Just Read that Shift Click thread, Now I'm curious What Else have you cats found in OSX that isn't written anywhere cept maybe a napkin in Steve's Office.
Click on "Set Display to Grayscale" turning it on.
Press control-option-command-8
Click on "Set Display to Grayscale" again turning it off.
Essentially, this lets you use White on Black while remaining in color mode, something the GUI interface seems to prevent. This has the dramatic effect of changing the standard Aqua colors into orange and black!
Here is the procedure to set everything back:
Press control-option-command-8
Press control-option-command-8 again
We're not sure if this is intentional or not, but it is way cool. " Remember, we don't actually try these tips before we post them, we just take your word on it. If you actually erase your thesis, written in a 5000 year old dead language, it is NOT our fault. <hr></blockquote>
Another one: cmd + clicking a background window allows you to move it without bringing it to the foreground (in most apps. MS apps don't do this for some reason. Anyone know why?). It may SEEM useless, but I've actually found uses for it.
<strong>MS apps don't do this for some reason.</strong><hr></blockquote>*cough*crappy-carbon-port*cough*
Cocoa apps have always done this since the Public Beta. Carbon apps have been iffy and there are still a few stragglers in this department such as Microsoft.
Hrmm. There are so many "tricks" in OSX that I've found over the years, I wouldn't know where to begin. Most are so commonplace to me (like the command-clicking in the background) that I don't even really think of them as anything special, assuming that most other users already know about them.
Most of the modifier+widget tricks from Classic Mac OS are still around. Option-close closes all windows in an app. Option-minimize minimizes all windows. Option-switch to another app hides the former app.
The dialog shortcuts from Classic Mac OS are also still mostly working. Escape and command-period work for Cancel. D (sometimes, usually only in Carbon apps) and command-D work for Don't Save. Control-eject acts as the old power key did, bringing up the Restart, Sleep, Shut Down dialog. In this, the old S and R shortcuts still work.
Then there are the Dock modifiers. Option-click switches to an app and hides the previous. Command-option-click switches to an app and hides all others. Command-click shows that app in the Finder. When command-tabbing through, pressing H hides an app and Q quits it. Unfortunately, these two keys are hard-coded and seem to ignore the dvorak settings (even when set as root).
In Cocoa toolbars, rather than control clicking (or choosing customize) and choosing from the menu the display options, you can instead command-click the toolbar display widget to cycle through the modes quickly. You can shift-command-click to go through them backwards.
Geez, I could go on all night listing little things like these. It's the little features like these that I really think really help make the whole Mac experience so pleasant and better to use than Windows.
Hey Brad, could you describe the excerpt below in more detail? I'm not sure if this is something I already know....could you give a real-life example?
Thanks
[quote] In Cocoa toolbars, rather than control clicking (or choosing customize) and choosing from the menu the display options, you can instead command-click the toolbar display widget to cycle through the modes quickly. You can shift-command-click to go through them backwards. <hr></blockquote>
You know that capsule-shaped button on the right side of a window's title bar? Where the WindowShade button would be if it were OS 9. Well, normally, that just shows and hides the toolbar if you click it. However, if you command click it, it will cycle through various views of the toolbar - between large icons w/ text, small icons w/ text, large icons w/o text, small icons w/o text, large text only, and small text only. That doesn't work in Finder windows, though, just applications.
<strong>That doesn't work in Finder windows, though, just applications.</strong><hr></blockquote>Because the Finder is Carbon and the NSToolbar still only exists in Cocoa. Finder's toolbar has always been a cheap hack.
Anyhow, your description fits exactly to what I meant in my last post.
<strong>Try Cmd + Shift + J in Finder</strong><hr></blockquote>Actually, that is a service that can be activated anywhere. See the application menu -> Services.
Here's a neat trick: option while clicking the scroll arrows in cocoa apps speed scrolling acceleration.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Sort of.
edit: oops, just realized I misread your comment. Oh, well I'll let it stand as a seperate hint.
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In the general preferences you can select between two behaviours for the scroll bars.
When you click in the empty space beside a scroll bar it can either scroll one page in that direction (default) or scroll to the part of the document that corresponds to that exact point.
Holding option as you click toggles your choice for that click.
-------
For more of these I'm sure the Help system lists all the Finder shortcuts somewhere.
Actually all you have to hold down is shift; option is not necessary.
I'm glad that Chimera is now working like that. It used to be kinda dumb in that regard - if you held down shift while scrolling, it would scroll down slowely regardless of whether the wheel was going up or down. Now it goes sideways if you hold down shift, like it should.
Comments
[quote]Comet Way writes "Wow. Try this in Jaguar!
Open the Universal Access control panel.
Click on "Set Display to Grayscale" turning it on.
Press control-option-command-8
Click on "Set Display to Grayscale" again turning it off.
Essentially, this lets you use White on Black while remaining in color mode, something the GUI interface seems to prevent. This has the dramatic effect of changing the standard Aqua colors into orange and black!
Here is the procedure to set everything back:
Press control-option-command-8
Press control-option-command-8 again
We're not sure if this is intentional or not, but it is way cool. " Remember, we don't actually try these tips before we post them, we just take your word on it. If you actually erase your thesis, written in a 5000 year old dead language, it is NOT our fault. <hr></blockquote>
Here's a neat trick: option while clicking the scroll arrows in cocoa apps speed scrolling acceleration.
<strong>MS apps don't do this for some reason.</strong><hr></blockquote>*cough*crappy-carbon-port*cough*
Cocoa apps have always done this since the Public Beta. Carbon apps have been iffy and there are still a few stragglers in this department such as Microsoft.
Hrmm. There are so many "tricks" in OSX that I've found over the years, I wouldn't know where to begin. Most are so commonplace to me (like the command-clicking in the background) that I don't even really think of them as anything special, assuming that most other users already know about them.
Most of the modifier+widget tricks from Classic Mac OS are still around. Option-close closes all windows in an app. Option-minimize minimizes all windows. Option-switch to another app hides the former app.
The dialog shortcuts from Classic Mac OS are also still mostly working. Escape and command-period work for Cancel. D (sometimes, usually only in Carbon apps) and command-D work for Don't Save. Control-eject acts as the old power key did, bringing up the Restart, Sleep, Shut Down dialog. In this, the old S and R shortcuts still work.
Then there are the Dock modifiers. Option-click switches to an app and hides the previous. Command-option-click switches to an app and hides all others. Command-click shows that app in the Finder. When command-tabbing through, pressing H hides an app and Q quits it. Unfortunately, these two keys are hard-coded and seem to ignore the dvorak settings (even when set as root).
In Cocoa toolbars, rather than control clicking (or choosing customize) and choosing from the menu the display options, you can instead command-click the toolbar display widget to cycle through the modes quickly. You can shift-command-click to go through them backwards.
Geez, I could go on all night listing little things like these. It's the little features like these that I really think really help make the whole Mac experience so pleasant and better to use than Windows.
Bliss.
Thanks
[quote] In Cocoa toolbars, rather than control clicking (or choosing customize) and choosing from the menu the display options, you can instead command-click the toolbar display widget to cycle through the modes quickly. You can shift-command-click to go through them backwards. <hr></blockquote>
<strong>That doesn't work in Finder windows, though, just applications.</strong><hr></blockquote>Because the Finder is Carbon and the NSToolbar still only exists in Cocoa. Finder's toolbar has always been a cheap hack.
Anyhow, your description fits exactly to what I meant in my last post.
[ 01-27-2003: Message edited by: Brad ]</p>
<strong>Try Cmd + Shift + J in Finder</strong><hr></blockquote>Actually, that is a service that can be activated anywhere. See the application menu -> Services.
<strong>Try Cmd + Shift + J in Finder</strong><hr></blockquote>
That doesn't do anything for me. What's it supposed to do?
<strong>
Here's a neat trick: option while clicking the scroll arrows in cocoa apps speed scrolling acceleration.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Sort of.
edit: oops, just realized I misread your comment. Oh, well I'll let it stand as a seperate hint.
--------------
In the general preferences you can select between two behaviours for the scroll bars.
When you click in the empty space beside a scroll bar it can either scroll one page in that direction (default) or scroll to the part of the document that corresponds to that exact point.
Holding option as you click toggles your choice for that click.
-------
For more of these I'm sure the Help system lists all the Finder shortcuts somewhere.
[ 01-28-2003: Message edited by: stupider...likeafox ]</p>
If you have a very large document that is wider than your screen, you can hold shift-option and use the scroll wheel to go sideways.
I haven't used it much since I bought this 19 inch screen.
<strong>If you have a very large document that is wider than your screen, you can hold shift-option and use the scroll wheel to go sideways.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
You can also side-scroll like this in the Finder in column view. Very handy.
I'm glad that Chimera is now working like that. It used to be kinda dumb in that regard - if you held down shift while scrolling, it would scroll down slowely regardless of whether the wheel was going up or down. Now it goes sideways if you hold down shift, like it should.
It doesn't seem to work anymore