As a self-assign keyboard shortcuts for all OS X applications
Makradar Technologies / / December 19, 2019
I bet you are using those or other application functions, at least once caught myself thinking: "Well, why for this team does not have a shortcut key?" Unfortunately, we face similar situations are often, but do not forget that we are working in such a wonderful system like OS X, along it among other things, allows you to assign custom shortcuts.
For example, I took the popular editing software Pixelmator. I used to work with him, preparing images for your articles and I do not have enough hot keys for image export. This can be done through the menu, but why waste your precious time on unnecessary movements?
Step 1. We find the name of the action that we want to assign a hot key
To assign a keyboard shortcut, we will need the exact name of the menu item that we want to automate. So what look carefully and remember the name of the action. Otherwise, nothing happens. In the case of Pixelmator, to export the image, we need the item «Export ...»
Council. For multi-level menu, it is necessary to specify the last item, and not the first and not both at once. For example, to add a hot key exports in «.doc» to Pages - need to use «Word ...» menu.
Step 2. Open the hotkey settings
Now that we have the exact name of the menu item, open settings — Keyboard and go to the tab Keyboard shortcuts. We are interested in shortcuts to applications, so open the item App Shortcuts. If you want to add a shortcut key for a service, select services.
Step 3. Add a new hotkey
To add a shortcut click the "+" and specify the following options:
- Program - Pixelmator
- Menu Name - Export ...
- Key combination - ⌘E
As a result, you should get the same as in the screenshot. After completing the addition of hot keys by clicking "Add".
Step 4. We check our shortcut in action
If you did everything correctly, in Pixelmator menu opposite menu item «Export ...» should show our shortcut - ⌘E. Now export your work you simply press ⌘E and select the desired image format. Specificity Pixelmator interface does not provide for the addition of hot keys for import into a specific image format and a minus. If after clicking on the menu «Export ...», opened not die with icons of formats, and another drop-down menu - could make a direct shortcut, for example, to export to PNG.
All developers make their apps menu different, but it does not change niskolechko mechanism for adding hotkeys. According to the principle described, you can add a shortcut to any act, in absolutely any application (if there is a menu item for it).
In addition, you can reassign shortcut keys for existing shortcuts, in the same way. For example, I changed the shortcut to rotate the image in Preview with ⌘L on ⌥L. It's simple:
Inscriptions on the menu have changed, here's the result:
***
As you can see, section hotkeys in the system settings, a fairly powerful tool that allows you to configure the system for themselves. If you find that in your application do not have keyboard shortcuts for actions that you require - just create them yourself. And if the combination of the existing inconvenient for you - you can easily change them to more appropriate.