They do, and indeed there are libraries that are already accomplishing what I am doing! This project is mostly there to satisfy my own curiosity, as well as build a robust .NET wrapper (not Python). Love the work that python-elgato-streamdeck does, for sure.
This is an interesting article. It’s worth mentioning open source software exists for the StreamDeck. Companion is very popular in the AV production industry. https://github.com/bitfocus/companion
Indeed, I am not the first, and I am sure not the last, to dig through Stream Deck internals. This article was mostly written to satisfy my own curiosity.
It's interesting. Recently I thought about building a DIY stream deck but LCD keycaps are so expensive that it almost makes sense to buy a steamdeck for scavenging the parts :)
I don't know about the latest Stream Deck models, but for previous models (at least the ones I have) you might be surprised that behind the scenes is just one display! See the teardown (album not mine): https://imgur.com/gallery/elgato-stream-deck-what-is-inside-...
The buttons are entirely virtual and the onboard controller ensures they are properly positioned, so you don't have to have each button carry it's own screen.
I remember the Nintendo 2DS did the same thing, it was one screen with a partition and touch overlay.The game was rendered to both sides of it, it was a clever cost saving exercise.
Am I the only one who wondered what desktop environment was providing the window decorations before realizing it was some variant of Microsoft Windows?
It looks like it's rounded so I think it is Windows 11, but surprisingly it is using the photoviewer from the Vista era.
I didn't knew it was apparently still included in newer windows, I switched to nomacs as the image viewer in my Win11 because I disliked the new image viewer - it's usually slow, and it has weird controls for a desktop system.
Yeah animated mouse wheel zoom will do it. And as a bonus "Photos" takes a lot longer to load. And what's this? "Edit an image using AI". Yeah, the pop ups.
Unfortunately you have to patch in photo viewer in order to use it out of box.
>> ...but the software has gotten worse - it now goes as far as to requiring users for an account to download extensions.
That's when I got off that train. As alternatives, I am now evaluating Macro Deck and OpenDeck. I owe my gratitude to people like you who made it possible. Kudos and thanks!
Yeah, I am undertaking this primarily to break free of the artificial constraints - the hardware is top-notch, but the ever-increasing push to make every piece of software connect to an account when it's not needed is absurd.
Google also finds these names confusing. Whenever I try to search for something Stream Deck related, Google returns results for the Steam Deck. It's quite annoying.
Same! I continued to be confused even on seeing the picture of the device and thinking, 'wtf, is there some steam deck console device I've never heard of?'