Support for sending custom input (e.g. joystick and button mappings) via OSC to remote systems

[mdellwing]

Hi and thanks for your great work on HandheldCompanion!

I'd like to request a feature that would make the software even more powerful, especially for creative and professional use cases:

Use Case:
I would like to use the special keys and joysticks on handheld devices like the ASUS ROG Ally (or similar Windows-based handhelds) to remotely control lighting software — specifically MA Lighting grandMA3 — over a network.

Feature Description:
It would be great if HandheldCompanion could map hardware inputs (especially joystick movements and custom buttons) to commands that are sent using a network protocol like OSC (Open Sound Control). This would allow the handheld console to act as a remote controller for external systems.

Key Requirements:

• Ability to assign OSC commands to any hardware button.
• Ability to send joystick axis movements as OSC messages (e.g., to control fixture positions in lighting software).
• Configurable target IP and port for OSC messages.

Ideally support for multiple profiles or modes depending on use-case.

Why it's useful:
This would enable powerful remote workflows — for example, walking around a venue with a handheld device and adjusting lighting positions directly from the joystick and buttons, without needing console in front of me.

Thanks for considering this!

Michael

[CasperH2O]

@mdellwing , this feels kind of out of scope for this project, but it also sounds fun!

What could probably get you halfway there, is that in HC, you can bind hotkeys to executables, bat scripts and auto hotkey scripts. Perhaps you can make some dedicated files for that and "call" them with HC based on the button presses. You can also pin them in QT so you can easily test them simply with buttons.

Alternatively, feel free to fork and code something up yourself.

[mdellwing]

Thanks a lot for the quick reply!

That workaround with bat/ahk scripts actually sounds like a promising starting point — I’ll definitely give that a try and see how far I can get with it. Using HC as a trigger layer and routing the logic through scripts could be a flexible approach for now.

And yes, I totally get that full OSC support might be beyond the intended scope — though if anyone else is interested in something similar, I’d be happy to share results or collaborate on a forked version. It feels like a cool way to extend HC into new creative domains.

Thanks again for the suggestion and your great work on the project!

Michael