Shortcut Keys and Mouse Gestures
In today's fast-paced world, shortcuts can be a most welcome addition to our lives. Whether it be a quicker route to the office or an easier way to prepare dinner, anything that saves us time and effort is usually considered to be a positive. The same can be said for surfing the Web, where the time it takes to perform common actions such as opening a new tab or refreshing the current Web page can be abbreviated with the help of keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures.
Maxthon for Windows offers an integrated set of gestures and shortcuts, as well as the ability to both create your own and customize those already present in the browser. Learning how to use these timesavers will make you a more efficient Maxthon user, resulting in a better browsing experience. This tutorial details the ins and outs of Maxthon's keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures, allowing you to control the browser in ways you never thought possible.
Integrated Keyboard Shortcuts
Maxthon comes prepackaged with several dozen integrated keyboard shortcuts, ranging in function from loading your home page to the all-important boss key which instantly hides the browser from view. These shortcut keys are as follows.
Maxthon Menu
Some of Maxthon's integrated keyboard shortcuts are editable, while others are locked from change. The ability to create your own shortcut keys is also provided, assigning the combinations of your choice to preset browser actions.
To access the Shortcut Keys interface, first click Maxthon's Menu button; the blue and white smiley face located in the upper left hand corner of your browser window. When the drop-down menu appears, select Options.
Maxthon Options
Maxthon's Options should now be displayed in a new tab. Click on Shortcut Keys, found in the Advanced section of the left menu pane.
Boss Key
Maxthon's Shortcut Keys options should now be displayed, as shown in the example above. The first section at the top, labeled Boss Key, allows you to enable or disable this handy shortcut as well as modify the key combination associated with it.
The Boss Key is exactly what its moniker implies it to be, a shortcut that quickly hides all open Maxthon windows as well as their taskbar counterparts from any unexpected visitors.
Enabled by default, this nifty combo can be rendered inactive by removing the check mark found next to the Enable Boss Key option.
The original shortcut keys assigned to this feature are CTRL + GRAVE ACCENT (`). However, if you wish to change this setting to a combination more to your liking, simply click on the CTRL + ` button (circled in the example above). A dialog will now appear, overlaying your browser window. Press the key or keys that you wish to assign to the Boss Key command. This combination should now be displayed in the aforementioned dialog. Once you are satisfied with the key(s) selected, click on the OK button to apply the change and return to Maxthon's Shortcut Keys options.
Customize Shortcuts
In addition to providing dozens of preset shortcut keys, Maxthon offers the option to modify them via an easy-to-use interface. In order to do so, you must first return to the Shortcut Keys options by following Steps 3 and 4 of this tutorial.
Each existing keyboard shortcut is displayed in a two-column table, as shown in the example above. The first column, labeled Command, contains the action tied to its respective shortcut.
The second column, labeled Shortcut, contains one or more key combinations associated with this action. As you can see from this example, it is possible to have more than one keyboard shortcut tied to a particular command. It is also possible to have a shortcut that is actually not a combination, but rather a single key (i.e., F11 activates/disables Maxthon's Full Screen mode).
To modify an existing shortcut combination, first left click on the combination itself.
Modify Shortcut Keys
A small dialog box, labeled Press the keys you want to use..., should now be overlaying your main browser window. Within this dialog is the name of the current command along with its associated shortcut keys. To change this value, first press the key or keys that you desire. At this point your new key combination should be visible within the dialog, replacing the old setting.
Once satisfied with your change, click on the OK button.
You should now be returned to the Shortcut Keys options page, with your new shortcut visible.
Please note that not all shortcut keys are editable. Those that cannot be modified are accompanied by a lock icon.
Delete Shortcut Keys
To delete an existing shortcut key combination, first hover over it within the Shorctut column, as shown in the example above. Next, click on the 'X' that appears in the upper right hand corner of the box. A confirmation message will now appear, asking the following: Do you want to remove the selected set? To continue with the deletion process, click on the OK button. If you do not wish to continue, click on Cancel.
Create New Shortcut Keys
Maxthon provides the ability to create new shortcut key combinations, tying them to one of dozens of browser commands. As you have learned in previous steps of this tutorial, several actions such as refreshing the current page or deleting your browsing history already have keyboard shortcuts associated with them. However, you can still create your own shortcut keys for these browser commands while leaving the existing ones intact.
As you can see in the example above, there are also a number of commands without shortcut keys associated with them. In these cases, Maxthon provides the ability to assign your own key combinations to each respective browser action.
Whether creating a new combination for a shortcut-less command or customizing an alternative shortcut key, the process is similar. First, locate the command in question. Next, in the Shortcut column, click on the gray and white plus symbol.
A small dialog box, labeled Press the keys you want to use..., should now be overlaying your main browser window. To create your new keyboard shortcut, first press the key or keys that you desire. At this point your new key combination should be visible within the dialog. Once satisified with your addition, click on the OK button. You should now be returned to the Shortcut Keys options page, with your new shortcut visible.
Super Drag & Drop
Keyboard shortcuts are just part of the equation when it comes to streamlining your browsing experience in Maxthon. Over a dozen integrated mouse gestures are available as well, some of which are assigned to a browser action while others are open for customization. To perform most mouse gestures, right-click and quickly drag your mouse in the instructed direction(s). Please note that some gestures require use of your mouse's left-click button as well as a scrolling action.
During execution of a mouse gesture, you will see a colored line known as the Mouse Gesture Trail.
Maxthon's integrated mouse gestures that are already assigned to a browser action are as follows.
Mouse Gesture Trail
Maxthon's Mouse Gestures options, found by clicking on Mouse Gestures in the Advanced section of the left menu pane, provide the ability to configure a number of settings. The first, labeled Enable Drag & Drop, lets you toggle the browser's Super Drag & Drop component on and off by adding or removing a check mark from its accompanying check box.
Super Drag & Drop is a cool feature that instantly performs a keyword search, opens a link, or displays an image in a new tab.
This is achieved by holding your mouse button on a link, image, or highlighted text, and then dragging and dropping the selection just a few pixels in any direction.
The next option, also accompanied by a check box, allows you to disable or re-enable mouse gestures altogether.
Customize Mouse Gestures
The Mouse Gesture Trail, a shade of green by default, is the line that cursor trail that displays as you execute a mouse gesture. Maxthon offers the ability to change this color to anything within the RGB spectrum. To do so, first click on the Edit... button found in the Custom Mouse Gestures section (see example above).
Next, when the color palette appears, click on the desired color or replace the hex color string in the edit field provided.
In addition to providing several preset mouse gestures, Maxthon offers the option to modify them via an easy-to-use interface. Each mouse gesture is displayed in a two-column table, as shown in the example above. The first column, labeled Mouse Gestures, contains the instructions to execute each respective gesture. The second column, labeled Action, lists the accompanying browser action.
To modify an existing mouse gesture, first left click anywhere within its table row.
A pop-up will now appear, containing each browser action available within Maxthon. These actions are categorized into the following three groups: Tab, Browsing, and Feature. To assign a new action to the gesture in question, simply click on it. You should now be returned to the Mouse Gestures options page, with your changes visible.
In today's fast-paced world, shortcuts can be a most welcome addition to our lives. Whether it be a quicker route to the office or an easier way to prepare dinner, anything that saves us time and effort is usually considered to be a positive. The same can be said for surfing the Web, where the time it takes to perform common actions such as opening a new tab or refreshing the current Web page can be abbreviated with the help of keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures.
Maxthon for Windows offers an integrated set of gestures and shortcuts, as well as the ability to both create your own and customize those already present in the browser. Learning how to use these timesavers will make you a more efficient Maxthon user, resulting in a better browsing experience. This tutorial details the ins and outs of Maxthon's keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures, allowing you to control the browser in ways you never thought possible.
Integrated Keyboard Shortcuts
Maxthon comes prepackaged with several dozen integrated keyboard shortcuts, ranging in function from loading your home page to the all-important boss key which instantly hides the browser from view. These shortcut keys are as follows.
- CTRL + N or CTRL + T: Open a new tab
- F3 or CTRL + TAB or CTRL + RIGHT ARROW: Advance to the next open tab
- F2 or CTRL + LEFT ARROW or CTRL + SHIFT + TAB: Advance to the previous open tab
- CTRL + W or CTRL + F4: Close the current tab
- CTRL + SHIFT + W: Close all open tabs other than the active one
- ALT + Z or CTRL + SHIFT + T: Reopen the most recently closed Web page
- ALT + LEFT: Issue the Back command in the active tab or window
- ALT + RIGHT: Issue the Forward command in the active tab or window
- F5 or CTRL + R: Refresh the current page
- ESC: Stop loading the current page
- CTRL + F5: Refresh the current page, overriding both local and server cache; utilizing this shortcut ensures that the most recent server content is rendered in your browser
- SHIFT + F5: Refresh all open tabs and/or windows
- SHIFT + ESC: Stop loading all open tabs and/or windows
- CTRL + SHIFT + N: Paste the contents of the clipboard to Maxthon's address bar; if pasted contents are a URL, then that URL is automatically loaded - if pasted contents are not a valid URL, they are submitted to Maxthon's default search engine
- ALT + F4: Close the Maxthon browser completely
- ALT + GRAVE ACCENT (`): Switch between open browser windows
- F10: Split Maxthon into two screens (toggle on and off)
- F11: Activate or disable Full Screen mode
- F6 or CTRL + L or ALT + D: Shift the active focus to Maxthon's Address Bar
- CTRL + E or CTRL + K: Shift the active focus to Maxthon's Search Box
- F4: Display Address Bar history
- ALT + HOME: Load Maxthon's home page
- CTRL + GRAVE ACCENT (`): Known as the Boss Key, instantly hides Maxthon from view; pressing the Boss Key a second time returns the browser to its original state
- ALT + 1: Save the current password to memory
- ALT + Q: Populate the current credentials with a saved password
- CTRL + F1: Take a screen shot of whatever region you select
- CTRL + F2: Take a screen shot of the entire active page
- CTRL + S: Open Maxthon's Save as... dialog
- CTRL + F: Find user-specified text in the current Web page
- F12 or CTRL + SHIFT + I: Open Maxthon's Developer Tools console (in a new window)
- CTRL + J: Open Maxthon's Download Manager, overlaying your main browser window
- CTRL + G: Open Maxthon's SkyNote interface (in a new window)
- CTRL + SHIFT + C: Send the active Web page's URL to SkyNote
- CTRL + D: Add the current Web page to Maxthon's Favorites
- CTRL + SHIFT + D: Add all open tabs and/or windows to Maxthon's Favorites
- CTRL + B: Show or hide the browser's Favorites Bar
- ALT + A: Display Maxthon's Favorites Menu
- CTRL + SHIFT + B: Display Maxthon's Favorites Manager (in a new tab)
- CTRL + H: Display Maxthon's History (in a new tab)
- ALT + R: In a new tab, display Maxthon's Last Session interface, providing the ability to open some or all previously closed Web pages from your last browsing session
- CTRL + SHIFT + DELETE: Open Maxthon's Clear History dialog, overlaying the main browser window
- PRINT: Opens Window's Print interface for the current Web page
- F1: Open Maxthon's server-based help interface (in a new tab)
Maxthon Menu
Some of Maxthon's integrated keyboard shortcuts are editable, while others are locked from change. The ability to create your own shortcut keys is also provided, assigning the combinations of your choice to preset browser actions.
To access the Shortcut Keys interface, first click Maxthon's Menu button; the blue and white smiley face located in the upper left hand corner of your browser window. When the drop-down menu appears, select Options.
Maxthon Options
Maxthon's Options should now be displayed in a new tab. Click on Shortcut Keys, found in the Advanced section of the left menu pane.
Boss Key
Maxthon's Shortcut Keys options should now be displayed, as shown in the example above. The first section at the top, labeled Boss Key, allows you to enable or disable this handy shortcut as well as modify the key combination associated with it.
The Boss Key is exactly what its moniker implies it to be, a shortcut that quickly hides all open Maxthon windows as well as their taskbar counterparts from any unexpected visitors.
Enabled by default, this nifty combo can be rendered inactive by removing the check mark found next to the Enable Boss Key option.
The original shortcut keys assigned to this feature are CTRL + GRAVE ACCENT (`). However, if you wish to change this setting to a combination more to your liking, simply click on the CTRL + ` button (circled in the example above). A dialog will now appear, overlaying your browser window. Press the key or keys that you wish to assign to the Boss Key command. This combination should now be displayed in the aforementioned dialog. Once you are satisfied with the key(s) selected, click on the OK button to apply the change and return to Maxthon's Shortcut Keys options.
Customize Shortcuts
In addition to providing dozens of preset shortcut keys, Maxthon offers the option to modify them via an easy-to-use interface. In order to do so, you must first return to the Shortcut Keys options by following Steps 3 and 4 of this tutorial.
Each existing keyboard shortcut is displayed in a two-column table, as shown in the example above. The first column, labeled Command, contains the action tied to its respective shortcut.
The second column, labeled Shortcut, contains one or more key combinations associated with this action. As you can see from this example, it is possible to have more than one keyboard shortcut tied to a particular command. It is also possible to have a shortcut that is actually not a combination, but rather a single key (i.e., F11 activates/disables Maxthon's Full Screen mode).
To modify an existing shortcut combination, first left click on the combination itself.
Modify Shortcut Keys
A small dialog box, labeled Press the keys you want to use..., should now be overlaying your main browser window. Within this dialog is the name of the current command along with its associated shortcut keys. To change this value, first press the key or keys that you desire. At this point your new key combination should be visible within the dialog, replacing the old setting.
Once satisfied with your change, click on the OK button.
You should now be returned to the Shortcut Keys options page, with your new shortcut visible.
Please note that not all shortcut keys are editable. Those that cannot be modified are accompanied by a lock icon.
Delete Shortcut Keys
To delete an existing shortcut key combination, first hover over it within the Shorctut column, as shown in the example above. Next, click on the 'X' that appears in the upper right hand corner of the box. A confirmation message will now appear, asking the following: Do you want to remove the selected set? To continue with the deletion process, click on the OK button. If you do not wish to continue, click on Cancel.
Create New Shortcut Keys
Maxthon provides the ability to create new shortcut key combinations, tying them to one of dozens of browser commands. As you have learned in previous steps of this tutorial, several actions such as refreshing the current page or deleting your browsing history already have keyboard shortcuts associated with them. However, you can still create your own shortcut keys for these browser commands while leaving the existing ones intact.
As you can see in the example above, there are also a number of commands without shortcut keys associated with them. In these cases, Maxthon provides the ability to assign your own key combinations to each respective browser action.
Whether creating a new combination for a shortcut-less command or customizing an alternative shortcut key, the process is similar. First, locate the command in question. Next, in the Shortcut column, click on the gray and white plus symbol.
A small dialog box, labeled Press the keys you want to use..., should now be overlaying your main browser window. To create your new keyboard shortcut, first press the key or keys that you desire. At this point your new key combination should be visible within the dialog. Once satisified with your addition, click on the OK button. You should now be returned to the Shortcut Keys options page, with your new shortcut visible.
Super Drag & Drop
Keyboard shortcuts are just part of the equation when it comes to streamlining your browsing experience in Maxthon. Over a dozen integrated mouse gestures are available as well, some of which are assigned to a browser action while others are open for customization. To perform most mouse gestures, right-click and quickly drag your mouse in the instructed direction(s). Please note that some gestures require use of your mouse's left-click button as well as a scrolling action.
During execution of a mouse gesture, you will see a colored line known as the Mouse Gesture Trail.
Maxthon's integrated mouse gestures that are already assigned to a browser action are as follows.
- RIGHT: Issue the Forward command in the active tab or window
- LEFT: Issue the Back command in the active tab or window
- UP: Move up one page in the active tab or window
- DOWN: Move down one page in the active tab or window
- UP then DOWN: Refresh the current page
- DOWN then UP: Refresh the current page (same as above)
- UP then RIGHT: Advance to the next open tab
- HOLD RIGHT BUTTON then SCROLL DOWN: Advance to the next open tab
- HOLD RIGHT BUTTON then SCROLL UP: Advance to the previous open tab
- UP then LEFT: Advance to the previous open tab
- DOWN then RIGHT: Close the current tab
- DOWN then LEFT: Reopen the most recently closed Web page
- RIGHT then UP: Instantly jump to the top of the current page
- RIGHT then DOWN: Instantly jump to the bottom of the current page
Mouse Gesture Trail
Maxthon's Mouse Gestures options, found by clicking on Mouse Gestures in the Advanced section of the left menu pane, provide the ability to configure a number of settings. The first, labeled Enable Drag & Drop, lets you toggle the browser's Super Drag & Drop component on and off by adding or removing a check mark from its accompanying check box.
Super Drag & Drop is a cool feature that instantly performs a keyword search, opens a link, or displays an image in a new tab.
This is achieved by holding your mouse button on a link, image, or highlighted text, and then dragging and dropping the selection just a few pixels in any direction.
The next option, also accompanied by a check box, allows you to disable or re-enable mouse gestures altogether.
Customize Mouse Gestures
The Mouse Gesture Trail, a shade of green by default, is the line that cursor trail that displays as you execute a mouse gesture. Maxthon offers the ability to change this color to anything within the RGB spectrum. To do so, first click on the Edit... button found in the Custom Mouse Gestures section (see example above).
Next, when the color palette appears, click on the desired color or replace the hex color string in the edit field provided.
In addition to providing several preset mouse gestures, Maxthon offers the option to modify them via an easy-to-use interface. Each mouse gesture is displayed in a two-column table, as shown in the example above. The first column, labeled Mouse Gestures, contains the instructions to execute each respective gesture. The second column, labeled Action, lists the accompanying browser action.
To modify an existing mouse gesture, first left click anywhere within its table row.
A pop-up will now appear, containing each browser action available within Maxthon. These actions are categorized into the following three groups: Tab, Browsing, and Feature. To assign a new action to the gesture in question, simply click on it. You should now be returned to the Mouse Gestures options page, with your changes visible.
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