Keyboard Layout Blank List/Spreadsheet

Questions & Suggestions
1

Hi!

As an avid user of KM, I have a ton of key-combos on my Apple 101 Keyboard triggering macros.

I was looking for a spreadsheet with all the possible keys and key-combos on my keyboard so that I can remember what I've already used in KM, as well as in my DAW and the OSX shortcuts I still use and have not disabled.

I am pretty good at finding stuff on the web, but I tried for about 40 minutes just to find a simple list-spreadsheet that would allow me to fill in which keys and key-combos are already in use.

Just a list of all of the keys and keys with modifiers combos, with a blank space on the right to check-off or type in a description of what it's in use for.

Has anyone ever seen or happen to have something like this?

Thanks!

2

I am not sure what you are looking for. You could of course create your own spreadsheet (in, for example, Apple's Numbers application), and you would not need many columns.

I use only two columns: one for the key combination and one for the application it applies to, along with any notes.

For speed of entry and for ease of searching, I chose to represent the modifiers as follows:

  • S = Shift
  • C = Control
  • O = Option
  • A = Command (Apple)

So "SCA-K" in the first column means ⇧⌃⌘ - K.

The corresponding entry in the second column might be "Switch to Keyboard Maestro (Alfred)", the application in brackets being where the key shortcut is set.

My preference is to use plain text where possible so I have this information set up not within a spreadsheet but as Markdown within a plain-text note (currently within Obsidian[1] but I am minded to move it out of there[2]).

Whatever system you choose, keep it as simple as possible, and use a format that is quick to edit and which won't lock in your data.

  1. Obsidian allows easy alphabetical sorting of the chosen column. ↩ī¸Ž

  2. I find Obsidian's rendering of such really long tables to be a little slow, and its table editing is currently rather quirky and tricky – I actually edit the table in a text editor. ↩ī¸Ž

3

Hi thanks for that! I'm going to use your idea!

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4

You might like to look at KeyCue which displays the live information related to what is available (including via Keyboard Maestro macros).

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5

There is a freeware alternative: KeyClu

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6

Such applications are certainly worth investigating and I have found occasional use for them. While keeping a sortable, DIY reference continues to pay off for me in terms of organisation, I would imagine that such an approach would be unappealing, if not pointless, for most users. Using plain text with Markdown avoids the friction of maintaining a spreadsheet, at least.

7

Thanks for all of these ideas! I started an Excel spreadsheet, hampered only by the ignorance of my never having used Excel ever, but I'm sort of fumbling through it.

I'll make int available here when I finish it.

I will probably also import it into Apple Numbers, as I don't own Excel...I'm on a borrowed laptop.

8

KeyClu is pretty cool!

I am going to mess around with it. It looks pretty deep.

I think for the time being I may go ahead with the spreadsheet just to have it locally on my DAW- computer.

Thanks again for all of these suggestions!

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