Flash memory in your GWS foot pedal is fast, roomy, and can be re-written on the order of 100,000 times.  While it is possible for flash memory to become corrupted, it can always be easily restored by re-writing.

This post will tell you how to recognize a memory corruption in your footpedal and how to perform the simple procedure to restore it.  

The symptoms of a memory error in your device:

IF:

A) You plug your pedals to your PC and hear the USB “device plugged” sound;

B) and the pedals work as last programmed;

C) but the pedals (plugged) do not appear in the Configurator, which instead displays a default grey window with the message “No IDI Device Connected”, you most likely have a memory corruption in the device. 

NOTE: Sometimes this will happen while saving a setting. The Save operation progress bar will freeze and you will need to close and reopen the Configurator to restore it. Upon reopening, the Configurator will now not “find” or recognize the pedals. Flash memory corruption can also occur somewhat randomly due to high electrostatic energy in the environment, which is generally uncommon in most residences and places of work.

The Fragpedal and Omnipedal use a default signal to “tell” the Configurator that the memory in the device has been corrupted; and when the Configurator sees this signal, it will bypass the corrupted memory, and allow the pedals to be recognized again.  The signal to the Configurator that the pedals have a memory error is to plug them to the PC with buttons 1 and 2 both pressed down.

After the pedals are recognized by the Configurator again, you can then clear the device memory which erases the error,  reload a memory file previously saved to disc, (if you made one) and be  ready to go..

Fragpedal Memory Bypass Procedure
1. Be sure the Configurator is open on your PC, and the pedals are unplugged from the PC.

2. Be sure that a pedal is connected to the Right Pedal receptacle (it’s identified by the label on the back of the control box.)

• The right pedal is pedal 1.  We want to press both pedals (buttons 1 and 2) down securely on this pedal so we know they are all the way down     (Activated) You can easily hold them down with one hand (or foot).

3. With buttons 1 and 2 firmly pressed, re-plug the foot pedal USB control box cord to the PC or the control box.

NOTE: This is the cord that goes from the top center of the control box to a USB port on your PC. 

• If it’s easier to unplug the cord at the control box end (usually it is) then unplug/re-plug it there.

4. The Configurator should recognize the pressed pedals’ “signal” to bypass the device memory and do so, (it doesn’t get loaded). It will  instead create a single configuration in the first slot with button 1 set to a left click and button 2 set to a right click.  

• You can release the pedals as soon as you see the pedals in the display, which should be instantly.  If you don’t see the pedals, unplug and try plugging again, rarely, it can take a couple of trys if Windows is busy.

 5. We will next clear the memory in the pedals to restore them back to full operation:

• Click on the Device Menu and select “Clear Memory”. You will be prompted to confirm you wish to erase the contents of the device memory. (This is only the user settings area of memory) 
• Click “Yes” and then click the Save button.  The memory bar will show the memory being cleared.
• At this point, the pedals should be fully operational, and you can click on the button labels and make new button assignments. and/or load a memory save file from disc back to the pedals and restore your settings

IDI Tech supports saving your device configuration data to a disk file that can later be reloaded to the device. **It is recommended that you keep a copy of your up-to-date settings saved on disc so that you could instantly restore your pedals in any event such as this.**

To save an image of the pedal memory to disc:

• Click on the Device Menu and select “Save memory to disc” A file dialog will pop up and you can navigate to the location where you would like to save the file. Its generally good practice to save these to the main \IDI Device folder so that it can be copied and moved or saved with the other support files.
• Navigate to the location, enter a filename for the file, and Click “Save” The device memory file will be saved to disc
• NOTE: do not attempt to open this file with any kind of file viewer, its contents are easily corruptible and can become useless.

Further information about flash memory management and other IDI Device features can be found in the IDI Device Configuration Guide

Although the Fragpedal comes with an installed set of macros, it is commonplace to share, download, and add macros to your macro library, as well as create them using the MacroBuilder module.

This post explains the simple process to import a new macro to the \macro directory and then place it on a button. 

We’ll start with some introductory information about IDI macros, and then take you step by step through the process to add and use new macros.

What are IDI macros?

IDI Macros are small text files that contain the instructions that the Configurator uses to assign specific “binds” to Fragpedal buttons. Macro files are stored in the \macro directory under the Fragpedal home directory

• Windows 7 and Vista home directory = C:\Users\Public\Public Hardware\GWS\IDI Device\
• XP home directory = C:\Program Files\GWS\IDI Device\

Macros exist originally on disc; after assignment to a button, a version of the macro is also stored in memory inside the device. 

• Once a macro is stored in the Fragpedal’s internal memory, the Fragpedal uses that version of the macro, and does not need the file version on disc.
• The general preference is to keep the file versions of the macro on disc for convenience so that they can be imported to the Fragpedal on other buttons, in other configurations, and as needed. 

In summary, a macro file on disc is not needed for the Fragpedal operation; they are stored on disc for convenience sake for future binding availability.

I copied a macro into the \macro subdirectory, but it doesn’t appear in the list of macros?  What’s up?

It’s not enough to copy the macro to the macro directory; it must also be “added” to a “macro list” file.

The Configurator is designed to support as many as 30 sets of configuration information for the buttons, these sets being used for different games or applications. 

It could quickly become confusing, if for each configuration, the macro menu displayed all the macros in the macro folder.  The majority of these wouldn’t even work with your particular game and would just clutter the macro list.

Instead, the Configurator supports separate “macro lists” for each configuration to eliminate clutter, so we’ll only need to add the new macro to the appropriate configuration’s “macro list” file for it to display and be assigned to buttons in that configuration slot.

What are “macro list” files and why are they needed?

The “macro list” files are simple tab-delimited spreadsheet files with a .txt file extension (Windows Macros.txt, WOW macros.txt, etc).

These “macro list” spreadsheet files integrate with the Configurator application and are used to populate the “Macro” selection of the Button Assignment menu for the various configuration slots. Macro list files are the means by which your unique user-created content can be seamlessly integrated with the Configurator application.

You can use the same “macro list” file for all your configurations (with the clutter issue described above) or you can create separate “macro list” files (for example “BF3 Macros.txt”) and assign these files to various configuration slots in the Configurator, so that they selectively display macros (in this case only BF3 macros for the BF3 configuration.) Specific “macro list” files you have created and edited are assignable to configurations using the Configuration menu dropdown for each configuration.

What is the default “macro list” file for the Fragpedal?

The default macro list file that comes with the Configurator app is “Windows Macros.txt”.  It lists all the macros that come with the installation.  Many of these macros are sample or example macros or otherwise generally useful. “Windows Macros.txt” is automatically assigned by default to each new configuration you create, so you will have all the macros in the list available for that configuration. 

How would I make a new “macro list” file for a particular game-based configuration?

The easiest way to create new “macro list” files is to copy the default “Windows Macros.txt”; rename it, edit it to include only the appropriate macros, and then assign it to the relevant configuration from the Configuration menu.

Note: Don’t attempt to edit these files from a word processor app; tab-delimited files are best created and edited from a spreadsheet program. 

How do I assign a macro I just copied into the macro folder to a button of my current configuration?

1. With the Configurator open, and the Fragpedal plugged in, select (click on) the configuration in the configuration list that you want to use the macro with.

• Unless you have chosen another file, the “macro list” file for this configuration is “Windows Macros.txt.”

• Of course you can add new macrolist.txt files to the \macro directory, and use the Configuration menu to choose these instead for a configuration; but for this example, we will assume you are simply going to add the new macro to the default “Windows Macros.txt” macro list file, and that this file is active for your configuration.  (Check the Configuration Properties to be sure)

2. Click on the button label for the button you wish to place the macro on.

• This will pop open the Button Assignment Menu.

3. From the Button Assignment Menu, select “Macro”. 

• This opens the Macro form. 

4. When the Macro form opens, click on the “Add Macro” button. 

• This opens the “Add Macro” form.

5. When the “Add macro” form opens, click on the 2nd field from the top labeled “Code file”. 

• This will open a file dialog that displays all the macros in the macro directory.

6. Scroll through the list until you find the new added macro, and select it. 

• (The new macro into this directory should appear in alphabetical order.) The selection will return you to the “Add Macro” form.

7. Click on the “Name” field and enter text that names the button the macro will be placed on. 

• This field is limited to 16 characters, and will display on the top line of the button display for the button.  Without it, you will not have a clue what the button will do, so it’s important to fill in this field.

8. Click on the Brief Description field, and enter text as desired.

• This field is limited to 32 characters, and displays as the 2^nd line of the button label once the macro is assigned, and gives you a little more information about the macro/button.

9. Click in the Help field and add explanatory text about the macro. 

• This information will display when you click on the button and select “Show Button Help” Depending on the macro, it may be very helpful to have strategic info here about how and why the macro/button is to be used.  There is a 1024 character limit to this field (you can copy and paste into it), which is about 2 paragraphs. This is not required, fill in as desired.

10. With the information fields filled in to your liking, click on the OK button on the Add Macro form.

• The Add Macro form will disappear, returning you to the Macro form.

11. On the Macro form, scroll to the bottom of the macro list and select the newly added macro, (the button help text should now appear in the right hand help pane) and click OK on the Macro form.

• The Macro form will disappear, bringing you back to the home page of the Configurator display and the macro should appear on the button showing the (2) button info text labels as you have entered them.

12. Click on the highlighted “SAVE” button at the bottom right corner of the Configurator display.

• The macro is saved to the Fragpedal memory and now ready to use. From now on, because you have once “added” the macro to a “macro list” file, it will appear in the Macro list and be selectable for assignment to buttons.

If you run into any difficulties with the above instructions please feel free to call or email us at office@goodworksystems.com and we’ll be sure to get you set.

Customer Service Staff

Gamingmouse.com/Gamingmouse.co.uk

Sound Effects are great for complex commands

IDI can verify your complex commands with verbal and audio effects, to give you assurance that your commands have been recognized and processed. You can even record your own sound files and use them to identify the active profile (“grenadier activated,” for example) or your specific macro (“semi-auto rapid fire”).

Gesture Recognition

This means when you use a function like gesture recognition, IDI can verbally confirm your movements. If you have an action configured to “left, then up,” you can listen for IDI to verbally confirm that it read your “left” motion and then your “up” motion, and at the same time IDI will execute the commands you configured to those motions.

Shift Levels

If you have a button configured to a ‘shift,’ IDI can be configured to verbally speak ‘shift’ so that you can be sure the button is recognized and behaving as programmed.

Configuration: Flying Controls

Flying controls add an extra layer of commands for the user to execute successfully. Here is the Flying profile for Aion Online. This is a simple configuration, where the left foot raises and lowers your character, and the right foot opens and holds wings.

Flying in Aion is a beautiful experience, but can be difficult

See the rest of the new Aion Online configuration in our Game Support and Macro Library

Some previous uses of the Tap / Press / Hold button behavior

Duke Nukem Forever. View the profile

Tap: Melee / Press: Reload

Dragon Age Origins. View the profile

Triple-Action: Quickbar Abilities. Tap: 8 / Press: 9 / Hold: 0

Triple-Action: Quickbar Abilities. Tap: 5 / Press: 6/ Hold: 7

Crysis 2. View the profile

Switch Suit Mode. Tap: Stealth / Press: Armor

Dead Space 2. View the profile

Tap: Stomp / Press: Run

Tap: Weapon 1 / Press: Weapon 2

As you can see, Tap / Press / Hold buttons are a great way to double (or even triple) your command ability on a single button. The behavior assigned to tap will trigger instantly upon button release, and the Press and Hold functions will trigger as soon as the button is held for the specified length of time (in milliseconds). Fortunately, since most button clicks occur very rapidly, the “Press” minimum time can be set as low as 150milliseconds (or 1/7 of a second) and still work reliably.

For more information on some of the other Smart Button types, I strongly recommend visiting the IDI Smart Button page. What kind of uses can you imagine for a Tap / Press / Hold button?

Here at the Good Work Matters Research Institute*, we never stop looking for new ways to improve your game. The subject of key-mapping strategy came up at our morning meeting today, and we wanted to shed some light on how to optimally map your in-game controls. As you can see, all the prime real estate on the keyboard is centered around “wasd” and any key east of “h” is just about unreachable without forcing you to stop doing important stuff, like moving. Use this guide to look at your game commands, and ask yourself if you’re leaving any prime real estate vacant, or with low-priority actions.

*although not an official research institute, I always work with a dual-monitor system.

Is there anything else you’d like to see on this site?

Just In case that didn’t convince you…

I’m introducing some game support for the Fragpedal to get you going on Duke Nukem. I added a tap/press macro for melee and reload. Release the press before 150ms elapses for a melee, or a reload will kick in at 150ms. There’s also an aim toggle macro. This is useful in most games, and although Duke Nukem isn’t really big on accuracy, it’s still a good addition. Rather than having to hold right-click to aim, you can toggle it with your foot pedal. Relieve some tension in your hand so you can aim better.

The Fragpedal isn't doing a great job of censoring this image

Go to the files page for a happy ending to this post (download the macros!)

Three Actions on One Button: Tap / Press / Hold macros

I made these macros to demonstrate how complex smart buttons help you out in tactical games like Dragon Age: Origins. The triple-action smart button used here is deceptively easy to use. Once the assigned button is pressed, the IDI tech processor in your Fragpedal starts a timer. If the button pops up before the timer reach 150 milliseconds, the action is considered a “tap.” If the timer reads between 150 milliseconds and 700 milliseconds, IDI tech registers a “press.” If the button is lifted after 700 milliseconds, you’ve got a “hold.”

If you like, the timing thresholds for the tap, press, and hold can be changed to any value you like. If you’ve got a real fast foot, you could reduce the minimum for a press to 100ms, for example — or, drag it out to 250 or even 500ms if you like to click slowly. You can also configure a command to after pressing for a specific length of time. This way

Dragon Age Origins: The Commander

Fire off myriad orders to your minions

These can be configured easily in the IDI software for any game. And, if you can’t quite get it to work, e-mail us! Expect more in-depth macro content coming soon! In the mean time, what other games would you like to see in-depth macros for?

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Get the macros used here for your Fragpedal