Cindyjk

Q: Create a Keyboard Shortcut in Mac Photos

I want to create a keyboard shortcut for showing and hiding faces.  I searched to make sure that the key combination I wanted to assign wasn't being used by anything else in Photos.  Here's what I did:

     System Preferences>Keyboard>Shortcuts>App Shortcuts

     I selected the Photos app (i.e., NOT all applications)

     Click Add

     For Menu Title, I entered "Hide Face Names", which is the exact menu item under 'View'

     Assign my key combination (I tried command-h, option-h, command-option-h, command-shift-h, etc.

     I did the same thing for 'Show Face Names", of course using a different key combination

 

It worked only the very first time I used it.  After that, it either just chirped an error sound at me, or went to some random menu.

Is it because the the menu item is a toggle?  By that I mean that, once I use the shortcut to hide the face names, that menu item disappears from the menu, being replaced by show faces.

 

Note that, if I first click on the top-level View menu, usually either shortcut would work.

 

Thanks for your help.

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Jun 16, 2016 2:37 PM

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Q: Create a Keyboard Shortcut in Mac Photos

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  • by léonie,Apple recommended

    léonie léonie Jun 19, 2016 5:17 AM in response to Cindyjk
    Level 10 (105,736 points)
    iLife
    Jun 19, 2016 5:17 AM in response to Cindyjk

    I used the same keyboard shortcut for both entries: "Hide Face Names ⇧⌘H" and "Show Face Names ⇧⌘H, since both menu entries can only be shown alternately.

    And this is working reliably for me on OS X 10.11.5 and Photos 1.5.

     

    Screen Shot 2016-06-19 at 14.14.13MESZ.jpg

  • by Cindyjk,

    Cindyjk Cindyjk Jun 19, 2016 7:03 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jun 19, 2016 7:03 PM in response to léonie

    I'm an expert on Windows, but not Mac.  The symbols of your shortcut translate to Shift-Command-H, correct?  And does the case of the "H" matter?

     

    Thanks, Leonie!

  • by Cindyjk,

    Cindyjk Cindyjk Jun 19, 2016 7:10 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jun 19, 2016 7:10 PM in response to léonie

    Well, I went ahead and tried Shift-Command-H.  The menu shows the same shortcut symbols as your screenshot does.  But it simply doesn't work.  I went to a photo where the names were displayed.  I have only one photo displayed - i.e., not in a moment, or when you've got a bunch of smaller photos displayed (I don't know the names of the various 'views' in Photos).  I try the shortcut, I only get a 'blip' error tone.  I'm using Photos 1.5, and OS 10.11.5

     

    I thank you for trying to help me.

  • by léonie,Apple recommended

    léonie léonie Jun 19, 2016 11:16 PM in response to Cindyjk
    Level 10 (105,736 points)
    iLife
    Jun 19, 2016 11:16 PM in response to Cindyjk
    I'm an expert on Windows, but not Mac.  The symbols of your shortcut translate to Shift-Command-H, correct?  And does the case of the "H" matter?

    No, the H does not matter. Pick a keyboard shortcut that is not taken in Photos (check the keyboard shortcuts list https://help.apple.com/photos/mac/1.0/?lang=en#/pht6e593112) by any other application - if you have tools installed to help with typing.

     

    It worked only for me, after I used the same keyboard shortcut for show and hide.

  • by Cindyjk,

    Cindyjk Cindyjk Jun 20, 2016 9:49 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jun 20, 2016 9:49 AM in response to léonie

    What does your statement mean:   "if you have tools installed to help with typing."  Is tools an app?  And what kind of typing help are you referring to?

  • by léonie,Helpful

    léonie léonie Jun 20, 2016 11:31 AM in response to Cindyjk
    Level 10 (105,736 points)
    iLife
    Jun 20, 2016 11:31 AM in response to Cindyjk

    I meant any applications or system extensions that make editing and typing easier, like Pop-Clip or Keyboard Maestro for example. Just any third-party application that will modify how your keyboard is responding.

     

    These system additions can intercept your keyboard shortcuts.