Powertoys: [Keyboard Manager] Support for multiple keyboards / differentiating input from multiple keyboards

[PatrickRodowicz]

Support for multiple keyboards / differentiating input from multiple keyboards

It would be incredible if we could differentiate the input from different keyboards and remap keys/shortcuts from a particular device. (I think to your point at 2.6.3 here: https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/wiki/Keyboard-Manager#263-multiple-keyboards--shortcut-support). Use cases would be setting up a seperate numberpad or second keyboard would include:

Use as a macropad or external shortcut device
Productivity enhancement for custom shortcuts in video editing, content creation, or Photoshop
A replacement for expensive 3rd party solutions like Elgato Streamdeck
As an external controller/HID for gaming / sims
Triggering custom scripts via something like AutoHotkey

There's a large community creating macropads, but at the moment the process in doing so in Windows is quite difficult, requiring either proprietary and expensive hardware and bundled software, or trying to do something like flash a keyboard's firmware with QMK, or using HIDMacros (which is deprecated and no longer maintained), etc. Implementing keyboard-specific key detection would eliminate a lot of complexity for a lot of people!

Thanks for your consideration!

[revodavid]

This would be useful for me. I use an external Mac keyboard where I need to swap the Alt and Command (Windows) keys, but don't want to do the same swap on my Surface Book 2 keyboard.

[openmindead]

swap the Alt and Command (Windows) keys

This is definitely what lots of people want!

1. Swap Cmd and Alt
2. Set ISO layout to 0
3. Enable function keys by default

Like it can be easily done in Linux:

options hid_apple fnmode=2
options hid_apple swap_opt_cmd=1
options hid_apple iso_layout=0

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Apple_Keyboard

[ParallelMayhem]

Yes please!
Would find this super useful for productivity and something I've been able to achieve very well with other software.

[saahmedm]

hi, I understand the use-case and its a great addition. unfortunately his is currently not available to do with public APIs, and only at the driver level. we're hoping that changes but in the meantime this isn't in the plans for v1

closing as duplicate as well #1460 and #3421