How do you streamline your keyboard shortcuts?

[drumlug13]

Pretty much every cartoon I've done so far was 100% Moho/Anime Studio and then pieced together in Vegas. But now I'm using Clip Studio Paint more and more. So now that my workflow is jumping back and forth between CSP and Moho I'm constantly tripping over the keyboard shortcuts.

I know we're not able to edit some shortcuts so, before I start digging too deep into this one, I'm just wondering if anybody has anything to add about minimizing conflicting shortcuts?

[slowtiger]

I just get used to it ... nowadays I catch myself often trying to use TVPaint shortcuts in Photoshop, since I use TVP much more often now. Since I use a bunch of other software as well this is a constant problem which is not going away.

[drumlug13]

That's what I was afraid of. They need to form something like a U.N. of software developers and then make them all sit in a room with donuts and coffee until they figure it out.

I couldn't find anything in search but I thought someone here had actually worked something out a long time ago. It was like a little keypad they had plugged into a Wacom, and they had all their shortcuts in that little pad. But I may be thinking of a different forum.

[synthsin75]

If I had that problem, I'd probably use AutoHotkey to remap all the shortcuts to match my favorite.
But that takes a bit of programming knowledge.

If you have access to any kind of program-specific macro creator, you might be able to do the same.

[SimplSam]

... It was like a little keypad they had plugged into a Wacom, and they had all their shortcuts in that little pad. But I may be thinking of a different forum.

There are such keypads like: Stream Deck (which I use).

https://www.elgato.com/uk/en/p/stream-deck-mk2-black

[Tuna]

I use Wacom's Express Key Remote for mapping shortcuts between CSP, Moho, OpenToonz, and other software. Picked mine up on eBay.

[Tuna]

If you do get an Express Remote, make sure it comes with a USB dongle.

[Daxel]

I use custom shortcuts and make them all designed to be used with the left hand without looking at the keyboard or using my right hand at all, so it can keep holding my stylus or my mouse.
To achieve that, I take advantage of years of FPS gaming that trained me to use my left hand to press every key of that left part of the keyboard very precisely without looking at it. I don't press the R key, I kind of reload haha.

To get used to this, I used a keyboard image where I wrote my custom bindings as a cheat sheet and I always worked with that image on my second monitor but it's easier than expected, after one week or two I stopped having to look at it and didn't use it anymore.

It worked very well for me. I would be twice as slow if I had to use default shortcuts and much slower if I had to press UI buttons.

[Greenlaw]

I just get used to it ...

Same here, especially when I'm still learning a program or when it's a program I don't use often. When it's a program I'm still learning, it can be confusing when my changed keyboard shortcuts don't match the manual or tutorial videos I'm following along with. Also, if it's a program I'm not already 100% familiar with, changing the shortcuts can potentially affect usability, and I may not realize it.

There are exceptions, but for the most part, I try to keep to the intended shortcuts.

That said, in Moho, I changed some shortcuts so I could map them to my MQC button panel. This is fine because, in this case, I'm using the on-screen buttons and not the keyboard. But when I need to regress for whatever reason, Moho makes it easy to switch back to the defaults without losing my MQC set.

BTW, MQC started as a Wacom OSC panel. That worked great for a while, but the problem with OSC was that it's limited to 8 buttons. When I had expanded Moho's OSC to 3 panels, I decided it was time to build my own button panel using Auto Hotkey.

I also tried physical remotes for shortcuts and modifier keys. Here's a mini-review of the ones I've tried.

The XPPen AC19 Shortcut Remote Express Keys is an okay budget device. There are limited buttons with no labels, so you need to remember what the buttons do. I put stickers on mine, but that only goes so far. It's made of plastic and feels cheap. It's not tablet-specific and should work on any computer.

The HUION Mini Keydial KD100 is a better budget device. The layout is like a regular number pad, so there are more buttons with a dial on top. It's made of plastic too but is a better build. There were no labels, but somehow the button layout made it easier to build muscle memory. It's not tablet-specific and should work on any computer.

The Wacom Express Key Remote is the standard for Wacom devices. it's a bit expensive but made of metal, so it's a good solid build. I think it only works with Wacom devices, but it might it might work with other tablets because it has its own dongle. I can check on it later. The dongle is an old-style USB, and it uses an old USB-x cable, so it is somewhat dated. IMO, if you don't have a Wacom tablet, get the device below...

My favorite is the XENCELABS Quick Keys. It costs a little more than the Wacom, but it's so much cooler and totally worth it. The Xencelabs has 8 programmable buttons with an LCD display, plus a switch button to change the buttons for different programs. The other remotes can do this, too, but the Xencelabs is the only one with changing labels and colors! The physical dial is very nice for 'slider' style control (for example: to zoom, scrub a timeline, or to adjust brush size.) Another great feature is that the labels can be oriented for vertical or horizontal use. The build is plastic but feels solid and has weight...excellent quality! I got this remote to use with my Surface Laptop Studio in tablet mode, but it will work with any tablet. This is the only one with a USB C dongle, and they've included an adapter for old-style USB.

The Xencelab is the most professional button remote I've used yet. If you really need a remote device, I highly recommend this one.

I just realized the Xencelabs might work with a Wacom tablet too. I'll have to try it when I have time, but I don't see why it wouldn't.

[Krakenn]

My keyboard comes with macro keys I can configure, so it's simpler for some shortcuts.

[MrMiracle77]

I use custom shortcuts and make them all designed to be used with the left hand without looking at the keyboard or using my right hand at all, so it can keep holding my stylus or my mouse.
To achieve that, I take advantage of years of FPS gaming that trained me to use my left hand to press every key of that left part of the keyboard very precisely without looking at it. I don't press the R key, I kind of reload haha.

To get used to this, I used a keyboard image where I wrote my custom bindings as a cheat sheet and I always worked with that image on my second monitor but it's easier than expected, after one week or two I stopped having to look at it and didn't use it anymore.

It worked very well for me. I would be twice as slow if I had to use default shortcuts and much slower if I had to press UI buttons.

Yes, this. Everyone with a background in WASD games like shooters or MMOs can benefit from re-mapping the controls as far to the left side of the keyboard as possible.

I like to assign rows of keys to tools that I use together routinely. I assign the Q-row to drawing tools, the A-row to object tools, and the Z-row to layer tools.