Another way to use a palette

I'm experimenting with a „particular“ way :rofl: of using a palette. Some might find this slightly mad.

My idea is this: The palette is visible (active) when the spacebar is pressed and held, and disappears again when the spacebar is released. I do it like this

With this shortcut the spacebar triggers the palette by up/down.

This works well. Explained with the example palette below. "Space + a" triggers action 1.

image

But it is clear that the normal function of the spacebar is no longer available. I tried the obvious: When the spacebar is pressed show the palette and type a space. This works. But only with "Insert text by pasting" and it is slow.

Does anyone know a better way to implement this "concept"? Thanks!

Can you post what you already have?

HI Neil, I did that above, what are you missing? :smirk:

No problem. The palette is called by the complicated shortcut. This shortcut is used by the spacebar with up and down, to show/hide the palette.

My brain must have glitched... What you've posted is a macro that closes the palette and types a space when you press the spacebar. Where's the "if spacebar is held" bit?

Ah, ok. The "space-action" above shows the palette und type a space.

This simple macro hides the palette again. It's just a simple pressed/released of the spacebar. There is no if :slight_smile:

So is the palette flashing up every time you use the spacebar in normal typing?

How about this?

Space Bar Palette.kmmacros (53 KB)

Macro screenshot

Thanks Neil, that would be really, really smart.... if the problem wasn't always the same. Space is typed on release. I can't type like that. Do you see a way to change this?

PS: "the palette flashing" is the price I am willing to pay to keep everything at "pressed".

Really? Can you give an example where it becomes an issue? Seems to work fine here.

Haha, we've had this before, haven't we. :joy: All is well with you and I have letter twisters :man_shrugging:

But honestly, it's just imperatively logical that it can't work if you type fast. One character is typed when release and the following when pressed....

1 2 3 4

I just typed that as fast as I could and it was fine. Weird.

I do not understand it either... ok...

Type "space" ... wait... type "1". That is correct. Space ist before "1"

image

And now the same fast

image

Do you see the difference? The space is inserted after the "1"?

This is perfectly logical.

We have different experiences. Anyway, you see a another way ... maybe? :smiley:

Yeah. Weird that it doesn't do that here. Do you have a global keypress delay set by any chance?

Not really, no.

What ist that?

PS: Wait, I can't believe this :rofl: Hold your right index finger on space and your left on 1. And now type fast space, 1

fast means practically at the same time.

https://wiki.keyboardmaestro.com/action/Set_Action_Delay

I'm not in front of my mac right now but I can't think of many scenarios where I'd be doing that. :joy:

I take your point though. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. Why not use a trigger other than space? How about when you hold cmd-space? Seems like a reasonable compromise.

Why not? But how exactly? Can you explain this in more detail? And would that be with pressed?

Ah, sorry, you mean cmd+space to show the palette?

Yeah. No matter how many times it gets questioned, I still live by the commandment, "Thou shall not use single character hotkeys in apps that accept typing".

Yeah, this is a good suggestion because both keys are right under my thumbs. So I can do this "blind".

Thanks Neil, sometimes I don't see the simplest solution myself.

And... no matter how many times it is suggested, never use anything that will work when released. :joy: :rofl: :smirk:

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