Introduction - Tutorial

This is a tutorial to the very basics of WinMapper. You will be guided through the following areas of WinMapper :

WinMapper interface and settings Getting additional help Setting up hotkeys

Interface and settings

The first thing you will see when you start WinMapper is the main window. It contains buttons and menus to access all other windows and features, as well as your WinMapper settings.

There are 5 Tabs (sometimes referred to as Pages):

Settings

MouseKeys

Defaults

Hotkeys

Aliases

Each Tab contains settings specific to an area of WinMapper. For example, the Hotkeys Tab contains a list of all your hotkeys, and enables you to quickly change or create hotkeys.

WinMapper v1.05 starts on the Hotkeys Tab. This allows you to immediately start creating hotkeys, one of the essential features of WinMapper. Click on the Add button to create a new hotkey, or double-click on a hotkey in the list to modify an existing hotkey.

You may notice that some settings are disabled by default. This is because WinMapper can run in two different ways, denoted Simple and Advanced Mode. On the Settings Tab, there is a setting named Simple mode, which is now enabled by default. This prevents WinMapper from hooking into Microsoft Windows, and disables all related functions and settings within WinMapper. In order to use the advanced features, such as disabling the Microsoft Windows Key or the enhanced MouseKeys support, you must disable Simple Mode. WinMapper will then hook into Microsoft Windows and provide access to all features ; this is referred to as Advanced Mode.

On the Settings Tab there is a Confirm hotkeys setting. Getting used to using hotkeys in WinMapper might take some time, but enabling this setting will allow you to hear when WinMapper has recognized a hotkey you pressed (a sound will be played).

WinMapper is capable of running in almost any language, and the Language drop-down list on the Settings Tab allows you to select another language (if more languages are installed). We are hoping to expand the list of supported languages, and may provide updates via our website at http://www.spinnersoftware.com/products/winmapper/

Getting additional help

If you need help on a specific window, setting, function, etc - press F1 when it is selected/displayed. This will show either the online or offline help file, depending on your Use Online Help setting on the Settings Tab. If a description of the currently selected item is available, this will be shown.

Please visit our websites at http://www.spinnersoftware.com/ or http://www.winmapper.com/ for the latest information, online help, and downloads. You can also contact us, or subscribe to our email distribution lists.

Setting up hotkeys

A Hotkey is a combination of keyboard presses that result in the execution of a function. WinMapper allows you to create your own hotkeys, and you can easily see what hotkeys are available by clicking on the Hotkeys Tab.

Create a new hotkey by clicking on the Add button in the main window, or by selecting the File | New | Hotkey menu option. Enter a short description of your new hotkey, then select the Modifier and Key you wish to use for a hotkey.

Your first hotkey could be to start an application, or a URL. Examples of both are provided in the screenshots section.

When you run WinMapper for the first time, you will be asked if you want to import some default hotkeys. This is recommended, and will provide you with a working set of hotkeys.

Once you have created your hotkey(s), make sure WinMapper is enabled and active. You can now run your hotkey in any Microsoft Windows application by pressing down both the Modifier and the Key simultaneously.

You can execute any of WinMapper's 80+ functions by right-clicking on the WinMapper icon in your Microsoft Windows Taskbar, and selecting a function from the Functions-> submenu. This enables you to quickly test the operation of a function or the effect of different parameters without creating a hotkey first.

To add a hotkey, click on the Hotkeys tab in the main window. This will display a list of all available hotkeys. Click on the Add button to add a new hotkey.