Question How to Split Input between Applications

[Caliber_C]

So I am trying to run 3 instances of the same game on a single PC. I figured out how to keep all 3 in focus using display fusions built in function. So i can control all 3 at same time. problem is, i need to use 3 inputs(preferably controllers) but each instance registers the 1st controller as controller one.
How do i get each instance to see 3 separate controllers as 3 separate controller ones. or keyboards/mouses (not using a virtual machine preferably)

 

[USAFRet]

The term you're looking for is "multiseat.
This is a very non-trivial exercise.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuJYMCbIbPk

 

[Caliber_C]

no no, I've seen that before and it's not what I'm after. i have already managed to run 3 instances of the same game. can already place them on 3 separate monitors, and have 3 separate audio outputs. just cant use 3 controllers with them.
i could use Xpadder to simply send keyboard commands instead of buttons, then set each to its new keybind, but would rather have the analog functionality of the controllers if possible. or a way to send 3 separate keyboards/ mouses to 3 separate applications.

 

[hang-the-9]

no no, I've seen that before and it's not what I'm after. i have already managed to run 3 instances of the same game. can already place them on 3 separate monitors, and have 3 separate audio outputs. just cant use 3 controllers with them.
i could use Xpadder to simply send keyboard commands instead of buttons, then set each to its new keybind, but would rather have the analog functionality of the controllers if possible. or a way to send 3 separate keyboards/ mouses to 3 separate applications.

That is what you are after, just running the program several times is one thing, but Windows is not made to use more than one cursor or have more than one main focus, that is the harder part.

 

[lordmogul]

Depending on what you plan for you could look up some of the tutorials for how to multiclient Borderlands 2. It basically results in sandboxing one and having one instance being controlled by mouse/keyboard and the other by gamepad.

Can you configure the input in the game you try to multibox? That would make it easy to just setup a different controller for each game. One of the biggest issues you have to work around, is that Windows usually sends the input into the focused window/program. So even if you had 3 mice or controllers, you'd beed to configure them as seperate entities.

Using controllers is already a good step. So see if you can configure one instance for controller 1, the next for controller 2 and the next for controller 3.