FAQ:

1. What differentiates this app from the many other key press emulator apps?

The concept is a simple one, press a button on a tablet or phone and have it virtually press a key on another computer. Many of the competitive apps require you to install an app on a tablet or smartphone. I've specifically designed this to be web/html based with a simple javascript wrapper for web sockets. That means there's nothing to install on the client, so it'll run on almost ANY device, even the really old tablets that are too old to update the OS and therefore too old to install a cool virtual controller app onto. With StarKeys-vMFD it should support your oldest devices, and since it's web based it'll also support a laptop, or computer with a mouse as a valid device too. Better yet, get a brand new laptop with a touch screen and when you're playing games, it can be one of your controllers.

Next, I also chose to use a web/html design to make it really easy to create custom game panels. Anyone with a little design and web skills can develop their own layout, or use one of the existing sample layouts and change it. Lets say you have an old game that you still go back to now and again, well no worries of it not being supported, just edit the html, change the button names to what you want, copy and update the macro file (on the game PC) to map the macros to keys (ie: macro:1 = Press the K key, macro:2 = Hold the H for 2 seconds, etc...) and you're off and running.

I also want to build the web site into a full community based landing site for everything StarKeys-vMFD where the community can easily share/upload/download game client html panels and macro files of all their favorite games to share with everyone. I'm trying to make it really easy for any game to be supported in a matter of minutes. It's similar (but probably easier) than mapping buttons on a joystick.

My first sample panela are for Star Citizen and Elite Dangerous. They're designed to be a really simple tabular layout with the keys I thought most useful. I personally don't want twitch finger style keys on the panel such as chaff or flares. They're mapped to my joystick, so when I need them I have really quick access to them. But for other more relaxed items like start engines, landing gear, quantum jump, etc... they're perfect on the panel. You might disagree and want all the twitch stuff on the panel, and that's fine, it's real easy to edit. You might also want a variety of page/panels for different modes, instead of 25 buttons crammed into one page, and that's fine too, and easy to change.

Some people will want a real immersive style panel, like some other competing products I've seen. If you're at all graphical with web design (I'm not) that's super easy to do too. The possibilities are limitless.

The simplicity is in the client being HTML/js based, while the magic happens on the small gaming PC server which listens for remote client requests, translates the requested macro to a keystroke (or combination of keys) then performs the execution. And you can simultaneously run any number of web clients connected to the same PC, off one StarKeys-vMFD.exe listener running on that PC. I'm trying to make it really easy.

2. What games are supported

Any game can be supported, if it runs on a Windows PC and uses the keyboard/mouse for input controls. Out of the gate we're providing sample templates for both Star Citizen and Elite Dangerous. We may provide more as they become available. However, the intent is to empower the community to build their own custom panels, either extending the existing games we have, or creating new panels for just about any other game out there. We want to make it really easy to share these game panels through our site so you don't have to hunt them down. Instead, just pick the game from the website and you're off to the races. It's our hopes that the community will embrace this approach and we'll someday have thousands of games supported.

3. Can I customize the game panel to my preferences

Yes, the game panels are simple html and can be fully configured. You can then host the panel on your own website, or you'll be able to upload it to our StarKeys-vMFD community site to share it with everyone.

4. Can I choose different graphics for the buttons on the game panels

5. What tablets or phones are supported

Nearly any tablet or smart phone is supported. Because StarKeys-vMFD is a web based client, you just need a device with a web client that supports web sockets.

6. What data is sent from my gaming PC to the community server

With the Alpha build, no data leaves your gaming PC. The gaming PC is only listening for incoming data on the standard http port 80, from local devices connected to your local network.

With the Beta build, the StarKeys-vMFD driver will connect to the community server for authentication/authorization passing only your application specific credentials to login, along with your local (private) IP so we can automatically connect the web client, without the need to enter this value into the client. Additionally the StarKeys-vMFD driver will be able to optionally download any requested macro drivers are your specification.

7. Is my gaming PC exposed to the Internet, and what protection do I have from someone commandeering my computer.

The gaming PC is not exposed to the Internet any more so than it might already be. Normally a home based router allows data out, but doesn’t allow externally originated any data in. StarKeys-vMFD does NOT require any external connections be made inbound, so no special ports need to be opened and therefore, no hacking/compromising attacks are exposed. The client can be hosted anywhere, and most people will probably load the client from the community portal. However, that’s hosting a standard web page to the client tablet/phone. Once the client has the page loaded, all communications between the client and the gaming PC is happening over the private home network. This is why both the client and gaming PC MUST be connected to the same local network. If one is on a local network and one is on a cellular network, they will not be able to connect to each other.

8. Can a compromised web client run commands on my gaming PC

The StarKeys-vMFD driver on the gaming PC is only listening for specific types of commands requesting execution of a macro. Any unexpected command is ignored. Additionally, the client never specifies the keys to press, it only requests a macro be ran. The StarKeys-vMFD driver loads specific macro configurations based on the users control, and only whats in the macro file can be processed on the gaming PC. Therefore, no attacking computer can maliciously cause the gaming PC to do something beyond the loaded macro files.

9. KNOWN ISSUES:

1. Currently Left ALT always reports as Right ALT. I’ve not figured out why this is the case, but for now you can only map Right ALT as a valid ALT key

2. Currently F7 doesn’t seem to be responsive. I’ve not identified other functions keys to not work but it’s possible. I think I’ve tested just about all of them F1-F12 and I think F7 is the only one not functioning correctly.

3. The Numpad-Enter key has no mapping at this time and is not usable as a key

10. Server has failed to start error

This is probably due to another application running on the PC, such as IIS that is listening for web traffic on port 80. As the panels also attempt to connect to StarKeys-vMFD on port 80 this creates a conflict and fails to start the service. To fix try turning off IIS, or the offending app. Version 07a should provide an option to change the port to a different value such as 1080 or 8080