CVAR ActionButtonUseKeyDown. Why this matters: Macro Cycling not firing
The War Within has changed this again. If using Actionbar Overrides the value of ActionButtonUseKeyDown must be false. The impact of CVAR ActionButtonUseKeyDown on GSE outside this is limited as you can only /click other buttons now that are not running macrotext commands.
GSE works best when WoW is set to operate the instant when you press the key (KeyDown). Now from TBC to the launch of Dragonflight, this didn’t matter but Blizzard now requires mods to specify which mode (KeyUp or KeyDown) they will use. This has an impact on mods and macros and is something you will need to understand. GSE will be defaulting to KeyDown to operate as it always has. The symptom that your UI is in one mode and GSE is setup for the other is you click the button and nothing happens. The icon updates but the spells doesn’t get cast.
GSE depends on the WoW macro /click command and how that command works is different completely for KeyUp and KeyDown. Once loaded GSE can listen for that setting to change but on load that setting is not always available so it goes with what it was last set to.
This setting is stored server side. Uninstalling and reinstalling just puts you back exactly where you were. Until you fix the problem you can uninstall and reinstall 100000 times and nothing will change.
The common reasons for this to occur: Blizzard patched something and reset this setting, another mod was updated and changed this setting or the wind changed outside and the result is that this setting changed. It’s not something you have any control over but need to keep on top of.
The fix: set it to KeyUp and see if it’s the same. If so set it KeyDown.
Each GSE Template – NOTE the thing you load into GSE isn’t a macro. It is a template from which GSE creates a hidden UI Button that is programmed to execute a series of macros (each action) which it compiles from your template – is divorced from the WoW UI. It needs a “Stub macro” to click the button so GSE can execute your step. This Stub macro looks like
#showtooltip
/click [button:1] ELFFERALST LeftButton t; [button:2] ELFFERALST RightButton t; [button:3] ELFFERALST MiddleButton t; [button:4] ELFFERALST Button4 t; [button:5] ELFFERALST Button5 t; ELFFERALST
NOW each of those things are needed by GSE and do things. If you are using KeyDown (Fire as soon as I hit it) then the LeftButton section is needed and also you need to use the command /click MYSUBMACRO LeftButton t for chained macros (see Chaining Macros).
If you are using KeyUp instead then this all changes. The LeftButton stuff becomes implied and if it is specified then it wont fire. So you are left with an either or situation. Use KeyDown (Performance) or KeyUp (Control)
In GSE’s Options there is a troubleshooting tab now. If your macro is cycling you have the following choices BUT you need to decide if using keyup or keydown.
- Update Macro Stubs - This will reset your macro stubs in /macro to the KeyDown state they need to be. If using KeyUp - you will need to modify these stubs manually.
- Toggle the ActionButtonUseKeyDown CVar
- You can now also FORCE GSE to reset to a particular mode of either KeyUp or KeyDown
The picture shows GSE's Troubleshooting Tab.
To make things more interesting ElvUI at the time of writing forces KeyUp mode on login. This has since been rectified but Bartender has been reported as forcing KeyUp Mode whenever you login.
When you login to a character for the first time on 3.1.17 it will reset all the macro stubs to either KeyUp or KeyDown based on the value of ActionButtonUseKeyDownCVar
3.1.19 also manages the /click command in templates and auto adjusts it depending on the value of ActionButtonUseKeyDown
Actionbar Overrides require CVAR ActionButtonUseKeyDown to be false ie using KeyUp mode instead of KeyDown.