Key Binding 101

Thank the stars and the universe that swtor allows key bindings.  And, we can key bind our mouse wheel along with all of the modifiers: Ctrl, Shift, and Alt.  Huzzah!  Keybind your way through the universe and onto riches and success.

Here is how.

First order of business.  Click those gear looking things top and center screen.  The Game Menu.  Then click Preferences.  Then click User Interface.  You are here.

You want to set up your Quickbars.  Go ahead and turn all of them on.  You will need them.  Before you hit 50 you will be begging for more.  Just sayin'.

I like to leave my quickslots unlocked until I am positive the actions are spread around the way I like them.  Locking it will make sure some important ability doesn't get dragged off into oblivion.

Super Secret Agent Tip!  you can set up a keybind to lock and unlock your quickslots.  Something you would not hit by accident.  You know, like Ctrl Shift +.  Or, you can use the handy lock/unlock button on your quick bar frame.  Right there where the arrow is pointing.

If you are an Agent or Smuggler, make sure to select Enable Cover Bar.  Exactly what is that might you ask?  A special bar for getting the really good wine?  Like the locked and chilled wine cellar?

Nope.  We save the good wine for blood and bones folks.  For Agent Sonoma, it's a stance bar.  We will get to an example in a bit.  Patience youngster.

Enable Cover Bar

Switch the Upper Center Quickslot Bar with the Cover Bar when entering Cover (Smugglers and Agents only).

 

After you have all these lovely empty quick slots on your screen, it is time to fill them up.  Click on the carat star in the top center of your screen to open the abilities window.  You'll take note of the tabs along the bottom of the different types of abilities you have available.

As you skill up and visit the trainer, you will learn many new abilities that will populate these panes.  The game is so darn overly considerate that it automatically puts newly learned abilities on your center quickslot.  There is no way to disable this (that I have found). 

Please - don't help me so much!

Super Secret Agent Tip!  swtor so helpfully puts new abilities on both your center quickslot bar and your cover bar.  Fix 'em quick as you learn them.

Of course, you could stop at this point and just mouse click everything.  And, lots of people do that with no issue.  Me, I'm a clicker.  Worse, I'm a fastidious everything must be uniform clicker.  Uniform across games and toons.  Keeps it simple for my ancient brain cells.  Those retrieval pathways get a bit rusty you know.

I digress.  Where were we?  Oh yes, key binding.  Game Menu, Preferences, [look for the lower tab] Key Bindings.  Quickslot.  All your quickslots and all your companion's quickslots.  Click a binding you want to change, then use the key/mouse click/combination you want to set for the binding.  Make sure you apply/OK and that all that jazz.  Take a peak around the other key binding options while you are here.  Just sayin'.

All done.  For now.  Until I learn more abilities.  Experience more of the galaxy.  Drink more wine.

Sonoma is in 'cover' stance in this screen shot.  You can tell because she has the 'cover' buff and the center bar is highlighted bright blue with a sniper symbol thing down by the [empty] target frame.

Here is a close up of the cover bar.

And the standard bar.

This is your companion frame.  The frame includes the first 4 action keys for the companion.  You can arrange the action keys in the order of your choice.  And key bind them.

See the + [plus] sign to the right of the quick slots?  Click the + sign to expand the companion bar to a full bar.  The location of the expanded companion bar is set in:  Game Menu, Preferences, User Interface, Companion Expanded Quickslot Placement.

Companion Expanded Quickslot Placement

The quickslot is replaced by the companion bar when it is in expanded mode.

I have my full companion bar set for the left quickslot. It has a lovely chianti wine colored border.  Isn't that nice.  Notice that when the full companion bar is open the small action bar in the companion frame is closed.

To collapse the full companion bar, press the sideways minus sign at the bottom left.  Where the handy dandy yellow arrow is pointing.  It looks like this: |

By default, the ` [accent] toggles Expanded Companion Bar.  This is the key next to the 1 [one] key on most keyboards.  You may want to unbind this.  Game Settings, Preferences, Key Bindings, Quickslot.  Scroll to the bottom.

The companion bar completely replaces any key binds you might have had on the underlaying bar.  Oh, and you can not put your companion abilities on any bar other than the companion bar.

Happy Key Binding.  May your key presses be FTW.  This concludes Key Binding 101.