Keyboard Shortcuts in Main Window

HandBrake for Mac support
Forum rules
An Activity Log is required for support requests. Please read How-to get an activity log? for details on how and why this should be provided.
Post Reply
Tango
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2020 6:36 am

Keyboard Shortcuts in Main Window

Post by Tango »

Description of problem or question:

Looking for keyboard shortcuts

HandBrake version (e.g., 1.0.0):
1.3.3

Operating system and version (e.g., Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, macOS 10.13 High Sierra, Windows 10 Creators Update):
macOS Catalina

I really like Handbrake for ripping DVDs. I'm using it to copy my DVD TV collection to my media server hard drive. There's just one irritation that drives me nuts. I've been a touch typist since the 70s and prefer, when I can, to just keep typing and not have to move my hand over to a mouse. When I'm adding files to rip from a DVD, I put in the DVD and get the main window. Then I have to click on the file to load, click on the file name to rip it to (at the bottom), then type the name, then click "Add to Queue" then click, again, to pick the next file to rip.

Surely there's some keyboard shortcuts I can use? Isn't there a way, from the keyboard, to add the file to the queue and to easily move to a new file on the DVD. Or do I really have to type, then click, click again, then go back to typing? That's a lot of extra movement, especially if one is having RSI issues.
User avatar
Ritsuka
HandBrake Team
Posts: 1650
Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:29 am

Re: Keyboard Shortcuts in Main Window

Post by Ritsuka »

The shortcuts are written beside in the menu items.
You can use tab to move around the textfields in the main window, or enable "Use keyboard navigation to move focus between controls" to move between all controls in System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts (and use the space bar to interact with the controls).
Tango
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2020 6:36 am

Re: Keyboard Shortcuts in Main Window

Post by Tango »

Okay, I see I can use Command-B to add to the queue, so that helps, but, as you've pointed out, <tab> only moves from one text field to the other, a total of two widgets in the window. I did try out using <tab> to move between controls, but it's quite a few keypresses to get to the title list and back to the output file title. (Plus I don't want to enable that globally and have that on all apps.)

I'm kind of surprised, knowing how so many coders like to keep their hands on the keyboard, that there is no way to use keyboard shortcuts to reach other widgets in the windows, but I guess that's how it's set up.
User avatar
Ritsuka
HandBrake Team
Posts: 1650
Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:29 am

Re: Keyboard Shortcuts in Main Window

Post by Ritsuka »

One think I can add is a menu item + keyboard shortcut to switch to the next/previous title.
Tango
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2020 6:36 am

Re: Keyboard Shortcuts in Main Window

Post by Tango »

Oh! That would be great! Then it'd be possible to go through a whole DVD without moving fingers off the keyboard!
User avatar
Ritsuka
HandBrake Team
Posts: 1650
Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:29 am

Re: Keyboard Shortcuts in Main Window

Post by Ritsuka »

Added in https://github.com/HandBrake/HandBrake/ ... 3561be4eea
It will be in the next nightly build.
Tango
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2020 6:36 am

Re: Keyboard Shortcuts in Main Window

Post by Tango »

Wow! Thank you SO much! I'm tied up until Saturday, so I'll be downloading the nightly build then!
Alachas
New User
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2023 10:27 pm

Re: Keyboard Shortcuts in Main Window

Post by Alachas »

Would it be possible to add this functionality to the Windows version of Handbrake, too? Thank you :)
Post Reply