Description of what you are sharing
This allows you to do a trackpad three finger click to perform a middle-mouse-down click. It will keep the middle mouse button pressed as long as you are still touching the trackpad with at least one finger. This allows you to move the cursor and thereby simulate a real middle-mouse click as needed for e.g. CAD programs like Archicad.
NOTE: This requires BTT 2.506 alpha or later to be imported correctly
The example is available here:
Screenshots (optional)
Not working for me for Onshape (in Safari) nor with SolidWorks through Parallels. Update BTT today and still nothing.
I'm trying to get this working as well.
It is described in the BTT documentation but doesn't seem to work in parallels.
jup, sorry I don’t think there is a way to make this work with parallels ;-(
I figured out how to get it to work, but there is a way to achieve some buggy behavior where the middle button gets held down but movement does not register in the app (I'm testing with MagicaVoxel). It results in behavior that cannot be replicated with a real mouse.
What did you get working and can you share any tips?
Followed the instructions, and it seems like you gotta use 3 fingers, and push to click.
Anyway, I'd highly recommend you try to use a keyboard binding to achieve the 3 finger click action. That should be easier to do because it is gonna be tricky with the trackpad.
Goes without saying, never be without a backup mouse when you need to do work in an app that uses the middle click but BTT does gives you wings, really might be fine with a keybind.
I'm trying this on sketchup but its not working, anyone else figure it out for sketchup?
I just created Working middle-click 3 finger drag for 2025? #cad coz I, along with it seems a bunch of others, still don't have this working in 2025.
Ok, this isn't quite BTT related but the whole middle mouse button on a magic mouse has been a bit of an obsession of mine. Whilst the things BTT can do amazing things and continues to surprise me with new features and ways of thinking. I don't think it is possible to be consistently reliable using BTT (or any mouse utility app) for a middle button gesture.
I put this here incase it gives a clue to @Andreas_Hegenberg for how to work it into BTT or is any use for someone in the future.
The best way I have found to get something workable for 3D is to use Karabiner Elements. It is quite handy being aware of it, I have used it for years (but not as long as I have used BTT (easily over a decade).
For me it's only use to me was giving me a hyperkey, long before BTT introduced its hyperkey (which I find doesn't work that great as a replacement but recently learned that it is only for BTT triggers)
Anyhoo, so in Karabiner you can map keys and inputs to other things (https://ke-complex-modifications.pqrs.org/ to see the type of stuff people do with it). For my middle click I added a Complex Modification that only is only triggered if Sketchup or Fusion is in focus, it maps the Fn key to middle click. It take a little getting used to not clicking the mouse button at the same time, but it works with all the other modifier keys so you can switch between camera controls (orbit, pan etc) with ease.
Here it is if anyone wants to give it a try. It works for me as one hand is on my modifiers all the time anyway, but might not work for everyone.
Just change the bundle_identifiers as needed or remove the condition completely.
{
"description": "When Fusion app is foreground, Fn Key = middle click",
"manipulators": [
{
"conditions": [
{
"bundle_identifiers": [
"com.autodesk.fusion360"
],
"type": "frontmost_application_if"
}
],
"from": {
"apple_vendor_top_case_key_code": "keyboard_fn",
"modifiers": { "optional": ["caps_lock", "command", "control", "shift", "option"] }
},
"to": [{ "pointing_button": "button3" }],
"type": "basic"
}
]
}
@digisam, mapping FN to middle click can also be done in BTT with a very simple setup:
fn_to_middle-click.bttpreset (3.1 KB)
Of course you can also limit it to specific apps.
