Visual inconsistency when using "Differentiate left/right modifier keys"

[frypf]

Describe the bug

I recently started experimenting with "Differentiate left/right modifier keys" to give myself more options, but noticed a couple of inconsistencies around the icons shown in the "Trigger Name" column when doing so:

All of these shortcuts seem to work as intended according to the notes, but:

• There is no differentiating icon for left & right control keys
  -- Preferably the control key icon style should match the others with the orange background and the arrow indicating which side.
• Using left & right of the same modifier only shows the right modifier
  -- I found the following idealised proposal in a screenshot from a related topic by @Onur, but this was never taken any further:
  
• The right opt icon is substantially larger than all the others

While the last point is just a minor irritation, the first 2 make it very confusing when scanning through the list of shortcuts. Is there any hope to look at this please?

Affected input device (e.g. MacBook Trackpad, Magic Mouse/Trackpad, Touch Bar, etc.):

• MacBook Air built-in keyboard*
• Logitech K380 bluetooth keyboard*
• wired Apple A1243 keyboard

*(These devices have no physical right ctrl key, but I have been successful in using the trick described here by @Frank1)

Device information:

• Type of Mac: MacBook Air M1
• macOS version: Monterey 12.4
• BetterTouchTool version: 3.786

Many thanks Andreas!

[Frank1]

@frypf I am glad that right control trick works for you.

@frypf

I recently started experimenting with "Differentiate left/right modifier keys" to give myself more options

If you want to experiment with other options, you might also want to try these.

1. With BTT, "fn" can be used as a normal modifier. This is sometimes forgotten because "fn" is not actually a modifier.

2. The new short/long press feature works quite well with shortcuts (modifier + letter) or f-key. The use of single letters is not recommended at the moment. Andreas is planning a system change that will improve this.

3. And have a look here

Spacebar can act like Command-Key

This is very useful for me, it might be useful for somebody else too. With BTT the Spacebar can act like the modifier Command (or Option or Control). Any Shortcut that works with „Command + letter“ works with „Spacebar + letter“. Let’s say you want to open Safari with den Shortcut „Spacebar + s“. Go to „Key Sequences“ (instead of „Keyboard Shortcuts) and record the following. To work best It should look exactly like that: [image] „Leertaste“ = „Spacebar“ Then assigne launch Safari to „Spac…

[frypf]

Just realised the different icons seem to have been fixed in the latest alpha. Many thanks @Andreas_Hegenberg ! Is there any way to show when both left and right of the same modifier key are used?

[Frank1]

I think you can tell by the icon. If left and right do the same, it looks like this

Otherwise like this

[frypf]

Sorry I should clarify: I mean when using both a left and right modifier together on the same shortcut, eg. left_ctrl + right_ctrl + a. Currently the left icon version seems to take precedence.

[Frank1]

You mean left/right control together, like command and option together + letter?

[frypf]

Yes exactly: using both locations of the same modifier at the same time for the same shortcut trigger.
I have CapsLock remapped to right control on my MB keyboard. (Partly to give myself additional modifier options, and partly because my overzealous little finger always used to turn caps on when I meant to type an 'a').

[Frank1]

"my overzealous little finger"

I'm sure this is my fault, but I still don't quite understand.

I'm afraid you can't use left/right control like you use command and option. Anyway, that doesn't work for me.

But you can eg use left command + right control + letter

Probably you mean something completely different

[frypf]

If I check the box saying "Differentiate between left/right modifier keys" before setting the shortcut, it seems to work for me with control+control, alt+alt or shift+shift. Not command+command for some reason, although I'd never tested that before tbh.

Edit: the following three triggers play a different sound (on my system at least) according to pressing "." with either left/right/both alt keys.

[
  {
    "BTTTriggerType" : 0,
    "BTTTriggerClass" : "BTTTriggerTypeKeyboardShortcut",
    "BTTPredefinedActionType" : 206,
    "BTTPredefinedActionName" : "Execute Shell Script \/ Task",
    "BTTShellTaskActionScript" : "afplay \/System\/Library\/Sounds\/Sosumi.aiff >\/dev\/null 2>&1 &",
    "BTTShellTaskActionConfig" : "\/bin\/bash:::-c:::-:::",
    "BTTAdditionalConfiguration" : "524384",
    "BTTEnabled2" : 1,
    "BTTKeyboardShortcutScope" : 0,
    "BTTKeyboardShortcutKeyboardType" : 3809,
    "BTTRepeatDelay" : 0,
    "BTTUUID" : "5BB0E3D5-B3AF-4FE6-BBC4-B9BDFD5B44F6",
    "BTTTriggerOnDown" : 1,
    "BTTNotesInsteadOfDescription" : 0,
    "BTTLayoutIndependentChar" : ".",
    "BTTEnabled" : 1,
    "BTTModifierMode" : 0,
    "BTTShortcutKeyCode" : 47,
    "BTTShortcutModifierKeys" : 524288,
    "BTTOrder" : 8,
    "BTTDisplayOrder" : 0,
    "BTTAutoAdaptToKeyboardLayout" : 0,
    "BTTTriggerConfig" : {
      "BTTLeftRightModifierDifferentiation" : 1
    }
  },
  {
    "BTTTriggerType" : 0,
    "BTTTriggerClass" : "BTTTriggerTypeKeyboardShortcut",
    "BTTPredefinedActionType" : 206,
    "BTTPredefinedActionName" : "Execute Shell Script \/ Task",
    "BTTShellTaskActionScript" : "afplay \/System\/Library\/Sounds\/Bottle.aiff >\/dev\/null 2>&1 &",
    "BTTShellTaskActionConfig" : "\/bin\/bash:::-c:::-:::",
    "BTTAdditionalConfiguration" : "524320",
    "BTTEnabled2" : 1,
    "BTTKeyboardShortcutScope" : 0,
    "BTTKeyboardShortcutKeyboardType" : 3809,
    "BTTRepeatDelay" : 0,
    "BTTUUID" : "7089F017-DC91-4257-8B8A-6A3689238501",
    "BTTTriggerOnDown" : 1,
    "BTTNotesInsteadOfDescription" : 0,
    "BTTLayoutIndependentChar" : ".",
    "BTTEnabled" : 1,
    "BTTModifierMode" : 0,
    "BTTShortcutKeyCode" : 47,
    "BTTShortcutModifierKeys" : 524288,
    "BTTOrder" : 9,
    "BTTDisplayOrder" : 0,
    "BTTAutoAdaptToKeyboardLayout" : 0,
    "BTTTriggerConfig" : {
      "BTTLeftRightModifierDifferentiation" : 1
    }
  },
  {
    "BTTTriggerType" : 0,
    "BTTTriggerClass" : "BTTTriggerTypeKeyboardShortcut",
    "BTTPredefinedActionType" : 206,
    "BTTPredefinedActionName" : "Execute Shell Script \/ Task",
    "BTTShellTaskActionScript" : "afplay \/System\/Library\/Sounds\/Morse.aiff >\/dev\/null 2>&1 &",
    "BTTShellTaskActionConfig" : "\/bin\/bash:::-c:::-:::",
    "BTTAdditionalConfiguration" : "524352",
    "BTTEnabled2" : 1,
    "BTTKeyboardShortcutScope" : 0,
    "BTTKeyboardShortcutKeyboardType" : 3809,
    "BTTRepeatDelay" : 0,
    "BTTUUID" : "7C027861-4904-40C5-BE6A-B5823CA9FEC6",
    "BTTTriggerOnDown" : 1,
    "BTTNotesInsteadOfDescription" : 0,
    "BTTLayoutIndependentChar" : ".",
    "BTTEnabled" : 1,
    "BTTModifierMode" : 0,
    "BTTShortcutKeyCode" : 47,
    "BTTShortcutModifierKeys" : 524288,
    "BTTOrder" : 10,
    "BTTDisplayOrder" : 0,
    "BTTAutoAdaptToKeyboardLayout" : 0,
    "BTTTriggerConfig" : {
      "BTTLeftRightModifierDifferentiation" : 1
    }
  }
]

[Frank1]

Interesting, this doesn't work here. But it is a good idea, which would allow even more combinations hmm...

[Andreas_Hegenberg]

oh I never thought of this combination. I’ll add indicators for that case as well

[Frank1]

@Andreas_Hegenberg can you set left/right control + letter? Unfortunately I can't.

[frypf]

Well if it's something really esoteric that I was taking for granted worked for everyone else, that prob explains why it was overlooked !

I use hidutil to swap capslock for right control via a login shellscript, and (I used to do it like that, but then I remembered I actually switched to the method you described - apologies @Frank1 for not giving props where they're due! ). I then tend to use the control+control combo for settings based stuff that I don't want to hit all the time. I find it super useful.

Anyway, thanks (again) Andreas!

[Frank1]

Strange, although the icons show something different, it doesn't work. I thought it would at least work with opt + ctrl left/right, but all I get is a conflict menu

@frypf May I ask, what macos and BTT version are you using?

[Andreas_Hegenberg]

I'm currently only on my macbook which doesn't have a right control key, thus can't test until tomorrow

[frypf]

12.5.1 / 3.971(alpha).

I should add that this has been working for as long as I've had this MBA - since June. I looked at the version history and reckon the corresponding BTT version at the time was 3.784.

[Frank1]

Don't worry, it works. I couldn't believe it because BTT shows something wrong. Here what BTT shows for the shortcut ctrl + ctrl + ü

@Andreas_Hegenberg

I'm currently only on my macbook which doesn't have a right control key

Yes, that's why we have remapped caps lock to right control. Then you have the key physically even on a Macbook.

@frypf Thanks, it was not BTT oder os, it was me because I could not believe it.

[frypf]

Yeah that's what I meant earlier when I said if using both together the left icon version seems to take precedence. Glad you've got it sorted anyway .

[Frank1]

@frypf

Yeah that's what I meant earlier

Now I understood, sorry

[frypf]

Well if it's any consolation, I just looked more closely and realised I mixed up my lefts and rights, which may well have added to the confusion. Apologies for the schoolboy error .