Using the BTT Floating WebView action as Dashboard replacement

Andreas_Hegenberg · June 28, 2019, 10:40am

With macOS Catalina Apple will remove the Dashboard from macOS. If you (like me) still like to have some nice, easily accessible widgets have a look at BetterTouchTool's Floating WebView action.

The action allows you to show any sort of HTML and access all of BetterTouchTool's scripting functionality using Java Script. This e.g. allows to run Apple or Shell Scripts and include their results in the HTML. For more info about that see http://docs.bettertouchtool.net/docs/11_floating_menu_javascript.html )

For now here is an easy example that uses a keyboard shortcut to show the desktop and load some simple HTML widgets. Pressing cmd+shift+x will show/hide them.

https://share.folivora.ai/sharedPreset/acbf5f4c-16bf-45d0-bcff-fabd0150eda1

The widgets are copied from here:

Weather: https://weatherwidget.io/ 
Clock: https://codepen.io/gau/pen/LjQwGp 
Calendar: https://codepen.io/khadkamhn/full/vVGBLQ 
Stock: https://www.tradingview.com/chart/

raphaf2001 · December 1, 2019, 3:00am

Fantastic. Awesome. Now, here's one of the widgets I will miss the most: the calculator (for quick calculations without having to open the full blown app). Any suggestions on how to get that working with this approach? If I can get that working I can live without the rest. TIA, Raphael.

Peter_Kovacs · January 2, 2020, 2:41pm

For quick calc you can use the spotlight search, press the command+space and type what you want to calc.

raphaf2001 · October 25, 2022, 10:21am

Thank you for the suggestion, Peter. But using Spotlight completely defeats the idea of using Dashboard, or in this case using BTT Floating WebView. It used to be a one action and, BOOM, you have the calculator and other useful apps quickly at your disposal. Technically I can use Spotlight for almost anything. But that mean clicking on the Spotlight icon (or using whatever shortcut keyboard keys may evoque it, and then typing "Calculator" (sure, a few first letters should do it, but still...). Thanks, but that's not the same thing. Best, Raphael.

Andreas_Hegenberg · October 25, 2022, 10:24am

His idea was to use the calculator integrated in Spotlight (you can directly type the numbers and get a result without launching calculator). So just pressing cmd+space and typing your calculations.

raphaf2001 · October 25, 2022, 10:29am

Jee, man, you're faaaast! Gotcha. Yes, that might make sense... I lose the graphical elements that comes with the real calculator (and additional functions...) The additional functions part is the one that concerns me the most. I hardly ever use the calculator for 2+2... There is always more to it, which may or may not be present in a spotlight "session". THANKS for the instantaneous reply man! Always a pleasure to interact with you and your product is super duper uber awesome. Best, Raphael.

Frank1 · October 25, 2022, 2:49pm

@raphaf2001 Don't forget that you can use the BTT pin feature for almost any window that you want to float. Of course, you can also do this with the macOS calculator. You can recognize floating windows by the blue corners.

raphaf2001 · October 28, 2022, 8:14am

Thank you, Frank, for your reply. But I am not sure I follow. If you don’t mind giving me a hand I’d appreciate it. What I would like:

1- Trigger: 5 finger Swipe Up.
2- Actions:
a) Hide all windows/apps (it can be a “show desktop” option. I’m ok with that.)
b) Show a calendar window
AND
c) Show the full fledged calculator.
AND
d) Any other useful trinkets we used to have with Dashboard.
BUT, I’d be happy with the calculator and the calendar only, really.

Now, I did try and created an action “Pin/Unpin Focused Window To Float On Top” tied to my already created gesture/trigger. But how do I set the Action you suggested to open up the calculator? And also, is there a way to create a 5 finger Swipe Down that will close all these trinkets that were invoked by the swipe up so it closes all of them, and restores the apps that were active? (The opposite of Show Desktop?)

Help appreciated, if you can spare the time. Thanks either way.

Best, Raphael.

Frank1 · October 28, 2022, 9:23am

Hi Raphael, I assumed that you don't need to hide the other windows at all when the calculator (or whatever window) is floating on top.

So my idea was, you create a macro that shows/hides these apps pinned with your trigger (5 finger swipe).

But unfortunately this macro doesn't work. Not even with a delay between the two actions. No idea why.

That means you can show/hide the windows you want, but if you want them to float, you have to have them pinned before and keep them pinned.

raphaf2001 · November 2, 2022, 5:19pm

So, I got this to semi-work. But not quite. Here's what I have:

Trigger: 5 finger swipe up
Actions:
1- Show desktop
2- (Async/Non-blocking) delay next action by 0.60 seconds - Why? Because I tried without this option, and I also tried with the Blocking version. Either without this, or with the Blocking version, I get erratic behavior. Most of the time the existing windows start flying away from the screen, freeze midway through the operation, and then I need to perform either a 4 finger swipe up a few times to get things responding again, or I am left with clicking on some icons of currently open apps to get things to unfreeze and start working again. I found that if I use Async delay by 0.60 this avoids the freezing issue. All windows have the time they need to fly away (well almost, see number 3).
3- Instead of showing the desktop, as I set in number 1, Mac OS seems to be recognizing the 5 finger gesture as a 4 finger gesture! I have Mac OS configured to "Mission Control - Swipe Up with Four Fingers" Mind you: with 4 fingers, not 5. But that's what happens. Instead of showing the desktop, I get mission control, successfully, thanks to the delay in 2. Then, with Mission Control now showing, things proceed relatively smoothly:
4- Launch Calculator.app - Works! Albeit with Mission Control ON. (Windows semi-flown to the sides, which is the correct behavior of Mission Control.)
5- Pin/Unpin focused window to float on top. - Works. The Calculator app is pinned.
6- Launch Timepage.app (A third-party app I use as my calendar app) Works! Albeit with Mission Control ON. (Windows semi-flown to the sides, which is the correct behavior of Mission Control.)
7- Pin/Unpin focused window to float on top. - Works. The Timepage app is pinned.

The problem here is that because instead of number 1 showing the desktop, it is launching Mission Control! And, once all 7 actions are done, I am left with the apps I wanted to open open (good), but I am in Mission Control... So, when I click on the Calculator app to use it, Mission Control closes, and I can use the calculator (same if I do the same with the Timepage app).

The desired behavior would be that 1 actual shows the desktop, and keeps it that way, without reverting back to Mac OS regular view when I click on either the Calculator app and use it, or the Timepage app and use it.

Then, if I can get that working, I would like to configure a 5 finger swipe down to close both apps, and return Mac OS to regular view.

Possible?

Thank you for your insights in advance. Raphael