Mac slideshow software + Hacking a USB footpedal "clicker".

February 6, 2006 12:43 AM

I need to find Mac slideshow software with the ability to play specific slideshows via assigned hotkeys. I'd also like to make a simple USB footpedal to advance the images.

I have ten different presentations, and have to be able to start a different one without any on-screen fussing. Their order will be unpredictable.

I've found Apimac slideshow, which looks like a nice simple interface, but it doesn't look like it would have the hotkey functionality.

I haven't used powerpoint in years, maybe it can do this now?

Maybe there is functionality built in to OS X that can assign keys to launch specific files?

The final trick is converting a standard momentary foot-pedal into a pedal which can simulate a mouse-click over USB. I've found the pinouts for USB, but don't know what to connect to simulate a mouse click.

posted by Jack Karaoke to computers & internet (7 comments total)

Your best bet for the foot pedal is to buy the cheapest USB mouse you can find and hack it apart. It should be pretty easy to remove the button's switch and connect your foot pedal to those two terminals. You probably don't even have to remove the switch, it is almost granted to be normally open, so you can just hook up in parallel to it.

Interfacing with the USB protocol is doable, but it isn't easy or inexpensive. I think most DIYers use a USB to RS232 (serial port) IC, and then interface with the RS232 signals. That IC alone is going to cost something close to the price of a cheap USB mouse.
posted by Chuckles at 1:47 AM on February 6, 2006

granted? That should be guaranteed
posted by Chuckles at 1:48 AM on February 6, 2006

What I use for a foot pedal thing with my powerbook is one of the Apple Bluetooth Wireless Mice. The whole one button thing turns out to be perfect there. I normally just leave it on the floor under my desk and use it with the ball and toes of my foot grasping at the back end of it. That way I don't have to take my hands off the keyboard at all. I'm not that 'pointy' with it though.

I also use it for powepoint presentations in class, projected on a huge screen, with my Powerbook 20' away from me. I just put the mouse in my pocket (sometimes with tape over the sensor) and just press on my side to advance. No fumbling with the laptop or even a remote.

For software, try Magic Lantern. If you want to globally bind a key command to launch a slideshow, you'll probably want to use Quicksilver's triggers for that.

You'd put each slideshow's images in a seperate folder somewhere, sequentially named, and in Quicksilver define triggers for [Slide 1 of Presentation X] -> [Open With] -> [Magic Lantern]

Quicksilver also does a whole lot more than that, best application ever.
posted by blasdelf at 2:24 AM on February 6, 2006

I second quicksilver for launching the presentations. Hack quicksilver to only scan the folder where you keep the presentations so that it can find them with the fewest keystrokes.

Otherwise, OS9 had the ability to map the F-keys to any particular app or document, is there a replacement for that functionality in OS X?
posted by Wild_Eep at 6:50 AM on February 6, 2006

Folks, there exist USB footpedals. They're for transcription (think medical reports and the like).

They can be had for under $100; you didn't say what your budget was.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 7:31 AM on February 6, 2006

Quicksilver's Triggers let you bind any set of actions you can do with it to any global hotkey, including the function keys.
posted by blasdelf at 9:58 AM on February 6, 2006

Askme rocksores.

I had found USB foot pedals, but more expensive ones that were intended for general use. The dictation ones are cheaper.

And Quicksilver looks like the perfect solution for launching whatever viewer I end up using. Thanks.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 1:54 PM on February 6, 2006