Creating a new method of scrolling
Nov 14, '02 09:55:00AM
Contributed by: jeb1138
I just tried putting together two great shortcut-type applications and got what I thought was a great combo so I thought I'd share. The combo is for people with more than two button mice (e.g. scroll mice), but both apps involved are really cool for any OS X Mac user.
Basically the combo lets you use the motion of your mouse to simulate a scroll wheel (but NOT like "auto-scroll", which I don't like, personally). It's not better than a scroll wheel, it's different - it's a great compliment to scroll wheels. If you have a laptop you need this, because it lets you use the trackpad for scrolling (uControl), and lets your external mouse do the same so you don't lose the functionality when you plug one in.
It's pretty cool for a lot of scrolling needs, I think, and works better than a scroll wheel or "auto-scroll" often. Let me know what y'all think!
--HOW TO DO IT--
Cool Not-Autoscroll, Not-Scroll-Wheel, Scrolling Mouse
(Serve in groups of laptop users and people with more than two-button mice (e.g. scroll mice)
Ingredients:
1 cup of uControl
5 ounces of USB Overdrive
1 Apple Mac with OS X.2 wrapper
Directions:
- Install uControl
- Install USB Overdrive. Warning: If you are using other third party mouse software it will probably override that software. If you can figure out how to use your own third party mouse software then more power to you!
- Restart.
- Play around with both apps to get familiar with them.
- Open to uControl's prefs via System Prefs.
- Under the "Scrolling" Tab check "Scroll Wheel Emulation" and choose "command", "control", and "option/alt" as the three modifier keys.
- Hold down cmd+opt+ctrl and move your mouse/trackpad around on a page that scrolls. You should be able to scroll this way.
- Plug in an external mouse.
- Open USB Overdrive.
- In the left column, make sure "Global Settings" is highlighted. In the middle column click "Middle Button" (or whatever button you'd like that you aren't using for something else). In the right column choose "Do Nothing" from the drop-down menu and then check the "Control", "Command", and "Option" checkboxes.
- Go to a page that scrolls, hold down the middle scroll button (or whatever button you chose) and move the mouse around.
Cool, huh? Well, I think so at least! :p It won't replace a scroll wheel, but I think you will find it useful for many different scrolling needs. Just as a side note, you can also use uControl to make the enter key on your laptop function as "control" -- to make right-handed, one-handed right-clicks possible. Enjoy!
[Editor's note: I have not tested this hint myself...]
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Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20021114065500269