Media Keys

[kai920]

A colleague just bought herself a new R60e... she has some blue shortcut keys on the left, right, up, down arrow keys for media (i think fast forward, play, pause, etc.)

Is it possible to get those function on our T4x series with software upgrade?

[GomJabbar]

The Keyboard Customiser Utility covers some controls. You can also create macros for other controls using the Ultranav Wizard to set up "Tap zones" on the TouchPad. Depending upon how up-to-date you are, you should see these programs in either: Start > All Programs > Access IBM or Start > All Programs > ThinkVantage.

[christopher_wolf]

The Keyboard Customiser Utility covers some controls. You can also create macros for other controls using the Ultranav Wizard to set up "Tap zones" on the TouchPad. Depending upon how up-to-date you are, you should see these programs in either: Start > All Programs > Access IBM or Start > All Programs > ThinkVantage.

Yeah, but here is the problem with that; they don't have any native ability to support such media keys, at least I don't know of a way to get the Keyboard Customizer to do that. You could setup a convoluted macro with the tap zones, but that wouldn't be the greatest solution.

The blue media keys mentioned are on the arrow keyset in the lower right hand corner of the keyboard, I have not seen a program released by IBM/Lenovo to enable an analog of the functionality those keys represent on the latest Thinkpads on the T4X Series.

You can, however, use something like Winamp to bind the actions to the necessary keys and/or a key-binding program to bind those keys or key combos in the registry; but it is far easier to use Winamp or any other media player that supports global, non-focus-restricted media key-bindings.

[GomJabbar]

You can, however, use something like Winamp to bind the actions to the necessary keys and/or a key-binding program to bind those keys or key combos in the registry; but it is far easier to use Winamp or any other media player that supports global, non-focus-restricted media key-bindings.

Using Winamp sounds like a good solution.

[christopher_wolf]

You can, however, use something like Winamp to bind the actions to the necessary keys and/or a key-binding program to bind those keys or key combos in the registry; but it is far easier to use Winamp or any other media player that supports global, non-focus-restricted media key-bindings.

Using Winamp sounds like a good solution.

Yup, Winamp is a good bet here and it can set global media keys vis a vis its background process agent (not through the registry).

If I come across a way to do this with some other utility or a reg edit, I will let you all know.

[kai920]

Cool, thanks & will wait to hear from you

[simms]

How can you use winamp to bind the play functions to the arrow keys?

[thibouille27]

I want those keys to command iTunes as well as FooBar2000.

MediaPlayer and winAmp crap is not wanted ^^

[christopher_wolf]

MediaPlayer and winAmp crap is not wanted ^^

Crap you say, do you?

...or did you mean iTunes?

Still looking for something to do media key bindings (on Windows), by the way.

[thibouille27]

Fair enough ^^

[christopher_wolf]

You might want to look at this

http://www.stardock.com/products/klp/

Looks to bind quite a few keys, including the media ones.

Although, and this is something to keep in mind, Windows has little to no support (it does in its APIs, but there is no direct UI for them by default) to have the 4-control media buttons. Thus, just about all the media actions you would want to perform have to be done through something that supports it. Usually, this goes by whatever the media player application supports as it provides a UI frontend to any API components when it comes to global media key support.

Also, might want to take a look at this as well;

http://www.klm32.com/KbdEdit.html


In an aside, I don't mind iTunes on a Mac; but, frankly, the only use I have on it on my PC is to sync music to my iPod.

[christopher_wolf]

Bingo, figured out a way to get media keys operational; added bonus, this method doesn't require any background daemons to be running either as it invovles generating a new keyboard layout and editing the VKs on it to emulate generic OEM keycodes.

First, grab the 2000 Edition from here; http://www.klm32.com/KbdEdit.html

Next, install it and open it up; then make a copy of the default keyboard layout.

After that is done, right click on a button, any button really but I chose the 8,4,3,1 (classic crossed four-directional keys) on the keypad. Once you right click, a menu will appear; select "Multimedia" and then select the action (total of Play/Stop/Next Track/Last Track) and assign them to the key group.

Then save that new profile; done correctly, there should be no other modification to the operation of the keyboard and the keys you just assigned should act like multimedia keys to the OS and should work with any media player application that can be loaded on Windows NT4.0/2000/XP (unknown whether or not Windows 98/ME and below support it; judging by the way it dynamically reassigns the non-default keyboard layouts without rebooting though, probably not.).

If you went through it the way I did, you should be able to access the media keys via the keypad. A bonus to this way of doing it via the keypad is that it doesn't take up any more "real" keys and you can essentially "switch into it" by activating the numeric keypad when you want.

HTH

[thibouille27]

Thank a lot ! Will try ASAP

[christopher_wolf]

Thank a lot ! Will try ASAP

Let me know how it goes and how well it works on your system.

[simms]

Thanks. This requires taht the application is always running ni the background, right?