Right Command to a specific combination of keys

[Lock]

Hi Andreas,
I'd like to edit my right Command button in Photoshop to simulate the CTRL+ALT modifiers (to change brush size).
I've not much use of some of my commands on the right side of the keyboard (Command and CTRL) and I'd like to use them for other specific things with some operations.

I can't create a new action pressing only the modifiers, so I'm wondering to do something like what I need. Of course this is only for right commands.

Thanks.

[Frank1]

@Lock

I can't create a new action pressing only the modifiers

Yes you can. Even two (Key Sequences) (1) Press and release the key quickly (2) Press and hold the key a little longer.

[Lock]

Thanks Frank, I meant I can't create an action with modifiers only. I need "when I press the right Option key", send "Press Command+Control". The fields (both trigger and action) expect a normal key and maybe one or more modifiers, but can't register modifiers only.
There are some preset action to emulate modifiers, but only one at time.

[Frank1]

Hi @Lock If I don't completely misunderstand you, you can do what you need.

Key Sequence

(1) Right ⌥ down = ⌘+⌃ down

(2) Right ⌥ up = ⌘+⌃ up

Use the predefined actions for the modifiers (up/down).

If you press a letter between (1) and (2), the shortcut will be executed.

I have tested this. It works. But for reasons I don't understand, BTT doesn't recognize its own shortcuts. Only shortcuts defined by an app are executed.

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edit: Sorry, I just realized that this way ⌥ is also pressed (down/up).

If you only need ⌘+⌃, then it only works with right ⌘, not right ⌥.

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edit 2: Say you want to trigger ⌘⌃ + letter with right ⌥ + letter. Isn't it easier to set up this shortcut with BTT like this?

[SLE]

If you hold down ctrl+option in Photoshop, you can adjust brush size or hardness by clicking and dragging with the left mouse button simultaneously. He wants to replace the function of the ctrl+option keys with the right CMD key.

[Lock]

Yes, SLE, exactly.

[Frank1]

I unfortunately do not have Photoshop

@SLE

He wants to replace the function of the ctrl+option keys with the right CMD key.

Yes, but I'm afraid it does not work with right cmd. It works with right opt, at least here in other apps.

[SLE]

I don't think the desired functionality can be mapped with BTT in this form. But I would have liked to be corrected.

[Frank1]

Maybe I underestimate my stupidity

[SLE]

Short search. From my understanding, it's the same problem. Without a real solution.

Add Option to "Hold Keys Down"

The "Send Shortcut to Specific Application" action would benefit greatly from an ability to "hold keys down" while the trigger is ongoing. In other words, if I set a keyboard- or mouse-based trigger (ex. middle-click on mouse), then the "Send Shortcut to Specific Application" action should send the "key down" events for the shortcut, and then ONLY send the "key up" events when the trigger stops (i.e. middle-click is released).

[Lock]

Maybe I underestimate my stupidity

Nah, you're always very helpful. It's just I often need strange things.

[Lock]

Maybe we could suggest a way to accept only modifiers as shortcut, and also a way to send multiple modifiers as an action.
Many thanks for your help, @Frank1 and @SLE.

[Frank1]

@Lock

Maybe we could suggest a way to accept only modifiers as shortcut

If I remember correctly, Andreas once indicated he wanted to implement this.

Couldn't the press and release of modifiers be done with an Apple script?

[Andreas_Hegenberg]

The main problem is, modifier keys behave differently than normal keys - and BTT can not block them.
So if you assign the "opt key down" and "ctrl key down" actions to "right cmd down" (can be done in key sequences) you will end up with cmd + opt + ctrl, which I just learned is a color picker in Photoshop

Therefore for such things you should use a dedicated key remapping tool that works on a lower level (e.g. Karabiner Elements).

If you want to achieve what is described here with BTT, you can do it like this:

1.) Remap the right cmd key to some normal key, which you don't usually use. In this example right cmd becomes f19. Use this terminal command for this:

/usr/bin/hidutil property --set '{"UserKeyMapping":[{"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingSrc":0x7000000E7,"HIDKeyboardModifierMappingDst":0x70000006E}]}'

2.) Now when you press right-cmd you can record it as a normal shortcut and it will show up as F19 in BTT. So you can configure one action set for F19 - down and one for F19 up. Use the predefined actions "opt key down" "ctrl key down"

However the terminal command in step 1 needs to be executed everytime BTT starts. You can do this with the "After BetterTouchTool Did Launch" trigger in the "Automations, Named & Other Triggers" section:

[Frank1]

@Andreas_Hegenberg

So if you assign the "opt key down" and "ctrl key down" actions to "right cmd down" (can be done in key sequences) you will end up with cmd + opt + ctrl

But what if you use "right opt" instead of "right cmd" and with that only "ctrl up/down" is triggered?

Then "opt" should be triggered by the physical key and "ctrl" by the action, or not?

[Andreas_Hegenberg]

yes, that would work

Just quickly tested that and can confirm it works in photoshop.

Recording the key sequences for only opt-down and only opt up is a bit tricky, but possible using the "stop recording" and "clear" button.

[Frank1]

Good, because that's what I suggested above.

And that should also work in Photoshop while clicking and dragging with the mouse. Right?

[Andreas_Hegenberg]

yep I just tested with Photoshop, works fine here

[Frank1]

Nice In this particular case I have correctly assessed my stupidity.

@Lock If you can live with "right opt" (instead of "right cmd") then you have a solution

[Lock]

Thanks for your help Andreas. I need to learn about Key Sequences as, so far, I only used Keyboard Shortcut.
Doing some blind test I somehow jammed the ctrl function so I only had the right click on my mouse, and I wasn't able to do anything (even close the btt process).