Hello All, > I was experimenting while drafting a reply to Phil's question about double > clicking and right clicking, and came across an interesting side behavior > from the application KeyRemap4MacBook that allows me to use the NumPad > Commander key definitions, including combinations with modifier keys, on a > laptop. For background information, this software is shareware (free, but > donations suggested if you find it useful), and can be used to remap > keyboard keys. While many people who have installed VMWare Fusion to run > Windows under a virtual machine used Sharp Keys to remap keys under the > Windows guest system, others have use Fusion's preferences, and still > others have used KeyRemap4MacBook. The distinction is that > KeyRemap4MacBook is a Mac-based program (while Fusion's preferences take > effect only within the virtual machines, which might be Linux, Windows, > etc.; and Sharp Keys is a Windows registry hack that only works for the > Windows VM). KeyRemap4Macbook (hereafter, KR4MB) can also be used for > general Mac keyboard remapping, to support different language > implementations, etc. For example, I think someone has used this to remap > the right Command key to be a Control key, so that the bottom row gives > you VO keys on both sides of the space bar. Just a warning that this is > going to be a long post, and may be primarily of interest to those > interested in the technical side of working their Macs. I'm hoping to > enlist some assistance in checking out what I hope are new capabilities > for laptop Mac users. > > The interesting discovery is that when you download and install KR4MB on > Mac laptops, by default you gain access to the embedded number pad in the > right hand side of the keyboard when you press the "Fn" key in combination > with these keys. So, if I want to enter a series of numbers, holding down > the "Fn" key and pressing "j k l" generates "1 2 3", while holding down > the "Fn" key and pressing "u i o" generates "4 5 6". This is exactly the > way things worked on the PowerPC laptop keyboards and the early Intel > MacBooks (before year's end 2008). You could access the embedded numeric > keypad -- both numbers and math operation characters -- either by toggling > on the "NumLock" function of the F6 key, or by pressing "Fn" with each key > without having to toggle on "NumLock". > > The even more interesting discovery is that you can use the embedded > numeric keypad with the Fn key to generate the NumPad Commander > combinations, including the ones with modifier keys like "Command", > "Option", "Control", or "Shift", if you turn on NumPad Commander by > checking the box for "Enable NumPad Commander" under the "Commanders" menu > of VoiceOver Utility (VO-F8). In fact, if you turn on keyboard help mode > with VO-k and press the keys on the right hand side of the keyboard where > the embedded number pad would be on the old laptops, together with the > "Fn" key and modifiers, VoiceOver will identify the corresponding NumPad > Commander operation that is currently bound to that combination. > > For background, over two years ago there was a discussion on this list > about being able to use the unmodified NumPad Commander keyboard shortcuts > on a laptop if you press the number key from the top row on the keyboard > in place of the corresponding NumPad key together with an arrow key. > Again, NumPad Commander must be enabled in VoiceOver Utility for this to > work. I think that Sarah, at least, takes advantage of this on her laptop. > (The trick is to find an arrow key to press that doesn't also move focus > while you use these combinations.) I'll give the link to the old > discussion in the list archives, since this predates the use of the Mail > Archive with its search facilities, and I went back to read up on this. > There were some truly odd aspects of the way this worked. For one thing, I > could run the default unmodified NumPad Commander definitions on my 12" G4 > PowerBook under Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4), which still had a working embedded > Numeric Keypad, even though NumPad Commander was not introduced until > Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5). Anne could press the top row keys in combination > with arrow keys on a French keyboard to get these sequences, even though > on a French keyboard typing the numbers by themselves in the top row of > keys requires pressing the "Shift" key. Here's the old discussion archive > link: > > Keyboard Shortcuts from NumPad Commander without a NumPad: > http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/mac-access/2010/000101.html > > As far as I can tell so far, using KR4MB does not produce any bad side > effects for VoiceOver use. Even without using the NumPad Commander > definitions it appears useful to have an alternate way to enter numbers. > When KR4MB is installed the combination of pressing a number from the top > row of keys and an arrow key no longer seems to generate the unmodified > NumPad Commander operation for that number key. On the other hand, there > are probably things I can't easily test by myself. I've switched language > keyboards, and the NumPad definitions seem to work OK. I've been doing my > test on a 13" MacBook Pro (2010 model) running Snow Leopard. But I don't > know, for example, whether the remapped keys have any contention issues > with key definitions for people running VMWare and Windows or Bootcamp. > Also, I haven't tried the key emulation in Bluetooth applications like > Type2Phone yet, but I think that app might use the native keystrokes, > only. My machine also runs TextExpander, which shouldn't affect the key > remapping, but it could generate odd input combinations. Anyone who wants > to try experimenting with this should probably not be using other key > remapping software in contention. > > I think this is definitely an interesting set of features to test out, but > there should probably be additional checking of the NumPad Commander > function usage. In other respects KR4MB appears to be well-designed > software. Here's the developer's web page for those of you who are > interested: > http://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/ > > Note that there are two different versions of the software (version 7.8.0 > for Mountain Lion, Lion, and Snow Leopard, and version 5.1.0 for Leopard > and Tiger). This downloads as a .dmg file. I just double clicked after > opening the .dmg file to install on Snow Leopard, but there are specific > instructions about using the contextual to open in compliance with > GateKeeper under Mountain Lion. > > Again, I'd hope that a few people would check this out and report back on > their results. > > HTH. Cheers, > > Esther <--- Mac Access At Mac Access Dot Net --->
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