Your favorite Quick Key Command

[JoePixel]

Every once in a while I'll catch a Mac operator using some key command that I've never seen.

Most good operators have an arsenal of quick key commands that they use for all applications, commands and so forth.

I don't know where most people learn these, but I have picked up a bunch of them over the years.

One of the ones I found was on a TV show and I use it all the time and I love it was when you are in InDesign, Quark or something like that and you want to place a file, or navigate to open a file you can hit Command D and it takes you out of the folder you are in and gets you directly to the Desktop.

I was wondering if anyone ever picked up a quick key command that they use but it's not a widely know one. I'm sure everyone knows Command O for open, S for save and so forth, but what obscure quick key command do you use that most people don't know?

[Joe]

Shift+Control+Option+Command click for drilling down through layers of text or picture boxes in Quark. I don't know about the people here but the people I work with never knew about this until I showed them.

Also in Quark, F13 brings up the Usage window but Option+F13 takes you directly to the images portion of the usage box.

[Jalan]

Command+1, 2 or 3 changes views options from Icon to List to Columns.
Command+Tab is another favorite, let's you shift between programs.

[DCurry]

My fave is Command+Delete to send something to the trash. Across a server, throw in the Option key and you won't be asked if you are sure that you want to trash the item.

[JoePixel]

DCurry, that one is excellent. I always use the Cmd Delete but never threw in the option key to bypass it asking you if you are sure. I'll definitely use that one.

These options are all good, I knew that some people would throw out some good ideas.

I also thought of another. In Quark, you can step and repeat a box and bring in another photo. If you click on the top box and use the "hand" tool (content tool) and hold down the mouse while clicking on the top image you can see the photo behind the one on top. It creates a view showing both images. It is an excellent way to put in photos that you scanned and place them in the exact position of the client's low-res scan when they have different parameters. NOTE: In the Quark preferences you have to set the Interactive Preferences in Delayed Item Dragging to "Show Contents" for this to work.

[MarkDouma]

Command-` to rotate through the windows (or documents) of your current app. (That ` is to the left of the 1 key.) This only works in apps that don't override that global shortcut. Probably won't work in Photoshop.

In Open and Save dialogs, (as in the Finder):
Command-Shift-C (go to Computer, root level)
Command-Shift-H (go to Home folder)
Command-Shift-A (go to Applications folder)


Command-Option-Control-8 (to scare the living crap out of a coworker or make them think something is seriously wrong. Oh, and it's useful if you like to invert the screen colors, too ;-)) TIP: Just press it again to undo it.

Command-Option-8 to enable zooming. Then,
Command-Option-= to zoom in
Command-Option-- to zoom out
Command-Option-8 again, to disable zooming

Command-Shift-Q (to logout with prompt)
Command-Shift-Option-Q (to logout immediately)

Control-Option-click on an app in the Dock to change "Quit" to "Force Quit" (if it doesn't work the first time, try two more times, and usually on the 3rd time it'll work).

You guys might already know about this one as it was in OS 9 and prior, I think. From the app you're currently in, you can hold down the Command key and drag the title bar of any window that's in the background and move it around on the screen without making the window or the application it's associated with active.

But, there are some added things to this that you might not know about. What these things are depends on what type of application it is, Carbon or Cocoa. Carbon apps are the Finder, Quark, everything Microsoft, everything Macromedia, almost everything Adobe (except Distiller), QuickTime Player, and iTunes. Cocoa apps are Mail, Safari, TextEdit, etc. and can do slightly more than the Carbon apps can do by default.

If you're in the Finder, in addition to using Command to drag a background window around without making it active, you can also resize the window as well without making it active. Just hold down Command and drag on the resize handle. The really cool thing about Cocoa apps is that by default, you can be in the Finder, and even resize the window of a Cocoa app that is in the background without making the app active. You can also scroll in scroll views, click other buttons, etc. all without making the app active. This doesn't work for Carbon apps by default, so for instance if you're in Safari, you hold down Command, and try to resize a Finder window, you'll switch to the Finder.

Hope this helps....

[rhctp]

I use apple-option-backslash alot for type changes in font or anything else. Also use apple-option-shift-L for spell check. You can make an alien come out and delete everything on your screen with apple-option-shift-K.

[rhctp]

Sorry those Key commands are for Quark.

[JoePixel]

That's what I'm talking about, these are some excellent short cuts.

That inverting the screen one is awesome. That one can be some fun when someone is watching over your shoulder. I might have to try it when the owner is near so that I can tell him my monitor is bad and I need one of those new cinematic displays.

[SlaveToTheMan]

On the days I've been naughty, and I'm forced onto the PeeCee, Ctrl-click on a folder to open it & leave the root folder open. Kicks ass. I watch the IT guy who operates on the thing all day opening multiple windows just to accomplish the same thing, makes me nuts!