ControllerMate (part 8 of 14). Using a modifier button.

Note: this is not a substitute for the original and most excellent ControllerMate tutorial. I am endeavoring to save some time for those who have read it and now are eager to get things done.

Important: I strongly recommend that for the duration of this adventure you find and connect an extra mouse to your Mac – that way even if you mis-configure your target device you will still have full control.

This is part eight in a series of posts. For the full table of contents go here or here.

We are all used to modifier buttons like Shift and Alt on our keyboards. Want one more? You can have it!

In fact, you can have your own personal modifier button (or fifty) on your mouse. Or even on your joystick.

It’s easy:

Here Button #2 acts as your very personal modifier:

• If you click Button #2 by itself, nothing happens
• When you click Button #1 by itself, nothing happens either.
• To get a Ping, press and hold button #2 and then click button #1

The key to this logic is the ON/OFF latch. The latch holds value, and for it to be set to ON, Button #2 must be ON while Button #1 is still OFF. This is the ky difference: the modifier button (#2) must be ON before the action button (#1) for the action to register.

Why is the time sequence important? – Because, for example, we can put together a system where it matters whether you pressed #1 and then clicked #2, or pressed #2 and then clicked #1: two different sequences = two different actions.