Keyboard control

Hotkeys / Keyboard control

Most GUI functions can be controlled and also GCode (directly or from file) can be dend via hotkeys.
The list below shows the default assignment with all possible functions.
The file hotkeys.xml must be edited manually, but content and a sand-box to try key-codes are available in [Setup-HotKeys].

Joystick control

Click into the joystick control or press the Num-Lock button to activate the keyboard control - background color switches to green. As long as the focus is on one of the joystick controls, the machine can be controlled via the keyboard (background is green):

Implemented controls - default:

• XY Directions (wind rose) S, SE, E, NE, N, NW, W, SW via 8,9,6,3,2,1,4,7
  also S, E, N, W via arrow keys
• Z Directions via + and -

Change green marker in control to select step size and speed:

• XY++ via HOME
• XY-- via END
• Z++ via Page Up
• Z-- via Page Down

Content of hotkeys.xml

I hope the key-words for "action" are meaningful enough and default assignments are user-friendly.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<hotkeys name="GRBL-Plotter default">

  <!-- Individual gcode or scripts can be defined like this -->
  <bind keydata="F1, Control, Alt" code="_misc/script_pen_remove.nc" />
  <bind keydata="F2, Control, Alt" code="G90 X99" />
  
  <!-- Jog commands will only be sent if any virtual joystick control is focused -->
  <bind keydata="Left" 		action="JogAxisXDec" />
  <bind keydata="NumPad4" 	action="JogAxisXDec" />
  <bind keydata="Right" 	action="JogAxisXInc" />
  <bind keydata="NumPad6" 	action="JogAxisXInc" />
  <bind keydata="Down" 		action="JogAxisYDec" />
  <bind keydata="NumPad2" 	action="JogAxisYDec" />
  <bind keydata="Up" 		action="JogAxisYInc" />
  <bind keydata="NumPad8" 	action="JogAxisYInc" />

  <bind keydata="NumPad1" 	action="JogAxisXDecYDec" />
  <bind keydata="NumPad7" 	action="JogAxisXDecYInc" />
  <bind keydata="NumPad9" 	action="JogAxisXIncYInc" />
  <bind keydata="NumPad3" 	action="JogAxisXIncYDec" />

  <bind keydata="Add" 		action="JogAxisZDec" />
  <bind keydata="Subtract"	action="JogAxisZInc" />
  <bind keydata="NumPad0" 	action="JogAxisADec" />
  <bind keydata="Decimal" 	action="JogAxisAInc" />
  <bind keydata="Insert" 	action="JogAxisADec" />
  <bind keydata="Delete" 	action="JogAxisAInc" />

  <bind keydata="NumPad5" 	action="JogAxisStop" />

  <bind keydata="Home" 		action="JogSpeedXYInc" />
  <bind keydata="End" 		action="JogSpeedXYDec" />
  <bind keydata="PageUp" 	action="JogSpeedZInc" />
  <bind keydata="PageDown"	action="JogSpeedZDec" />

  <!-- Buttons on GUI-->
  <bind keydata="A, Control, Alt"	action="StreamStartPause" />
  <bind keydata="Space, Control, Alt"	action="StreamStop" />
  <bind keydata="S, Control, Alt"	action="StreamCheck" />

  <bind keydata="F10, Control"	    action="ToggleSpindle" />
  <bind keydata="F11, Control"	    action="ToggleCoolant" />
  <bind keydata="F12, Control"	    action="ToggleToolInSpindle" />

  <bind keydata="D1, Control"	action="OverrideFeedDec10" />
  <bind keydata="D2, Control"	action="OverrideFeedDec1" />
  <bind keydata="D3, Control"	action="OverrideFeedSet100" />
  <bind keydata="D4, Control"	action="OverrideFeedInc1" />
  <bind keydata="D5, Control"	action="OverrideFeedInc10" />

  <bind keydata="D1, Control, Alt"	action="OverrideSpindleDec10" />
  <bind keydata="D2, Control, Alt"	action="OverrideSpindleDec1" />
  <bind keydata="D3, Control, Alt"	action="OverrideSpindleSet100" />
  <bind keydata="D4, Control, Alt"	action="OverrideSpindleInc1" />
  <bind keydata="D5, Control, Alt"	action="OverrideSpindleInc10" />

  <!-- Set coordinates to zero -->
  <bind keydata="Q, Control, Alt"	action="OffsetX" />
  <bind keydata="W, Control, Alt"	action="OffsetY" />
  <bind keydata="E, Control, Alt"	action="OffsetZ" />
  <bind keydata="R, Control, Alt"	action="OffsetA" />
  <bind keydata="T, Control, Alt"	action="OffsetXY" />
  <!-- Keyboard DE -->
  <bind keydata="Z, Control, Alt"	action="OffsetXYZ" />
  <!-- Keyboard US -->
  <bind keydata="Y, Control, Alt"	action="OffsetXYZ" />

  <!-- Move to zero -->
  <bind keydata="Q, Control"	action="MoveZeroX" />
  <bind keydata="W, Control"	action="MoveZeroY" />
  <bind keydata="E, Control"	action="MoveZeroZ" />
  <bind keydata="R, Control"	action="MoveZeroA" />
  <bind keydata="T, Control"	action="MoveZeroXY" />

  <!-- grbl specific -->
  <bind keydata="H, Control, Alt"	action="grblHome" />
  <bind keydata="F, Control, Alt"	action="grblFeedHold" />
  <bind keydata="R, Control, Alt"	action="grblReset" />
  <bind keydata="G, Control, Alt"	action="grblResume" />
  <bind keydata="X, Control, Alt"	action="grblKillAlarm" />

  <!-- Custom Button commands will only be sent if buttons are enabled -->
  <bind keydata="F1" action="CustomButton1" />
  <bind keydata="F2" action="CustomButton2" />
  <bind keydata="F3" action="CustomButton3" />
  <bind keydata="F4" action="CustomButton4" />
  <bind keydata="F5" action="CustomButton5" />
  <bind keydata="F6" action="CustomButton6" />
  <bind keydata="F7" action="CustomButton7" />
  <bind keydata="F8" action="CustomButton8" />
  <bind keydata="F9" action="CustomButton9" />
  <bind keydata="F10" action="CustomButton10" />
  <bind keydata="F11" action="CustomButton11" />
  <bind keydata="F12" action="CustomButton12" />
  <bind keydata="F1, Control" action="CustomButton13" />
  <bind keydata="F2, Control" action="CustomButton14" />
  <bind keydata="F3, Control" action="CustomButton15" />
  <bind keydata="F4, Control" action="CustomButton16" />

</hotkeys>

Special functions (starts with #):

#Start (Start streaming)
#Stop (Stop streaming)
#F-10 (-1, 100, +1, +10 Feedr. override)
#S-10 (-1, 100, +1, +10 Spindle spd o.)
#RST (soft reset via CTRL-X)
#HRST (hardware reset via DTR/RTS)