# Software to map arrow keys etc. to mouse movement?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-map-arrow-keys-etc-to-mouse-movement/677183
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 26, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-map-arrow-keys-etc-to-mouse-movement/677183 "2013-12-26T00:43:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-map-arrow-keys-etc-to-mouse-movement/677183/1 "2013-12-26T00:43:04Z")
Hi guys,
I’m wondering if there’s a way to emulate a joystick and/or keyboard arrow keys, etc. using a mouse? For example, mouse movement dictates up, down, etc. while left-click is the space bar.
I’m using Win7, FWIW. It seems there’s many ways to use a joystick to emulate the mouse, but I’m after the opposite.
---
### Author:  [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-map-arrow-keys-etc-to-mouse-movement/677183/2 "2013-12-26T14:46:58Z")
Might be worth checking out AHK. I’ve done the reverse of what you’re doing, but it could be possible to do what you want.
> **[AutoHotkey](https://www.autohotkey.com/)**
>
> Free keyboard macro program. Supports hotkeys for keyboard, mouse, and joystick. Can expand abbreviations as you type them (AutoText).
---
### Author:  [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-map-arrow-keys-etc-to-mouse-movement/677183/3 "2013-12-27T07:36:40Z")
I believe I recall seeing software that would create a repositionable sidebar of mouse targets for arrow keys – position your mouse over the one showing a rightward-pointing arroe, click the mouse button, and the software generated the right-arrow key signal. That might do what you want\*.
8 i don’t really understand what you want, or why you would want such a thing. If you moved the mouse upward for example, how many up-arrow keystrokes would you expect it to generate?
---
### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-map-arrow-keys-etc-to-mouse-movement/677183/4 "2013-12-27T08:20:38Z")
ETA: Nm
---
### Author:  [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-map-arrow-keys-etc-to-mouse-movement/677183/5 "2013-12-29T03:25:56Z")
Thanks for the suggestions. 🙂
Basically, what I’m after is a way to play games with the mouse that would otherwise use a keyboard to control the character. I’m disabled and a physical keyboard really isn’t practical for me.
So that’s the story, for those wondering.
---
### Author:  [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2013, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-map-arrow-keys-etc-to-mouse-movement/677183/6 "2013-12-29T04:04:26Z")
> [@Lobot](#):
>
> Basically, what I’m after is a way to play games with the mouse that would otherwise use a keyboard to control the character. I’m disabled and a physical keyboard really isn’t practical for me.
You might consider one of the multi-button mouses available. Often the extra buttons on them can be programmed to mimic any key, so you could program them for the arrow keys. (This assumes that your disability doesn’t make clicking a mouse button hard to do. At least, it would save moving your arm from the mouse to the keyboard and back again.)
You might also look at a 5-key keyset (chord keyboard). These are one-handed input devices with 5 keys (one for each finger). They are designed to replace a regular keyboard for a trained user, where multiple keys are pressed at once (like chords on a piano) to encode a character. But I expect you could set them so each of the finger buttons sends one of the arrow keys. Then you could use the mouse in one hand and this keyset in the other to play the game, without requiring movement of your arms. That might work for you.
---
### Author:  [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2013, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-map-arrow-keys-etc-to-mouse-movement/677183/7 "2013-12-29T04:38:12Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#):
>
> You might consider one of the multi-button mouses available. Often the extra buttons on them can be programmed to mimic any key, so you could program them for the arrow keys.
If you go this route and use a Logitech mouse, look up [Uberoptions](http://uberoptions.net/).
I don’t know if Setpoint got their crap together since, but several years ago they decided that they wouldn’t allow you to remap all of their buttons. I have a 12-button mouse and Uberoptions allowed easy and extensive customization. Aside from work tasks, any game (from FPS and beyond) is easy to map many commands right to the mouse.
---
### Author:  [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2013, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-map-arrow-keys-etc-to-mouse-movement/677183/8 "2013-12-29T23:28:47Z")
These are great suggestions. What might be worth looking at is a multi-button mouse I can effectively use.