A li a s Fi le G u i d e
Introduction to alias Files
IDI devices are multi-configurable to work seamlessly with multiple software application and games.
Alias files are used to display the standard input commands by their program specific names.
using alias files
Chose the operating system default or a specific file for a game or program
alias file format
Standard tab delimited spreadsheet files properly formatted, contain the alias information for a
program
add keycombos to alias files
Add key combos to your button assignment choices by editing the default alias file.
creating new alias files
Create new alias files for programs using the default alias file as a template
Introduction to Alias Files
To start, what is an "Alias"?
"Aliases" are the special names given to generic commands by an application.
For instance, CTRL C means pressing the 'c' and the CTRL key at the same time. This is a generic key press.
Most programs use this generic key combo for an operation called "Copy". So "Copy" is an alias of CTRL C.
Its true many programs use the same alias for CTRL C, (Copy) but in general, most programs have their own
names and special meanings for mouse commands, keys and keycombos.
Key Application Alias or special meaning
a Word a means the letter a
a Quake III strafe left
a DrawIt open snap menu
CTRL A Word select all
CTRL A Quake III nothing, unassigned
In the above example, what is a "snap menu"?
Not sure. Yes, aliases aren't just names, they are command references with special meanings for
each program
So you need a different alias file for each
program?
Right, ideally. Alias files also include program related explanations for the aliases. As noted, not all
aliases make sense until you learn the program. So the alias files also contain help to learn them. This
helps you learn the program.
Alias spreadsheet file (Oblivion)and related Configurator display
●Alias files are spreadsheet files that connect "behind the scenes" to the Configurator.
●The Configurator is designed so that ordinary spreadsheet files (properly formatted!) supply the command list information
that is displayed for the mouse button, scroll action, key and key combo button assignments ( like the Keyboard Functions
menu shown.)
●The Configurator supports 30 different device configurations. Each configuration can have its own alias file.
●You can use a different alias file with each configuration, or use the same alias file with multiple configurations.
●As you can see, the alias file is a big table with a row for each of the PC input controls, (all the mouse buttons and
keyboard keys) and columns for the program's alias and information for each one.
●Alias files support all mouse button, scroll action, key press and key combo assignments to buttons. More complex
assignments are handled by macros.
Alias file use
What do alias files do exactly?
Alias files control the drop down menus in the
Configurator that display mouse, scroll and keyboard
commands. Alias files created for specific programs
cause the menus to display the program names for the
PC input commands instead of the generic ones.
Even the standard keyboard and mouse selections are
displayed from a (default) alias file.
Windows Configurator: filename = windows aliases.txt.
Mac Configurator: filename = aliasfile.txt.
These are located in the /alias subdirectory of the
OmniDevice installation.
Like any alias files, they can be edited to change or add
additional (key combos or scrolling) commands
What if there isn't an alias file for a program I am
using?
Use the default alias file. This will display all the standard inputs with their generic names.
For the Windows Configurator this file is Windows aliases.txt
For the Mac Configurator the file is aliasfile.txt
You can create an alias file for a program, and GWS will also "host and post"
alias files for a variety of programs and games. Check at www.gamingmouse.com for more info.
How does an alias file get "hooked up" to the
Configurator?
Alias files are located in the /alias subdirectory. (You can have as many as you like.)
The files in this directory display in the Alias file Selection Drop Down List on the Configuration
Properties page Settings tab for each configuration. This is how you associate one with a
configuration.
Is there a "rule of thumb" for using alias files?
There is no requirement for how you use alias files. They are supplied for your convenience.
Alias files are created to work with a particular program, which means you potentially can have many
of them, especially as they are user-creatable.
You can use the default alias file for your configurations, as is. You can optionally edit and "beef up"
your default alias file to contain more keycombos and scroll macros, and support your configurations
that way.
You can also create or edit an alias file for use with multiple configurations that are used with a
similar program, like FPS games, or Video Editors which share keyboard use patterns, (wasd) key
combos and other input commands.
How do I change or reset my alias file for a
configuration?
Each configuration has an alias file property, and you set this on the configuration Properties page
Settings tab for the configuration.
alias file format
What is the format for the alias file?
Its a tab delimited spreadsheet file. This means that information in each line is separated by the tab character,
and each row ends with a Windows (CR LF) or Mac OS X (LF).
Does every spreadsheet program support this
format?
Pretty much, thats one reason its used. If you don't happen to have a spreadsheet program that does,
try the Open Office spreadsheet Calc. Its free and you can download it here.
