Re-Stick® is a resident Windows utility, whose main purpose is letting you switch on the fly the maps loaded on UltraStik 360 joysticks (see www.ultimarc.com for details).

This is accomplished by assigning an "action" to a key (on your keyboard) or to a combination of buttons (on your joystick).

There are several possible actions; here is a complete list:

• stuff a sequence of keys in the keyboard buffer
• run an application
• select next UltraStik map
• select previous UltraStik map
• select default UltraStik map
• filter out the key
• load another ReStick configuration
• show application switcher (a simple Task Manager)

Every action can also include the selection of a specific window.

To let you know what is currently loaded, Re-Stick plays a Wav file with the same name of the configuration whenever you change it; a set of standard configurations and corresponding Wav files is installed with the program. Map loading is performed by invoking in the background UltraMap.

A configurable delay is available, so that you can first listen to the current configuration before changing it; map is changed only if the action is repeated within the configured time lapse, while the first action only reads the current map.

Re-Stick is actually made up of two programs:

• a configurator, where you define the actions and the other options;
• an invisible, resident utility that uses the configuration prepared and executes the actions (written in Visual C++).

This design makes the resident part very small, so that it can be loaded at startup and forgotten.

Quick startup

When the configurator is run for the first time, it creates a standard configuration that includes the following actions:

• Numpad Multiply = switch to next joystick map
• Numpad Add = show application switcher
• Numpad Subtract = display Windows joystick calibration

Only the keyboard is monitored; if you want to enable actions based on joystick buttons, select the tab "Other settings", check the option "Poll joystick" and from the drop-down combo select the device that will be used. Then, return to the "Actions" tab, select the "Joystick" radio button and add the actions as needed.

Before applying the configuration, check that UltraMap path is correct (Other settings). 
When you click on Apply, the resident part of Re-Stick will be updated (or launched, if it was not running).
When you are satisfied with the configuration, you can save it to file (menu File, Save configuration) and make the resident part of Re-Stick runs at system startup (menu Links, Add to Startup).
 

Download

Re-stick® version 1.0 (freeware)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How does Re-Stick speaks out configuration names?
A: It plays a standard Wav file with the same name as the configuration, if available.

Q: Is it possible to use Re-Stick if I don't own an Ultrastik 360?
A: Yes, but you must specify anyway an executable (Ultramap pathname in settings); in this case it is also useful to deselect "Load first configuration upon start/apply". You will miss the remap functionality, but Re-Stick is also useful for running other programs or to stuff key-macros.

Q: Can I use more than one configuration?
A: Yes, you can map a key/button to load a different configuration. This is useful for games like "Tron", where you could decide to switch on-the-fly only between 4 ways and 8 ways, depending on the stage you are playing.

Q: Is it possibile to have feature [blah blah..]?
A: Sorry, no time. This version is final.

For additional information write to szp@zanella-hifi.com.

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