Simulate Python Keypresses for Controlling a Game

How to simulate keys in game with pywinauto

We have had a long journey my past self. Though we have much to learn here is what we discovered:

Sending Virtual Keys will be ignored if the game is running on DirectX.
Use sendinput and send the scan_codes instead.

# http://www.gamespp.com/directx/directInputKeyboardScanCodes.html

import ctypes
import time

SendInput = ctypes.windll.user32.SendInput

W = 0x11
A = 0x1E
S = 0x1F
D = 0x20
Z = 0x2C
UP = 0xC8
DOWN = 0xD0
LEFT = 0xCB
RIGHT = 0xCD
ENTER = 0x1C 

# C struct redefinitions 
PUL = ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.c_ulong)
class KeyBdInput(ctypes.Structure):
    _fields_ = [("wVk", ctypes.c_ushort),
                ("wScan", ctypes.c_ushort),
                ("dwFlags", ctypes.c_ulong),
                ("time", ctypes.c_ulong),
                ("dwExtraInfo", PUL)]

class HardwareInput(ctypes.Structure):
    _fields_ = [("uMsg", ctypes.c_ulong),
                ("wParamL", ctypes.c_short),
                ("wParamH", ctypes.c_ushort)]

class MouseInput(ctypes.Structure):
    _fields_ = [("dx", ctypes.c_long),
                ("dy", ctypes.c_long),
                ("mouseData", ctypes.c_ulong),
                ("dwFlags", ctypes.c_ulong),
                ("time",ctypes.c_ulong),
                ("dwExtraInfo", PUL)]

class Input_I(ctypes.Union):
    _fields_ = [("ki", KeyBdInput),
                 ("mi", MouseInput),
                 ("hi", HardwareInput)]

class Input(ctypes.Structure):
    _fields_ = [("type", ctypes.c_ulong),
                ("ii", Input_I)]

# Actuals Functions

def pressKey(hexKeyCode):
    extra = ctypes.c_ulong(0)
    ii_ = Input_I()
    ii_.ki = KeyBdInput( 0, hexKeyCode, 0x0008, 0, ctypes.pointer(extra) )
    x = Input( ctypes.c_ulong(1), ii_ )
    ctypes.windll.user32.SendInput(1, ctypes.pointer(x), ctypes.sizeof(x))

def releaseKey(hexKeyCode):
    extra = ctypes.c_ulong(0)
    ii_ = Input_I()
    ii_.ki = KeyBdInput( 0, hexKeyCode, 0x0008 | 0x0002, 0, 
ctypes.pointer(extra) )
    x = Input( ctypes.c_ulong(1), ii_ )
    ctypes.windll.user32.SendInput(1, ctypes.pointer(x), ctypes.sizeof(x))

if __name__ == '__main__':
    pressKey(0x11)
    time.sleep(1)
    releaseKey(0x11)
    time.sleep(1)

Source:
Simulate Python keypresses for controlling a game
http://www.gamespp.com/directx/directInputKeyboardScanCodes.html

Thank you Sentdex for awesome tutorials on Machine Learning.
I've been wanting to do this to some of my favorite games but couldn't get the keys across (due to DirectX).

Next step:
Windows Driver Kit to emulate keypresses...

Python Mouse Click For Game (Direct Input)

I did a lot of research and found pyautoit module. It's really great and easy to use. I think it's only works with 32 bit python i couldn't install it to 64 bit version. You should install autoitx3 too but i'm not sure maybe it can work with just one dll. After install autoitx3 and pyautoit module you can use this sample code :

import autoit
import time

time.sleep(2)
#"left" stand for left click, 1243 and 1035 is x and y coordinates and 1 is number of clicks.
autoit.mouse_click("left", 1243, 1035, 1)

Which is the easiest way to simulate keyboard and mouse on Python?

I do automated testing stuff in Python. I tend to use the following:

http://www.tizmoi.net/watsup/intro.html
Edit: Link is dead, archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20100224025508/http://www.tizmoi.net/watsup/intro.html

http://www.mayukhbose.com/python/IEC/index.php

I do not always (almost never) simulate key presses and mouse movement. I usually use COM to set values of windows objects and call their .click() methods.

You can send keypress signals with this:

import win32com.client

shell = win32com.client.Dispatch("WScript.Shell")
shell.SendKeys("^a") # CTRL+A may "select all" depending on which window's focused
shell.SendKeys("{DELETE}") # Delete selected text?  Depends on context. :P
shell.SendKeys("{TAB}") #Press tab... to change focus or whatever

This is all in Windows. If you're in another environment, I have no clue.

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