(De)blocking keyboard as Hyperkey replacement?

I have no problems with BTT Hyperkey. Others apparently do. Maybe these two new actions are a good replacement.

This Key Sequence can (de)block the keyboard:

  • Press and hold Caps Lock --> keyboard is blocked
  • Release Caps Lock --> keyboard is activated again.

In between, one or more letters can be pressed to trigger something. CAG, Key Sequence, only works if the keyboard is blocked.

The feeling/handling is exactly the same as with Hyperkey or a normal shortcut with a modifier.

The (de)blocking of the keyboard works absolutely reliable (for me). I guess this is much more reliable for everyone than using four virtual modifiers. :man_shrugging:

Caps Lock retains its actual function when the key is pressed alone.

Just an idea. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Hey, Frank, thank you for your post but I can't quite figure out the key sequence to configure for Caps Lock. Can you please show yours?

This is more the alternative to the alternative :upside_down_face: Particularly suitable if you want key sequences (more than one letter) as a “shortcut”.

If Hyperkey doesn't work for you, take a look at what Andreas explains here. This is certainly better for “normal” shortcuts.

Yeah, this is exactly what I want, Frank. I wasn't aware of this, and I got to know because you commented it on my post, haha.

I use namespaced shortcuts to easily remember them like:

some leader key + R (raycast) -> A (audio) -> I (input)

What I am trying to do is: configure two key sequences:


one for caps lock pressed down -> keyboard input blocked
one for caps lock released (up) -> keyboard input released/allowed -> toggle caps lock (this is because caps lock would also get turned on)

this is fine.

what i am not able to do is:

if I press caps lock once (without holding), I want to use it as Escape.

I thought I was the only one who configured such weird stuff. :slightly_smiling_face:

Mm, shouldn't this work with a simple down/up key sequence? If the sequence is not interrupted down/up esc is triggered. But if the sequence is interrupted by a letter between down/up, esc should not be triggered. As far as I know. :innocent:

sadly the keyboard block input action gets triggered instead of escape, can you try it yourself and report please? if you are free, of course

okay, i got it to work, the trick was adding a 0.3s delay to the keyboard input action. for anybody visiting months or years later, this is my config for the leader key

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Yes, I was just about to experiment with the same thing. :slightly_smiling_face: Otherwise you would have had to set it up differently ... something with the minimum time of the sequence.

i spoke too soon, it's not getting reliably triggered :confused:

even with 0.5s delay

What happens if you add esc to the "up" sequence at the end. This would mean that esc is always triggered when the key is released ... Is that a problem? Nothing dramatic should happen.

esc gets triggered yeah but i don't want esc to be triggered all the time but wait... yeah, you are right, holy shit yeah lol

nah, wait, i keep speaking too soon. having esc at the end would mean my shortcuts gets invalidated

for example: caps + r -> a -> i opens the raycast audio input and then esc is pressed which takes me back to the regular raycast window

okay, i think i fixed it but i will report back tomorrow after some testing. thanks for your patience, Frank

You are welcome. Let me try something else... I'll get back to you

Try this setting for esc. This means that esc is only triggered if caps is held for at least 0.3 s and no other key is pressed between down/up. If 0.3 is too long, you can also shorten it.

Hey, Frank1, I tried a variety of combinations like that but nothing reliably works. It's either Esc that gets triggered consistently or Keyboard Input Blocked.

Then trigger esc before blocking the keyboard.

Nah, that was not it. That would have caused trouble as that would mean Esc is triggered everytime I press Caps, which would mean it would throw me out of input fields.

But hey, what gives, I finally made it work and somehow it is my original solution.

The only change I made was add a 0.2s delay for the Keyboard Input Block key sequence, meaning if Caps Lock is pressed and released, it sends Escape . If Caps Lock is held for 0.2s with no further input, Keyboard Input is Blocked.

I am also testing double tapping Shift to send Caps Lock instead.

Summarised my findings here: Using Caps Lock as NOT the Hyper Key

Well done!

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