The profile editor is the main window that is used to define what a profile should do. At first, this window may look a little complicated, so it helps to keep in mind the core concept of Alt Controller:
- To make various computer input events (e.g. releasing a key, hovering over a button, clicking in a region of the screen) perform some actions (e.g. typing a key repeatedly, double-clicking the mouse, moving the mouse pointer, changing the current mode).
- To dynamically change which actions are active depending on the task we are doing and/or the game or application window we are in.
To define some actions in the profile editor, follow these steps:
- Specify the situation you want the actions to apply in. If you want the actions to apply all the time, set mode, app and page to Default. If you want them to apply only in a particular program, select it using the App dropdown menu. If you want them to apply only when you switch into a particular mode that you have defined, select it using the Mode dropdown. Do likewise if you are using the pages feature. Modes, apps and pages are set up using the Edit situations button. See also Defining situations.
- Select the input you wish to assign the actions to. This can be a mouse button or the mouse pointer, a key on the keyboard, or a button in a custom window that you have designed. Inputs are added to the profile using the Edit inputs button. Actions for mouse inputs can be applied to a specific region of the screen, and these regions are defined using the Edit regions button. See also Defining screen regions. When you select a custom window input, the Design window button is enabled to allow you to create the desired button layout for the window. See also Designing custom windows.
- Select the reason for the actions, i.e. the type of input event that will trigger the actions to be performed. For example, when you dwell (i.e. linger for a certain time) over a button in a custom window, or when a key is released, or when the mouse pointer moves inside a screen region. See also Input events.
- Specify the action(s) to perform when the input event occurs. For example, to start dragging a window, you might add two actions to move the pointer to the middle of the current window’s title bar, then press down the left mouse button. You can choose to perform the actions in Series (the default – Alt Controller waits for each action to complete before starting the next one) or in Parallel (all actions start immediately and are performed independently of one another). You can change the order of the actions using the Move up and Move down buttons. You can quickly navigate between lists of actions you have defined in the profile using the left and right arrow buttons. See also Defining actions.
- Check your profile using the Preview button, which shows a graphical representation of the controls you have defined. See also Previewing profiles.
- Click OK or Apply when you are ready to test your profile. OK applies your changes and closes the window. Apply applies your changes so that you can test them but keeps the profile editor open so you can make further changes if necessary. Cancel discards any changes since the last Apply and closes the editor. Note that your profile is only permanently saved to a file when you choose File – Save or File – Save As in the main Alt Controller window. Alt Controller will ask you if you wish to save your profile before loading a different one or exiting the program.
Note: When you have assigned some actions to an input in the currently selected situation, the control is shown coloured in blue to indicate that it is in use. When some actions have been defined for a more general situation (typically, the Default mode or app), the input is shown coloured in grey. Actions defined for more specific situations take precedence over more general ones, i.e. Mode=MyMode > Mode=Default; App=MyGame > App=Default.