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Send a simple keyboard shortcut to application in the background

By Ognjen Mihovilić @Ognjen_Mihovilic
    2024-07-18 10:22:25.940Z2024-07-19 05:26:50.863Z

    Hi!

    How does one send a simple keyboard shortcut (space) to an application that is running in the background. I can't seem to find the answer anywhere on the forum. Bettertouchtool has a command for this. "Send shortcut to specific app". For some applications it works but for others you have to bring the app to foreground to make it work. I hoped Soundflow has the solution for this.

    Thanks in advance.

    Best regards,

    Ognjen

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    • 3 replies
    1. Kitch Membery @Kitch2024-07-18 19:51:42.138Z

      Hi @Ognjen_Mihovilic,

      Thanks for asking.

      I don't believe that this functionality exists in SoundFlow, but if you'd like to see this functionality added to SoundFlow, please post the idea in the ideas section of the forum so that it can be considered for a future update. :-)

      It's worth mentioning that using keyboard and mouse simulation for controlling apps is the least stable method of automation. If the app has clickable UI elements or menus that can achieve the same outcome, it's best to use those. Often, these methods don't even require the app to be in focus.

      Is there a particular app you are trying to control? And what does the "space" keyboard shortcut do in that app?

      Reply1 Like
      1. Ognjen Mihovilić @Ognjen_Mihovilic
          2024-07-19 05:23:16.654Z2024-07-19 05:31:28.128Z

          Thank you for your answer. I will send the idea for review.

          The thing that I’m trying to do is sync the playback start of two applications. Pro Tools (or Nuendo) and Guitar Pro 8.

          Those are apps that I like to use for composing but Guitar Pro doesn’t have any MIDI control capabilities so I can’t do it the “propper” way via MIDI sync or Rewire (which is anyway obsolete).

          Now, Nuendo and Pro Tools are not a problem. Nuendo can be controlled via Eucon, and PT can be controlled via UI Element Click or Eucon. I have the Avid Dock so I use that to start and stop Nuendo (PT) and I send the command to Guitar Pro 8 trough Soundflow also via Eucon. Eucon is great for that because I can send one command to PT and one to Soundflow all with one button press on Avid Dock and set delay offset for each of the commands separately.

          I managed to link the playback of GP8 and PT that way and it “kind of” works. The issue is the latency produced by switcing GP8 to foreground. I manged to dial in 125 ms of latency with Eucontrol and the metronomes in both apps are in sync. I tested for different BPMs and it’s working great for now but my concern is that this latency produced by app switching won’t be consistent so I’m trying to find a way to control GP8 in the background in a more precise way.

          When I use “Click UI Element” (AXPress) with GP8 in the background the play button gets pressed (I see it visually) but the playback never starts. It has to be in foreground to start playback. I can use “Mouse Click UI Element” but than GP8 gets pushed to foreground anyway.

          I hope the description of my problem is understandable.

          Reply
          1. Kitch Membery @Kitch2024-07-19 20:44:28.869Z

            Thanks for clarifying. I'm not sure I know a workaround for this. But please request the feature so that we have it logged for consideration.

            Thanks in advance.

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