Mouse use single click instead of double?

[exp(x)]

Is it possible to edit the configuration file to have "use" bound to a single mouse click instead of double? I never use the mouse button to move forward anyway.

[RjY]

In some source ports, yes, but in doom.exe, unless somebody came up with something clever like the always-run hack, no. The double click actions are hard-wired into the executable, and the only actions you can choose to bind to mouse keys are fire, strafe on, and forward. It might be possible to hack the binary but I wouldn't recommend it!

[exp(x)]

That's what I thought. Thanks.

[myk]

RjY said:
In some source ports, yes, but in doom.exe, unless somebody came up with something clever like the always-run hack, no.

It should be possible with a TSR that maps keys to mouse buttons.

[exp(x)]

Is it possible to do in prboom on linux, though?

[myk]

Not sure, though probably by hacking the source code.

[exp(x)]

I was able to bind right click to the space bar with xbindkeys and xmacroplay, but this doesn't seem to affect prboom at all. Oh well.

[ultdoomer]

I have a question that's similar but opposite to exp(x)'s.

I use the left mouse-button to walk/run. Sometimes when I release the button after holding it down for a period of time, then press it again to resume running, it executes "use". Is there a way to disable double-clicking functions in PrBoom?

[Kristian Ronge]

Don't get me started on doom(2).exe's and PrBoom's design in this respect. I always use the right mouse button for "use", but it requires a double-click in all of these engines (it is possible to bind the right mouse button to "use" in the original engines by editing the .cfg, but the in-game behaviour is just as irritating as it is in PrBoom, i.e. it still requires a double-click).

The most annoying thing, though, is that the "use" is executed very briefly, right after I finish the double-click (regardless of how long I click and how long the interval between the clicks is, I've experimented with this). This sometimes causes me to miss flipping a switch, etc. which is of course very irritating when speedrunning. :-(

Anyway, I've had this problem for years now, and there seems to be no way around it. I even tried a TSR after Myk's recommendation some time ago, with no luck. It's still possible to live with, though, once you get used to it.

EDIT: Some small corrections.

[myk]

Kristian Ronge said:
The most annoying thing, though, is that the "use" is executed very briefly, right after I finish the double-click (regardless of how long I click and how long the interval between the clicks is, I've experimented with this). This sometimes causes me to miss flipping a switch, etc. which is of course very irritating when speedrunning.

From experience, using the second mouse button to move forward (or simply "use") is bad; it will complicate maneuvers when facing doors and such, because as you move or stop you can accidentally activate switches. I used to move forward thus but recently added a forward key, keeping the second mouse button as forward for some maneuvers (mainly strafe50) but keeping my finger off it most of the time.

[Donce]

Well, I use the left button for walking and the right button for strafing. The double-click "use" action used to irritate me but I got used and now when I play e.g. a Zdoom level, I automatically double click in front of a door and I'm like "Hey, what the heck?" when it doeasn't work :)

Double-clicking now isn't a problem for me most of the time, just I often tend to close a just-opened door, before I walk through it, and I often seem to grunt on a wall for no reason when I strafe behind a corner when fighting monsters (because of quick press-release-press again right mouse button that does the strafing).

[Grazza]

I spent a fair bit of time trying to find a way to disable that double-click function or map it to somewhere else where it isn't a problem, but without success (even remapping the mouse buttons via the Windows control panel doesn't help).

However, this was a blessing, as it forced me to adopt a much better control set-up when I switched to PrBoom, and this in turn made it easier when using Doom2.exe.

I use my right mouse button (the one for which double click = use applies) for "Strafe On", but only for strafe-50, not for standard strafing. I use this button a lot, but the nature of strafe-50 usage means that I never end up making a double click (or almost never, perhaps - if I do, then I'm not aware of it, and I'm not generally near something that can be "used" at those moments). I have the space bar for "use", and it is usually quite easy to get a thumb onto it (the only awkward time is when I want to "use" while SR50-ing, or just after/before).

It would be nice if a future version of PrBoom made it possible to disable the double click though, as extra options can't hurt. I'd stick with my current set-up though, not least because it also works with Doom2.exe.

[myk]

Donce said:
just I often tend to close a just-opened door,

That's what bothered me most; I'd stop before a just opened door, click to move, and close the door in my face. But since I go backward clicking Control with the edge of my hand, it's like I have 6 fingers for use, run, and the four directions. So I didn't mind resorting to only one mouse button (fire) with the other one left unused except rarely (run/use.)

[myk]

Kristian Ronge said:
(it is possible to bind the right mouse button to "use" in the original engines by editing the .cfg, but the in-game behaviour is just as irritating as it is in PrBoom, i.e. it still requires a double-click).

The only options for the mouse buttons are mouseb_fire, mouseb_strafe, and mouseb_forward. What is true though (and I wasn't aware of till today!) is that the double-click use is always bound to either mouseb_strafe or mouseb_forward, and both if the two are enabled.

For anyone bothered by accidentally closing doors while moving I'd recommend using a key to move forward and leaving the mouse button for strafe, which is (naturally) useful for strafe50.

Still, I think it's pretty good that PrBoom sticks to limitations like this one. It's already much more permissive than Doom in regard to key bindings, but some limitations encourage a degree of manual compatibility. Plus any player who still has access to the originals and has any use for them should rather find setups that work on either engine. Also, PrBoom acts pretty much like Boom as far as key bindings go.

I remember that one of the things I didn't like about ZDaemon was that you can't bind use to a button double-click. Well, you can, but then any single and double-click setting can't be used simultaneously (i.e., you stop moving when activating the use function.) I'm not sure if this has been fixed, but it would go along with the other "old school" options added to it recently.