Learning method

General points
Window
Files and Folders
The Finder
Softwares
Dock*
Apple menu*
Scanning panel
Mouse action
Internet
Electronic mail
Keyboard shortcuts
Markers
Tricks*
Preferences
System Preferences*
Researches*
Making scanning panels I*
Making scanning panels II*
Give each key a task

Once your panel is organized, you have to give each key a task.

Letters : After having selected a key of the panel, in Inspector window, click the top “Item kind” popup menu, and choose “Key (to type)”, then select the “Label” field and rub what is written. In the “Display” popup menu, choose “Text Only”, and in the “Key” popup menu, bottom window, choose your letter, which appears on the selected key. Then case “Allow auto repeat” must be ticked off. Save (by typing “Command S” () keyboard shortcut) and go to another key.  

Letters followed by a space, groups of letters and small texts. After having selected a key, in Inspector window, click the top “Item kind” popup menu, and choose “Text  (to type)”, then select the “Label” field, rub what is written, replace it by a few letters characterising what the key writes. In the “Display” popup menu, choose “Text Only”, and in the “Text” field, type what the key writes. Then case “Allow auto repeat” must be ticked off. Save (by typing “Command S” () keyboard shortcut) and go to another key.

Modifier keys and others : Same method as for letters. If you look at what is in the list of the “Key” popup menu, bottom of Inspector window, you see letters, modifier keys, many signs, numbers, space key, backspace and forward delete keys, return and enter keys, function keys Fi, page up and page down keys, arrow keys, etc… 

Mouse action keys : After having selected a key, in Inspector window, click the top “Item kind” popup menu, and choose “Mouse Action”, then select the “Label” field and rub what is written, replace it by a keyword explaining the mouse action. In the “Display” popup menu, choose “Image Only” or “Image and Label” if you want a word under the picture. Then in the “Mouse” popup menu, bottom window, choose between :

  • Command Click. As if you typed first Command modifier key, then Simple Click, and again Command. Useful to select or not several files in a Finder’s list.
  • Control Click. Same as Command Click, but replacing Command by Control. Useful to make the local menu appear.
  • Double Click. Double clicking a file in the Finder, opens it. Double clicking a word in a text, shades it.
  • Drag. If you put the mouse cursor on the top bar of a window and then type Drag, it lets you move the window from a place to another, then you type Drag again to release mouse cursor. You can do the same operation to move a file or folder from a folder to another folder in the Finder. This operation is called “Drag and Drop”.
  • Mouse Button : same as Drag, but does not make the window or file on which is the mouse cursor shake when you type it. Essentially for applications such as Photoshop.
  • Mouse cursor down, up, left and right. These are mouse cursor movements in the four directions, which are shown by arrows.
  • Mouse cursor down-left, down-right, up-left and up-right. These are the diagonal mouse cursor movements, which are shown by arrows.
  • Option Click. Same as Command Click and Control Click, but replacing Command or Control by Option. Useful in a very long text ; Option-Clicking the right rail of a very long window, makes the blue rail cursor take the exact place where you clicked, much faster than page down or up, if the window is very long.
  • Reverse cursor direction. When mouse cursor goes too far, with that movement, you can make it go backwards, in same direction, but slowly. Slow speed is defined in SwitchXS preferences / Mouse.
  • Right Click. As Control Click, makes local menu appear.
  • Rotate Cursor. Makes a ray turn in clockwise, having its origin on the mouse cursor. Switching once makes the ray turn slower, switching a second time makes the ray stop turning and the mouse cursor move along the ray, switching a third time makes cursor move slower in the same direction, switching a forth time makes cursor stop. You determine angular speed in SwitchXS preferences / Mouse.
  • Shift Click. Same as Command Click, but replacing Command by Shift. Useful to select a part of list or text. You select a file in the Finder, when you Shift-Click another file of the same list, all files between those  two files are selected. Same in text, put the text cursor in a place, Shift-Click another place, all the text between those two places is selected.
  • Simple Click. Lets you select a file or folder in the Finder, move a text cursor place, go to another web page by clicking a link, etc…
  • Slow Mouse. If the Mouse cursor stops before arriving in the right place, that movement makes it go on in the same direction, but at a slow speed.

Composed Keys are meant to do keyboard shortcuts. After having selected a key, in Inspector window, click the top “Item kind” popup menu, and choose “Text Macro”.  In the “Display” popup menu, choose “Label Only”.Then :

- select the “Label” field and rub what is written, replace it by the keyboard shortcut picture. For that purpose, you need the Character Palette window, which should be in the Flag menu, top right of screen. If it is not in the Flag menu, put it in by choosing “Open International” in that Flag menu, and ticking the “Character Palette” case. If the “Label” field is selected, double clicking a character puts it in the field and on the selected key.

-for most keyboard shortcuts, the “Allow auto repeat” case should be ticked off.

-then select the “Text Macro” field. You have to know that this software is written in XML language, which implies some obligations. As it is rather complicated, the best is to give examples.

         -First example “Shift Command N”,

  • Click the popup menu above the “Text Macro” field, select “Shift” with up and down arrows, type Return. Shift should be written on that popup menu.
  • Click “Add” button. In the “Text Macro” field, Shift is written between brackets twice.
  • Bring the text cursor between the two middle brackets, with the left arrow.
  • Then click again the popup menu above the “Text Macro” field, select “Command” with up and down arrows, type Return. Command should be written on that popup menu.
  • Click “Add” button. In the “Text Macro” field, Command is written between brackets twice, and between two “Shift”.
  • Bring the text cursor between the two middle brackets, with the left arrow ; type “n”.
  • Save by typing “Command S” keyboard shortcut.

In “Text Macro” field should be written :

{Command}{Shift}n{Shift}{Command}

-Second example “Backspace + - + Space + Backspace” (useful to type an abbreviation after the “-“ sign).

  • Click the popup menu above the “Text Macro” field, select “Backspace” with up and down arrows, type Return. Backspace should be written on that popup menu.
  • Click “Add” button. In the “Text Macro” field, Backspace is written between brackets twice.
  • This time, we do not push mouse cursor between middle brackets, but type “-“ after the second “{Backspace}”.
  • Then click again the popup menu above the “Text Macro” field, select “Space” with up and down arrows, type Return. Space should be written on that popup menu.
  • Click “Add” button. In the “Text Macro” field, Space is written between brackets twice.
  • Bring the text cursor between the two middle brackets, with the left arrow.
  • Then click again the popup menu above the “Text Macro” field, select “Backspace” with up and down arrows, type Return. Backspace should be written on that popup menu.
  • Click “Add” button.
  • Save by typing “Command S” keyboard shortcut.

In “Text Macro” field should be written :

{Backspace}{Backspace}-{Space}{Backspace}{Backspace}{Space

Change panel. After having selected a key, in Inspector window, click the top “Item kind” popup menu, and choose “Load Panel”.  In the “Display” popup menu, choose “Label Only” if you want to put the panel’s title on the key, or “Image Only” if you want a picture. Then :

  • select the “Label” field and rub what is written, replace it by the panel’s title.
  • if you want a picture, double click it in the Image Browser, or drag and drop it on the key, from the “Image to experiment with” folder.
  • in the “Panel name” field, type the exact name of the panel, respecting capitals and spaces.
  • save by typing “Command S” keyboard shortcut.

Open application or document. After having selected a key, in Inspector window, click the top “Item kind” popup menu, and choose “Open Document/Application”.  In the “Display” popup menu, choose “Label Only” if you want to put the document’s title on the key, or “Image Only” if it is an application. Then :

  • select the “Label” field and rub what is written, replace it by the document’s or application’s name.
  • click the button, bottom of Inspector window,
  • select desired application (if you want a document, you have to fetch it in another window), type Return. The application’s icon should be on the selected key.
  • save by typing “Command S” keyboard shortcut.

SwitchXS Command. After having selected a key, in Inspector window, click the top “Item kind” popup menu, and choose “SwitchXS Command”.  In the “Display” popup menu, choose “Image and Label”. Then select the “Label” field and rub what is written, replace it if you want something written on the key, or put a picture (see chapter Making scanning panels I / Pictures). Click the “Command” popup menu, bottom of Inspector window, and choose between :

  • Alarm : which sound increases until you switch. Very useful to call when you cannot speak.
  • Auto Repeat  : ticks or not “Auto repeat” case in SwitchXS preferences, which should always be ticked on, otherwise light blue keys of “Keyboard and Mouse bis” scanning panel, do not repeat.
  • Auto turn off modifier keys : ticks on or off “Auto turn off modifier keys” case in SwitchXS preferences, which should always be ticked on, otherwise you have to type the modifier key again, after a capital or keyboard shortcut.
  • bring to front : puts you in SwitchXS application, useless if you have a key which opens SwitchXS.
  • Do nothing : are the dark blue keys of “Keyboard and Mouse bis” scanning panel ; when you type them, nothing occurs ; they are at each first to make scanning easier.
  • Don’t bounce cursor : so that mouse cursor does not come back when it reaches a screen edge, essentially for games.
  • Move scan panel window : without this key, you have to do it by drag and drop, disabling “Smart Transparency” in SwitchXS preferences, which is long and boring.
  • Only generate mouse delta : mouse cursor is fix while mouse moves, essentially for games. Explained in SwitchXS manual, page 13.
  • Repeat last action, before last action, third last action : useless keys since we have auto repeat.
  • Scan menu : without that key, you have to use mouse to choose a task in a menu. Scan menu speed is defined in SwitchXS preferences.
  • Show preferences window : useless key, for “Command ,” () keyboard shortcut shows the preferences window in nearly every application.

Message (to speak). Lets computer say already written messages, very useful for those who do not speak. The problem with those messages, is that in foreign languages, they are incomprehensible without Proloquo, an excellent voice synthesis, that I highly recommend. After having selected a key, in Inspector window, click the top “Item kind” popup menu, and choose “Message (to speak)”.  In the “Display” popup menu, choose “Label Only”, and in the “Label” field, type a keyword explaining the message. Then type the message in the “Text” field. Save by typing “Command S” keyboard shortcut.

Run a Script. If you write scripts, you can make keys to execute them. This is how the key that goes to the Finder is done (third key, third row of Keyboard and Mouse bis scanning panel). After having selected a key in Inspector window, click the top “Item kind” popup menu, and choose “Run Script”.  In the “Display” popup menu, choose “Label Only” if you want to put the script’s title on the key, or “Image Only” if you want a picture. Then :

  • select the “Label” field and rub what is written, replace it by the script’s name.
  • click the “Open” button, bottom of Inspector window, find the script folder (in Home folder) and select desired script, type Return.
  • save by typing “Command S” keyboard shortcut.

LayoutKitchen Command. Like SwitchXS Commands, they are all sorts of commands helping to make scanning panels, this way you can set up a LayoutKitchen panel to make your panels. In Inspector window, click the top “Item kind” popup menu, and choose “LayoutKitchen Command”, then you do the same as for SwitchXS Command.

KeyStrokes Command. To use word prediction, you have to put in your writing panel as many suggestions as possible and the two keys : Toggle Automation (to launch abbreviations) and Toggle Learning (so that word prediction remembers what you write, and suggests  it next time you start writing it). You can make these keys the same way as SwitchXS or LayoutKitchen keys, by choosing “KeyStrokes Command” in the “Item kind” popup menu of Inspector window.

Proloquo Command. If you have the Proloquo voice synthesis, it is convenient to have some Proloquo keys in a panel.

Conclusion. If you have difficulty making scanning panels, I suggest you download “Keyboard and Mouse bis” from “General Points”, and “writing” from “My writing method”, to look at the way I did them. If you still do not manage them, you can write me, I will try to help you.