Since the recent 85.0 update I have noticed some strange behavior when assigning unit groups. In previous versions you would use CTRL+<number> to add units to a group, and then use that number to select the group afterwards. This has been changed to require the SHIFT modifier to issue the command.

For example - to assign a group in 85.0, you would press CTRL+SHIFT+<number>, and to select a group you would press SHIFT+<number>. This is undesirable behavior as the SHIFT key is also used for adding units to the current selection. I would like to change this back to the default behavior inherited from TA, but nowhere in the springsettings hotkeys tab is the SHIFT modifier used in creating or selecting groups, and attempting to change the keybindings results in the command being completely unusable.

I am using a standard US English QWERTY keyboard, and so far as I have seen there have been only been problems similar to this with European keyboard layouts (AZERTY being one of them). I haven't seen this reported anywhere else, which led me to believe that I am the only one experiencing this issue, but I have tried installing Spring on a different machine and witnessed the same problem indicating that it isn't just me. I would appreciate any help I can get on this matter.

Thanks in advance.

I also see this problem, seem to be a linux only problem.
Bug report posted : http://springrts.com/mantis/view.php?id=2862

I'm running Windows XP on both machines that I tested with, so I would say it's not limited to Linux.

Take uikeys.txt from ZKL http://code.google.com/p/zero-k/source/ ... uikeys.txt

This has solved the issue for me. Thank you very much!

Doesn't work for me. Where can I find documentation for commands used in uikeys.txt?

Default keybinds are listed here:

https://github.com/spring/spring/blob/m ... uikeys.txt

You must also delete selectkeys

Before you upgrade spring it is wise to backup those files (uikeys.txt and selectkeys.txt), as spring replaces those with default (and often undesired) ones.

Lichos tip with using the uikeys.txt from zerok and deleting the selectkeys file restored the old behaviour for me:
ctrl+number = create group (camera stays)
number = select group (camera stays)
press number twice = select group & center camera
if grouped and ungrouped units are already selecting, pressing number deselects the ungrouped units and only selects the group.

Though I also had to delete uikeys.txt.bak otherwise it would not work anymore after starting spring a second time. (i dont even)

How do we remove the obligation to press shift to create and select a group ?

http://pastebin.com/dNaScCVS

unbindaction specteam

solved it

Not sure, but with zerok's uikeys.txt I do not need to press shift.
See my post above, it is possible to get it working as it should/was.
(Though it seems zK's uikeys rebinds some other keys (like t) different but at least unitgroups work with it)
It might be this extra line in zKs file:
unbindaction specteam
since specteam selecting is also via number keys?

Seems I was wrong with this. I can start spring as often as I want and unitgrouping will work every time. Until I use springsettings.

A problem is that springsettings.exe seems to overwrite uikeys.txt with some default file and moves the existing, working uikeys into a uikeys.txt.bak
With this file, unit grouping only works when you also press shift (=broken)
springsettings.exe does that even if you just click "save" without having changed anything or even have you only change eg screen resolution.

This is the uikeys springsettings writes:
http://pastebin.com/5qGpWGCs

I like this solution best. Just add "unbindaction specteam" to the beginning of your uikeys.txt file, which is located in Spring's root folder. By the way, does anyone know what specteam is? I don't think I've used it, but it would be nice to know what I'm disabling the hotkey for.

Its a useless feature that allows you to spec given team (see his income) as spectator.
For ZK its not needed at all,because selecting that team's unit does the same.
Someone probably decided that having key support for 20ppl DSD specteam is more important than unit groups :)

Same for BA.

Pressing the number keys when being a spectator in 82.7 games made you switch to that players view. Why it prevents you from calling group numbers in 85 games when it doesnt in 82.7 i dont know.

Something about how keybind precedence is handled was broken for 85.0. For example when you press 1 it checks if you are a spectator, if you are not then the next keybind associated with 1 should be checked but isn't.

Will there be a release soon to fix this? This bug alone justifies a new version imo. People are frustrated and most noobs have no idea that they have to hack random commands into a file called uikeys.txt.

For now, games should package their own bindings with the engine. At least for zero-k lobby users its a non-issue as it fixes their configs.