Basics

Create a valid capsicain.ini config file

Create a new file that replaces the default capsicain.ini

Put a single line in there:

[CONFIG_1]

(you can also write [config_1], case never matters).

Check that capsicain starts up. It doesn't do anything since the config is empty.

How to remap the A key to F (remap any real key)

Add a REWIRE rule.

[CONFIG_1]
REWIRE A F

Save, and Reload the config with [ESC]+[R] (or close and start capsicain)

Now, if you press the [A] key, then Windows receives an [F].

This is a hard, unconditional rule. This happens always and in every app / game / virtual machine / login screen / security popup. You may as well open your keyboard and solder a wire from A to F.

This happens regardless of any other key that may be pressed.

How to stop capsicain

Press [ESC]+[0] for hardcoded "Config 0" (which means 'capsicain deactivated').
You can press [ESC]+[1] to activate your config_1 again.

Other ways to get your normal keyboard back

• press [ESC]+Backspace if something is stuck (this will do a soft reset of the keyboard state)
• close the capsicain window. Now you have 100% your normal keyboard.
• press [ESC]+[X] to eXit (useful if you are in a game and don't see the desktop)

Define an 'ON/OFF' key

Put this in your .ini: GLOBAL capsicainOnOffKey SCRLOCK

Now you can tap the ScrollLock key to turn capsicain on and off.
The ScrollLock LED lights up when capsicain is on, regardless of the actual 'ScrollLock state' in Windows.
The actual keypress is not forwarded to Windows.

[ESC] commands will not work when capsicain is turned off.

You can rewire any other key like F12 to SCRLOCK, if you need an actual ScrLock key.

See Keyword: GLOBAL for more details.

I forgot the [ESC] command keys

Press [ESC]+[H] (for Help for a list of all capsicain ESC commands

I have two keyboards. I want to mess only with one of them.

Put this under your [config_1]

OPTION ProcessOnlyFirstKeyboard

If there is more than one keyboard (e.g. laptop with USB keyboard attached),
Capsicain will process only the board that sends the first key stroke (after startup or config change).

Useful to have a "debugging" board with standard behavior, or a guest board at your workplace.

You can also define that a layer is only used (not used) for specific hardware IDs. See
https://github.com/cajhin/capsicain/wiki/Keyword:-OPTION#option-includedeviceid-searchstring

I want to move capsicain to the traybar

Press [ESC]+[T] (for Tray)

This toggles traybar <> taskbar icon

To make this permanent, put this line ABOVE your [config_1] :

GLOBAL StartInTraybar

[config_1]
(...your config...)

If you want to start the console minimized to the taskbar instead:

GLOBAL StartMinimized

I want two different configurations, for two apps / games

Let's say you want to change CapsLock to "B" for Photoshop, and to "left control" for games.

[config_1]
REWIRE CAPS B

[config_2]
REWIRE CAPS LCTRL

Now you can switch between configurations with:

• [ESC]+[0] - disable all configurations, standard keys
• [ESC]+[1] - in Photoshop
• [ESC]+[2] - in games

You can configure up to nine independent configs ( [config_1] ... [config_9] )

Note: the GLOBAL settings are always valid for all configs. OPTIONs belong to one config.