Run same application on 2 computers with 1 wireless keyboard

bossmoss

Honorable
Jun 8, 2012
2
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10,510
I am experimenting with a 3D scanning application that is a resource hog. Plus, only one instance of the application can run at a time. Further, I am trying to scan people, which means the scan must be done quickly in order to minimize scan corruption due to the model moving during the scan.

In order to get a complete 360 degree scan in the shortest amount of time, I want to set up two systems, one in front and one behind, and have them scan at the exact same time. Each system would capture a different side, and then the different scans could be stitched together to create the 360 degree model.

What this boils down to is that I need to control two systems so that they do the exact same thing at the same time. Additionally, they will not be networked.

I thought about setting up a few macros on each system to control the "start" and "stop" commands, and then using one wireless keyboard with two receivers. That way I could just hit a couple of function keys on the keyboard to activate the same macros on both systems at the same time.

I have not tried it because I don't have two identical receivers for the same wireless keyboard. I'm not even sure if I went out and bought two of the same wireless keyboards, the two receivers would react to a single keyboard. I can imagine the manufacture assigning random frequencies to each keyboard so that a customer could use two of their products in home at the same time without interfering. I'm not SURE if that is the case, but it would make sense. (If you have any idea if the two receivers-one keyboard idea would work, I'd appreciate that)

So, before I try that option, I wanted to see if anyone had any better ideas about how I can control the start and stop of this application on two systems simultaneously.

Thanks
 
You cannot have one keyboard connected to two systems simultaneously.

Also, one wireless keyboard can only be paired with one receiver. Each keyboard is paired at the factory with it's receiver, otherwise you could not use them on multiple PCs in the same office. . .

Now, your requirement to not have them networked stops the simple idea of remote control software being used. Why not have both keyboards next to each other (with an extender cable if necessary).
 

bossmoss

Honorable
Jun 8, 2012
2
0
10,510
Thanks for the replies. I should clarify that when I said the systems will not be networked, I am referring to an internet connection. This scanning setup is going to be mobile, and I can't have it rely on an internet connection to work. I CAN connect the two computers so that they networked to each other. But solutions like using GoToMyPC or PCanywhere or even Remote Desktop won't work if they rely on controlling the PC's through the net.

I should mention that these will both be Win 7 PC's,

As for making sure the different meshes can be stitched, I have already experimented with this at length using inanimate models, and it works perfectly. However, the company that made the scanning system designed it to be a one-scan at a time system, so they're not going to be much help when it comes to my two simultaneous scans issue.

I was hoping there would be some kind of "remote control" device where you could program certain buttons to activate certain keystrokes. Sort of a "hitting the red button on the remote causes the computer to think the F9 key was pressed" solution. Or a way to have one computer control the other, so that whatever you type into it's keyboard, it passes that to the second computer through a LAN connection.

Thanks
 
Microsoft has a built-in remote access program.

mstsc.exe You can run it in a window even so you can see both systems at once.

Or just get a wireless mouse and keyboard and set it up next to you, with a longer monitor cable with a second monitor going to the first PC.