Simulating keystrokes with python for P3D flight simulator

Question

I want to simulate key presses within P3D flight simulator. I am using the following code to simulate a repeating F4 keystroke.(Code taken from here )

import ctypes
import time

SendInput = ctypes.windll.user32.SendInput

# 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))

#delay function to focus on correct tab
for i in list(range(4))[::-1]:
    print(i+1)
    time.sleep(1)

# directx scan codes 
while (True):
    PressKey(0x3E)
    time.sleep(1)
    ReleaseKey(0x3E)
    time.sleep(1)

It should send a keypress of F4 to the flight simulator, but it doesn't. It works within other programs (I tried it in PyCharm and it gave me the correct action for pressing F4) Thanks

Answer 1

Please make sure you run the Python program or Python IDE as administrator. (Courtesy to George Stocker )