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Posted on 06/11/24 4:16:12 PM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 5628 Reply  |
A new(ish) discovery
HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS - A NEW DISCOVERY Keyboard shortcuts are one of the keys to mastering Photoshop but they have always eluded me. I have posted on several previous occasions on my inability to be able to remember or even find them. I am a complete keyboard klutz and, despite several attempts over many years, at learning to touch type in typing school and more recently online, I have remained a clumsy two fingered typist all my life. I have posted before on my bizarre gamer's keypad which rests under my left hand with all the modifiers and main photoshop tools mapped to a keyboard so simple and perfectly fitted to my hand that even I can actually find what I need without looking while I use the pen in my right hand. This has stood me in good stead for years enabling me to work easily but the problem still remains that I need to find so many other functions in menus, often buried two or even three submenus deep. 
Then came the arrival of the much contested Contextual Toolbar which irritated a huge number of users by infuriatingly popping up in the image when you least needed it! Now it can be pinned, tucked out of the way but always ready, adapting to the tool in use. To keyboard phobic users like me it has become a real asset if you are ready to give it a proper try. One solution for Wacom pen users has always been the onscreen radial menu. Wacom has had these for a long time but the limitation of just eight segments (with submenus if needed) made me feel they were no better or quicker than the existing PS drop down menu system. I have now discovered, and been using for about nine months, a third party radial menu that suits my idiosyncratic style (or lack of) perfectly. With one simple key tap of my left hand (or pen or mouse click) I can pop up a radial menu directly under the cursor that puts just about everything I need just one click away without having to look elsewhere. 
It's completely user configurable in size and type size and can be two or three rings. You can put whatever you like on it. What you see her is simple my particular tool choice for my manner of working. The fact that it pops up under the cursor, and therefore often in the image, is not an irritation because, unlike the old context menu, it only pops when I want it to and ask it to, and then it's ready for selecting right under my pen. It may look a bit confusing but, after just a couple of days of use, I could find everything I need instantly. It has simplified and streamlined my work flow in a way I had never imagined possible. I only use it for Photoshop but it is app aware so you can build specific menus for specific apps and it will pop up the menu for whatever app is in the foreground. It can also open apps, web links, etc. from the desktop. Learning curve for configuration and setup is about ten minutes. Bad news is it's only for Mac. It's called CirMenu and is on the AppStore. I am only posting because it has truly simplified and streamlined my Photoshop workflow. You know me. No perks or other goodies come my way for posting this. _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 07/11/24 08:24:49 AM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7014 Reply  |
Re: A new(ish) discovery
Now that looks interesting! Personally I use keyboard shortcuts for everything – but as a pianist I'm used to my fingers doing things almost subconsciously. |
Posted on 07/11/24 5:28:38 PM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 5628 Reply |
Re: A new(ish) discovery
I would love to be able to do what you do. I am well aware it's by far the quickest and most direct way to work but, after years of failure to acquire the appropriate skills, I have to find alternatives. This is without doubt the best so far. It's such a simple trick to learn that even an old dog like me can handle it. _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 14/03/25 10:52:25 PM |
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Frank
Eager Beaver Posts: 1738 Reply  |
Re: A new(ish) discovery
David, I don't have a problem with keyboard shortcuts but I decided to have a shot at CirMenu and it seems to work great not only in PS but other Apps as well - I threw this one together for PS and it seems to work very well - could probably use better organization but on the trial run seems to work great. Very easy to move menus around and set up. As you said just hit the CMND key and it pops up wherever your pen is sitting. Here's my hodge poge : 
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Posted on 20/03/25 11:16:24 AM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 5628 Reply |
Re: A new(ish) discovery
Hi Frank. I only just caught this. Glad you are finding it useful. In addition to the Photoshop commands I have one submenu full of links that takes me straight to all my favourite online image and texture sources. (Looking at you Photoshop London). BTW if you use \n when entering text for the menu segments it works like a Return key and you can spread it over two lines and stop it overspilling the sides. The slim bikini girl for 'trim' gave me a good smile. . _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 20/03/25 1:29:23 PM |
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Frank
Eager Beaver Posts: 1738 Reply |
Re: A new(ish) discovery
David, yes finding it very useful - I have a couple of submenu charts made up that do as you say (I will add Photoshop London to them now, thanks) Thanks for the tip! ( \n ) The chart above gets much faster to use with repeated use - also it was thrown together quickly and I may change some sections as use dictates (ie- some blending modes) Cost me $11.49 Can (tax included) |
Posted on 20/03/25 2:38:43 PM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 5628 Reply |
Re: A new(ish) discovery
If you find you have any ideas for improvement use the "mail to author" link on the settings page. He is very responsive and open to ideas. Chinese I think. When I first started using it, it was very basic. The ability to colour menu segments and to split the menu text into more than one line both came from me. I wrote to him suggesting them very gently and respectfully and he replied immediately saying "Yes good idea!". Within a week an update arrived with both things implemented. _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 23/03/25 11:42:14 PM |
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Frank
Eager Beaver Posts: 1738 Reply |
Re: A new(ish) discovery
Thanks, glad you did. As i use it a bit more finding it much faster to find and activate a function. Also have a few on the Wacom buttons. |