Changing keyboard shortcuts in Easel by Zaweba
Edit > Keyboard shortcuts in Easel by Zaweba lists every command and tool. Search, rebind keys, fix conflicts, reset, and import or export as JSON.
Shortcuts are what make a studio feel like yours. Once your hand knows where dip, clean and dry are, you stop thinking about the program and think only about the picture. Easel by Zaweba lets you set every one of them in the keyboard shortcuts editor.
Finding the editor
Open Edit > Keyboard shortcuts. The editor lists every command and tool, so nothing is hidden. It is searchable by name or by key. Type a word such as dip or tilt to find the command, or type a key to see what it already does.
Searching by key is handy when you want to know whether a key is free before you use it, or when you pressed something by accident and want to know what happened.
Changing a shortcut
Click a key box and press the new keys. That is all it takes.
If the keys you pressed already belong to another command, the editor tells you and offers Use it here. Choose it and the shortcut moves to the command you are editing. That stops two commands quietly sharing one key.
Reset puts a single shortcut back to its default. Reset all puts every shortcut back. If an experiment goes wrong, Reset all is the way home.
The defaults worth knowing
The defaults include the usual file and edit keys: Ctrl+N for a new picture, Ctrl+O to open, Ctrl+S to save, Ctrl+Z to undo and Ctrl+Y to redo.
Then the painter's keys. C cleans the brush and D dips it. [ and ] change the tool size. Ctrl+D dries now. L switches to flat light. Space pans while held.
Those painting keys come up constantly. Dipping and cleaning is what a real painter does between strokes, and with brushes that run dry and get dirty, D and C become second nature. The size keys save a trip to a slider. Ctrl+D is the quickest way to lock a wash in place before tilting or glazing over it. L lets you check colour without the relief lighting in a moment.
Import and export
Shortcuts can be imported and exported as JSON. That is useful in a few situations. If you use Easel on more than one computer, export your set from one and import it on the other. If you have set things up carefully, export a copy as a backup. And if you teach, you can share one set of shortcuts with a whole class so everyone's keys match.
Setting up a comfortable layout
Start by using the defaults for a while. Notice which commands you reach for with the mouse most often. Those are the ones that deserve a key.
Keep related things together. If you work with one hand on the keyboard, put the commands you use together, such as dip, clean and size, within easy reach of each other.
Avoid moving the common file keys unless you have a good reason. Ctrl+S and Ctrl+Z are the same in most programs, and keeping them standard saves confusion when you switch between apps.
When things go wrong
If a key seems to do the wrong thing, search the editor by that key to see what it is bound to. If you have changed so much that nothing feels right, Reset all. And before big changes, export a copy so you can always get back. Easel by Zaweba makes all of this quick, so your keys can grow with the way you paint.
