A

Anonymous

Question

Apple Magic Mouse and ID

Forum|Forum|16 years ago
November 10, 2009
19 replies
56762 views

I've recently purchased the lovely Apple Magic Mouse and am finding it quite difficult to use with InDesign CS4 - other ID versions would be the same I imagine. With this mouse you scroll by stroking its top surface, rather like a trackpad. This is excellent in other applications but in ID, because the pasteboard area is so large and the sensitivity of the mouse so high (even when scrolling is turned down to the minimum in its preferences), it's very easy to make your document shoot sideways off the screen. I expect Illustrator would have similar problems.

Is there a way in which the ID pasteboard can be resized or constrained? Maybe someone will come up with a prefs panel to control the new mouse's scrolling more precisely - but not yet.

Thanks for any ideas.

John Mallinson

This topic has been closed for replies.

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REXprints

Participating Frequently

So this thread has been winding along since 2009, and jumpy pointing is still an issue. I just had somebody call me about it. I still put up with it on a wide variety of Mac's, versions of Adobe software, and a vast and sorry collection of pointing devices. (I'm a college prof in graphics; we have old systems, including me, I'm an old prof.) While MagicBullet software and hardware and settings and blaming the victim have all been discussed in this old thread, no solution is in sight. If only we could find out what's in the KoolAid that keeps the folks at Adobe from going nuts over this problem. They must use Adobe software, wouldn't you think.

End sarcasm.

Teeth still grinding.

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flaming1

Inspiring

Sorry to hear it's still an issue for you rexprints, but all these years later I still haven't come across anyone else that has this issue.

As noted before, Adobe don't care that tens of thousands of users don't want to rent their software, so they're pretty unlikely to care about an issue like this that in all probability affects only a very small number of people in comparison.

Since I last posted we have gone through a company merger and part of that involved a bunch of new Adobe CC users coming on board. None of them have this issue.

I do hope you find a solution eventually as it sounds like it would be almost impossible to work with that sort of issue.

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REXprints

Participating Frequently

Thanks for the condolences, flaming1, but I'm past it. I tell people to consider it part of the zen training that comes free with every creative project. I told the client who just called (working on a new Mac Pro!) to concentrate on breathing.

And don't get me started on the Adobe Addiction. If I may correct you, one does not "rent" the software, one must lease it. The college used to buy software. That goes on the accounting ledger as an asset. We can, with difficulty, buy things. (It only took 6 years to upgrade from CS0 or 1 or whatever it was to CS6, budgets being what they are.) A lease is (and I have a degree in art, not accounting) a liability. There is no budget, not a small budget, no budget for incurring lease obligations.

So I agree. If only a lot of people have this very annoying problem, it won't get fixed. Years later, it hasn't. As I said above, Adobe has me by the software.

Breathe out.

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hsgrimes

Participant

Has a solution ever been found to this - this is getting pretty rediculous. Has anyone tried Indesign CC with Magic mouse and does that solve this issue??

I have tried all solutions such as turning off inertia scrolling, turning off all multi gestures, using a mouse plugin such as MagicPrefs and even fiddling with all the preferences within Ind - and more recently the solution somone posted about Preferences/ Universal Access/ etc. and this still does not help.

Just wondering if - since this is a 4 year old issue - if by some chance this has been addressed by Adobe (since it does not seem to be an Apple issue based on the fact the mouse works fine elsewhere including other Adobe applications).

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re_volver

Known Participant

@hsgrimes,

I haven't found a solution to this, and I've pretty much given up. It extends beyond the magic mouse, in that the mighty mouse is affected too.

I really am disappointed with some of the advancements Adobe has made - I understand the race to keep abreast of mobile communication and provide tools for developers and designers producing for these devices, but what good is a hammer if the handle is only three inches long?

For print-only output, I am sticking with CS3, where the tools run smoothly. If I need an interactive swf or PDF, I open said CS3 file in CS5, export and close without saving. It's unfortunate that Adobe ignores these finer points, especially with the price of the software. If there was a decent competitor for page layout, I would dump InDesign in a heartbeat, JUST because of this item and the fact that it's been unapologetically ignored for FOUR versions of the software.

Whew.... thanks for listening.

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REXprints

Participating Frequently

This thread started in CS4, Nov 2009, and still no resolution from Adobe.

I wish there was a way of seeing what percentage of users have this problem and what, if any commonality exists that would motivate Adobe to fix this.

It's as if there was only one piano maker and the keys stick.

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Directingart

Participant

if anyone is talking about the sliding around in Illustrator with the mouse actions do this to turn it off - it was driving me nuts too.

If you're not a fan of this feature, then you can disable it very easily. To do so, follow these steps:

Open System Preferences
Click "Universal Access"
Select the "Mouse" tab
Click "Mouse Options..."
Select your option from the drop-down menu next to "Scrolling"

http://www.daviddifran.co/home/2011/7/21/how-to-disable-inertial-momentum-scrolling-in-mac-os-x-lion.html

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Bill Lomax

Participant

Hey John,

Haven't read all the commentary here, but I do have a suggestion. Under your System Preferences (assuming Mac OS X Lion+) there is an icon labeled Mouse. Try easing back on the tracking speed, and disabling some of the More Gestures. It will slow down the response to your hand movements. You can always change them back for Safari, and other APPs where it's useful.

I have Magic Mouse issues in AI15 when dragging objects to copy them using the option key, that seems to trip a pasteboard resize - which is not my intent.

Bill Lomax

TwitchOSX

Participating Frequently

We got the mouse with our new Mac Pro and I do like it.... but the shape is crap. No hump like a regular mouse to rest your palm on. And yea... it's crazy as hell in InDesign. Seriously considering getting a new mouse. I'll miss some of the stuff that the magic mouse can do but at least a different mouse will stave off carpel tunnel for a little longer.

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iidi

Participant

Maybe what you need is the next:

System Preferences>Universal access>Mouse>Mouse Options>Scrolling WITHOUT INERTIA

it worked well to me in Illustrator CS5.

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re_volver

Known Participant

Inertia scrolling isn't the issue, as it's not only the magic mouse that's affected. I use a mighty mouse (scroll ball) at work, and I can have InDesign CS3 and CS4 open at the same time... CS3 scrolls perfectly, while CS4 is a train wreck. The scrolling problem is with the app, not the mouse. All versions of InDesign after CS3 have this problem... I have to revert back to using my old click-wheel mouse to be able to control scrolling in CS4/CS5, and I lose the 360º scrolling option...

This sucks, and I won't use CS5 for layout... I'm still laying out documents in CS3 (YEARS after CS4 was released), and I only use CS5 for export of interactive swfs.

Get it together, Adobe... you've got a massive Mac-based design and production clientele out here. This should have been fixed a long time ago.

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REXprints

Participating Frequently

I said it before, almost three years ago, and I'm back to say it again. The problem persists! This is a shame. Mouses have evolved to not having buttons, Adobe Creative Suite has evolved into a highly systemitized graphics juggernaut, yet we still can't control the cursor! Curser!

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moongod80

Participant

I have the same problem. usually have to use the magic mouse to open an indesign, illustrator, excel, and some other types document and the mighty mouse for actual work.

hate using two mice though. wondering if the magic track pad had the same failure as the mighty mouse.

Dougefresh091

Known Participant

I have this same issue with ID CS5 and the magic mouse. It's driving me insane, to say the least. BTT is a somewhat acceptable solution, though it would be nice if Apple gave us more than a handful of options for the mouse in system preferences.

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Graham vdR

Participating Frequently

I'm loving my Magic Mouse, even in InDesign. It took me a little while to figure out that the phantom scrolling and jerking was because of my middle finger resting on the mouse, and also to train myself to control the scrolling by not lifting my index finger. But now I'd struggle to go back, I think. I do like the weight as well. After a long day at the computer, though, my finger sometimes gets a twitch from holding it so carefully in position for so long.

Just thought a fan should weigh in.

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REXprints

Participating Frequently

Glad to hear somebody doesn't mind the problem, but really, having the user fix the problem isn't the best solution, especially if it makes them twitch!

I dodge in and out of various jobs all day on various machines with various versions and settings, so patches, plug-ins, and preferences don't take the place of a basically good product.

On the other hand (literally) the MM has advantages the recent un-Magic Mouses don't. As a graphics professor, I can tell you that little twiddle wheel won't roll long in student paws. The previous mouse got its tail/neck broken too easily where it exited the body of the mouse without reinforcement. The Magic Mouse hasn't been installed because I suspect its first bit of magic will be disappearing.

I do agree that retraining your hands not to accidentally hover, swipe, or click is helpful. I try and hold the top corner by the edge because tactile feedback reminds me it isn't an old style mouse. That helps.

The button-less mouse is a great breakthrough design. Next: The working mouse. Mouse action is actually backwards. You should be able to rest your hand on the mouse (90% of the day) and just lift it to signal. Ahhhhh. Humans weren't meant to maintain tetanus for a living. Leave that to the egrets.

It's been a long time bother and its a relatively big problem (not compared to global warming, granted). This is a husband-and-wife that lands between Apple-and-Adobe. Would one or both of you please sort this out?

--

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re_volver

Known Participant

This problem doesn't seem to be limited to the Magic Mouse. I've found the same problems with ID CS4 and CS5 using my Mighty Mouse... and don't even get me started on how horrible the scrolling is with the Magic Mouse.

I use a mighty at work, and CS3 scrolls smoothly with no jerks or skips whatsoever... but as soon as I switch over to CS5 (I have both installed on my work computer, so it's easy to compare), the scrolling control is abysmal. I'm pretty confident the problem is with the apps, not the mouse.

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Jay Kerr

Participant

Same thing for me ID CS5 is UNUSABLE with an Apple Magic Mouse. I always go to my System Preferences and disable scrolling with the mouse while I'm using ID. Same goes for Microsoft Excel. It's a great mouse for web browsing and other apps but apps with horizontal scrollbars are a nightmare. ID is the worst so far for me.

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