Using MindControl

MindControl lets you open applications, documents, server volumes and URLs with easy keyboard commands.

To execute a MindControl command:

1  Press Command+Tilde (~). This displays the MindControl command bar. 

Note: By default, pressing Command+Tilde will activate MindControl. However, you can select other keystrokes to perform this function. See "Setting Preferences" in Chapter 2 for more information.

2  Enter a command, using one of the following options:

• Type in a command. This can be one of those listed in the popup menu or a built-in command such as open, unmount or eject (followed by a file or volume name).

• Use the arrow or tab keys to cycle through the list of available commands until the one you want is highlighted.

3  Press Return.

Opening URLs

When you want to visit a web site, you probably open your favorite web browser and then type in the appropriate URL and press Return. If you'd like to save a few steps, try typing the URL as a MindControl command. 

MindControl will automatically launch your default web browser and open the URL when your commands begin with:

• www. ("www.mindvision.com")

• ftp. ("ftp.mindvision.com")

• http: ("http://acompany.com")

For the web sites that you frequently visit, you can define URLs in the command list. Then you can visit a site just by entering a simple command, such as "mv." For more information, see "Adding Commands" in Chapter 2.

Sending e-mail  

You can use MindControl to save a few steps each time you send an e-mail message. Just begin your command with "mailto:" and follow it with an e-mail address. MindControl will then open your default e-mail program and display a new message window with the recipient address already completed. For instance, you could enter "mailto:anyone@hotmail.com" and MindControl would bring up a new, blank message addressed to anyone@hotmail.com.

For even faster access, you can define commands for the addresses you send e-mail to the most. These commands can automatically fill in one or more e-mail addresses, subject and body text, and the addresses of CC and BCC recipients. For example, if you regularly send e-mail to announce meetings, you could define a command similar to the one below.
   
Command: meeting
Description: Meeting at 3 p.m.
URL: mailto:jim@mycompany.com,doug@mycompany.com?Subject=Meeting reminder&CC=mark@mycompany.com&BCC=sara@mycompany.com&Body=Meeting at 3 p.m. today.

This MindControl command would open your default e-mail program and display a new message window addressed to Jim and Doug, CC to Mark, BCC to Sara, with the subject line "Meeting reminder" and the body text "Meeting at 3 p.m. today." All you have left to do is click "Send."

The most basic mailto URLs require one or more e-mail addresses separated by a comma or semicolon. For example, mailto:mindcontrol@mindvision.com, anyone@hotmail.com. Subject, body, CC and BCC information is optional. This optional information begins with the prefix "?" and can appear in any order. The separator character is "&." 

Some e-mail clients also may require you to use the space character %20. Using our previous meeting reminder example, the URL would be: mailto:jim@mycompany.com,doug@mycompany.com?Subject=Meeting%20reminder&CC=mark@mycompany.com&BCC=sara@mycompany.com&Body=Meeting%20at%203%20p.m.%20today.

The Microsoft web site provides a useful explanation of mailto syntax. The address is http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/networking/predefined/mailto.asp.

Note: Various e-mail clients may process mailto commands in different ways. Your results may vary.

Built-in commands

MindControl recognizes the following built-in commands:

• eject – ejects and unmounts the volume specified after the "eject" command ("eject Server2")

• unmount – performs the same function as the "eject" command

• open – opens a drive, file, folder, application or alias that is on the desktop ("open documents")

• restart – restarts the computer

• shutdown – shuts down the computer

• sleep – puts the computer into sleep mode

More powerful features

Cycling through user-defined commands
When MindControl is active, the arrow keys or the tab key will cycle through the list of user-defined commands. Press Return when the command you want is highlighted.

Switching between running applications
Pressing Command+Tilde when MindControl is active will cycle through the names of all running applications. Release the Command key when the application you want is highlighted. 

Switching between open windows
Pressing Command+1 when MindControl is active will display a list of all open windows for the application running in the foreground. Use the arrow keys or Command+1 to select a window to bring to the front. When the window you want is highlighted, press Return.

Opening Finder selected documents with a specific application
MindControl even lets you choose which application you want to use to open a document. First, select the document using the Finder. Then invoke MindControl and enter the command for your chosen application, followed by ",s" ("word,s").

Ejecting or unmounting volumes using a wildcard character
You can eject or unmount volumes by typing the first few characters, followed by the equal symbol. For example, "eject cw=" would eject the first volume whose name begins with "cw." Accordingly, "unmount dr=" would unmount the first volume whose name begins with "dr." 

Opening desktop documents with a specific application
MindControl even lets you choose which application you want to use to open a desktop document. First, select the document on the desktop. Then invoke MindControl and enter the command for your chosen application, followed by ",s" ("word,s").

Opening desktop items with a wildcard character
You can open desktop items by typing the first few characters, followed by the equal symbol. For instance, "open simplet=" would open the first file/folder/application in the Desktop Folder whose name begins with "simplet."

Launching an application with a parameter
You can launch an application with a parameter by entering two commands, separated by a comma. For example, the command defined as "rp" will launch Real Player, and a command defined as "bb" is a Real Player clipping file for the Bloomberg site. Entering the command "rp,bb" would launch Real Player and tell it to open the Bloomberg clipping file.

Opening applications or documents located on your hard drive
MindControl will open any application or document that is on your hard drive. Just enter the full name (it must be an exact match) and press Return. 

Note: You do not use the open command for this function.