MouseCrank — mouse input for hand-cranked turrets

[Mezentius]

**updated 8/21/2023**

 

Download latest release (v0.2.0): INSTALLER or ZIP

(also requires Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime 7 x64)

+

Steel Beasts Test Scenario for Calibration

 

Are you a Fennek fiend? A Scimitar simp? Do you love driving tanks with hand-cranked turrets, but hate mashing arrow keys? Well, mash no more! It's MouseCrank, a free utility that uses your mouse input to generate arrow-key presses for manually-traversed turrets.

Features

• Toggle on and off with a configurable keybind
• Runs in the background, minimizes to tray, and sleeps when not in use for next-to-zero performance impact
• User-configurable sensitivity and curve settings, saved between sessions
• Sounds to indicate toggle state
• Sends keys exclusively to the Steel Beasts application — no errant key presses!
• DPI-aware
• Free and open source! (https://github.com/musurca/MouseCrank)

How do I use it?

1. Install MouseCrank. (If you see a security warning, please refer to the Q&A section below.)
2. Run MouseCrank, either from the Windows Start menu, or by directly running the .exe. (Note that MouseCrank also requires the .NET Desktop Runtime 7 x64, which you'll be prompted to install if you haven't done so already.)
3. Set your Toggle Key (default is Caps Lock) and Toggle Volume. (I've set the Calibration settings to a decent default — I recommend not messing with them until you've tried them.)
4. Minimize MouseCrank, then start Steel Beasts.
5. Load a scenario featuring a tank with a hand-cranked turret, such as the Fennek, Warrior, Scimitar, or BMP-2. (Or use this calibration scenario.)
6. Switch to the gunner's GPS, and tap your Toggle Key. If you kept the Toggle Volume up, you should hear a clicking sound. You can now traverse the turret by moving the mouse around the center of the screen, in the same way that you would traverse a powered turret.
7. When you've aimed at your target, tap the Toggle Key again to stop using the mouse for traversal.
8. You can alt-tab over to MouseCrank and adjust the Calibration more to your liking as you play. When you close MouseCrank, your settings will be saved for your next session.

Q&A

Q: What's the deal with the Microsoft Defender SmartScreen security warning that pops up when I install it?

A: Dealing with paranoid warnings is one of the unfortunate realities of developing software for Windows without an expensive code-signing subscription. To bypass this warning, click "More Info..." and then the "Run Anyway" button (and if you don't see the "More Info..." option, this article will show you how to fix it). If you have security concerns, I've provided the full source code for you to audit, which I distribute through my account on GitHub using my real name. You can even build this app from scratch with Visual Studio 2022 if you don't want to use my installer.

 

Q: Will MouseCrank give me an unfair advantage in PvP multiplayer?

A: Not really. MouseCrank will not allow you to traverse a hand-cranked turret any faster than you could with the arrow keys, nor would that be possible given the hard limits of the physical simulation in Steel Beasts. It's a tool to reduce fatigue, increase enjoyment, and open up a class of hand-cranked tanks to users with accessibility issues.

 

Q: Why won't MouseCrank work if I run Steel Beasts with admin privileges?

A: MouseCrank can only send keypresses to applications with the same privilege level—so if you're running Steel Beast as an administrator, you'll also have to do the same for MouseCrank. To do this, right-click on MouseCrank.exe (in C:\Program Files (x86)\MouseCrank by default if you used the installer), go to Properties -> Compatibility, check "Run this program as an administrator," then click OK.

Caveats, Fine Print, etc.

• This software is an unofficial add-on for Steel Beasts Pro PE and is not a product of eSim Games. Please do not ask eSim to provide support for MouseCrank.
• I'd like to avoid any discussion of whether mouse input for hand-cranked turrets is a Good Thing or a Bad Thing, whether or not it should be built-in, etc etc.; there's a different forum thread for that. This thread is best used for comments, suggestions, and bug reports from MouseCrank enthusiasts and the MouseCrank-curious.

 

Beyond that, enjoy crankin'! And please let me know if you find any weird issues, or have any suggestions for additional features. (If you're a developer and would like to contribute to the project, please feel free to make a pull request via GitHub.)

 

 

Edited August 29 by Mezentius

[Mezentius]

Updated MouseCrank to v0.2.0. You can grab the new installer or zip file here or from the link at the top.

 

You should have somewhat more granular control of the cranking with the mouse in this version. Also, the crank will toggle itself off automatically if you alt-tab away from the Steel Beasts window (with an audible click if you have the sounds on). 

 

I've also updated the post above with a video of MouseCrank in action.

Edited August 24 by Mezentius

[Apocalypse 31]

Very nice. Thank you. 

[Leon Portier]

Oop time to try this out! Love me some open sauce!

Why does it need admin priviliges?

Edited August 27 by Leon Portier

[Mezentius]

1 hour ago, Leon Portier said:

Why does it need admin priviliges?

 

MouseCrank itself doesn't need admin privileges. Only the MouseCrank installer requires admin privileges because it installs into the Program Files directory and gives you an uninstaller. If you don't want that, you can use the ZIP package instead and create your own folder for it.

 

HOWEVER: if you run Steel Beasts with admin privileges (as some do), you will need to also run MouseCrank with admin privileges, as otherwise it won't be able to send keypresses to another application with a higher privilege level. I'll add that to the main post.

[Leon Portier]

On 8/27/2023 at 11:26 PM, Mezentius said:

 

MouseCrank itself doesn't need admin privileges. Only the MouseCrank installer requires admin privileges because it installs into the Program Files directory and gives you an uninstaller. If you don't want that, you can use the ZIP package instead and create your own folder for it.

 

HOWEVER: if you run Steel Beasts with admin privileges (as some do), you will need to also run MouseCrank with admin privileges, as otherwise it won't be able to send keypresses to another application with a higher privilege level. I'll add that to the main post.

Thanks, sounds like the zip is just for me! My mouse will be cranked

Edited August 29 by Leon Portier

[TSe419E]

Thanks for this.  FYI it does not work with the BMP-2 missile.

[Mezentius]

On 8/29/2023 at 5:57 PM, TSe419E said:

Thanks for this.  FYI it does not work with the BMP-2 missile.

Apologies for the delay, just had a moment to try to test this-- unfortunately I wasn't able to reproduce your issue, and I was able to use MouseCrank with the BMP-2 ATGM without problems. Is it possible one of the critical keys was rebound on your end?

 

My steps to fire are:

1) From the gunner's seat, F4 to switch to the ATGM optics.

2) Shift-B to unlock the ATGM sight door.

3) Use powered (normal) traverse to find the target azimuth.

4) Hit V to activate the ATGM.

5) Turn on MouseCrank (with whatever hot key you use; for me it's Caps Lock per the default).

6) Space to fire the ATGM, then use the mouse to put the ATGM on target with MouseCrank.

Edited September 11 by Mezentius

[TSe419E]

I’ll try it again.

[Nike-Ajax]

It works with BMP-2

 

I just checked it: its still difficult to hit a moving vehicle but not impossible.