How Actions Talk to iRacing

Every iRaceDeck action mode controls iRacing through one of three mechanisms. Which one a mode uses affects how reliable it is and whether you need to configure anything — so iRaceDeck now shows the method, and the binding state, right in the Property Inspector and on the key icon.

The three methods

iRacing API

The mode sends a command straight to iRacing through its SDK (the same broadcast channel iRacing’s own UI uses). This is the most reliable method: it works regardless of your key bindings, needs no setup, and can’t be intercepted by another window.

Examples: pit service (fuel fill, clear tires, fast repair), camera switching and focus, replay transport, telemetry recording.

Key binding

The mode simulates a control that you’ve bound — either a keyboard shortcut or a SimHub Control Mapper role. A key binding is needed when iRacing exposes no SDK command for the feature (camera editor, look-around, black-box pages, most car-setup adjustments, UI toggles).

Key-binding modes only work once the binding is configured, and a keyboard binding must match your iRacing key configuration. See Key Bindings for how to set keyboard shortcuts and SimHub roles.

SimHub must be running

A binding set to a SimHub role only fires while SimHub (with the Control Mapper plugin) is running. iRaceDeck polls SimHub and shows a red “SimHub not connected” line in the Property Inspector when it isn’t reachable.

Chat command

The mode types an iRacing chat/text command — typically a #… pit macro such as #fuel, #t (tires), or a race-control command. Chat commands cover features that have neither an SDK command nor a dedicated key binding.

Chat is the least direct method: it opens iRacing’s chat box, types the command, and submits it, so it depends on chat being available and can be affected by timing on a busy system.

Reliability, in short

When iRaceDeck has a choice, it prefers methods in this order:

1. iRacing API — direct and reliable, no setup
2. Key binding — reliable once configured; depends on your key config (keyboard) or SimHub running (SimHub role)
3. Chat command — works everywhere iRacing chat does, but the least direct

A single action can mix all three across its modes. Fuel Service is the clearest example: Toggle Fuel Fill and Clear Fuel use the API, Add/Reduce/Set Fuel use #fuel chat macros, and Toggle Autofuel / Lap Margin use key bindings.

How to tell which method a mode uses

In the Property Inspector

Directly under the Mode selector, iRaceDeck shows a status line for the current mode:

• ✓ iRacing API / ✓ Chat command — no binding needed
• ✓ Key binding: Ctrl+Shift+A — a keyboard binding is set
• ✓ SimHub binding: «role» — a SimHub role is set (plus a red SimHub not connected line if SimHub is down)
• ⚠ No binding set — set it here — the mode needs a binding and none is configured. The set it here link opens the Related Key Bindings section so you can set one.

The line updates live as you change the mode or set, clear, or switch the binding.

On the key icon

When a mode needs a binding and neither a keyboard shortcut nor a SimHub role is set, the key shows a centered ⚠ warning over its dimmed artwork — so a missing binding is obvious on the deck without opening the Property Inspector. It clears the moment you configure either binding type.

Per-mode method labels also appear in each action’s documentation, under the mode’s Details list.