Scancode always 0 for physical keys

[stephanbogner]

Godot version

v3.4.4.stable.official

System information

macOS Monterey 12.1

Issue description

I am not sure if this is the intended behaviour when working with physical keys, because I didn't find any information in the docs about this.

Description:

• (See example code below for easier understanding)
• When I try to access the scancode of a physical button (defined in the Input Map) it always returns 0.
• If I retrieve the scan code for a "normal" key it works as intended (e.g. 32 for the space-bar)

Expectation:

• My assumption would have been that the scancode equals whatever the current hardware's keys represent.
• Example (as explained in the blog post) WASD equals ZQSD on a French keyboard:
  • That would mean that the scancode for physical W-key (scancode 87) would refer to the Z-key on a French keyboard and thus return the scancode 90

Context

• I am trying to make a smooth way to handle different control schemes (a user should be able to switch between control schemes or even create a custom one). I was trying to abstract it to support local multiplayer nicely.
• Main code idea: Compare the scancode of an input key with the scancode of the (physical) keys defined in the Input Map.

Steps to reproduce

Input map

Code

func _ready():
	print('Physical:')
	var scancode_physical = InputMap.get_action_list("debug_button")[0].scancode
	var keyname_physical = OS.get_scancode_string(scancode_physical)
	print('Scancode: ', scancode_physical, ' = ', keyname_physical)
	
	print('')
	
	print('Not physical:')
	var scancode = InputMap.get_action_list("debug_button")[1].scancode
	var keyname = OS.get_scancode_string(scancode)
	print('Scancode: ', scancode, ' = ', keyname)

Output

Physical:
Scancode: 0 = 

Not physical:
Scancode: 32 = Space

Minimal reproduction project

No response

[KoBeWi]

Physical events use physical_scancode instead.

[stephanbogner]

@KoBeWi
Wow that reply was fast! Thanks for the clarification! ❤️
(As this solves my question I am closing the issue)

I also discovered issue 3571 now which helped me understand a bit more.

I don't really understand why there are separate ways to get the scancode, as the physical_scancode for non-physical keys is 0 (so it seems streamlining to scancode could make sense) ... but I am still learning so there probably is a good reason 🙂

Code

func _ready():
	print('Physical:')
	var action_physical = InputMap.get_action_list("debug_button")[0]
	print('scancode_physical: ', action_physical.physical_scancode )
	print('scancode: ', action_physical.scancode )
	print('')
	print('Not physical:')
	var action = InputMap.get_action_list("debug_button")[1]
	print('scancode_physical: ', action.physical_scancode )
	print('scancode: ', action.scancode )

Output

Physical:
scancode_physical: 32
scancode: 0

Not physical:
scancode_physical: 0
scancode: 32

[lolouthefox]

Where did get_action_list go? It doesn't work anymore, anything changed?