Keyboard Maestro

Set up Triple Click Mouse Button Action with Keyboard Maestro

Published September 26, 2020 | By Don Pedro

While in Keyboard Maestro for setting up the VPN, I was reminded to set up a trigger for a triple click mouse button action on the Razer mouse I have. There are two “trigger” buttons located next to the standard left click button. There are normally used as additional fire buttons within games. I want to use them as a triple click action. It’s very since Keyboard Maestro recognizes the buttons as Razer Naga Button 4 and 5.

Hello triple click, welcome back.

Controlling and Selecting VPN Connections with Keyboard Maestro

Published September 25, 2020 | By Don Pedro

From time to time I need to connect to one of our work VPN connection. When doing so, I want to Launch and Quit several applications related to the task of that connection. To make things easy, I want to use Keyboard Maestro to orchestrate the process.

Unlike some other solutions, my connection type isn’t changing. I’m not switching from wired to wireless, or changing network names or locations.

I’m initiating the connecting in both cases, but one uses a VPN client, while the other uses the built-in Network configuration. In either case, I want to shut down apps that might be downloading or making connections. I also want a visual cue denoting that I’m on a VPN now. A small menu bar applet called IPBar serves that purpose very nicely.

One connection is needed for access to the databases. So, when connecting to that I want to start my SnippetsLab tool and open Valentina Studio.

For the second, I need to open Network, select the VPN connection name, then click Connect. Once that’s done, I need to launch Katalon Studio to run automation scripts against Production.

The first connection is easy to handle. The macro within Keyboard Maestro is Triggered when this Application Launches. The application is OpenVPN Connect. As soon as the client UI starts, Keyboard Maestro closes down several applications and starts my SQL tools.

The second connection becomes a little more tricky. The Network section within System Preferences isn’t triggered the same way as the OpenVPN Client. It’s not an application in that sense.

I thought about checking the status of the connection using a terminal command I found:

- ifconfig -lu
- lo0 en0 en1 en2 fw0 p2p0 utun0
- lo0 en0 en1 en2 fw0 p2p0 utun0 ppp0 <- VPN Connection

That looks promising, but it’s not really what I’m looking for. I don’t want to poll the connection. I’m triggering the event, but it’s not recognized within Keyboard Maestro.

Except that it is when you take a slightly different approach. Within Keyboard Maestro there is an action for Open a System Preferences Pane.

This can bring up the Network Preferences Pane, which is a great visual cue on it’s own, but there is more. With a tiny piece of AppleScript listed in an older Macworld article, the VPN connection can be established.

tell application "System Events"
tell current location of network preferences
connect service "Your-VPN-Service"
# disconnect service "Your-VPN-Service" #
end tell
end tell

Now I have four scripts. A script to open each connection and configure the apps. A second to close the connection and configure the apps again. These are triggered using the Trigger Macro by Name macro within Keyboard Maestro.

This gives me exactly what I’m looking for. Connection to the VPN is a known event, so triggering it with a keyword is perfect for me. Now I have the right apps starting up, and bandwidth using apps shutting down. When I’m done, everything switches and the apps restart to their previous state.

Once again, Keyboard Maestro For the Win!

Configure the OpenVPN Connect client with the Launch Application trigger. There is one for Launch and Quit.

keyboard-maestro-application-launches

Use the following to open the Network Preferences Pane and select your VPN connection. There is a macro for Connect and Disconnect.

More fun, and a gamepad, with Karabiner-Elements

Published July 6, 2020 | By Don Pedro

After the initial success of using Karabiner-Elements with a keyboard I had laying around, I decided to move a step further by adding a gamepad to the mix and programming it with hotkeys. And it worked with great success.

The gamepad of choice, or rather, the gamepad on sale, is the BlueFinger Gaming Keyboard, which is in essence the left side of a regular keyboard.

Now, it's no Logitech or Razer, but I'm not going to use it that way. It's standard plastic all round, but it's got a decent size, feels sturdy enough and shows up as a generic keyboard. It was also $30, so many boxes checked there.

Next, with the help of a very cool website-Karabiner Complex Modification, I was able to create a list of my own custom rules, which are loaded under the Complex Rules tab.

Instead of pressing CAPS LOCK and then another key, I wanted one-click action. So, if I press A, I get Control-Option-Command-Shift-A.

Using the site, you can create a file that looks similar to the following, which shows the use of the modifier keys:

{
  "title": "Keyboard Maestro Demo",
  "rules": [
    {
      "description": "Keyboard Maestro A",
      "manipulators": [
        {
          "type": "basic",
          "from": {
            "key_code": "a"
          },
          "to_if_alone": [
            {
              "repeat": true,
              "modifiers": [
                "left_gui",
                "left_control",
                "left_alt",
                "left_shift"
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

The file can then be "installed" from the web based version of loaded in:

~/.config/karabiner/assets/complex_modifications

I have this set up for 15 keys on the gamepad. Using the site tool, you can set up key combinations that work for you. You could also set up Alt-A to mean a completely different key combination that Ctrl-A, when used on that keyboard.

There is more experimentation to come, but at each stage there has been success. It's possible to use a full-sized keyboard if you have space, or get a gamepad and program it with your hotkeys.

Karabiner Complex Modification

Setting up a secondary keyboard for macros

Published June 24, 2020 | By Don Pedro

After setting up several keyboard shortcuts within Alfred and Keyboard Maestro, it became clear that I was putting together some bizarre key combinations and odd hand gestures to make sure I wasn’t interfering with other applications. Then it occurred to me, don’t video and audio editors have dedicated keyboards for shortcuts? Can the same thing be done for keyboard macros?

The answer is, yes it can. And rather easily too, using a standard keyboard and Karabiner Elements.

You don’t have to buy a specialty keyboard or programmable keypad or anything else. You can use any USB keyboard you have lying around. I have dozens from all the Windows machines I’ve ordered throughout the years.

This also works for a Bluetooth keyboard, so it doesn’t have to be wired.

The easiest way to configure this is install Karabiner Elements and go to the devices tab. Turn off all the other keyboard except the secondary one you plan to use for macros.

Then select the Complex Modifications tab, and enable the option for Caps Lock key to act like “command+control+option+shift”.

And that’s it. If you click into Keyboard Maestro and for the Hotkey Trigger, hold Caps Lock and click another key, it will be seen as Command Control Option Shift + Letter.

Because we disabled the other keyboard in Karabiner, this only works for the secondary keyboard. Pressing Caps Lock and another key on your main keyboard behaves the way you could expect. It toggles the uppercase of the letter.

This works for the standard letter keys, numbers, the number pad and the Home, End, PgUp, PgDn, etc.

You should now have 50-80 macros keys to program depending on keyboard.

keyboard-maestro-test

Three months of working remotely

Published June 19, 2020 | By Don Pedro

I've crossed over the three month mark of working from home. And despite circumstances, I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

By not being stuck in traffic I have so much more time available. I've been able to exercise with more frequency and still have plenty of time in the evening to play games, watch a movie, or work on side projects like Affinity, Inkle, or doing fun research with DevonAgent.

Not to mention, I've saved a ton of money by not eating out and not buying gas. No sympathy for the oil companies I'm afraid.

I've also been working on getting my organization groove on. I've made dozen of changes and improvements to my notes, folder and database structure within DevonThink. I've even moved a lot of documentation into DevonThink that was lingering in different folders on the drive. Everything in one place, very tidy.

I've created several new Alfred and Keyboard Maestro workflows which have been some nice little timesavers. (Clicking the Save button on a site 150 times using KM, is both fun, and educational)

I've added quite a few new text expansions to TypeIt4Me for both Katalon automation, SQL, and template text for Jira. And I've fixed the mess that was my SnippetsLab library.

Taskpaper is getting quite a workout. I've really put that at the center of my workflow for working on tickets and test cases.

And finally, I've made some nice search and replace modules for TextSoap. I've been doing them by hand, but now I've taken the time to automate that as well.

So all this extra time, as well as uninterrupted time has given me quite a few productivity boosts.

Sans Pantalones

You can wear my hat, but I'm gonna need the underwear back

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Set up Triple Click Mouse Button Action with Keyboard Maestro

Other articles of interest:

Controlling and Selecting VPN Connections with Keyboard Maestro

Other articles of interest:

More fun, and a gamepad, with Karabiner-Elements

Other articles of interest:

Setting up a secondary keyboard for macros

Other articles of interest:

Three months of working remotely

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