Using ALT+key unfocuses mouse button clicks

[ral-clan]

Hi,

Strange problem using WinUAE 4.4.0. I run native screenmodes in FULL WINDOW mode. Using software like Deluxe Paint or Brillance I often use keyboard shortcuts instead of menus as it's faster to call functions. In both pieces of software, some keyboard shortcuts require use of the ALT key (i.e. ALT+y flips a brush handle).

Whenever using an ALT+key shortcut, the emulation loses mouse pointer focus (I don't know how to describe it). Maybe it's the mouse pointer losing focus with the "full window". What I mean is, the DPAINT operation for that keyboard shortcut completes as normal, but then I can no longer move the Amiga mouse pointer.

Pressing F12 calls up the WinUAE config panel, and the host OS mouse pointer appears in the config panel, but that pointer will not register mouse button clicks in the config panel (I can still tab around the panel and press ENTER to make selections).

I have found a work-around: pressing F11 will refocus the mouse pointer on either the emulated Amiga or the WinUAE config panel (depending what I am currently in).

This behaviour does not happen when I set Native screenmodes to "Full Screen". However, I need to use "Full Window" for better compatibility with my graphics chip and graphics tablet.

So, while I have a work-around, I'd just like to understand why this weird loss of focus between the mouse pointer and window seems to happen when using ALT+key shortcuts. I'm also wondering if there's any setting (other than using FULLSCREEN mode) to help remedy this.

Full disclosure: I am using WinUAE running under Wine on a Linux system (Lubuntu). It runs perfectly other than this weird behaviour (which might also occur on a Windows system but I have no way to test that).

Thanks.

[jbl007]

That's definitely not a WinUAE issue, but more like a wine/window manager issue.
Thinks you could try:

1. Disable some default key/mouse bindings in

~/.config/openbox/lubuntu-rc.xml

. Edit the file and remove the whole section

<keybind>

</keybind>

you do not want to use. Better create a backup of that file, because xml can be messed up quite easily.

2. Run

winecfg

Got to the "Graphics" tab and untick "Allow window manager to control windows". The downside is, you can't move wine windows anymore, but as you use fullscreen only, maybe you don't need to...

3. Don't use WinUAE, use FS-UAE.

[ral-clan]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try them.

The reason I don't use FS-UAE is I find it doesn't allow the fine control over screen ratios, screen filters and other things that WinUAE does. WinUAE seems to run very well under Wine, so I continued with WinUAE when I switched to Linux.
Maybe it's all there in the Command line but I just don't know about it. It's certainly not evident how to do this from the GUI (FS-UAE Launcher).

FS-UAE doesn't have MIDI support either (yet) which is a big feature for me. (I know it's coming).

Thanks.

[ral-clan]

Originally Posted by jbl007

That's definitely not a WinUAE issue, but more like a wine/window manager issue.
Thinks you could try:

2. Run

winecfg

Got to the "Graphics" tab and untick "Allow window manager to control windows". The downside is, you can't move wine windows anymore, but as you use fullscreen only, maybe you don't need to...

This suggestion (winecfg) fixed the issue. Thanks!

EDIT: Fixed, but introduced a worse issue so I had to switch back. When doing as suggested above it meant that using the middle mouse button to switch to the host system OS desktop (which I use often) would minimize WinUAE and I couldn't get it back again. The emulation was running in the background but there was no way to reopen its "display" and show the Amiga emulated Workbench again. Normally I use the middle mouse button to pop into the host OS, which minimizes and pauses the WinUAE emulation. Then I click on WinUAE in the program task bar to maximize WinUAE and return to the emulation. With the "Allow window manager to control windows" box unticked, pressing the middle mouse button from withing Workbench (which is an RTG full screen display), resulted in switching over to the host OS, but there was no WinUAE "button" in the task bar and I could not find a way to switch back to the emulation. Task Manager did show it was still running in the background though - there was just no way to get to it.

[jbl007]

Originally Posted by ral-clan

there was no WinUAE "button" in the task bar and I could not find a way to switch back to the emulation.

Yepp, that's not surprising. You bypass the window manager entirely: No multi tasking with a full window. It's Amiga or nothing. And if you use "minimize when focus is lost" feature in WinUAE, really bad things will happen...

Does your Alt+... problem only occur with some combinations or with any key. If only some are affected you probably can fix this with the first solution I posted.
If all... something else is strange with the desktop. Perhaps some running app grabs the Alt key...

Some info:
https://unix.stackexchange.com/quest...ilable-to-appl
https://askubuntu.com/questions/9265...map-in-lubuntu
http://xahlee.info/linux/linux_lxde_...shortcuts.html

Edit2:
You could also use WinUAE's advanced input configuration and remap the Amiga's Alt key to another key on your keyboard - problem solved. :-)

[ral-clan]

Did some testing. Seems like when using Amiga emulation in FULL WINDOW mode, *any* ALT+<key> combination causes the mouse pointer to lose focus with the emulation window, not just certain key combinations.

Just a thought --- is there any other way of jumping over to the host OS desktop and back? I just do this so I can occasionally put files from the host OS onto the Amiga drive image, and vice versa.
Maybe if I could find some other way of accomplishing this it could be another work-around that wouldn't conflict with the winecfg solution you suggested.