Integrate BTT (Better Touch Tool) with KBM?

Questions & Suggestions
62

thank you for your reply.

Still does not work. Here is what I did.

  • I checked SP for the apple screenshots: the shortcuts for screen captures Cmd-Shift-3 and Cmd-Shift-4 were not checked (because I did not use them). I quit Shotbox ➜ checked the above shortcuts in sys pref, rebooted, tested them and they work file. I can see and read the capture files.

  • KeyCue: excellent idea ! I do not see any conflict - triggered in 2 apps below.

image
image.png1370×898 110 KB

image
image.png1370×898 110 KB

63

So, if I'm understanding you correctly, the screenshot shortcuts were not checked (read: enabled) before in System Preferences, and now they are checked/enabled, but Shotbox still doesn't work? Just to make totally sure: you did re-launch Shotbox after rebooting your system and confirming that the shortcuts worked, right? If you're certain that the screenshot shortcuts work and Shotbox is launched but Shotbox still isn't seeing them, the best idea I have is to make your own screenshot macros using an Execute a Shell Script action. In my tests, this worked just as well as the ⌘⇧3 or ⌘⇧4 shortcuts to take a screenshot and have Shotbox capture it:

Take Windowed Screenshot.kmmacros (1.5 KB)
16 PM

Just make sure that the screenshot is saved in the same folder being watched by Shotbox, which you can confirm in Shotbox's preferences:

5

1 Like
64

Thank you for your reply.

  • yes, they were NOT checked. I quit shotbox, checked both boxes in Sys Pref, and just to be sure, rebooted (in fact, rebooted twice)
  • I tested that they worked fine. SYSTEM (not shotbox) shortcuts worked. Could see files in desktop.
  • thank you for your macro: works fine, just like ⌘⇧4.
  • then I activated shotbox, checked in preferences that shotbox starts at login, and rebooted ➜ i made sure that shotbox is in the menu bar (ie active) ➜ shotbox shortcuts still don’t work (all I get is the generic apple snapshot, nothing shotbox). To make sure that it wasn’t a display problem (screenshot not displayed), I checked the default shotbox folder (as per your image) and it is empty.

I did a test : went to the desktop folder, highlighted a screen capture done with the generic apple ⌘⇧4 ➜ right click ➜ tried to open the snapshot in shotbox ➜ error message: shotbox cannot read png files (all my snapshots are png). Could that be a hint?

thanks again

65

another strange behaviour is that I can only activate Shotbox preferences (shotbox menu icon ➜ preferences) successfully once. Next time, the pref window does not display. I have to quit and restart shotbox to get into shotbox pref

66

It worked twice and then no more.
It’s the same editor as BTT screencapture, so I’ll just go back to BTT.
Thanks very much for all your help !!

1 Like
67

Hi, BTT screencapture editor: I am sure you know already: feature illustrated under number 8 is very interesting and not available in a much more advanced snagit: the app converted a hard drawn drawing to an actual shape.

image
image.jpg1720×584 120 KB

68

@gglick @appleianer @Bakari45
Hello, I don’t know if you have had the chance to use custom gestures with BTT, especially cursive letters. Implemented it today. Quite impressive ! very good recognition. Easy to remember; must easier than non mnemonic taps, swipes and clicks. In terms of number of gestures, sky is the limit.
https://docs.bettertouchtool.net/docs/drawings.html

1 Like
69

Yep, I’ve been using it for a few months now. I produced a video tutorial about it.

There’s also a drawing trigger in KM, but I haven’t been able to get to work well for me. Need to play around with it some more.

1 Like
70

Hi, nice to hear from you. Thank you for a very nice video.

I used to have problems with triggering drawings using gestures, but since I used the trigger drawing by keyboard sequence (not shortcut) (I chose Ctrl twice), all is fine.

If you have the time,I have 2 questions:

  • I never use the stop drawing recording/registration function. I trigger the drawing registration (start recording) ➜ draw my gesture, and that's the end of it. Where/when does the stop recording come into play ?.

2- in your video, you mention using the right mouse click to trigger recognition . I have a trackpad (like you) and tried 2 finger tap, and all variations possible, and could not make it work. Could you describe what gesture you use? I don't understand what is meant by enable right mouse down (=double tap) after mouse moved.

thanks very much !

image
image.jpg715×54 11.3 KB

71

Hey Ronald, I may of misspoke in my video. I click and hold with two fingers. The BTT drawing interface pops up and then I draw the gesture. Be sure to enable Advanced Settings > Right Mouse Down drawing recognition. Let me know if it works for you.

The Drawing feature is still buggy. Sometimes when it doesn’t work, I have to bring BTT to forefront to get it to start working. And sometimes I have to draw the gestures a few times to get them to work, so I don’t use it regularly, but it’s fun to have it.

1 Like
72

Thank you for your answer.

  • in your video, you mention stop recording drawing. Just to let you know that the developer told me that it concerns only mouse created drawings, not trackpad users. So trackpad users don't have to worry about stopping the recording of drawings.
  • I finally understood today how to use the Advanced Settings > Right Mouse Down drawing recognition. I don't like it because I use drawing recognition too often and having to click each time is too much of an effort.
  • I had all kinds of problems and irritants triggering drawings, and was about to just drop the whole idea. Then I tried using key sequence as a start recording trigger. It is night and day. I am gradually converting from gestures to my own drawings. Since I changed to key sequence, the drawings have not failed once.
  • last point: I was sometimes going bananas trying to create a new drawing. For some reason, nothing happened. I tried everything including restarting BTT a number of times. I finally understood what the problem was: you are not allowed to record straight lines in drawings. Once I understood that, never had problems again.
  • keep in mind also that you can create app specific drawings.

image
image.png1744×1346 333 KB

73

Hey Ronald, I’ll look into it more. Maybe we can hop on Google Hangout sometimes and compare results. I do have a diagonal and vertical line drawing actions that I use, and they have’t given me any problems.

So are you saying you trigger the drawing feature and it stays on without you having to trigger it to get started?

74

Hi Bakari,
I did not express myself correctly.
Let’s say I want to go to Chrome, and my Chrome drawing is a small handwritten l .
My key sequence to trigger recording/recognition is double click Ctrl.
Ctrl-Ctrl (twice) ➜ drawing recording initiated (immediate) - see semi transparent panel under cursor ➜ I draw small l ➜ as soon as I take my finger off the trackpad, the gesture is executed.
One could argue that triggering the drawing recognition is an extra effort + time. On the other hand drawings are easier to remember.

1 Like
75

Okay, I get you. I’m glad it’s working for you. I need to use the feature more often, especially using a drawing for restarting an application. Sometimes the drawing feature is buggy at first, but it’s very handy.