Tips for new Keybreeze users

Customize your Command List

When you install Keybreeze, the program sets up keywords for files on your Desktop and in your Start Menu. However, some of these keywords may have confusing names, or they may lead to programs that you never use. It's recommended that you delete some of the unnecessary keywords and change the names of others to make them more recognizable. You can open the command list by typing list as a keyword.

You should also make keywords that open your favorite web pages. To do this, open a favorite web page as you normally would. Then type add as a keyword in Keybreeze. Click Next, and copy the URL of the web page into the Target field in the Add window. Then you just have to name the keyword.

If you navigate through folders often, you might want to make keywords that open some of your common folders. For example, I have a keyword called "unzipped folder" that opens a folder with all my unzipped files. I have other keywords called "backup folder", ""mp3s folder", "my documents", "my pictures", "my videos", etc.

It's recommended that you give keywords long names. For example, some of mine are "forums keybreeze board" or "hearts card game". Since Keybreeze can act as a "tag based" system, I could type game into the toolbar and press Shift. This will display all the keywords that have the word, "game", included, so hearts will show up. This can be useful if you ever forget a keyword name, and it can help you recognize the keyword faster.

Create Text Functions

You can start using this function by typing add as a keyword. Basically, you will add a keyword to the Command List, and this keyword will store a piece of text. When you need to type the text later, just type the keyword name instead. Keybreeze will automatically insert the text into the document or text field that you are working in.

I have over a dozen functions that contain different signatures, common e-mail responses, addresses, and other things that I type often. Instead of typing the same things over and over again, these functions save me a lot of time and stress.

Explore the notes

You can make sticky notes from Keybreeze by typing note as a keyword, and you can set reminders for them to pop up later. I'm kind of a note reminder junkie. I have daily reminders telling me to feed the dog, check the mail, do the dishes. I have weekly reminders telling me to check my cell phone minutes, take out the trash, back up the computer, check eBay for certain items, and so forth. Then I have monthly reminders that remind me of bills and so forth.

This may seem tedious, but note reminders are very easy to set up (just type reminder note as a keyword). You never know when you might forget something. The reminders work very well with common chores because you can delete the note or the text after you do them.

One thing that I would recommend -- Modify your Command List so that typing no will highlight the word, note, in the toolbar. This way, you can instantly create a note by pressing 4 keys with your right hand -- semicolon > n > o > Enter.

Create macros

Finally, you may also want to look at macros to automate your repetitive computer tasks. With a macro, you can type a script of keystrokes and mouse clicks. Then the macro will be saved as a keyword in the Command List. Later, you can type the keyword and press Enter to have Keybreeze perform the actions automatically.

You can create a macro by typing macros [create] as a keyword. Feel free to browse the Macro Examples section in this forum for ideas.

I hope this guides you in the direction of customizing Keybreeze. Feel free to browse this forum for other customization tips, or e-mail me if you have any questions.