Summary

This is an Autohotkey (AHK) script which helps to automate tedious keystrokes in Elite Dangerous.

Specifically, this was designed for players pledged to the Aisling Duval power, to automate the keystrokes required to purchase, load, and deliver powerplay materials.

This is an overhaul of an original script by CMDR Oraki/Sulandir. This updated script features complete modularization of all hard-coded aspects into easy-to-use variables, full documentation (below), and fully commented code.

o7
== CMDR Roachy1

Table of contents

• Pre-reqs
• Usage
• Important variables
• Hotkey variables
• Menu navigation variables
• Timing variables
• Audible feedback variables
• Changelog
• Notes

Pre-requisites

• Windows
• PC version of Elite Dangerous
• Autohotkey v1.1.31.00 or newer installed

Usage

Configure and run the script

1. Download AislingMatHelper.ahk (right click the link and select Save link as...).
2. Open it using a text editor.
3. Configure the "important" variables near the top. See the Variables documented below.
4. Run the script. While the script is running you should see the Autohotkey icon in your system tray (white "H" on green background).

Use in game

1. Dock at a station and open the Power Contact menu.
2. If you have a salary to claim, claim it and reopen the Power Contact menu, to remove that menu option.
3. Make sure the top menu button is highlighted (i.e. FULL SYSTEM STATISTICS).
4. Make sure your mouse cursor is away from any buttons, as it can interfere.
5. Press your configured hotkey for the desired action.
6. Don't move your mouse or press any keys while the script takes control of your inputs. Once it's done you can continue playing as usual.

Usage notes

• If the timings aren't quite right for your specific rig, see the Timing Variables section below.
• If you find that your Deliver hotkey isn't selecting the right menu option, see AssumeFirstDeliveryOption below.
• If you get sidetracked like I always do and end up clicking out of game or otherwise interfering with the script's inputs, use the ReloadKey hotkey (default F4) to kill and reload the script.
• You may wish to create multiple copies of the script with different variable values for different purposes. For example, you could have one copy for fortifying at rating 1 with cargo capacity of 300 in Horizons, and one copy for prepping at rating 5 with cargo capacity of 700 in Odyssey.
• For repeated editing of the script I recommend using Notepad++ and installing the AHK language definition for syntax highlighting.

Important variables

Make sure to configure these four variables, or the script won't behave as expected.

GameVersion

Set this to 1 for use with Horizons.
Set this to 2 for use with Odyssey.
Default is 1.
Only needed when buying prep mats due to a menu navigation inconsistency in Odyssey.

Rating

Set this to your current pledge rating.
Should be 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.
Default is 5.
Dictates the size of your quotas (how many tons you're allowed to buy at once), which dictates how long the script needs to hold "right" to buy a full quota.

CargoCapacity

Set this to the number of tons you want to buy and deliver.
Default is 700.
This dictates how many full quotas the script will buy.
It's highly recommended to make this a multiple of your rating's quota amount, or you may spend more credits than you need to.

Quota amounts are as follows:

• Rating 1: 10t
• Rating 2: 15t
• Rating 3: 20t
• Rating 4: 25t
• Rating 5: 50t

For example if your rating is 5, and you have 704 cargo capacity, set this to 700. If you set it to 704, the script will buy another 50, but you'll only have room to load 4 more.

MaterialType

Defines which material type to buy.
1 = preperation materials (media materials).
2 = fortification materials (programme materials).
3 = expansion materials (sealed contracts).
Default is 2.

Hotkey variables

These variables define which hotkeys do what.
See these docs for the syntax for other keys and key modifiers (such as Ctrl):

• https://www.autohotkey.com/docs/Hotkeys.htm
• https://www.autohotkey.com/docs/KeyList.htm

BuyOneQuota

Buys one full quota of the configured material.
Default is F1.

BuyAllQuotas

Buys as many quotas as you can hold.
Depends on the value of CargoCapacity and the size of your quota based on your Rating.
Default is F2.
e.g. If your CargoCapacity is 700, and your Rating is 5, then this will buy 700 / 50 = 14 full quotas.

Deliver

Delivers as many tons as you can hold.
Depends on the value of CargoCapacity.
Default is F3.
i.e. This just selects the first delivery option and holds the right arrow for roughly as long as it should take to deliver your whole payload before confirming.
Also see: AssumeFirstDeliveryOption.

ReloadKey

Kills the current instance of the script and reloads it.
Useful if things go wrong, like if you click outside the game window while the script is working, or the timings are off and the autoclicks are out of sync with the menu state.
Default is F4.
Note: This is named ReloadKey because Reload is a key word in AHK language.

Kill

Kills the current instance of the script.
Useful to quickly exit the script when you're done playing.
Default is Shift+F4. By default, either shift key works.
Script can also be exited normally by right-clicking the system tray icon and selecting Exit.

Menu Navigation Variables

These are the keystrokes used by the script to navigate through menu options.
If you use custom keybinds for this in Elite Dangerous, edit these accordingly.
Note: it's recommended to use lowercase letters to avoid conflicts with Shift keys.

KeyUp

The keystroke used to navigate up in menus.
Default is w.
Only needed when buying prep mats due to a menu navigation inconsistency in Odyssey.

KeyDown

The keystroke used to navigate down in menus.
Default is s.

KeyRight

The keystroke used to navigate right in menus.
Default is d.

KeySelect

The keystroke used to select/click options/buttons.
Default is Space.

AssumeFirstDeliveryOption

This variable determines, after pressing the Deliver hotkey, whether the script immediately begins unloading, or whether it navigates down one menu option first and then unloads.

0 = unload immediately.

• Player is required to highlight the delivery option before hitting the Deliver hotkey. Adds a manual keystroke in exchange for guarantee that the wrong menu option is not selected.

1 = navigate down first, then unload.

• Player hits Deliver hotkey while "FULL SYSTEM STATISTICS" button is highlighted, and the script navigates down one before delivering. Saves a manual keystroke, but if the menu state is not as expected, this could result in accidentally purchasing ("fast-tracking") a quota of an undesired material, wasting credits.

Default is 1.
This is because the menu order depends on other factors, such as the state of the system, and the materials present in the ship's inventory.
In most usual circumstances (i.e. delivering fort mats to systems which need fortification when fort mats are in the inventory, or delivering prep mats to systems which need prep when prep mats are in the inventory), the desired material to deliver is the first option.
Change to 0 if you're finding this is not the case.

Timing Variables

Only configure these if the script is not working as expected.
All timings are in milliseconds (ms).
Note: Sometimes, when the game servers (or your internet connection) are being slow, the "STAND BY" animation between screens may take longer than usual, and will throw off the script timings. There's not much you can do to predict this, but you can try to accommodate for it by extending the relevant timings, noted below.

DelayFasttrack

The delay after clicking the FAST TRACK NEXT QUOTA FOR X CR. button.
Default is 800.
Needed because the UI pauses briefly after clicking this, before allowing you to load materials.
This delay (and the button click) happen regardless of whether you actually need to click the button or not, because it doesn't hurt anything.

DelayLoadItems

The delay after pressing the right arrow key before releasing it, when loading materials.
Testing shows that an acceptable value is something around 60-70ms per ton loaded.
Caculated based on the formula: Quota * DelayLoadItemsMultiplier.
The full expanded formula is: Quota * (DelayLoadItemsMultiplierBase + ((5 - Rating) * DelayLoadItemsMultiplierAdjustmentMultiplier)).
With default values, the resulting delay for each rating would be as follows:

• 5: Quota * 60
• 4: Quota * 63
• 3: Quota * 66
• 2: Quota * 69
• 1: Quota * 72

DelayLoadItemsMultiplier

The multiplier used to determine the value of DelayLoadItems, optimized for the value of Rating.
Calculated based on the formula: DelayLoadItemsMultiplierBase + DelayLoadItemsMultiplierAdjustment.
The full expanded formula is: DelayLoadItemsMultiplierBase + ((5 - Rating) * DelayLoadItemsMultiplierAdjustmentMultiplier)).

DelayLoadItemsMultiplierBase

The base value for DelayLoadItemsMultiplier, before optimizing for the value of Rating.
The default base value is 60, which is optimal for rating 5.
In order to tweak DelayLoadItems, it's recommended to change DelayLoadItemsMultiplierAdjustmentMultiplier, instead of DelayLoadItemsMultiplierBase, unless you're finding that 60 is too low even for rating 5.

DelayLoadItemsMultiplierAdjustment

The amount of time to add to DelayLoadItemsMultiplierBase, to optimize for the value of Rating.
Calculated based on the formula (5 - Rating) * DelayLoadItemsMultiplierAdjustmentMultiplier.

DelayLoadItemsMultiplierAdjustmentMultiplier

How much extra time to add for each rating level below 5 the given value of Rating is.
Default is 3.
If you find that not all items are being loaded before the CONFIRM button is clicked, try increasing this value in increments of 1.
If the CONFIRM button is clicked too soon, while still loading items, this can cause the "Power Contact not available" error. To recover from this you must quit to the main menu.

DelayLoadUnload

The delay after loading/unloading all items before clicking the CONFIRM button.
Default is 200.
If you find that all items are being loaded, but the CONFIRM button is being clicked too soon after loading items, increase this value in increments of ~50.
If the CONFIRM button is clicked too quickly after loading items, this can cause the "Power Contact not available" error. To recover from this you must quit to the main menu.

DelayConfirm

The delay after clicking the CONFIRM button after loading materials.
Default is 1000.
Needed because the UI pauses briefly before continuing to the ACTION RESULTS page.

DelayLoop

The delay after clicking the BACK TO MAIN PAGE button on the ACTION RESULTS page.
Default is 200.
Needed because the UI pauses briefly before returning to the Power Contact screen.
Only applies to the BuyAllQuotas action.

DelayUnloadItems

The delay after pressing the "right" key before releasing it, when unloading materials.
The delay depends on your CargoCapacity.
Testing shows that an acceptable value is something around 50-60ms per ton unloaded.
Default is 51.

Audible feedback variables

EnableBeeps

Whether or not to sound beeps to indicate when hotkeys are pressed and when the script completes its current action.
True or False.
Default is True.

Beep codes are as follows:

• When script is loaded, has finished initial processing, and is awaiting hotkeys to be pressed: High
• When BuyOneQuota hotkey is pressed: Low Mid
• When BuyAllQuotas hotkey is pressed: Low Mid Mid
• When Deliver hotkey is pressed: Mid Low
• When current action is complete: High
• When ReloadKey hotkey is pressed: Low Mid Low
• When Kill hotkey is pressed: Low Low Low

LowBeep

Frequency (in Hz) of the LowBeep.
Default is 1000.

MidBeep

Frequency (in Hz) of the MidBeep.
Default is 1500.

HighBeep

Frequency (in Hz) of the HighBeep.
Default is 2000.

BeepLength

Length (in milliseconds) of beeps.
Default is 100.

Changelog

Latest: v1.5 (2022-02-21)

• Add logic to tweak the DelayLoadItems value based on the given value of Rating. This should optimize this delay, while still preventing the CONFIRM button from being pressed too quickly at lower ratings.
  • DelayLoadItems is now calculated based on values of DelayLoadItemsMultiplier, DelayLoadItemsMultiplierBase, DelayLoadItemsMultiplierAdjustment, and DelayLoadItemsMultiplierAdjustmentMultiplier. See variable documentation above.

v1.4 (2021-12-29)

• Renamed the Kill hotkey to ReloadKey, and added a new Kill hotkey for actually exiting the script. See ReloadKey and Kill.
• Added configurable delay between loading/unloading mats and clicking the CONFIRM button, to address an issue where the clicking the CONFIRM button too quickly causes the game itself to get confused. See DelayLoadUnload.
  • Original DelayLoad variable renamed to DelayLoadItems.
  • Original DelayDeliver variable renamed to DelayUnloadItems.
• Added initial HighBeep when script is loaded to signal when initial processing is finished, and the script is awaiting hotkeys to be pressed.

v1.3 (2021-12-13)

• Changed the Kill hotkey so that it kills the current instance of the script and reloads it, instead of just killing it entirely. Script can still be exited normally by right-clicking the system tray icon and selecting Exit.

v1.2 (2021-12-12)

• Tweaks to support purchase and delivery of expansion materials.
• Added missing key-release contingency for "up" navigation key for when the script is killed while performing actions.
• Added optional beep feedback for when hotkeys are pressed and when the script completes an action.

v1.1 (2021-12-05)

• Added code to correct for an inconsistency in the menu navigation in Odyssey.
  • When returning to the Power Contact screen from buying/loading prep mats, Odyssey highlights the "FAST TRACK..." button for prep mats again, rather than the "FULL SYSTEM STATISTICS" button, as with every other such interaction. This is only the case for buying prep mats in Odyssey. Horizons, and buying fort mats in either version, is unaffected.
  • To facilitate this, a new important variable was added (GameVersion).
• Tested timings and updated so that the default timings work in both Horizons and Odyssey (based on my testing with a decent computer).
• Simplified and de-duplicated some logic by making use of functions and subroutines.
• Added AssumeFirstDeliveryOption variable and documentation. See AssumeFirstDeliveryOption.

v1.0 (pre-2021-12-05)

• Changes were not tracked before v1.1.

Notes

• If you discover an issue, have suggestions or questions, please feel free to open an Issue.
• Original script by CMDR Oraki/Sulandir
• Overhauled for ease of use and flexibility by CMDR Roachy1
• You can ignore the files in the beta subdirectory. I use this to test changes before making them live.
• For the Princess!
• By mmseng. See my other projects here: https://github.com/mmseng/code-compendium-personal.