8.5 KiB
Macros - Send multiple keystrokes when pressing just one key
QMK has a number of ways to define and use macros. These can do anything you want- type common phrases for you, copypasta, repetitive game movements, or even help you code.
Security Note: While it is possible to use macros to send passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive information it is a supremely bad idea to do so. Anyone who gets ahold of your keyboard will be able to access that information by opening a text editor.
Macro Definitions
By default QMK assumes you don't have any macros. To define your macros you create an action_get_macro() function. For example:
const macro_t *action_get_macro(keyrecord_t *record, uint8_t id, uint8_t opt) {
if (record->event.pressed) {
switch(id) {
case 0:
return MACRO(D(LSFT), T(H), U(LSFT), T(I), D(LSFT), T(1), U(LSFT), END);
case 1:
return MACRO(D(LSFT), T(B), U(LSFT), T(Y), T(E), D(LSFT), T(1), U(LSFT), END);
}
}
return MACRO_NONE;
};
This defines two macros which will be run when the key they are assigned to is pressed. If you'd like them to run when the release is released instead you can change the if statement:
if (!record->event.pressed) {
Macro Commands
A macro can include the following commands:
- I() change interval of stroke in milliseconds.
- D() press key.
- U() release key.
- T() type key(press and release).
- W() wait (milliseconds).
- END end mark.
Sending strings
Sometimes you just want a key to type out words or phrases. For the most common situations we've provided SEND_STRING(), which will type out your string for you instead of having to build a MACRO(). Right now it assumes a US keymap with a QWERTY layout, so if you are using something else it may not behave as you expect.
For example:
const macro_t *action_get_macro(keyrecord_t *record, uint8_t id, uint8_t opt) {
if (record->event.pressed) {
switch(id) {
case 0:
SEND_STRING("QMK is the best thing ever!");
return false;
}
}
return MACRO_NONE;
};
Mapping a Macro to a key
Use the M() function within your KEYMAP() to call a macro. For example, here is the keymap for a 2-key keyboard:
const uint16_t PROGMEM keymaps[][MATRIX_ROWS][MATRIX_COLS] = {
[0] = KEYMAP(
M(0), M(1)
),
};
const macro_t *action_get_macro(keyrecord_t *record, uint8_t id, uint8_t opt) {
if (record->event.pressed) {
switch(id) {
case 0:
return MACRO(D(LSFT), T(H), U(LSFT), T(I), D(LSFT), T(1), U(LSFT), END);
case 1:
return MACRO(D(LSFT), T(B), U(LSFT), T(Y), T(E), D(LSFT), T(1), U(LSFT), END);
}
}
return MACRO_NONE;
};
When you press the key on the left it will type "Hi!" and when you press the key on the right it will type "Bye!".
Naming your macros
If you have a bunch of macros you want to refer to from your keymap, while keeping the keymap easily readable, you can name them using #define at the top of your file.
#define M_HI M(0)
#define M_BYE M(1)
const uint16_t PROGMEM keymaps[][MATRIX_ROWS][MATRIX_COLS] = {
[0] = KEYMAP(
M_HI, M_BYE
),
};
Advanced macro functions
To get more control over the keys/actions your keyboard takes, the following functions are available to you in the action_get_macro() function block:
record->event.pressed
This is a boolean value that can be tested to see if the switch is being pressed or released. An example of this is
if (record->event.pressed) {
// on keydown
} else {
// on keyup
}
register_code(<kc>);
This sends the <kc> keydown event to the computer. Some examples would be KC_ESC, KC_C, KC_4, and even modifiers such as KC_LSFT and KC_LGUI.
unregister_code(<kc>);
Parallel to register_code function, this sends the <kc> keyup event to the computer. If you don't use this, the key will be held down until it's sent.
layer_on(<n>);
This will turn on the layer <n> - the higher layer number will always take priority. Make sure you have KC_TRNS for the key you're pressing on the layer you're switching to, or you'll get stick there unless you have another plan.
layer_off(<n>);
This will turn off the layer <n>.
clear_keyboard();
This will clear all mods and keys currently pressed.
clear_mods();
This will clear all mods currently pressed.
clear_keyboard_but_mods();
This will clear all keys besides the mods currently pressed.
update_tri_layer(layer_1, layer_2, layer_3);
If the user attempts to activate layer 1 AND layer 2 at the same time (for example, by hitting their respective layer keys), layer 3 will be activated. Layers 1 and 2 will also be activated, for the purposes of fallbacks (so a given key will fall back from 3 to 2, to 1 -- and only then to 0).
Example: Single-key copy/paste (hold to copy, tap to paste)
With QMK, it's easy to make one key do two things, as long as one of those things is being a modifier. :) So if you want a key to act as Ctrl when held and send the letter R when tapped, that's easy: CTL_T(KC_R). But what do you do when you want that key to send Ctrl-V (paste) when tapped, and Ctrl-C (copy) when held?
Here's what you do:
const macro_t *action_get_macro(keyrecord_t *record, uint8_t id, uint8_t opt) {
switch(id) {
case 0: {
if (record->event.pressed) {
return MACRO( D(LCTL), T(C), U(LCTL), END );
} else {
return MACRO( D(LCTL), T(V), U(LCTL), END );
}
break;
}
}
return MACRO_NONE;
};
To assign this macro to a key on your keyboard layout, you just use M(0) on the key you want to press for copy/paste.
Dynamic macros: record and replay macros in runtime
In addition to the static macros described above, you may enable the dynamic macros which you may record while writing. They are forgotten as soon as the keyboard is unplugged. Only two such macros may be stored at the same time, with the total length of 64 keypresses (by default).
To enable them, first add a new element to the planck_keycodes enum — DYNAMIC_MACRO_RANGE:
enum planck_keycodes {
QWERTY = SAFE_RANGE,
COLEMAK,
DVORAK,
PLOVER,
LOWER,
RAISE,
BACKLIT,
EXT_PLV,
DYNAMIC_MACRO_RANGE,
};
It must be the last element because dynamic_macros.h will add some more keycodes after it.
Below it include the dynamic_macro.h header:
#include "dynamic_macro.h"`
Add the following keys to your keymap:
DYN_REC_START1— start recording the macro 1,DYN_REC_START2— start recording the macro 2,DYN_MACRO_PLAY1— replay the macro 1,DYN_MACRO_PLAY2— replay the macro 2,DYN_REC_STOP— finish the macro that is currently being recorded.
Add the following code to the very beginning of your process_record_user() function:
if (!process_record_dynamic_macro(keycode, record)) {
return false;
}
That should be everything necessary. To start recording the macro, press either DYN_REC_START1 or DYN_REC_START2. To finish the recording, press the DYN_REC_STOP layer button. To replay the macro, press either DYN_MACRO_PLAY1 or DYN_MACRO_PLAY2.
Note that it's possible to replay a macro as part of a macro. It's ok to replay macro 2 while recording macro 1 and vice versa but never create recursive macros i.e. macro 1 that replays macro 1. If you do so and the keyboard will get unresponsive, unplug the keyboard and plug it again.
For users of the earlier versions of dynamic macros: It is still possible to finish the macro recording using just the layer modifier used to access the dynamic macro keys, without a dedicated DYN_REC_STOP key. If you want this behavior back, use the following snippet instead of the one above:
uint16_t macro_kc = (keycode == MO(_DYN) ? DYN_REC_STOP : keycode);
if (!process_record_dynamic_macro(macro_kc, record)) {
return false;
}
If the LED's start blinking during the recording with each keypress, it means there is no more space for the macro in the macro buffer. To fit the macro in, either make the other macro shorter (they share the same buffer) or increase the buffer size by setting the DYNAMIC_MACRO_SIZE preprocessor macro (default value: 128; please read the comments for it in the header).
For the details about the internals of the dynamic macros, please read the comments in the dynamic_macro.h header.