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A custom keyboard shortcuts iPad app, to hold us over
I was searching for a wireless keyboard with some extra customizable keys and ended up coming across this iPad app, Air Keyboard , for $0.99. It lets you create your own custom buttons and map a key and modifier(s) to them. Much like I wish Pro Cut X had, or the potentially coming FCPX Remote app will hopefully have. I’ve only just started playing around with it but it seems pretty good so far. Though I’ve only connected to my win7 laptop and typed into a note pad (with a standard keyboard layout) so far, its nice and responsive with no lag at all.
I plan to set it up for FCPX and am interested to hear if anyone else is using it, or something similar, and what they find to actually be useful in real world editing. Or even just hypothetically, what would your shortcuts and layout be like?
Here’s a screenshot of my first test layout, most of the buttons aren’t actually setup to do anything yet and aren’t really placed in much of a logical or ergonomic position. Some buttons aren’t even real functions. Like “Auto edit entire job” which just shows that you can use a custom image for the button background. I kept the “Design buttons” window open to show some of the interface, the “trim to range” button is selected. Stuff like this really makes the wait for a loading bar fly by!-
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12 Replies
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Hey
just for fun I have been using this set of keys I had programed using keypadPro which does not exist anymore. I used this before 10.0.6 then back to normal Keyboard…
All the best
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Speak of things that don’t exist (like the FCP Remote App). I think it needs to be much more than just a bunch of buttons thrown on an iPad. It needs to offer something that makes the user experience better than what can be done with a mouse and keyboard. e.g. audio faders for adding automation to a roll based mixing bus, color correction control surface, adding and editing real time markers during playback, etc.
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T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque -
More importantly, an iPad is not a control surface. A control surface needs to be tactile and offer real buttons, knobs and faders so i don’t have to look away from the screen to use it.
Gesture based stuff is ok but if I have to learn gestures, why not just learn the keyboard shortcuts?
It’s one thing I really miss about my days editing in Sony Vegas. Vegas supported MIDI control so between a cheap MIDI keyboard and a Contour Shuttle I had faders, buttons, jog wheels, and more that I could use to control anything inside the app.
Hmmm… I wonder if there’s anything for the Mac that can turn MIDI messages into key presses?
Jeff Kirkland | Video Producer | Southern Creative Media | Melbourne Australia
http://www.southerncreative.com.au | G+: https://gplus.to/jeffkirkland | Twitter: @jeffkirkland -
Totally agree. I was actually referring to a 3 way color correction iPad app for Color that Tangent Wave did a few years ago.
https://www.tangentwave.co.uk/products_vwave.asp
It wasn’t as good as true tactile response, but because it was so simple and the trackballs were far enough apart it did allow some motor memory. It worked very well.
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T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque -
I agree with you, since this keyboard experiment was about totally useless but a lot a fun to include in my FCPX first experimentations. I did also enjoy the tangent grading app and a ac7 mixing control app.
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I liked the ac7 mixing app as well. A mixing console works fine on an iPad because you can use your ears and don’t have to look away from the virtual controls as often.
Jeff Kirkland | Video Producer | Southern Creative Media | Melbourne Australia
http://www.southerncreative.com.au | G+: https://gplus.to/jeffkirkland | Twitter: @jeffkirkland -
[Zachary Potter] “I had programed using keypadPro”
Interesting, is that the same as Keypad Plus Pro by Dopplerthepom? Which is currently available.
So, you used it instead of the keyboard, not as a supplement to the keyboard? The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. My initial thought was to setup a layout that covered my most used multi-key shortcuts that are on the right of the keyboard.
[T. Payton] “I think it needs to be much more than just a bunch of buttons thrown on an iPad”
I think you guys are right, I’m finding that the most use I get from this is actually just learning more actual keyboard shortcuts. Searching for functions to map to buttons on the iPad, but then still preferring to learn and use the keyboard instead. Now I’m thinking about making another layout to help me remember and learn more shortcuts. Similar to a KB Covers product, except with functions I don’t already know (love my FCP 7 KB Cover even if just for the feel and protection, now. Minimal signs of wear despite years of good use).
I’m just looking forward to see how Apple implements a controller app for FCPX.
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When FCP 1.0 was released it had a set of keyboard stickers. It was very cool. I just threw it away a month ago. (It had to go sometime).
I got out my trusty Contour Shuttle from around the same time period (1999) and made some new settings for FCPX, and it is actually quite usable for trimming.
If you are interested you can grab it here for the new 3.0 driver, as well as the old one.
https://forums.contourdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3440
(looks like the contour forum site is down at the moment.)
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T. Payton
OneCreative, Albuquerque -
This thread inspired me to get my old Contour Shuttle out as well. The FCPX setup in the V3 beta driver seems quite good. Now I have the shuttle to the left, a keyboard and Wacom tablet under the screen, and a trackpad to the right. I’m starting to feel like a real editor now 🙂
Jeff Kirkland | Video Producer | Southern Creative Media | Melbourne Australia
http://www.southerncreative.com.au | G+: https://gplus.to/jeffkirkland | Twitter: @jeffkirkland -
I was looking in my old links and found this incredible application to run with a trackpad our an ipad…
https://www.arcticwhiteness.com/thetouch/the-touch-for-final-cut-pro-x
it’s all touches (maybe as difficult as piano playing ) but definitivly in the right direction for keeping eyes on the screen….
cheers
zap
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David Eaks on Jul 31, 2013 at 5:53:42 pm SAID
“Interesting, is that the same as Keypad Plus Pro by Dopplerthepom? Which is currently available.”
I don’t think you have as much freedom with this new app from “Dopplerthepom” that seems to be a vehicule for in-app purchases
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