Keyboard modifier delay?

[Ashthra]

Hiya! I just purchased ReWASD earlier today. All things being equal, I love it--it's got the functionality of the Steam controller setup, without having to deal with the bloat of Steam, and with a significantly less frustrating/more functional UI. (I lost count of how many times Steam decided that an edit I made to a setup just didn't save or turned into something completely different at random, bleh.)

However, I have noticed one small thing that I don't know if I can alter, or will just have to get to deal with. When it comes to using keyboard modifiers (LShift, LCtrl specifically), there seems to be a small (~100ms) delay between when I hit the button, and the modifiers actuates. I use this setup to play WoW because of Carpal Tunnel; for instance, my X key on my XBone controller is mapped to F5, which in game is bound to jump by itself. When I hit Shift+F5, it's an attack on my hotbar. Testing on multiple buttons, both triggers, bumpers, and even face buttons, if I press both F5 and Shift at the same time, or even one slightly after the other, the shift/ctrl/alt mapped buttons will not actuate if I quick tap the buttons.

The Steam UI had a similar issue, and it required me having to tell the program that the buttons weren't to be interrupted, to prevent the input lag. Is there such a feature in ReWASD, have I mapped something incorrectly, or is this just an ongoing issue with using keyboard modifiers?

Thank you.

[Star-Lord]

Hello,
Thank you for your question.

Checked this issue with ViewKeyCode app. The mapped F5, as well as LShift, are triggered with standard delay ~20ms. I also created a combo F5+LShift to try and the delay is the same.
Unfortunately, I don't have WoW installed, but I checked with the latest DOOM (W -run, LShift+W - slow run), pressing buttons manually and using a combo. No delays.

You may also try to use the ViewKeyCode to check the issue. Also, try to create a combo and test in the game.

[Ashthra]

Thank you for informing me about ViewKeyCode; it's helped to ensure that I'm not going crazy. Thanks! So I've done some testing in the past hour or so. I pulled out a wired third party XBone controller to ensure it wasn't just Bluetooth being Bluetooth, in conjunction with ViewKeyCode and WoW, along with Morrowind on Steam, and I've discovered that having multiple binds to the same button will cause the latency. With ONLY the modifier being the button, there is zero functional lag beyond the time it takes to press the button, which is accountable within human error/program errors. However, the moment I add a secondary function via hold/double/triple press, it will introduce that small hint of lag, probably so the program can deduce what kind of button press it is and tell the computer what is happening, without multiple button presses firing.

I don't know if that is an intended side effect of the design, but I suppose that currently means that if I am playing a game in which I require immediate use of modifiers to be able to switch my movements on the fly (and yes, 100-250ms between a modifier going off or not can be felt VERY quickly), I would have to make sure my modifier buttons are ONLY modifier buttons.

[Ashthra]

Because I can't words good, and am too new of a forum poster to edit my posts, I will add as an addendum that the issue can be easily reproduced by adding some meaningless function to a double/triple tap function. Once there is some secondary/tertiary function, a small window of non-functionality is introduced to the single button press, and admittedly, in non-modifier situations, it's barely noticeable, but it is never the less there. Again, I don't know if that was an intended side effect, or if this was a totally unforeseen complication, but I wanted to bring it to the attention to the Powers That Be regardless.

Thanks for the help!

[CriticalComposer]

Ashthra, this window is necessary. The program needs to figure out if you are Holding, Double Tapping, or Triple Tapping. I never thought of it before but the "Interrupt" concept from Steam Input is missing here. Disabling this would remove the window and always active the Single Tap even if you hold, double or triple tap.

[Star-Lord]

Hello,
Thank you for your reply.

Oh, I see now, you didn't mention that you have mappings for double, triple presses, etc. In this case, there is a certain delay to deduce the press type. Like, once you press the button reWASD waits for second press and if it isn't performed the single press performs. If you do press the button during the Double press time — the Double press mapping executes, and the second counter starts. Now reWASD is waiting for you to press the button the third time to execute the Triple press mapping. If you don’t press the button the third time during the mentioned period of time, the Double press activator mapping executes.

There is a setting where you can adjust the press time, so you may try to fiddle setting to your own.

[Ashthra]

Thanks for all the replies. I'd honestly forgotten that I'd had double tap on the modifiers until I noticed the change after clearing the buttons entirely and starting from scratch. On the one hand, it'd be a cool advanced feature to have that Steam Input-style passthrough, in instances such as the one you brought up in Doom, where W is run, and Shift+W is a slower run. In those cases, you're hitting the W key regardless, so double tapping would just activate as a passthrough to layer Shift on top of that W press, and minimize any delay presented in the button press for those who wanted that level of responsiveness.

Either way, I came up with the solution of adding the Alt modifier as a double tap to a button I don't mind there being a bit of a delay on, in order to restore 'full functionality' on my two main modifier keys. Thank you guys so much for your help and information on this issue I've been having! Being real, this thing is sooo much easier to use than the Steam Input, it's unreal.

[reWASDer]

You can try Start Release activator, I think. If you have W on Start, then it will be emulated without a delay each time you touch a button. You will get double W though when you try to activate Double Press :satisfied:

Thanks for your kind words, hope the solution you found will work better than Steam options for you

[Ashthra]

You can try Start Release activator, I think. If you have W on Start, then it will be emulated without a delay each time you touch a button. You will get double W though when you try to activate Double Press :satisfied:

Thanks for your kind words, hope the solution you found will work better than Steam options for you

I attempted this with both Start Press, Release Press, and both Start and Release Press, and the same latency continued. I don't know if it has to do with the fact that I'm using keyboard modifiers (shift/alt/ctrl) as this first button press, but regardless, my tinkering hasn't come across a workable passthrough option. Unfortunately, I'm remembering why I went with Steam, in the first place--long story short, with my setup, I need to find a way to get three keyboard modifiers situated onto two buttons without a compromise to performance.

Is there a method for me to create a FFXIV-style option where holding LB > LT creates a particular condition set, and holding LT > LB creates another condition set? Double tapping was the workaround I came up with Steam, since such an option didn't appear to be feasible (though, given how clunky Steam is in its directions, who knows). I really really really really don't want to use Steam again.

[Star-Lord]

Hello,
Thank you for your reply.

LB+LT = LT+LB, I mean this is a similar sequence if you gonna press these buttons at the same time to hold. There is a shortcut feature where you may set 2 or more buttons (up to 4) that will activate set mappings, but 1 shortcut - > 2 different buttons https://help.rewasd.com/basic-functions/shortcuts.html). Maybe it would helpful?