Left and Right ALT keys are not mapped the same? (1.1.084 Win 11)

Subpath

i wonder where you get that right Alt-Key ?

My Keyboard have only a Left Alt-Key
and a right ALT GR-Key so this is in my eyes
a ALT+CTRL-Key

and as Composite Shapes works only
with the Left (really) ALT-Key the right one
could only create a normal Boolean

b77

@Victor-Vector Both Option (Alt) keys work the same on the Mac when creating a composite shape.
No Windows machine to test.

Victor Vector

@Subpath Yes, my windows keyboard has two ALT keys that are identical in labelling. I have seen Mac keyboards with the AltGr distinction for non-US keyboards. In the US , the ALT keys are labelled identically and are treated as the same. Windows interprets CTRL+ALT as AltGr for the US keyboard.

I checked my settings in Windows and they are set as follows:
Windows display language = English (United States)
Country or region = United States
Regional format = English (United States)

So no settings causing the keyboard to be seen as a non-us keyboard.

@b77 Thanks for checking that on the Mac. I am still not ruling out my own configuration error, and maybe someone has encountered this before. If not, I hope it can be fixed.

Subpath

@Victor-Vector

... Yes, my windows keyboard has two ALT keys ...

Ok, then i learn something new

It's then maybe a thing between US and international keyboards layout.

Since i am German, i use a German keyboard layout and the right ALT GR key
is used here to display various German special characters.

E.g. for the "@" sign ( ALT GR + q) or the "€" sign ( ALT GR + e).

The ALT GR Key could seen as a reduced Version of ALT+STRG ( CTRL )
you need only one key instead of two.

VectorStyler

@Victor-Vector Looks like a bug on Windows, will be fixed ASAP.

VectorStyler

@Victor-Vector I checked this and currently the Right-Alt key is blocked as there were some issues reported earlier with it.
I think it is also used for some special character input with some keyboard layouts.
I will find a solution for this problem.

Victor Vector

@VectorStyler I appreciate you looking into this and I hope you can get it working. Thank you!

VectorStyler

@Victor-Vector said in Left and Right ALT keys are not mapped the same? (1.1.084 Win 11):

I appreciate you looking into this and I hope you can get it working. Thank you!

it is easy to get it working (just flip a flag) but the problem is that it caused some issues as a keyboard modifier while using the mouse.

b77

@VectorStyler I'm not that familiar with Windows, so maybe it's not a good or doable idea… but:

If Victor is left-handed, maybe a setting to switch this for left-handed users (disable the left Alt and
enable the right Alt) could be something useful.

Victor Vector

@b77 Haha, you nailed it. I am left handed and the right ALT is my "primary" ALT, because I got into an early habit of using my mouse in the left hand.

Any accommodations are appreciated, but I have spent a lifetime adapting

Subpath

As I wrote before, the ALT GR key is used at the German keyboard
for certain special characters. The most important is the @ character
for email addresses.

Instead of the ALT GR key on the right side, I can always use the ALT+STRG (CTRL) keys
on the left side instead. Since the ALT GR key only puts these two keys together in one.

By the way, I don't know any shortcut in VS where I need the ALT GR key.
If then only sometimes in texts for special characters (where it could be replaced
by ALT+STRG (CTRL) ).

Here a Wikipedia article about international keyboard layouts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AltGr_key

Victor Vector

A couple more pieces of data:
Other commands are not left or right ALT specific.
For example to "Create a Copy of the Dragged Object", I can hold down either ALT key and drag, and it will copy the shape.
I noticed that in Preferences > Modifier Keys > Create a Copy of the Dragged Object is set to ALT by default and
Preferences > Modifier Keys > Create Composite Shape with Boolean Operation is set to ALT by default.

Victor Vector

@VectorStyler
I tested this in 1.1.086 and it seems to work!
Thank you for fixing this issue

encart

I am experiencing a regression and I think it may be related to this change.
To create a diacritical mark I currently have to hold AltGR and press the letter twice.I have noticed that pressing this key while entering text, changes the tool to Transform Tool, as it does when I press Ctrl.

VectorStyler

@encart Yes, this is a regression.