[ This article was first published in the February, 2009, issue of
Larry’s Final Cut Pro Newsletter. Click here to subscribe. ]
I was surprised to discover that I have not written about a technique that I use in almost every project: a very fast way to find a keyboard shortcut or menu.
Apple has hidden it in plain sight: its called the Button List.
To display it, choose Tools > Button List.
An instant later, when it appears, it lists the 30 different groups of menus inside Final Cut Pro.
To see just how extensive this list is, twirl down any one of the categories. For instance, here is just a partial list of the menu choices in the File menu. The left side of the list is the menu name, on the right side is the keyboard shortcut assigned to it – if any.
Note: If you have created custom keyboard shortcuts, they will appear in this list as well. This does not distinguish between custom and default keyboard shortcuts.
Here is where the Button List gets REALLY helpful.
In the search box, type the first letter or two of what you are looking for. For instance, type the letter W and see all the keyboard shortcuts that contain the letter “W.”
Or type just the first letters of a menu choice and see if there’s a shortcut assigned to it.
This is just such a flat-out fast way to find shortcuts that I find myself using it on a regular basis.
