Using Trackball for keyboard shortcuts

[hypermonkey1984]

So I'm interning and my boss is crazy fast at editing. Part of why he's so fast is because he uses a Kensington expert mouse. http://www.kensington.com/kensington...use%C2%AE.aspx
Kensington has been around forever. A good used mouse can be found on ebay for less than 10 bucks. Now I'm not to crazy about trackballs but i think I might switch. The pro's are pretty good:

1) less strain
2) great for repetitive tasks
3) some say it has greater precision.

But it's the last pro that makes me really want to try it. You can program it to do keyboard shortcuts. It has it's own built in software. Whenever you use one of the extra buttons it'll automatically do the assigned quick key. So I have three questions:

1) Does anyone already use the kensington expert mouse or any similar mouse with extra buttons that have assignable effects? If so, do you use it for Reaper? What quick keys do you use it for?
2) Is it possible to integrate the kensington directly into Reapers Actions menu? In other words is it possible to set up one of these extra buttons as a shortcut much like we do with midi cc. This would be ideal because it would be much easier to customize. If not then I have a workaround in mind. (see below).
3) This is the most important question that I want to ask. What shortcuts do you think would be the most useful on it. My boss uses Pro Tools. He sets his mouse up to be shortcuts for each tool so that he can switch seamlessly. But Reaper is awesome because it only has one tool. So I'm free to assign those buttons to practically anything else.

Here are some of the things that I think I might assign it to. These are some of my most used actions. Let me know if you can think of any that would be even more useful:

split items
delete active take
zoom marquee (sws)
create time selection





workaround: In the kensington software (trackball works) set up the buttons to be keyboard keys that I never use (such as F11- F15). In Reaper pick and choose which actions I want to use. Then assign one of these F keys to them. When I want to customize it instead of assigning it directly to the mouse button assign it to one of the F keys.

[KenC]

Add StrokeIt to your arsenal (Unfortunate name) and you can execute tons of actions just by drawing something using right mouse button, mouse gestures on steroids.

For example draw a C, it hits C for you, or whatever you want, set it up to learn custom shapes to trigger anything.

Program sensitive, different gestures for all your programs. I've used it for ages and can pretty much control everything in all my programs just drawing various shapes.

http://www.tcbmi.com/strokeit/

Couple it with a Wacom intuos and it's NUTS

[planetnine]

I use a pretty standard MS wireless wheel-mouse (1000, comes with the 800 keyboard for £20-), but I have one of these:


Contour Shuttle Pro2:




and I also have one of these:


X-Keys:




...and they make my workflow really smooth.

Both are USB and convert control actions into keypresses via a control panel that is "set and forget" (or set and fiddle about with if you're like me ).

I've had them a while now and I've got them very happily integrated into my workflow. Once you know what you need to get at quickly, you add the Actions' key shortcuts to the buttons (or for the X-Keys I do it the other way around, adding the buttons' Ctrl-Alt-Win and Shift Ctrl-Alt-Win preset key combination to the actions in REAPER) and you're away.

Happy to help anyone set theirs up if they get either controller...


PS. I have a Kensington USB trackerball from about fifteen years ago (or more, probably, I forget) I use it vey occasionally when I know I don't have a good surface to use a mouse on, but it doesn't have more than the basic buttons.



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[KenC]

Hey pn does the xkeys carry the macro programming in the hardware?

I think I read that somewhere.

I have an CH Products MFP

http://www.chproducts.com/Multi-Func...v13-d-724.html

But the macros are in the installed editor so you can't just take it with you.

I've been thinking about replacing it with the xkeys pro 56 buttons.

[planetnine]

I'm not sure, Ken. I have an older x-Keys that doesn't react to which application is running -I'm sure once it's set up, it will work on whatever computer you're running REAPER on.

I've just set the buttons up to be Ctrl-Alt-Win everything, and then add that and Shift-key versions to Actions and Custom Actions in REAPER's Action list.

You got me wondering now -Im going to check...


Edit: Ive checked, and the Key assignments seem to be stored in the keyboard in mine -just plugged it into my laptop and all the assignments are there...



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[planetnine]

I'd double-check that the newer ones don't need the editor present, send them an email.

The contour shuttle is definitely editor driven as you can have a different assignment depending on the software being controlled by it -the editor detects the focused running software.


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[KenC]

^Spammer using hotlinked smily to track views, mod delete please!

[Susan G]

Hi hypermonkey-

I used that very trackball (Kensington Expert Mouse) for years and loved it before the rubber ring around the track ball started to deteriorate and it became difficult to use for scrolling.

I replaced it with this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826125097
which has a different design and no rubber ring. The ball movement is as advertised: extremely smooth and the precision is excellent, IMO.

I've only assigned one button specifically in REAPER, and that's the upper right for play/pause. It's very easy; you just select the action, click "Add" in the "Shortcuts for selected action" box and press the button(s) on the Kensington.

I never had much success with "chording" the upper buttons (pressing both at once) on either of my Kensingtons, but I think that depends in part on the size of one's hand. If you can assign chorded buttons to something in the Kensington CP you should be able to assign those in REAPER as well.

IIRC, there's more flexibility/programmability in the software for the Expert Mouse illustrated in your image than for the newer Slimblade one.

I also have a Contour Shuttle Pro (the original, though) and that's a very cool device. There's another programmability issue about that that I won't go into unless you ask !

-Susan

[planetnine]

Originally Posted by Susan G

...I also have a Contour Shuttle Pro (the original, though) and that's a very cool device. There's another programmability issue about that that I won't go into unless you ask !

-Susan

Ok, I'll ask

What's the issue? -is it a problem with the later shuttles too, Susan?

I only use the shuttle for REAPER and Adobe Premiere, and I've tweaked out the only issues I had (to do with plugins getting focus in REAPER and snaffling keypresses).


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[Susan G]

Originally Posted by planetnine

Ok, I'll ask

What's the issue? -is it a problem with the later shuttles too, Susan?

I only use the shuttle for REAPER and Adobe Premiere, and I've tweaked out the only issues I had (to do with plugins getting focus in REAPER and snaffling keypresses).


>

Damn you, planetnine ! I thought I'd gotten through with that on the SONAR forums lo those many years ago!

I'll have to dig up the thread, but the condensed version is that the original Shuttle Pro drivers were by far the most customizable. After the original company or authors or whatever were bought out, some of that customizability was lost. I had (and probably still do, knowing me) the original drivers and made them available to several SONAR users who requested them.

I doubt this applies to the Shuttle Pro 2, though -- I think it was strictly a v.1 thing.

-Susan

[planetnine]

Originally Posted by Susan G

Damn you, planetnine ! I thought I'd gotten through with that on the SONAR forums lo those many years ago!

I'll have to dig up the thread, but the condensed version is that the original Shuttle Pro drivers were by far the most customizable. After the original company or authors or whatever were bought out, some of that customizability was lost. I had (and probably still do, knowing me) the original drivers and made them available to several SONAR users who requested them.

I doubt this applies to the Shuttle Pro 2, though -- I think it was strictly a v.1 thing.

-Susan

Can you remember what you could do that you can't now?

-No biggie, just curious...


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[Susan G]

Originally Posted by planetnine

Can you remember what you could do that you can't now?

-No biggie, just curious...


>

I can do everything I always could do; the issue was what was lost with the *new* drivers (which I uninstalled after trying them.) But as I said, this only pertains to the original Shuttle Pro.

-Susan

[FnA]

StrokeIt...It says in the link you can temporarily disable it with the control key. Can it be configured to work the opposite way? Since I use marquee select/toggle and hand scrolling a lot I would prefer that. Looks kind of cool anyway, might have to try it.

I just use a cheaper logitech with the 2 buttons on the side and left/right on the wheel. What a massive improvement with just that however. Not saying I have the best system. Such things are always evolving it seems. I put the mod keys and enter on the buttons. Have an autohotkey to use the middle button as the windows key. So I can do all the mouse modifier actions, I think about 12 mousewheel actions (I think it's a limitation of the mouse itself. Won't send everything pressed in a few cases. Edit, I lied it's only 8 mousewheel combos.), and 8 actions using the enter button. Probably could get more elaborate with autohotkey, but it seems good enough as is. Enter allows me to get rid of a lot of windows quickly. I reach for the keyboard a lot less often now. All zooming and scrolling are possible with just the mouse. All the actions you list should be possible with mouse modifiers. And then some. Just an idea.