Another way to use a palette

Questions & Suggestions
1

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

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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.

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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.

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

2

Can you post what you already have?

3

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.

4

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?

5

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:

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6

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

Keyboard Maestro Export
Keyboard Maestro Export1448×3728 500 KB

7

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".

8

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

9

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....

10

1 2 3 4

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

11

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

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

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And now the same fast

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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:

12

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

Not really, no.

13

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.

14

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.

15

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?

16

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".

17

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:

1 Like