The Omni Group

Go Back   The Omni Group Forums > OmniGraffle > OmniGraffle General
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
Keyboard shortcut for distributing shapes Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
I use the "spread evenly" buttons in the "Alignment" palette all the time to evenly space out shapes. I was wondering if anyone has found a way to attach a keyboard shortcut to these buttons? They don't appear as menu commands anywhere, and I can't find a reference to them in OmniGraffle's AppleScript dictionary.

Any tips would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!
  Reply With Quote
The latest update of Keyboard Maestro allows you to make a tiny screendump of an icon, check whether that icon is on the screen, click it if it's there, and branch off to choose a menu item and so on if it isn't.

(You would also need a snippet of Applescript, to be run by Keyboard Maestro, to check whether any shapes were selected before proceeding).

Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Screen Shot 2012-05-24 at 08.00.17.png
Views:	137
Size:	51.2 KB
ID:	2401  
  Reply With Quote
A quick test shows that it works reasonably fast if you strip it down to something which only works if the Alignment inspector is already open.



(The pair of illustrative macros attached below aim to be more ambitious and test if the inspector is ready, and summon it if not, but they end up searching for the image 3 times, and I find them noticeably slow ... Over-engineered, in short. Sometimes keeping it simple really does work better :-)
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Screen Shot 2012-05-24 at 09.26.54.png
Views:	130
Size:	53.8 KB
ID:	2403  
Attached Files
File Type: zip GraffleSpread.kmmacros.zip (22.7 KB, 30 views)
  Reply With Quote
The quickest of all, if you are prepared to keep the inspector positioned at the top left of the screen, while you do your graphic editing,



is a macro which simply clicks a fixed position on the screen:

Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Screen Shot 2012-05-24 at 09.41.20.png
Views:	131
Size:	52.1 KB
ID:	2405   Click image for larger version

Name:	Screen Shot 2012-05-24 at 09.41.03.png
Views:	131
Size:	26.3 KB
ID:	2406  

Last edited by RobTrew; 2012-05-24 at 01:27 AM..
  Reply With Quote
System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Application Shortcuts

Just make sure you have the exact case of the menu item you want a shortcut for. When you have set it, it will display in the menu so you can confirm it.
  Reply With Quote
Simon, the items in question appear in no menu and thus the Application Shortcuts tab is of no help here. Keyboard Maestro looks intriguingly complex, however :-)
  Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Help with Keyboard Shortcut acollins OmniFocus 1 for Mac 1 2013-03-13 09:38 PM
Keyboard Shortcut chriswitt OmniFocus 1 for Mac 2 2013-01-14 12:12 PM
Keyboard shortcut to get to Inspector? dsmccormick OmniFocus 1 for Mac 4 2010-07-01 03:33 AM
Due Today keyboard shortcut NightLion OmniFocus 1 for Mac 7 2010-03-25 06:06 AM
Keyboard shortcut? Jody Severson OmniOutliner 3 for Mac 1 2008-05-29 09:43 AM


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 09:13 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.6
Copyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.