Improved Keyboard Shortcut Editing and Management - Modernize the interface!

[Sharonel]

I sometime feel Photo Mechanic's interface was programmed by a bunch of UNIX guys, Who like primitive interfaces and never worked with MAC or Windows.
Examples could be: No option to increase the font, Especially in the IPTC Variable windows. ESC doesn't close windows. And on and on. It's still extremely primitive and frustrating.

So, I'd like to suggest an enhancement to the Keyboard Shortcuts management functionality in Photo Mechanic. This is well implemented in other professional applications, Such as Capture One and Davinci Resolve (Video Editor, But same principal).

Reassigning shortcuts is currently cumbersome and counter-intuitive.

For example, when trying to change “Rescan” to CMD+R, Photo Mechanic only warns that this key is already used by “Preview”, without offering to override it. The only option is to manually scroll through the shortcut list, find “Preview,” assign it to another unused key (which is difficult, as most are taken), then return and assign CMD+R to “Rescan.”

See 2 screenshots I attached, With the capabilities in Davinci Resolve and Capture One

Additional limitations:

No search box to locate commands or shortcuts quickly.

No way to delete/clear a shortcut—only replace it.

You cannot override existing shortcuts directly from the warning dialog.

Changes often require closing and reopening Preferences before taking effect.

Resetting to default sometimes keeps duplicate key bindings (e.g., both “Preview” and “Rescan” using CMD+R).


It would be extremely helpful to:

1. Allow direct override/reassign from the conflict prompt.
2. Add a search field in the shortcuts dialog.
3. Enable users to clear shortcuts.
4. Make edits apply immediately without needing to OK and OK and OK to "Commit it" like it was a Cisco Router in the 90s.
5. Ensure “Reset to Default” removes duplicates.[/li][/list]

These improvements would bring PM+ in line with other professional software such as Capture One and DaVinci Resolve, making workflow customization faster and more intuitive.

Best regards

[Max Lemesh]

Also duplicate features like ratings and labels have their own shortcuts in different parts of PM, but occupy the same shortcuts space by default. I had to completely remove those shortcuts in one tab, to use them in other even though technically they do the same thing, but not really

[Sharonel]

Good point. The shortcuts must be defined by the context in which they serve.

[Kirk Baker]

Reassigning shortcuts is currently cumbersome and counter-intuitive.

For example, when trying to change “Rescan” to CMD+R, Photo Mechanic only warns that this key is already used by “Preview”, without offering to override it. The only option is to manually scroll through the shortcut list, find “Preview,” assign it to another unused key (which is difficult, as most are taken), then return and assign CMD+R to “Rescan.”

The latest builds of Photo Mechanic 2025 now allow keyboard shortcut conflicts to be overridden directly, clearing any custom or default shortcut on the existing command.  It still warns you about the conflict but asks you if you would like to override.

Additional limitations:

No way to delete/clear a shortcut—only replace it.

To clear a shortcut, you can start to record a replacement and click the 'x' in the recorder interface to clear.  You may still think this is not ideal, but it's there and it works.

Changes often require closing and reopening Preferences before taking effect.

They should all require closing the Preferences dialog (OK) before taking effect.  Cancel will revert all preference changes.  It would be good to know what keyboard shortcuts take effect immediately because none of them should.

Resetting to default sometimes keeps duplicate key bindings (e.g., both “Preview” and “Rescan” using CMD+R).

The new build should address this.

HTH,

-Kirk

[phrank]

great. thanks @ camerabits