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Macros

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hifihedgehog edited this page Mar 6, 2026 · 36 revisions

Macros

Macros let you trigger sequences of actions with button combinations. Press a combo on your controller, and PadForge can output button presses, key presses, delays, and axis values automatically. Macros are configured per virtual controller slot on the Macros tab.

Macros

Creating a Macro

  1. Navigate to a virtual controller slot and switch to the Macros tab.
  2. Click Add to create a new macro.
  3. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Quick Chat", "Turbo Fire", "Screenshot").
  4. Set up the trigger (the button combo that activates the macro).
  5. Add actions (what happens when the macro fires).
  6. Configure repeat and trigger options as needed.

Trigger Setup

The trigger is the button combination you press to activate the macro. All trigger buttons must be pressed simultaneously.

Trigger Sources

Source Description
Input Device Records raw button presses from your physical controller. Useful for triggering on device-specific buttons like the DualSense touchpad or microphone button that do not have standard gamepad mappings.
Output Controller Records from the virtual controller's mapped output. Useful when you want the trigger to work with the same button names regardless of which physical device is connected.

Recording a Trigger

  1. Click Record Trigger.
  2. Press and hold the button(s) on your controller that you want as the trigger combo.
  3. Click Stop when all desired buttons are shown in the live display.
  4. The trigger combination is saved.

Trigger Modes

Mode When the Macro Fires
On Press The moment the trigger combo is fully pressed
On Release When you let go of the trigger combo after pressing it
While Held Continuously, for as long as the trigger combo is held down

Actions

Actions are the steps the macro performs when it fires. Actions execute in order from top to bottom.

Action Types

Action What It Does
Button Press Presses a virtual controller button
Button Release Releases a virtual controller button
Key Press Presses a keyboard key
Key Release Releases a keyboard key
Delay Waits a specified number of milliseconds before the next action
Axis Set Sets a virtual controller axis to a specific value

Building an Action Sequence

  1. Click Add Action to add a step.
  2. Choose the action type from the dropdown.
  3. Configure the action (select which button, which key, how long to delay, etc.).
  4. Add more actions as needed. The sequence executes top to bottom.
  5. Click the delete button to remove an action.

Example — Quick melee combo:

  1. Button Press: Y
  2. Delay: 50ms
  3. Button Release: Y
  4. Delay: 100ms
  5. Button Press: B
  6. Delay: 50ms
  7. Button Release: B

Repeat Modes

Mode Behavior
Once The action sequence runs one time
Fixed Count The sequence repeats a set number of times (e.g., 3 presses)
Until Release The sequence repeats continuously until you release the trigger buttons (requires "While Held" trigger mode)

Consume Trigger Buttons

When Consume trigger buttons is enabled (the default), the trigger buttons are removed from the virtual controller output so the game does not see them. This prevents the game from receiving both the trigger button presses and the macro output.

Disable this option if you want the trigger buttons to pass through to the game alongside the macro actions.

How Input Consumption Works

When "Consume trigger buttons" is enabled, the trigger button combination is removed from the virtual controller output so games do not see it. For keyboard and mouse triggers, the mapped keys or buttons are intercepted before they reach other applications, so PadForge can still read the trigger while games see nothing.

If "Consume trigger buttons" is unchecked, the trigger buttons pass through to the game alongside the macro actions.

Custom DirectInput Button Support

When a slot is set to DirectInput with the Custom preset, macros support up to 128 buttons. The trigger recording and button action lists dynamically expand to show all available buttons based on the ButtonCount setting.

For Xbox 360 and DualShock 4 output types (or DirectInput with gamepad presets), macros use the standard gamepad button names (A, B, X, Y, LB, RB, etc.).

Tips

  • Keep delays realistic. Very short delays (under 10ms) may not register in some games.
  • Test macros in-game. What works on paper may need timing adjustments for specific games.
  • Use "Consume trigger buttons" to avoid unintended game input from the trigger combo.
  • Disable macros you are not using by unchecking the enable checkbox on each macro. Disabled macros are preserved but do not fire.

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