Setting up MindControl

You can think of the MindControl application as your command control center. You'll use it to add commands, set preferences and access other program functions. To open the application, press Command+Tilde (~), type "mindcontrol" (or whatever command you have defined for it) into the command bar and press Return. This will display the Commands window and enable MindControl's pulldown menus.

Note: By default, pressing Command+Tilde will activate MindControl. However, you can select other keystrokes to perform this function. See "Setting Preferences" later in this chapter for more information.

 

Adding commands

When you define commands, you can use whatever names you choose. You may want to keep your commands short, however, because you'll type at least a few characters of each one when you need it.

MindControl offers several options for adding items to the list of commands:

Drag and drop
• Drag an item from the Finder to the Commands window. MindControl will automatically add that command to the list. You can rename the command or you can use the default.
• Drag a URL from your web browser to the Commands window, or drag an e-mail address from your e-mail application to the Commands window. Then complete the Command and Description fields.

Note: To add a command for a folder, you must use the preceding drag and drop method. You cannot use menu commands or scripts in this instance.

Menu commands
• Select New Command from the File menu. Navigate to an item that you want to use as a command and click Use File. After you add the command, you can rename it or you can use the default.
• Select New URL from the File menu. Complete the fields for Command, Description and URL. Use the Tab or Return keys to move from one field to the next.

Scripts
• For added speed and convenience, use an executable script to automatically add (or delete) MindControl commands. You can create your own scripts using AppleScript (which is bundled with the Mac OS), and you can download scripts from the MindControl Extras web page. Just visit http://www.mindvision.com/mindcontrol/extras to find scripts that make MindControl even more useful. For example, one script will create a MindControl command for the web page currently displayed by your web browser. Another script will read the sender's address from an e-mail message and create a MindControl command for that address. 

If you have a script or some other novel use for MindControl, we invite you to submit it to the MindControl Extras site. We will review all submissions and post the approved ones on the web site where everyone can access them.

The menus

Apple menu

About MindControl 
This displays MindControl web page and e-mail information.

File menu

New Command (Command+N)
Select New Command, navigate to an item that you want to use as a command and click Use File. You can rename the command or you can use the default.

New URL (Command+U)
Select New URL to create commands for e-mail or Internet functions. Complete the fields for Command, Description and URL (the Tab or Return keys will move the cursor from one field to the next). The URL field can contain addresses that begin with any one of the following:

• ftp. ("ftp.mindvision.com")

• http: ("http://acompany.com")

• mailto: ("mailto:mindcontrol@mindvision.com")

Delete Command/URL (Command+D)
This removes the command or URL currently highlighted in the Commands window.

Change Path/URL (Command+I)
Use this to update the path to a command item that you have moved or replaced with a new version, or to change one of your URL commands. The Commands window also offers a button for Change Path/Change URL.

Quit (Command+Q)
This exits the MindControl application.

Edit menu

Undo (Command+Z)
Select Undo to reverse the last change you made.

Cut (Command+X)
This deletes the selected text and temporarily stores a copy on the Clipboard.

Copy (Command+C)
This copies the selected text and temporarily stores it on the Clipboard.

Paste (Command+V)
Use this to paste any text stored on the Clipboard.

Clear 
This deletes the selected text without storing it on the Clipboard.

Select All (Command+A)
Use this to quickly select an entire text field.

Preferences (Command+R)
This opens the Preferences dialog.

Special Menu

Read Me
This displays the MindControl Read Me document.

Check for Update
After establishing an Internet connection, MindControl will determine if a newer version is available from MindVision's server. If a newer version is available, MindControl will guide you through online updating, and then download the new version for you to use.

Help
Use this to display a chapter from the documentation. The keyboard shortcuts are Command+1 for Chapter 1, Command+2 for Chapter 2, and so on through Chapter 6.

Buy MindControl
Use this to purchase MindControl online.

Enter Serial Number
This is for entering your serial number after reinstalling MindControl or moving it to a different machine.

Uninstall MindControl  
This removes the MindControl system extension and preferences file from your system. To remove the MindControl application, drag it to the trash.

Help menu

About Balloon Help
This displays a window that explains how to use Balloon Help.

Show Balloons  
With this option turned on, you will see help balloons when you point the mouse to different areas of the MindControl Commands window.

Setting Preferences

To change the following settings, choose Preferences from the Edit menu. 

 

Positioning

MindControl Placement
When you invoke MindControl, where would you like it to display on your screen? Your choices are Screen Top, Screen Middle or Screen Bottom.

MindControl Justification
Would you like to enter MindControl commands from the left, right or center of the command window? Make your selection here.

Show

Recent Applications/Recent Documents/Recent Servers
The MindControl popup menu can show the names of applications, documents and servers that you've recently accessed. Select the checkbox next to the ones that you want to show. 

Note: MindControl can only display recent items when your computer is set up to remember them.  To check this setting, pull down the Apple menu and select Control Panels > Apple Menu Options. The checkbox for "Remember recently used items:" should be turned on and each number field should contain a number greater than zero.

Show file icons in MindControl/Show Descriptions in MindControl
You can also decide whether the popup menu shows file icons and descriptions. If you want MindControl to display icons in its popup menu, select the checkbox next to Show file icons in MindControl. To show descriptions in the popup menu, select the checkbox next to Show Descriptions in MindControl. 

The popup menus in the following illustration show:

1  no file icons or descriptions

2  file icons only

3  descriptions only

4  file icons and descriptions.

MindControl Popup Delay
When you enter commands, would you like MindControl to pause before it displays the popup menu? MindControl Popup Delay offers nine different delay times, ranging from zero to ten seconds. If you set a delay time, you can enter familiar commands even faster because the popup menu will display only when you stop typing long enough to invoke it.

Activation

By default, pressing Command+Tilde will activate MindControl. If you would like to use Control+Tilde, Command+ESC or Control+ESC instead, you can make the change here in Preferences. Click the radio button next to the keystrokes that you want to use.

Deleting Preferences

MindControl stores all user-defined commands and preferences settings in a file called "MindControl Prefs." To delete your personal settings, remove MindControl Prefs from the Preferences folder, which is located in the System Folder. 

Note: This will also delete registration information, so be sure to record your serial number before removing MindControl Prefs.