Desktop Spaces • Macros for Navigation and Window Management

jim_sauer · February 23, 2021, 5:26am

Please note that the macros in this thread prior to 10-March-2021 have been superseded with significantly improved versions. Refer to this entry for more information.

On my MacBook Pro I use up to 15 Desktop Spaces. With several, I’ve assigned applications to specific spaces, e.g., I’ve assigned Messages to Desktop 3. With the relatively small footprint of a laptop, the combination of multiple Desktop Spaces and keyboard shortcuts greatly reduces the time and mousing required to manage windows.

Although space-assignment for some apps is certainly beneficial, there are times when windows from these apps need to be visible on other spaces. Movement of such windows with native macOS features is somewhat clumsy, and certainly not done quickly.

Keyboard Mastro, and this set of macros, can greatly assist with this macOS shortcoming and other common Desktop Space tasks even if only a few Desktop Spaces are being used.

[ continued on the Keyboard Maestro forum ]

jim_sauer · February 27, 2021, 5:54am

Here’s a little more information…

The macOS native keyboard shortcuts and macros detailed above will enable efficient spaces navigation and window movement. Here’s a summary:

Space Navigation

  Move left a space                ⌃←
  Move right a space               ⌃→
  Switch to Desktop 1              ⌃1
  Switch to Desktop 2              ⌃2
  Switch to Desktop 3              ⌃3
  Switch to Desktop 4              ⌃4
  Switch to Desktop 5              ⌃5
  Switch to Desktop 6              ⌃6
  Switch to Desktop 7              ⌃7
  Switch to Desktop 8              ⌃8
  Switch to Desktop 9              ⌃9
  Return to Previous Space         ⌃Return

Navigation beyond Space 9 can be done two ways:

⌃9, followed by the required number of ⌃→
By opening or activating an application that has been assigned to the space. (This method can be used for any of the 15 spaces.)

Window Movement

  Move window left a space         ⌃⌥←
  Move window right a space        ⌃⌥→
  Move window to Current Space     ⌃⌥0
  Move window to Space 1           ⌃⌥1
  Move window to Space 2           ⌃⌥2
  Move window to Space 3           ⌃⌥3
  Move window to Space 4           ⌃⌥4
  Move window to Space 5           ⌃⌥5
  Move window to Space 6           ⌃⌥6
  Move window to Space 7           ⌃⌥7
  Move window to Space 8           ⌃⌥8
  Move window to Space 9           ⌃⌥9
  Move window to Space 10          ⌃⌥A
  Move window to Space 11          ⌃⌥B
  Move window to Space 12          ⌃⌥C
  Move window to Space 13          ⌃⌥D
  Move window to Space 14          ⌃⌥E
  Move window to Space 15          ⌃⌥F
  Move window to Previous Space    ⌃⌥Return

Alternatively, the above can be controlled using one Keyboard Maestro Conflict Palette that is triggered using ⌃S.

Martin_Packer · February 27, 2021, 8:39am

(I like your cross-reference to another forum. I should try it occasionally.)

The trouble - for me - with spaces is figuring out what to put in each. Which is why I’ve never set them up.

At the risk of hijacking this post (but in the spirit of building on it) how do people decide what to put in each space?

I guess my issue is that everything seems interconnected - so all belongs in the one space.

jim_sauer · March 11, 2021, 9:08pm

Note: This post is also available on the Keyboard Maestro forum.

This post entry supersedes the original post entry as it includes several significant improvements.

All macros from the original post, and updates prior to today (10-March-2021), can be deleted. Macros from above were installed in the .sys Spaces group. If the group and macros are not deleted, be sure to at least disable the group as some of the old macros will overlap with the new macros below.

Introduction

Mission Control Desktop Spaces, a.k.a. Desktop Spaces, a.k.a. macOS virtual Desktops, can be very useful particularly when using a MacBook. Unfortunately, however, configuration and use of Desktop Spaces can be confusing especially when using three or more (the current macOS maximum is 16). In addition, native macOS does not provide:

A visual indication of the Desktop number. Moreover, macOS does not include a public API to determine the Desktop number.
A quick method to switch between non-adjacent Desktops
An efficient method to move windows to non-adjacent Desktops

The instruction and macros in this post will address these shortcomings and more.

Note: The macro download links in this section will

Quick Start

If necessary, using Mission Control, create multiple macOS Desktop Spaces.
Configure System Preferences > Mission Control.

Configure System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Mission Control.

Switch to Desktop 1 .. 9                         ⌃⌥⌘1 .. ⌃⌥⌘9
Switch to Desktop 10 .. 16                       ⌃⌥⇧⌘0 .. ⌃⌥⇧⌘6

Download and install the nine primary macros. Primary Macros.kmmacros available on the Keyboard Maestro forum (540.3 KB)
Enable the .sys Desktops macro group.
[ Required for Move Application Window to Current Desktop (⌃⌘0) ] Download and install the Activate an Application by Name action, available by a custom Keyboard Maestro Plug-in, by @ComplexPoint.
[ Optional, but highly recommended ] Download and install the free, open-source application WhichSpace. Set it to start up at login: System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items.
[ Optional, but will be helpful for beginners or occassional users ] Download and install the forty-two Conflict Palette macros. The palette displays the function and hot keys available via the nine primary macros. Palette Macros.kmmacros available on the Keyboard Maestro forum (107.3 KB)

Macro Improvements and Limitations

This set of macros includes several improvements:

Support for all 16 Mission Control Desktop Spaces
Macro names include the word Desktop rather than Space since this is a more mainstream term for virtual desktops
All macros are installed in a group named: .sys Desktops (versus .sys Spaces). Like before the macro group is initially disabled when the macros are downloaded.
More reliable tracking of the Current Desktop Number since a macro Go to Desktop N (Desktops 1 to 16: ⌃1 … ⌃9, ⌃⇧0 … ⌃⇧6) has been added for basic navigation
Moving desktop right (⌃Right Arrow) and desktop left (⌃Left Arrow) have been improved:
- animation gives better feedback than the macOS native Mission Control Keyboard Shortcuts Move left a space and Move right a space
- thanks to the macro MACRO: HotKey Multi-Press Template, by @Dan Thomas, multiple taps on the arrow keys are recognized
- holding arrow keys repeats the movement left or right until the keys are released
- the previous Desktop is retained to the desktop that was active when the left or right movement began. For example, if one started on Desktop 1, and triple-tapped ⌃Right Arrow to move to Desktop 4 (Desktop 1 → Desktop 2 → Desktop 3 → Desktop 4), subsequent use of ⌃Return would return to Desktop 1 (not Desktop 3).
For the macro Move Application Window to Current Desktop (⌃⌘0), Applications to Exclude can be configured (by default LaunchBar and Amphetamine are excluded).
The optional Conflict Palette (⌃S) displays all of the hot keys for the nine underlying macros. The forty-two Conflict Palette macros have been simplified to use the Trigger Macros by Hot Key action
Most of the functionality of these macros will now work independent of WhichSpace. However, without it, the following features will be absent:
- The visual indication of the Desktop Number rendered by WhichSpace on the macOS menubar
- The tracking of the current and previous Desktop will be temporarily inaccurate if a Desktop change occurs outside the control of the macros. For example,
  - three-finger swipe left or right on a trackpad
  - Mission Control is displayed and a Desktop is selected
  - a macOS application is opened, or activated, and an automatic Desktop change occurs (see Note 1)
  So what’s the impact? Go to Previous Desktop (⌃Return) will return to the last Desktop that was displayed using a macro hot key. For example:
  1. Moved to Desktop 4 using ⌃4
  2. Moved to Desktop 3 using a three-finger swipe on the trackpad
  3. Moved to Desktop 1 using ⌃1
  4. Go to Previous Desktop (⌃Return) would move to Desktop 4 (not Desktop 3)

Note 1: This can occur when the following is selected (highly recommended): System Preferences > Mission Control > When switching to an application, switch to a Space with open windows for the application

Nine Primary Macros

This section includes more information and images for each of the nine primary macros. The Go to Previous Desktop section provides a comprehensive explanation for those interested in the inner workings. This information is also available in the comments of each macro.

All nine macros can be downloaded as a group using the link in the Quick Start section.

Macro: Go to Desktop N

This macro is used to directly move to one of the sixteen Desktops.

Go to Desktop 1 .. 9                             ⌃1 .. ⌃9
Go to Desktop 10 .. 16                           ⌃⇧0 .. ⌃⇧6

More

PREREQUISITE SETTINGS
This macro requires up to the 16 native macOS keyboard shortcuts below to be set (System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Mission Control). These must be set as Desktop Spaces are added.

Switch to Desktop 1 .. 9                         ⌃⌥⌘1 .. ⌃⌥⌘9
Switch to Desktop 10 .. 16                       ⌃⌥⇧⌘0 .. ⌃⌥⇧⌘6

TESTED WITH
• Big Sur, v11.2.2
• Keyboard Maestro, v9.2
• MacBookPro16,1

VERSION HISTORY
1.0 - Initial version

Macro: Go Left a Desktop

This macro is used to move left one or more Desktops.

Go Left a Desktop				                 ⌃Left Arrow

In addition to a single press of ⌃Left Arrow, multiple taps of the Left Arrow (while ⌃ is down) will be recognized. Also, if ⌃Left Arrow is held down, the movement left is repeated until released.

More

PREREQUISITE SETTINGS
This macro requires up to the 16 native macOS keyboard shortcuts below to be set (System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Mission Control). These must be set as Desktop Spaces are added.

Switch to Desktop 1 .. 9                         ⌃⌥⌘1 .. ⌃⌥⌘9
Switch to Desktop 10 .. 16                       ⌃⌥⇧⌘0 .. ⌃⌥⇧⌘6

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The multiple-tap capability of this macro is provided by MACRO: HotKey Multi-Press Template, by @Dan Thomas.

TESTED WITH
• Big Sur, v11.2.2
• Keyboard Maestro, v9.2
• MacBookPro16,1

VERSION HISTORY
1.0 - Initial version

Macro: Go Right a Desktop

This macro is used to move right one or more Desktops.

Go Right a Desktop			                     ⌃Right Arrow

In addition to a single press of ⌃Right Arrow, multiple taps of the Right Arrow (while ⌃ is down) will be recognized. Also, if ⌃Right Arrow is held down, the movement right is repeated until released.

More

PREREQUISITE SETTINGS
This macro requires up to the 16 native macOS keyboard shortcuts below to be set (System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Mission Control). These must be set as Desktop Spaces are added.

Switch to Desktop 1 .. 9                         ⌃⌥⌘1 .. ⌃⌥⌘9
Switch to Desktop 10 .. 16                       ⌃⌥⇧⌘0 .. ⌃⌥⇧⌘6

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The multiple-tap capability of this macro is provided by MACRO: HotKey Multi-Press Template, by @Dan Thomas.

TESTED WITH
• Big Sur, v11.2.2
• Keyboard Maestro, v9.2
• MacBookPro16,1

VERSION HISTORY
1.0 - Initial version

Macro: Go to Previous Desktop

This macro is used to return to the previously displayed Desktop.

Go to Previous Desktop                           ⌃Return

For example, if Desktop 5 is visible and ⌃2 is used to move to Desktop 2, ⌃Return will return to Desktop 5. Since a second ⌃Return will move back to Desktop 2, this macro makes it easy to toggle between two Desktops, even if they are nonadjacent.

Note: If the macro is triggered with the ⌥ (Option key) down, the desktop change will not occur; instead a brief message will appear indicating the previously displayed Desktop.

More

PREREQUISITE SETTINGS
This macro requires up to the 16 native macOS keyboard shortcuts below to be set (System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Mission Control). These must be set as Desktop Spaces are added.

Switch to Desktop 1 .. 9                         ⌃⌥⌘1 .. ⌃⌥⌘9
Switch to Desktop 10 .. 16                       ⌃⌥⇧⌘0 .. ⌃⌥⇧⌘6

OPERATIONAL DETAILS
According to this comment from @peterlewis, the Desktop number is not available via macOS public API, thus there is no native Keyboard Maestro action for this purpose. However, when Desktop navigation and window movement are done exclusively with this macro and the others in the macro group (see Note 1) the current and previous Desktop numbers are accurately tracked and saved using Keyboard Maestro global variables. This is useful and often sufficient but there will be times when a Desktop change occurs outside the domain of the macros in this group. For example:

a. three-finger swipe left or right on a trackpad
b. Mission Control is displayed and a Desktop is selected
c. a macOS application is opened, or activated, and an automatic Desktop change occurs (see Note 2)

In these cases, and possibly others, the tracking of the current and previous Desktop will be temporarily inaccurate (see Note 3) unless a helper application named WhichSpace is installed. (This installation is highly recommended, but not required.)

WhichSpace is a free, open source application by George Christou that displays the Desktop number in the macOS menubar. This indication is of great value when using multiple Desktops. As a bonus and employed within this macro, the Desktop number can be determined with a simple AppleScript (see Note 4).

Note 1: Other macros in this macro group are:
Go Left a Desktop, Go Right a Desktop, Go to Desktop N, Move Application Window to Current Desktop, Move Window Left a Desktop, Move Window Right a Desktop, Move Window to Desktop N, Move Window to Previous Desktop)

Note 2: Automatic Desktop changes can occur when the following is selected: System Preferences > Mission Control > When switching to an application, switch to a Space with open windows for the application

Note 3: If WhichSpace is not installed, current and previous Desktops can be temporarily inaccurate. For example:

a. Move to Desktop 4 using macro Go to Desktop N (⌃4).
b. Move to Desktop 3 using trackpad
c. Move to Desktop 1 using macro Go to Desktop N (⌃1).
d. Running this macro, Go to Previous Desktop (⌃Return) would move to Desktop 4, not Desktop 3.

Note 4: When WhichSpace is installed, this macro records a desktop change by detecting if the focused window title changes. Generally this works well because when a desktop change occurs (even outside the control of the macros in this group) different applications or at least different windows within the same application are made automatically active or selected by a user. However, there may be rare situations when a desktop change is made, outside the domain of these macros, and the window title does not change, thus the previous and current Desktop tracking will be temporarily inaccurate.

TESTED WITH
• Big Sur, v11.2.2
• Keyboard Maestro, v9.2
• MacBookPro16,1

VERSION HISTORY
1.0 - Initial version

Macro: Move Window to Desktop N

This macro is used to move the active window to one of the sixteen Desktops.

Move Window to Desktop 1 .. 9                    ⌃⌘1 .. ⌃⌘9
Move Window to Desktop 10 .. 16                  ⌃⇧⌘0 .. ⌃⇧⌘6

The macro completes the move by invoking a click-and-hold on the upper-left of the window followed by typing the keystroke that moves to the target space. Then after a short pause, the click is released and the mouse is returned to its original position.

More

PREREQUISITE SETTINGS
This macro requires up to the 16 native macOS keyboard shortcuts below to be set (System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Mission Control). These must be set as Desktop Spaces are added.

Switch to Desktop 1 .. 9                         ⌃⌥⌘1 .. ⌃⌥⌘9
Switch to Desktop 10 .. 16                       ⌃⌥⇧⌘0 .. ⌃⌥⇧⌘6

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The logic in this macro was taken from Move Frontmost Window to a Different Space, by @Tom.

Two modifications were made for this macro:

Expanded to accommodate up to 16 Desktop Spaces
Added logic to exit immediately if the shortcut is invoked in a space without windows

Due to the above changes, the name was changed from Move Frontmost Window to a Different Space to Move Window to Desktop N.

TESTED WITH
• Big Sur, v11.2.2
• Keyboard Maestro, v9.2
• MacBookPro16,1

VERSION HISTORY
1.0 - Initial version

Macro: Move Window Left a Desktop

This macro is used to move the active window left one or more Desktops.

Move Window Left a Desktop                       ⌃⌘Left Arrow

In addition to a single press of ⌃⌘Left Arrow, multiple taps of the Left Arrow (while ⌃⌘ are down) will be recognized. Also, if ⌃⌘Left Arrow is held down, the movement left is repeated until released.

More

PREREQUISITE SETTINGS
This macro requires up to the 16 native macOS keyboard shortcuts below to be set (System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Mission Control). These must be set as Desktop Spaces are added.

Switch to Desktop 1 .. 9                         ⌃⌥⌘1 .. ⌃⌥⌘9
Switch to Desktop 10 .. 16                       ⌃⌥⇧⌘0 .. ⌃⌥⇧⌘6

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The multiple-tap capability of this macro is provided by MACRO: HotKey Multi-Press Template, by @Dan Thomas.

TESTED WITH
• Big Sur, v11.2.2
• Keyboard Maestro, v9.2
• MacBookPro16,1

VERSION HISTORY
1.0 - Initial version

Macro: Move Window Right a Desktop

This macro is used to move the active window right one or more Desktops.

Move Window Right a Desktop                      ⌃⌘Right Arrow

In addition to a single press of ⌃⌘Right Arrow, multiple taps of the Right Arrow (while ⌃⌘ are down) will be recognized. Also, if ⌃⌘Right Arrow is held down, the movement left is repeated until released.

More

PREREQUISITE SETTINGS
This macro requires up to the 16 native macOS keyboard shortcuts below to be set (System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Mission Control). These must be set as Desktop Spaces are added.

Switch to Desktop 1 .. 9                         ⌃⌥⌘1 .. ⌃⌥⌘9
Switch to Desktop 10 .. 16                       ⌃⌥⇧⌘0 .. ⌃⌥⇧⌘6

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The multiple-tap capability of this macro is provided by MACRO: HotKey Multi-Press Template, by @Dan Thomas.

TESTED WITH
• Big Sur, v11.2.2
• Keyboard Maestro, v9.2
• MacBookPro16,1

VERSION HISTORY
1.0 - Initial version

Macro: Move Window to Previous Desktop

This macro is used to move the active window to the previously displayed Desktop.

Move Window to Previous Desktop                  ⌃⌘Return

For example, if Space 5 is visible and ⌃2 is used to move to Space 2, ⌃⌘Return will move the active window on Space 2 to Space 5. Since a second ⌃⌘Return will move the window back to Space 2, this macro makes it easy to toggle between two Desktop Spaces, even if they are nonadjacent.

Note: If the macro is triggered with the ⌥ (Option key) down, the window move will not occur; instead a brief message will appear indicating the previously displayed Desktop.

More

PREREQUISITE SETTINGS
This macro requires up to the 16 native macOS keyboard shortcuts below to be set (System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Mission Control). These must be set as Desktop Spaces are added.

Switch to Desktop 1 .. 9                         ⌃⌥⌘1 .. ⌃⌥⌘9
Switch to Desktop 10 .. 16                       ⌃⌥⇧⌘0 .. ⌃⌥⇧⌘6

TESTED WITH
• Big Sur, v11.2.2
• Keyboard Maestro, v9.2
• MacBookPro16,1

VERSION HISTORY
1.0 - Initial version

Macro: Move Application Window to Current Desktop

This macro is used to move a window from another Desktop to the current Desktop.

Move Application Window to Current Desktop       ⌃⌘0

When the macro is invoked, a list of running applications will appear in a prompt list. When one of the applications is selected, the macro will move to the Desktop where the active window for the applications appears. The window will then be moved to the current Desktop.

The window move is done by invoking a click-and-hold on the upper-left of the window followed by typing the key stroke that moves back to the current Desktop. Then after a momentary pause, the click is released and the mouse is returned to its original position.

More

PREREQUISITE SETTINGS
This macro requires up to the 16 native macOS keyboard shortcuts below to be set (System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Mission Control). These must be set as Desktop Spaces are added.

Switch to Desktop 1 .. 9                         ⌃⌥⌘1 .. ⌃⌥⌘9
Switch to Desktop 10 .. 16                       ⌃⌥⇧⌘0 .. ⌃⌥⇧⌘6

OTHER DEPENDENCIES
a. The following must be set: System Preferences > Mission Control > When switching to an application, switch to a Space with open windows for the application.
b. The Activate an Application by Name action, available by a custom Keyboard Maestro Plug-in, by @ComplexPoint, must be installed.

OPERATIONAL DETAILS
When the window switching occurs during the execution of this macro, the previous Desktop will be updated to the Desktop that includes the target application window (see Note 1). This default behavior is normally desirable as it makes it easy to return the moved window to its original Desktop using the macro Move Window to Previous Space (⌃⌘Return).

In rare situations it may be desirable to preserve the pre-window move previous Desktop. To do this, include the ⌥ (Option) key when launching this shortcut.

Note 1: If WhichSpace is not running, this update of the previous Desktop will not occur. For more WhichSpace information, refer to the the macro Go to Previous Desktop.

APPLICATIONS TO EXCLUDE
By default, this macro will ignore two applications: LaunchBar and Amphetamine. To add others, modify the list in the specified action below.

TESTED WITH
• Big Sur, v11.2.2
• Keyboard Maestro, v9.2
• MacBookPro16,1

VERSION HISTORY
1.0 - Initial version

jim_sauer · March 11, 2021, 9:45pm

Here’s the Keyboard Maestro palette I primarily use for my daily driving. On the left you’ll see how I assign applications to the 16 Desktop Spaces. On the right you’ll see my common work contexts. Each palette entry has a corresponding macro that sets up the desktop.

The general macros that I supplied in the thread provide flexibility so that one can change work modes quickly.

Martin_Packer · March 12, 2021, 8:25am

Thank you again.

Let me give you a concrete example - BBEdit and md2pptx:

Around half the time I’m using BBEdit to create a presentation in Markdown - to put through md2pptx to create a PowerPoint slide deck.
Also around half the time I’m using BBEdit on tools, most often md2pptx itself.

So, for me BBEdit belongs in no space at all - or all of them (maybe). Similarly, Firefox I might use for procrastination (I guess) As well as generating materials to put in the above-mentioned presentations.

So I guess there’s no harm arranging for the likes of BBEdit and Firefox to sit in all the spaces. But then I’ve reduced any benefit of compartmentalisation / contexts.

jim_sauer · March 12, 2021, 2:06pm

@Martin_Packer, good discussion…

Maybe you know this already, but even if an application is assigned to a desktop space, it doesn’t restrict it from being moved to another space. That’s one reason I created the move macros in the set.

There are certainly pros a cons of assigning apps to specific desktops. I have only few assigned. The palette I shared above is a bit misleading: most of the items listed, even the apps on the lefthand side, are not assigned. As I mentioned above I have underlying macros for each palette item. In many cases, the macro first moves to a desktop before activating an app (or apps). For example, with my Compose Markdown entries I move to Desktop 9 and open a specific scratch file in BBEdit (on the left) and Marked 2 (on the right). Neither BBEdit nor Marked 2 are assigned to that desktop.

I only have one application that I’ve assigned to All Desktops: Tot (a little gem from iconfactory that happens to be free on macOS). It normally occupies the right 25% of my display.

For some additional insight, you might want to check out this article and the reader comments.
How to use Spaces, Apple’s mostly ignored macOS Mojave productivity feature | AppleInsider

If you find others, I’d be interested in reading them. Thanks!

Martin_Packer · March 13, 2021, 8:39am

Aha! A file-centric approach is a good one.

jim_sauer · October 23, 2021, 8:42pm

UPDATE NOTICE

I’ve updated the Desktop Spaces • Macros for Navigation and Window Management macros to v1.1. I’ve also simplified the installation process.

The macro changes are somewhat minor; if you have previously installed the macros and they are working as expected, you can ignore the updates.

See the Version History (on the Keyboard Maestro Forum) for more information.

jim_sauer · December 15, 2021, 9:31pm

In the context of Desktop Spaces, full screen came up on the Keyboard Maestro forum. I thought this might be of interest to those following this thread:

Move Apps in Full Screen - Questions & Suggestions - Keyboard Maestro Discourse

jim_sauer · October 28, 2023, 8:50pm

Keyboard Maestro Version 11+ Required

As I’m sure many of you know, Keyboard Maestro Version 11 includes many cool new features!

If you have upgraded and use Desktop Spaces, you might be interested in a significantly improved version of this macro group that I posted on the Keyboard Maestro forum: Desktop Spaces • Macros to Improve Navigation and Window Management, v2.0.

Summary of Improvements

Forty-three of the fifty-eight macros in this macro group are included in a palette. This palette is displayed using one of the macros in this group, ➜ Desktop Spaces - Show Palette of Macros, that includes a Show Palette of Macros action. By default, the palette can be displayed using ⌃D. Keyboard Maestro Version 11 provides a new feature that allows such palette to have an individual style. This feature has been used to optimize the appearance of the palette for this macro group. Previously the much less flexible Conflict Palette was used.
The macro Go to Previous Desktop uses a new Keyboard Maestro Version 11+ trigger When the active space changes. This new trigger enables more robust tracking of Desktop Space changes that are not keyboard-driven (i.e., via trackpad gestures or Mission Control interaction). Previously the The focused window changes was used; it didn’t always fire when needed and fired many times when it was not needed.

[ continued on the Keyboard Maestro forum ]

jim_sauer · June 21, 2024, 8:39pm

If you use Desktop Spaces and have Keyboard Maestro Version 11+, you might be interested in a set of macros that I have shared on the Keyboard Maestro Forum.

I just posted a new version of the macro group with several new features and refinements.

Summary of Improvements

Macros Go Left a Desktop (& Move Window Left a Desktop) and Go Right a Desktop (& Move Window Right a Desktop) have been improved:
- While holding the modifier (default Control ⌃), if the right arrow or left arrow are tapped, the display is moved directly that many Desktop Spaces. For example, if you are viewing Desktop 4 and press and hold Control and tap the right arrow three times, the display will be moved directly to Desktop 7.
- In contrast, while holding the modifier, if the right or left arrows are held down, the display will be moved right (or left) until the arrow key is released. In this case, all Desktops between the starting point and the ending point will be briefly visible. This method is likely useful if you are searching for a particular window as you are moving through the Desktops.
- Optionally, when moving a display and window, the display can be returned to the original Desktop Space. Two methods can be used to achieve this optional behavior:
  1. via hotkey: hold down the modifier keys and tap the hotkey integer twice.
  2. via the Desktop Spaces palette: when clicking the palette item, hold down the Control (⌃) key.
With some limitations, the macro set can now be used without WhichSpace . If it is not installed and running, the Desktop Space Number will not be visible in the macOS menubar. Also, tracking of the current and previous Desktop will be temporarily inaccurate if a Desktop change occurs outside the control of these macros. For example:
- three-finger swipe left or right on a trackpad
- Mission Control Desktop Spaces is displayed and a Desktop is selected
- a macOS application is opened, or activated, and an automatic Desktop change occurs
The Desktop Space palette has been annotated to indicate items that can be optionally Control (⌃)+clicked and hotkeys that can be tapped twice [2t] or multiple times [mt].
Version 3.0 of this macro group includes other improvements detailed in the installation READ ME and within the comments of the macros.

[ continued on the Keyboard Maestro forum ]

jim_sauer · October 23, 2024, 7:50pm

If you use Desktop Spaces and have Keyboard Maestro Version 11+, you might be interested in a set of macros that I have shared on the Keyboard Maestro Forum.

I recently posted a new version of the macro group.

Summary of Improvements

Hot key changes were made to macros Go to Previous Desktop and Move Window to Previous Desktop necessitated by macOS Sequoia that uses the Keyboard Shortcut ⌃Return to display contextual menus. For more information, see 50 New macOS Sequoia Features and Changes Worth Checking Out - MacRumors (#46).
The macro palette (which is optional to use) was updated to reflect the hot key changes noted above.
Bug fix: In sub—Go to Desktop N changed Cancel Just This Macro to Return Result. For more information, see “Cancel Just This Macro” in a Subroutine.

[ continued on the Keyboard Maestro forum ]