Still unable to create a Collection (Beta build 3328), trackball on Mac

[Kirk Baker]

Mark,

I don't have the special Kensington software installed, but I'm able to use your Trackball to create Collections and edit them by clicking the right button or ctrl-clicking the left button.  Once the contextual menu appears, I can move the mouse cursor over any non-disabled menu item and choose it by clicking the left button.

If you can't do what I just described there, then I'm going to need to install the software and have your settings so I can try to reproduce.

-Kirk

[syncrasy]

Mark,

I don't have the special Kensington software installed, but I'm able to use your Trackball to create Collections and edit them by clicking the right button or ctrl-clicking the left button.  Once the contextual menu appears, I can move the mouse cursor over any non-disabled menu item and choose it by clicking the left button.

If you can't do what I just described there, then I'm going to need to install the software and have your settings so I can try to reproduce.

-Kirk

As I described in my previous post, I can only bring up the menu. I can't select any items in the menu.

I believe the Kensington software is essential to make this trackball perform properly. You shouldn't need my settings; you should be able to just use the default settings, as long as you use Ctrl-left-click.

[Kirk Baker]

Mark,

I don't have the special Kensington software installed, but I'm able to use your Trackball to create Collections and edit them by clicking the right button or ctrl-clicking the left button.  Once the contextual menu appears, I can move the mouse cursor over any non-disabled menu item and choose it by clicking the left button.

If you can't do what I just described there, then I'm going to need to install the software and have your settings so I can try to reproduce.

As I described in my previous post, I can only bring up the menu. I can't select any items in the menu.

I believe the Kensington software is essential to make this trackball perform properly. You shouldn't need my settings; you should be able to just use the default settings, as long as you use Ctrl-left-click.

The device operates perfectly on my system with no additional software installed.  I haven't even downloaded the software yet.  If it needed a driver then it wouldn't operate without it.  I take it that their software adds functionality that makes it easier to do things like drag and drop and modifies the event stream to make it seem like the left mouse button is held down when it isn't while you move the ball with your whole hand more efficiently.

I will install the software later (hopefully it doesn't require a reboot.)

-Kirk

[syncrasy]

The device operates perfectly on my system with no additional software installed.  I haven't even downloaded the software yet.  If it needed a driver then it wouldn't operate without it.  I take it that their software adds functionality that makes it easier to do things like drag and drop and modifies the event stream to make it seem like the left mouse button is held down when it isn't while you move the ball with your whole hand more efficiently.

I will install the software later (hopefully it doesn't require a reboot.)

Yes, the software adds extensive functionality, e.g., programmable buttons for a variety of click behaviors/combinations such as the one you describe, as well as adjustable cursor speed (essential for moving the cursor across a large screen with a finger-controlled ball). It makes sense that it "works" without the driver since the Mac (and apps) presumably see the trackball as a "dumb" mouse. Since it's a non-native (non-Apple) device, perhaps software must be made aware of the presence of a third-party driver (when installed) so it doesn't get confused about the source of device control. ??

[Kirk Baker]

Mark,

I installed the software (it did require a restart) and brought it up from System Preferences.  I left it with the defaults except that I made clicking both buttons simultaneously start a drag operation.

It works fine for me.  I can right-click to bring up the Collections submenus and I can then left-click individual items.  I can control-click to bring up the Collections submenus and I can then left-click individual items.  It's working great.

I'll need more guidance on how to reproduce this problem of being able to bring up the Collections submenus but not being able to click on any of the items.

-Kirk

[Soizic]

Hi Kirk

All is fine with 3416
Thanks

[syncrasy]

Kirk,

Well, this is embarrassing. I figured it out, at least in my case: User error. I didn't have the "Add/Modify" check boxes checked for my catalogs. The menu items were disabled because there were no modifiable catalogs active. (I assume that's the intent.) I think part of the problem is that the disabled items in the contextual menu don't look disabled (e.g., they look more white than grayed out), so it never occurred to me that they were not clickable and that "abled" items should look bold.

Sorry about the confusion. But it does make me wonder what issue you reproduced with Apple Magic Trackpad, and what exactly you "fixed" with the new build. And I wonder what Soizic's problem was too. Was there an actual coding issue (and my user error was just a complicating factor)?

Now that I (think) I know how this is supposed to work, there might be some other usability issues/conundrums related to how/whether to disable all the contextual menu items. For example, since Collections can be empty before adding images, why disable the Create Collection menu item(s) at all? (That's just one example. I'll have to play with this more before I document a full list of issues.)

[Kirk Baker]

Mark,

Well, this is embarrassing. I figured it out, at least in my case: User error. I didn't have the "Add/Modify" check boxes checked for my catalogs. The menu items were disabled because there were no modifiable catalogs active. (I assume that's the intent.) I think part of the problem is that the disabled items in the contextual menu don't look disabled (e.g., they look more white than grayed out), so it never occurred to me that they were not clickable and that "abled" items should look bold.

Sorry about the confusion. But it does make me wonder what issue you reproduced with Apple Magic Trackpad, and what exactly you "fixed" with the new build. And I wonder what Soizic's problem was too. Was there an actual coding issue (and my user error was just a complicating factor)?

Once I added code to pay attention to a left-click with the Control key down and had it bring up the menu like a right-mouse (secondary) click would do, then that fixed it for me.  And it fixed it for you too, with the exception of not having a catalog set to be modified.

Now that I (think) I know how this is supposed to work, there might be some other usability issues/conundrums related to how/whether to disable all the contextual menu items. For example, since Collections can be empty before adding images, why disable the Create Collection menu item(s) at all? (That's just one example. I'll have to play with this more before I document a full list of issues.)

OK.  None of that is set in stone.

-Kirk

[David Brown]

Same problem with me MacBook Pro 13".

Right click with trackpad works with all other parts of program but right click in the Collections window -->nothing happening.

BTW thank you for fixing the NEF rendering issue in PM 6 and Plus this was terrific.

[Hayo Baan]

Strange, right click seems to work fine for me. Do you have a (at least one) catalog and do you have it set for adding/removing?