P: Shortcut key for Object Masking tool

[SindriSwan]

I would like to request a shortcut key for the Object masking tool.

Long-time user here; I've recently found that the Object masking tool is wildly useful. Not only for selecting objects but also to mask tedious details. It's improved considerable over the years and is now intelligent and accurate!

I often use it instead of the brush tool and having a shortcut key would really expedite my workflow!

Thank you for your consideration.

[SindriSwan]

Or if someone has a plug-in to add/change shortcuts in Lightroom. Hit me up!

[GoldingD]

Ever consider adding a Loupedeck?

[SindriSwan]

Thank you for the input 🙂

But no, I can't say I've considered spending $200+ on a shortcut - I feel as if it ought to be a simple enough thing to implement.

[johnrellis]

I think the Lrsuperkeys plugin will let you assign a shortcut to creating an Object mask.

[SindriSwan]

Oh, thank you John!
This seems to be exactly what I'm looking for in the meantime. I googled Plugin's for Lightroom classic but they all seemed 5 years old and hardly maintained. 

Thank you for the fab input!

[SindriSwan]

Though to add to that, I'll say that $65 bucks is a little dear for a shortcut key, but hey... At least it's not $200! 🙂

[johnrellis]

My Any Shortcut plugin lets you change the shortcuts for commands which Adobe has decided to allow shortcuts. But there are many commands, like Object Mask, for which Adobe hasn't done that. For those you need external utilities like Lrsuperkeys (which are more expensive to develop and maintain).

It's unfortunate that Adobe has never invested in fully customizable keyboard shortcuts for LR. You might add your vote and constructive opinion to one of the most popular outstanding feature requests:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-ideas/p-allow-for-keyboard-shortcut-customization/i...

[SindriSwan]

Thanks John, I've added my plight to the pile.

Kind of shocking that it's had such a call for it, and they've not seen fit to do so. Although, it sort of supports my theory that Lightroom Classic as a software code has never been 'refreshed' and the software is just 15-20 years of spaghetti code.

[cory_no_e]

Any updates on the Object masking tool shortcut? Have you found any current and reliable plugins? 

Thank you

- My right wrist 

[cory_no_e]

Lrsuperkeys is a good option, thanks for the tip. Speeds up the process of adding multiple objects to a single mask. Unfortuanley its not one keystroke but it allows you to pull up a shortcut menu by holding TAB (goes away once you release) and then one click ADD TO MASK. Also, you're not having to navigate over to the masking tab everytime since the shortcut menu pops up in the middle of the screen. 

[daleducatte]

Another option you might look at is Better Touch Tool (from https://folivora.ai), which lets you create mouse actions or keyboard shortcuts that will execute menu options. I have it set up so that a single tap on my Magic Mouse selects Add to Mask With/Select Objects from the Lightroom Classic Tools menu. So I create a new mask, make my first object selection, then tap the mouse once to automatically select Tools/Add to Mask With/Select Objects from the menu -- and I can add the next selection without going to the mask panel. You could do the same with a keyboard shortcut. Either way makes the process of applying multiple object selections a lot more seamless. 

But I also like the idea of a keyboard shortcut in Lightroom. Or just letting us continue adding object selections until we switch tools. That's how it works in Camera Raw in Photoshop: after you select the first object, the object selection tool remains active and you can keep adding new object selections without going back to the mask panel. Or it could work like Generative AI Remove in Lightroom, where you make your initial selection but can then keep adding to or subtracting from it to fine-tune it. 

Object selection has almost completely replaced using brush masks in my workflow, since it's usually much more accurate, faster, and seems to perform better than an equivalent brush selection. So any improvements that make its use require less effort would be valuable, in my opinion.