More keyboard shortcuts possibilites

[lifeless]

Just downloaded PF4. It's already crashed twice in the last half hour, so not quite there yet. The feature set is impressive, so once the stability gets there, I'm going to buy it, definitely.

But on to the real meat. I'm a hardcore keyboard fanatic. While the menu shortcuts of PF are admirably configurable, I'd really like to be able to move around the UI elements better without touching the mouse.

Say I want to do a blazing fast filter of the files in the current visible directory. The search bar on the toolbar does just that, but I either have to focus it with the mouse, or press Ctrl+F5 to focus the toolbar and then tab my way to the field, which takes too long. Finder, by default, focuses the field with option-cmd-F (Reveal in Finder in PF by default). If I want to focus the file list again, it's Ctrl+F6 and there you are. PF could add focusing the Shelf, the Drawers etc.

What I'd particularly like to do is focus the search field with a single shorcut, write .jpg there, refocus the file list with a shortcut, hit alt+a and then the appropriate command shortcut. This would be blazingly fast for, say, moving all the images to another directory, maybe through the Drop Stack.

And about the Drop Stack, it also badly needs keyboard shortcuts. It's really nifty as-is, but keyboard shortcutting its various capabilities would make it a true power tool. It would really shine in the aforementioned workflow.

But for now, stability should be the number one priority. The random crashing makes the product unusable in its current state.

[neilio]

Have you been sending us the crash reports? I've been hearing of a possible conflict with a haxie, but I haven't been able to confirm which one.

I agree on the keyboard shortcuts - it's something I'd use, too. Path Finder is always a work-in-progress, so this is something we'll try to get to for a future version.

[jehrler]

I want to second the request for a keyboard shortcut for fast search!!!

For now, I am using Quickeys.

[damato]

Hi guys,

I am new to Path Finder and I do like the internal iTerm-based Terminal.app functionality very much! However, after 5min of testing I found that it seems not to be possible to specify a shortcut/hotkey for opening/managing the terminal tabs?!? This is very strange because iTerm itself supports this, but the internal version in Path Finders doesn't seem to be able to bound hotkeys to it?!? Or did I miss something?

What would be very nice would be:

1) Opening new tabs via Cmd-T

2) Switching between tabs via Cmd-Left and Cmd-Right

3) Closing tabs via Cmd-W (currently it closes the whole terminal instead)

I can't really understand why these strings are not already implemented because using a terminal application without proper shortcuts/hotkeys is such terrible.

So would be nice to have those things implemented quickly because it would definitly save my day :)

cheers,
jens

[grotsasha]

I'll second this.

I suppose the problem is not that simple, i.e. how will you assign shortcuts to something that doesn't have it's own Menu Bar? I mean not only from the user's point of view but programmatically? I have no idea, but I think that's the culprit...

Built-in iTerm is not even a plug-in inside PF, it's a framework, you see?

[lifeless]

The little spotlight panel on the top right corner would be insanely powerful for us keyboard-lovers for some quick 'n dirty filelist filtering, if only getting to it didn't require either mouse-clicking or a Ctrl-F5 followed by frantic tabbing.

Finder focuses it with Opt-Cmd-F (IIRC), and so does iTunes, maybe others as well. PF has this configured to Reveal in Finder. I wouldn't mind if the key shortcut was different, as it would hopefully be configurable with the normal method.

This shouldn't be TOO hard to implement in a 4.0.x version?

BTW, just registered PF. Great app, even with its little quirks.

EDIT: Oops, this would probably better suit the "Suggestion Box" forum. Moderators, do your magic if you deem it appropriate.

[grotsasha]

Well, be sure we've heard you! :)
Just it takes a little time...

[forgetcolor]

Well, be sure we've heard you! :)
Just it takes a little time...

yes, this is exactly what I'm looking for. has this been added? just downloaded PF and would like to purchase, but am addicted to this shortcut functionality in the finder.

[mcoink]

Any ETA for the keyboard shortcut for Filter? This is the must-have feature for me since I try to stay on the keyboard at all times. Thanks

[dylansm]

I'd like to add myself to the list of people hoping to see tab related keyboard shortcuts e.g. Cmd-Alt-Left Arrow, Cmd-Alt-Right Arrow to move between tabs, and Cmd-W to close a tab.

See TextMate for a great example of this.

[grotsasha]

You can already close the tab with Cmd-W.

Switch between tabs shortcut was changed in 4.5 because it conflicted with selecting text of the file. You can however change it back to Cmd-Left-Arrow via Menu Key Editor (Set Menu Keys in the Path Finder menu)

[dylansm]

Oh, cool! I can't wait to upgrade to 4.5 once the desktop bug is fixed. (I'll check if I can set it in preferences in 4.1).

Yes, that's why in TextMate the shortcut includes an Alt key (so it doesn't conflict).

[rrollins]

I _really_ like what I've seen so far in Path Finder. I am primarily interested in using the Find window and would like to hot-key to it, search for my file and quickly open it. So far I've got an AppleScript being invoked through QuickSilver. However, since I'm a keyboard zealot, I've noticed that the actual text field is not auto focused and I have to tab 4 times for focus to occur. Then I have to use the mouse to select files in the results pane rather than down-arrow activating it and selecting files for opening.

Am I missing some shortcuts or am I really just suggesting enhancements here? In any case, I'd like to purchase the product if I can zip through the finding process as stated above.

[grotsasha]

Do you mean the Find field inside the browser window? If so, this is a lot requested and already on the todo list. Or do you mean you want to open the Find window with a shortcut? If so, it's Cmd-F .

[rrollins]

Right, add the focus on the field--and if possible, enable a down-arrow event that will activate the results pane. That'd be really convenient.


Any idea what release/timeframe the focus will be in?

[tada750r]

I like very much that new tab functions and small triangle menu for it.
I want to have a short cut for "combine as tabs".
This is very useful for me.
You have "Set menu key" in the application menu, however there are no functions,
related to new tab functions.
Please think to add some more for shortcut editing.

regards.
:)

[garbanzito]

i can't search the forum today to see if this has already been suggested, but i would like a menu item and shortcut to add the current selection to the Drop Stack; an important interface principle is to make such commands available from menus as well as mouse actions (this is also a basic tenet of accessibility); it would follow that i could then use a keyboard shortcut, which is what would make the Drop Stack more useful for me

i also couldn't find any support for the Drop Stack in the AppleScript dictionary ...

[hombre]

Using apps like Keyboard Maestro , it is possible to make most of the keyboard shortcuts we have all been clamoring for. It requires the facility to simulate mouse movements and clicks targeted to stuff on the toolbar so it is important that the things you are clicking on are lateral to any flexible spaces in your toolbar (so they never move relative to the corners of the window), and they won't work with a collapsed toolbar. Also, my toolbar is set to "Use Small Size." The gear menu is the second icon from the left, the first being the icon for "Left Drawer." The search box is the second icon from the right, the first being the icon for "Right Drawer." The values below depend on those positions; finding the values for different setups is a tedious matter of trial and error but not difficult. Oh yeah, and KM costs $20. I did say this is a kludge.

My search box shortcut is a trigger for:
1 Move & Click Mouse at (-52,36)* From The Front Window's Top Right Corner

My "Add to Drop Stack" shortcut is a trigger for:
1 Move & Click Mouse at (52,36) From The Front Window's Top Left Corner
2 Type the [down arrow] keystroke
3 Type the [return] keystroke

What this does is open the gear menu and select the first item, which I have set to "Add to Drop Stack" in PF's preferences.

I also have bound Ctrl-Escape to:
1 Move & Click Mouse at (52,36) From The Front Window's Top Left Corner

which just pops open the gear menu, like in TextMate.

Thus, any command you can put in the gear menu (which is the same set of commands that can go in the contextual menu) can be assigned shortcuts with this method. You could do something similar for the drop-down thingy where the "Combine as Tabs" command is hidden, but it would quit working as soon as you changed the width of your drop stack.

But honestly, we really ought not to have to resort to such nonsense. All the commands should in the menus.

[rjch]

I'd just like to be able to access the menu and submenu using keystrokes only, just like windows applications! Like ctrl-z gets me to the menu bar, and "f" gets me to file, and so on. I don't like quickkeys at all, at all (although I'm forced to use them for no alterntative), and the mac alternative of using ctrl-f2 is non-sense and bad afterwards.

Otherwise, pathfinder has become a replacement for me. Just this one thing and it would be complete! If only I could get something that would do the same for any application.

[rimer]

I like to second the 'add to drop stack' menu command/shortcut request,

I'm just getting around to using the dropstack, it's quite useful once you get used to it I must say.. a bit of a bummer to find out you can't assign a shortcut for this though.

[frogblast]

is there a short cut to open something in a new tab?
i couldn't find it if there is one...

(i'm thinking about how safari works, where a click with the scroll wheel open the link in a new tab - i wanted to assign one of the buttons on my mouse to this function in path finder, but couldn't find it)

[grotsasha]

You can't assign it to a mouse button, but you can Cmd-double click on a folder and it will open in a new tab.

[kakao]

i want to second the request for a shortcut for copying and pasting to/from the drop stack.
kakao.

p.s. just bought a license. pathfinder is a great product!

[dgroo]

Just thought I'd also vote for/bump keyboard shortcuts for the drop stack. Was essentially thinking it's a way to do cut/paste in PathFinder, which would be very useful. (Was going to post a suggestion, but hopefully the bump will work in its place. :) )

[halbtuerke]

Hi,

it seems that there's still no shortcut for the "focus filter bar". Wondering when we can expect this feature?

Is there a list of all PathFinder keyboard shortcuts somewhere?


Thanks in advance

[nimbuz]

Hi,

I use the filter feature a lot, is there any default hotkey assigned to focus on the filter input field?

Thanks

[grotsasha]

No, but this was requested a couple of times.

[uniqueuser]

What's so hard to add a shortcut? This topic is more than 2 years old...

I really can't understand why I have shortcuts for stuff I never need but the most obvious one is missing.

Please add it and send out an update.

[PExplorer]

How can two years pass and you guys haven't added a simple shortcut to focus the filter form?

This shortcut would save so much time and effort.

And it's not a rhetorical question, I'm seriously asking.

[bmosca]

I too have been waiting patiently for this obviously helpful shortcut. I can hide the toolbar with a shortcut (marginal utility at best) but I can't get to the filter field. Time's up! Give us the goods.

[halbtuerke]

Until they fix the "bug" with the filter bar I use "Keyboard Maestro" to reassign +F to make a click into the filter bar.

This of course only works as long as Path Finder is always at the same spot and size but for me that's no problem.