrl/tab and your thumb for space. Plus with your fingers being in that position and orientation it is much easier to press 1-5 without moving your hand over to them. Fkey (often used for flashlights) is right there (and the name sounds like the key) - Rkey (often used for reload) is right there (again sounds like the function) - same with Qkey for quit or last used. Ekey which is often considered the user key (however i switch it up and make Ekey be special function key and have Ckey be user key when playing - it's faster) and it's nice and close. All the above functions are perfectly designed for the mouse control too! It frees up your other hand to control those functions. This however is for Right Handers (the average person) and so left handers need different set ups - that's why there's IJKL which have all the similiar keys around them although some aren't exactly the same.

If you use the arrow keys you have none of these other functions near by and it doesnt' work too well - even on foreign keyboards. Any good game need's to have user defineable keyboard and mouse functions but Blender doesn't have anything remotely like this (even as a console command) - which it needs to get! That would overwrite all the old keycommands!

I personally try to make arrows and wasd available in all my games unless arrows are needed for something else that or i need all the other keyboard commands too! - why don't they just make it so that instead of pointing to the key value rather to the key location - so wasd are always wasd locations regardless of keyboard style!?

[JD-multi]

I think the best way it to make customable keys using a python script. It's handy and easy to change your key setup. The only problem is, that not everyone knows how to script something to change the key setup. I'll check for a source, so everyone can take a look at it. :P

[numaQ]

I hope you'll find a script JD-Multi !
To all python scripters: can you release something to help us ?
(I mean a way to simply customize keys in our games)

[Doc Holiday]

Originally Posted by JD-multi The only problem is, that not everyone knows how to script something to change the key setup.

This Topic noticed me to make the Demo-File, i'm currently working on.
In this File i try to explain:

• How to make a comfortable usable and easy expandable InGame-Menue.
  How to set up an Actor with customizable Keys.
  How to set up this Keys in the Menue.
  How to save this Configuration to a File and read it again.

Python is strongly necessary to do that. By the Way, i try to show all Python Newbs how powerfull the Blender-Python Combination is.
Based on this File, i'm planning a Tutorial, which explains specially the Python Part. First in german, maybe later in english. The Demo-File an all included Comments will be in english. But this can take some Days, so please be patient.
Doc

[3D-Penguin]

I recommend really to make it configurable. People might have other preferences or are disabled or lefthanded or singlehanded, well whatever.
One other preference AND a foreign keyboard layout and you toss the game
or even most of the games.

Make them configurable some way and dont be chauvinistic.