Keyboard button down issue in S24

mikegold10

It seems like S24 is too sensitive when it comes to deciding whether a user intended to hold a key down for a period of time so as to temporarily toggle a state and revert back once the key is released or if the intent was to permanently change to that state.

For example, the lowercase L key can be used to:

Toggle the Enable Axis state on/off when the user momentarily presses the L key
Temporarily enter (or exit) the Enable Axis state when the user holds down the L key for a "longer" period of time and then revert back to the original state when the user releases the key

Unfortunately, the actual length of time used for the decision by C4D as to the user's intent seems to be too short. I don't know where exactly the threshold lies, but it seems to be in the 100 ms ballpark. There should be a way to change the number of milliseconds that a key must be held before C4D assumes that the user's intent was to toggle (and not permanently enter a state/mode). I have not been able to find this setting if it exists it in the preferences. Or, is this value "hard coded" into the app and cannot be modified by the user?

This issue effects both mice and keyboards that allow for macros, since sometimes they can send the key down even followed by a key up event with some delay in between that cannot be modified via configuration and happens to be long enough to confuse C4D into thinking that the user's intent was to temporarily toggle. I should add that such interpretation can occur intermittently due to key down/key up delay jitter making things even more confusing.

On the other hand, even using a decent wired keyboard, if I press a key reasonably briefly, but not really fast, I sometimes get a temporary toggle instead of a permanent mode switch. This is true for those commands/modes that are toggleable. One almost has to put in a mental effort when pressing a key on the keyboard so as not to wind up holding it down for what C4D considers too long a time (where "too long a time" could be as little as somewhere in the 100-150 ms ballpark...). Often when I press a key, without concentrating on pressing it really quickly, C4D thinks my intent was to hold the key down so as to temporarily toggle, and reverts the setting back once I release the key.

There should be some way to control this delay and increase it in the software to make C4D wait longer before assuming that the user intended to temporarily toggle a command (say 250-500 ms would be a reasonable delay as compared to the unnecessarily brief delay it is presently set to by default (50-100 ms??).

I should note that this issue was present in R23 as well, but the delay was longer and could be lived with (although some users of Bluetooth keyboards and other forms of wireless keyboards as well as macro capable mice experienced the issue). As of S24, the delay has gotten so short, that it even affects users with common run-of-the-mill wired keyboards like myself, unless they can press/release keyboard keys really briefly (as an analogy for piano players out there, think of playing staccato notes vs tenuto notes).

Test setup:
OS: Windows 10
Hardware/PC: Very fast modern desktop
Keyboards attempted: Velocifire TKL02/wired, an old Dell wired keyboard, an old Logitech wired keyboard

Manuel

Hi,

Thanks for contacting us.
While i understand your issue, this forum's scope is bound to Cinema4D's API use only. (c++ and Python)
For your issue, you need to contact our regular support and create a ticket there.
They have more information/knowledge with what could cause this issue. (hardware/software)

Cheers,
Manuel