[updated March 12, 2004]
The secret is at the end, but to get there, we need to start at the
beginning.
One of the great benefits of using Final Cut Pro version 4 is the ability
to customize it's keyboard shortcuts to match your style.
Don't like "Fit to Window" to be Shift-Z? Well, then, move
it to "Control-Option-F," or any other key combination you
desire. How? By following these six steps:
1) Go to Tools -> Keyboard layout -> Customize
2) Unlock the padlock by clicking it
3) Click in the white, oblong search
bar and type the command you want to assign
to a key combination (i.e. "fit")
4) Click the tab along the top that corresponds
to the modifier key, or keys,
to which you want to assign this keyboard shortcut (i.e. "ctrl-opt")
5) Drag the command you want to use on top of the key
to which you want to assign
the shortcut (i.e. "F").
6) Close the keyboard window
From now on, every time you press "Control-Option-F," Final Cut will
fit whatever your working on into the window; very helpful for resizing the timeline.
"Well, yes, of course," I hear you say, "but there's nothing NEW
here.
We've always been able to do that in FCP 4."
True, we HAVE always been able to create new keyboard shortcuts in Final Cut.
BUT, what about LiveType, or SoundTrack, or, well, any other application you
are currently working with?
Wouldn't it be nice to create new keyboard shortcuts in them, too? Or, how about
remapping shortcuts that you don't like?
Well, there's a new feature in OS 10.3.x that makes creating customized keyboard
shortcuts simple. And, as long as you have OS 10.3.x installed on your system,
here's
how
it
works.
Now, in this example, let's open LiveType and find a menu that doesn't have a
keyboard shortcut associated with it.
View -> Title Safe doesn't have a keyboard shortcut. So, let's create one
by following these steps:
1) Open System Preferences -> Keyboard & Mouse
2) Click the Keyboard shortcuts tab on the right
3) Scroll all the way down the list of shortcuts to the very bottom.
4) Twirl down "All Applications," then click the Plus
( + ) key.
5) In the sheet that slides down from the top of the window,
select "LiveType" from
the pop-up Application menu.
6) Then, and this is important, in the Menu Title field, type the
name of the menu EXACTLY as it appears in the application.
In our example,
type "Title
Safe" -- spelling, capitalization and punctuation must
be exact.
7) Then, in the Keyboard Shortcut field, type your shortcut.
Again, in this case, hold down the Control button and press
B.
8) Press the "Add" button and quit out of System Preferences.
9) Open LiveType and pull down the View Menu. Ta-DA! Your
new keyboard shortcut is now installed as part
of the application.
Very, very cool.
There are two additional secrets you need to know:
1) You can replace existing keyboard shortcuts with your own
by following this same procedure. For instance, you change View -> Grid from "Command-G" to "Control-G" by
entering "Grid" in the Menu Title field and "Control-G" in
the Keyboard Shortcut field.
This gives you the power to change keyboard
shortcuts in most OS X applications. However, not all applications
support this feature. For instance, Adobe After Effects does not allow
you to add or change keyboard shortcuts.
2) To remove the changes you made, go back to the Keyboard Shortcuts
and scroll down to the bottom of the list.
1) Twirl down "All applications"
2) If you want to remove ALL your keyboard shortcuts from LiveType,
highlight LiveType and press the minus ( - ) key.
3) If you want to remove only ONE keyboard shortcut, twirl down LiveType,
highlight the shortcut you want to remove and press the minus ( - )
key.
Very simple. Very cool.
- - -
Text copyright 2004, by Larry Jordan. All rights reserved.
- - -
Larry Jordan is an Apple-Certified Trainer for Final Cut Pro with over 25 years
experience as a producer, director and editor. Based in Los Angeles, he's a
member of both the Directors Guild and Producers Guild. You can reach him at: larry@larryjordan.biz.
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