By combining a number of advanced techniques in Keyboard Maestro, you can turn the Caps Lock key into a hyperkey that brings up a palette of commands. This can save you from needing to remember too many keyboard shortcuts.
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Searching for a way to mimic hyperkey like palette with KM on a portable. Using a long press of the Tab key to activate a palette and then a double tap on the Tab key to close that palette seems to work. (All else is similar). Am I missing a potential problem with this?
BobR: What do you mean by "on a portable?" Like a MacBook? If your solution works, then great. Just keep using it and see for yourself if it interferes with anything else you may need.
Mimicking Addendum: Yes it does interfere with normal use of Tab key necessitating another macro with Shift Tab to insert a Tab character. This for the MacBook Air but also for a desktop Mac using a bluetooth keyboard. Wish there was a better workaround but so far this really helps Valerie use various shortcuts from KM.
Hi Gary. When I use the Hotkey to run a macro, it works on my MacBook Air but not on my Mac Studio! I duplicated the Hyperkey Triggers since the two machines have different codes for Caps Lock but this works fine. I have a macro to Execute Shortcut which Opens CotEditor. I assigned the Hotkey E. If I choose the macro Name from the Hyperkey list, then CotEditor opens on both machines. But if I choose the Hotkey E, then I get a list of emojis on the Studio. The Air works fine. Maybe you can help?
Marshall: You do have to have the Caps Lock key for each keyboard added, as "USB device" pertains to the exact device. Not sure if that is what you are dealing with. But keep experimenting.
refer to my previous post. I discovered the problem. In the modifier keys section of system settings, I had mapped the Caps Lock key to the Glove key. I changed it to no action and now all is well.
Thank you for a really cool idea.
Pertaining to Marshall's posts: I would like clarification regarding what keyboard he is using with his MacBook Air. Am I correct in assuming that to use a Hyperkey he is using a USB keyboard and not the machine's builtin keyboard?
BobR: I think he is using it both on his MacBook Air with the built-in keyboard, and the Mac Studio with a USB keyboard. I am doing the same. You have to set both as triggers.
Boy, now I am confused. How does one set the CapsLock to trigger a macro on the MacBook Air? I thought it necessitated a USB keyboard for the trigger (and the builtin CapsLock set to null).
BobR: It is still called a "USB Device." Choose "USB Device Key Trigger" and then press Caps Lock.
Well I'll be darned. Confusion cleared. Because there was no USB device, I assumed...etc, etc. Works fine with CapsLock key now. Thanks for nudging my brain.