Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Looking for Testers for Multi-touch Customization App
- Thread starter whenders0n
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
[semi]Public beta!
Feedback has been good thus far, and I am pleased to announce that I am now releasing the current version as a public beta!
Please Read the following Carefully before Downloading:
It should go without saying that a Macbook Air running Leopard is required to run it. It also goes without saying that even though MultiClutch is a simple tool that does not manipulate your data in any way, you should have a backup before you install it just incase something goes horribly, horribly wrong. MultiClutch is beta software and I am not responsible for any harm it may cause you, your computer, your data, your pet hamster, your love life, or your favorite sweatshirt.
Installation
When you double click the preference pane, it will offer to install it. Once you do that, it will ask you to install the input manager that actually handles the input from the trackpad. The auto install method uses a secure helper app to install the input manager in (root)/Library/Input Managers and set the correct permissions for it. After you type in your password and the input manger is installed, System Preferences will launch and you will have to select the MultiClutch pref pane (in the future I may make this selection automatic). Please note that the input manger will not be available in applications until they are restarted.
Use
When you first use MultiClutch, 4 gestures (Rotate Left, Swipe Left, Swipe Right, Zoom in) will be defined for 'Global'. Global should be thought of as the default behavior in any application if that application doesn't have another shortcut defined for the given gesture. To define gestures for individual applications, click the left most plus icon and add a Cocoa application. You can then select an Application or Global and give it gestures by clicking the right most plus button, selecting a gesture (or typing it in) with the combo box and giving it a shortcut. When you double click a shortcut, it will allow you to set the shortcut directly by performing it. It will not set keystrokes that are not shortcuts. Gestures that you define should be immediately available in their respective apps (assuming you restarted them after installing the input manager).
In applications that already support gestures (Preview, Safari, etc), if no gesture is given for them specifically or in Global then the default implementation will still work. For example, rotate will have its original functionality in Preview if nothing else is defined - even if zooming or swiping is defined for preview.
If you are curious or having issues, please use Console.app (in your Utilities folder) to track console messages. MultiClutch does a lot of logging in its beta form so that you can see what its doing if you are having issues. Also, you can check out the preferences file, com.wonderboots.MultiClutchBindings.plist, which is intentionally a human readable format that might help debugging with bindings-related issues.
Known Issues
-MultiClutch currently has issues sending some kinds of keystrokes that are handled on a system-wide basis - for example Spaces or Application switching. Future updates will address this issue.
-Input managers are not supported (and hence MultiClutch) in Carbon Apps (iTunes, MS Office, Finder). This will almost certainly not change.
Download
Phew! I bet your ready to use it! Please send feedback to me at this address, and if its a bug report try to include details such as exact steps taken, system setup, what the log is doing, and perhaps your preferences file if it is related to your gesture bindings.
Download URL:
http://people.reed.edu/~hendersw/MultiClutch_%20beta2.prefPane.zip
Enjoy!
Feedback has been good thus far, and I am pleased to announce that I am now releasing the current version as a public beta!
Please Read the following Carefully before Downloading:
It should go without saying that a Macbook Air running Leopard is required to run it. It also goes without saying that even though MultiClutch is a simple tool that does not manipulate your data in any way, you should have a backup before you install it just incase something goes horribly, horribly wrong. MultiClutch is beta software and I am not responsible for any harm it may cause you, your computer, your data, your pet hamster, your love life, or your favorite sweatshirt.
Installation
When you double click the preference pane, it will offer to install it. Once you do that, it will ask you to install the input manager that actually handles the input from the trackpad. The auto install method uses a secure helper app to install the input manager in (root)/Library/Input Managers and set the correct permissions for it. After you type in your password and the input manger is installed, System Preferences will launch and you will have to select the MultiClutch pref pane (in the future I may make this selection automatic). Please note that the input manger will not be available in applications until they are restarted.
Use
When you first use MultiClutch, 4 gestures (Rotate Left, Swipe Left, Swipe Right, Zoom in) will be defined for 'Global'. Global should be thought of as the default behavior in any application if that application doesn't have another shortcut defined for the given gesture. To define gestures for individual applications, click the left most plus icon and add a Cocoa application. You can then select an Application or Global and give it gestures by clicking the right most plus button, selecting a gesture (or typing it in) with the combo box and giving it a shortcut. When you double click a shortcut, it will allow you to set the shortcut directly by performing it. It will not set keystrokes that are not shortcuts. Gestures that you define should be immediately available in their respective apps (assuming you restarted them after installing the input manager).
In applications that already support gestures (Preview, Safari, etc), if no gesture is given for them specifically or in Global then the default implementation will still work. For example, rotate will have its original functionality in Preview if nothing else is defined - even if zooming or swiping is defined for preview.
If you are curious or having issues, please use Console.app (in your Utilities folder) to track console messages. MultiClutch does a lot of logging in its beta form so that you can see what its doing if you are having issues. Also, you can check out the preferences file, com.wonderboots.MultiClutchBindings.plist, which is intentionally a human readable format that might help debugging with bindings-related issues.
Known Issues
-MultiClutch currently has issues sending some kinds of keystrokes that are handled on a system-wide basis - for example Spaces or Application switching. Future updates will address this issue.
-Input managers are not supported (and hence MultiClutch) in Carbon Apps (iTunes, MS Office, Finder). This will almost certainly not change.
Download
Phew! I bet your ready to use it! Please send feedback to me at this address, and if its a bug report try to include details such as exact steps taken, system setup, what the log is doing, and perhaps your preferences file if it is related to your gesture bindings.
Download URL:
http://people.reed.edu/~hendersw/MultiClutch_%20beta2.prefPane.zip
Enjoy!
Blast from the past?
William, nice work. By any chance are you the w.henderson who worked on NeXT applications long ago?
William, nice work. By any chance are you the w.henderson who worked on NeXT applications long ago?
that's pretty awesome that a guy a NeXT was also w.henderson, but it wasn't me!
i was testing this with firefox Command+[ for navigation back, seems like it does not work..maybe firefox is not an cocoa application??
Firefox isn't Cocoa =(. You might try Camino (or Safari!). I've heard there are some nightly builds of a 'cocoa' Firefox - but I'm not sure that if it's a true Cocoa app or not. I'd be curious to find out if you do try it...
Update: I've got non-application shortcuts (ie Spaces) working and I'm going to be releasing a (real) public beta very soon, in honor of the new Macbook Pros. Watch this space or my blog (wcrawford.org) for the link. Best,
wc
wc
Can someone that's running this please try to bind any gesture in Safari to command+L please. When performed, the action should take you to the location bar. I can't seem to get it to work.
Also, I noticed that when an action is bound to Cmd-opt-B ("Show all bookmarks") it performs cmd-option-shift-B, which (with Saft) opens the side bar.
In console, it IS sending the right command.
This has real potential, thanks to the developer!
Also, I noticed that when an action is bound to Cmd-opt-B ("Show all bookmarks") it performs cmd-option-shift-B, which (with Saft) opens the side bar.
In console, it IS sending the right command.
This has real potential, thanks to the developer!
Strange. I'm now running the new (aforementioned) version and I have no trouble binding either of these. I'm thinking the way that the new version handles input will take care of your issues, but please let me know if not. I'll be posting the new version tonight.
Hi William, thanks for your fast response.
It's strange because I've tried binding to almost all the "plain vanilla" key combinations (i.e. command-X, where x is any letter) and they work as expected.
An earlier post mentioned that cmd+w was being interpreted as cmd-shift-w (specifically for safari this closes the whole window rather than the single tab). I've tried this binding and once again console shows correctly that it is sending cmd-w.
Looking forward to the new version!
It's strange because I've tried binding to almost all the "plain vanilla" key combinations (i.e. command-X, where x is any letter) and they work as expected.
An earlier post mentioned that cmd+w was being interpreted as cmd-shift-w (specifically for safari this closes the whole window rather than the single tab). I've tried this binding and once again console shows correctly that it is sending cmd-w.
Looking forward to the new version!
Shift-cmd-H in Safari (go to homepage) is sent correctly according to console, but interpreted as Cmd-H (hide window).
I think it has something to do with how it handles capital letters?
Someone other than the dev try these out and respond if you can duplicate the problems please
I think it has something to do with how it handles capital letters?
Someone other than the dev try these out and respond if you can duplicate the problems please
Shift-cmd-H in Safari (go to homepage) is sent correctly according to console, but interpreted as Cmd-H (hide window).
I think it has something to do with how it handles capital letters?
Someone other than the dev try these out and respond if you can duplicate the problems please
i have a similar problem, it sends Shift+cmd+W (which is close window) when i want it to send cmd+w (which is close tab) in Safari.
To the eager testers
For those of you who are comfortable, please try the following (unfinished) beta:
http://people.reed.edu/~hendersw/MultiClutch_beta3.prefPane.zip
It should FIX the issues you guys are having with keyboard shortcuts not behaving as expected. Notice, though, that this beta doesn't have the finished formatter for the bindings columns in the pref pane. Thus, you will see things like '55,4' instead of 'apple-h' because it's just displaying the raw keycodes. This will be finished tonight, but I figured it would make sense to have a couple of you verify that the new input handler does fix these issues before I release the beta more widely. Thanks!
NOTE: This beta is not as well tested as the last two and should be considered for the intrepid only. It's likely to have a few strange kinks (nothing threatening, but still).
For those of you who are comfortable, please try the following (unfinished) beta:
http://people.reed.edu/~hendersw/MultiClutch_beta3.prefPane.zip
It should FIX the issues you guys are having with keyboard shortcuts not behaving as expected. Notice, though, that this beta doesn't have the finished formatter for the bindings columns in the pref pane. Thus, you will see things like '55,4' instead of 'apple-h' because it's just displaying the raw keycodes. This will be finished tonight, but I figured it would make sense to have a couple of you verify that the new input handler does fix these issues before I release the beta more widely. Thanks!
NOTE: This beta is not as well tested as the last two and should be considered for the intrepid only. It's likely to have a few strange kinks (nothing threatening, but still).
No luck with the key codes for me. I think it is sending them, for example, if I swipe up right now (multiple times), this is what happens: 55,1355,1355,1355,1355,1355,13 (I have swipe up set to Cmd+W in safari)
Guess I'll just have to wait for the version tonight
Guess I'll just have to wait for the version tonight
No luck with the key codes for me. I think it is sending them, for example, if I swipe up right now (multiple times), this is what happens: 55,1355,1355,1355,1355,1355,13 (I have swipe up set to Cmd+W in safari)
Guess I'll just have to wait for the version tonight
Oh i forgot: important note:
You've got to uninstall the old input manager (delete it from [root]/Library/InputManagers) before using this. Guess that's one of the strange kinks.
And you might want to delete your prefs for good measure. It should be fine if you just redfine all the bindings but the new version uses a totally new format so all the old bindings WILL NOT WORK.
It works wonderfully now! I can't find a bind (in Safari at least) that DOESN'T work.
Deleted the following before installing new version:
~/Library/PreferencePanes/MultiClutch.prefpane
~/Library/Preferences/com.wonderboots.MultiClutchBindings.plist
/Library/InputManagers/MultiClutchInputManager
I had the installer set for current user only, if you did a global install the first two above probably won't apply.
Deleted the following before installing new version:
~/Library/PreferencePanes/MultiClutch.prefpane
~/Library/Preferences/com.wonderboots.MultiClutchBindings.plist
/Library/InputManagers/MultiClutchInputManager
I had the installer set for current user only, if you did a global install the first two above probably won't apply.
Finally got my MBA today and I installed MultiClutch. Concept seems to work, the only problem is that I configured MC to do a global ctrl-left/right on swipe left/right to change Spaces and now it does the swipe right once and then just dies until I go mess with either Spaces or MC prefpane. Seems like the swipes don't work unless I have the MC prefpane active.
But it's getting there...
But it's getting there...
I think probably what is happening is either you haven't relaunched the app that is activating when you switch spaces (and thus the input manager isn't loaded) or it is a Carbon app. The latter, sadly, greatly diminished the usefulness of using swipes to switch spaces. As far as I know, there is no way of getting bindings implemented in Carbon apps short of rewriting the driver for the trackpad.
Ok here is the release. Please get back to me with feedback, as I'm hoping this is the one that I can post for the general public. Thanks!
http://people.reed.edu/~hendersw/MultiClutch.prefPane_beta4.zip
http://people.reed.edu/~hendersw/MultiClutch.prefPane_beta4.zip
beta4 seems to work fine in Safari, but I too get the Spaces problem. Regardless of which action, it doesn't seem to work unless you're in the main space. In console, no commands are being sent (or at least none are being logged) when in a space other than the primary one.
I've noticed after you perform the one change, the spaces "icon" which graphically shows which space you're in seems to hang (same behavior if you push ctrl+ --> and then continue to hold ctrl down). You have to press a button or move the cursor for it to disappear. Not sure if that implies the action is based on a release of the trigger key, or if it's just that the gestures won't work in a space other than the primary one.
Also, had to set gesture as a global bind, as it wouldn't work when specified for the Spaces app only (this makes sense, but just mentioning for people trying to replicate the problem).
I've noticed after you perform the one change, the spaces "icon" which graphically shows which space you're in seems to hang (same behavior if you push ctrl+ --> and then continue to hold ctrl down). You have to press a button or move the cursor for it to disappear. Not sure if that implies the action is based on a release of the trigger key, or if it's just that the gestures won't work in a space other than the primary one.
Also, had to set gesture as a global bind, as it wouldn't work when specified for the Spaces app only (this makes sense, but just mentioning for people trying to replicate the problem).