Alternative shortcuts for shifting between open photoshop windows?

[tuomasvirtanen.net]

Hi!!! Is there a way to change the shortcut for shifting between open windows in Mac PS (that is cntrl-tab)?? To me, this shortcut is unintuitive plus requires a cumbersome setting of fingers 🙂 For other programs than PS, I use a program called Witch that allows to change/modify many shortcuts. PS doesn’t take into account this program. How could I change the shortcut cntrl-tab to something else, for example, option-tab? Am I destined to use the awful shortcut???

[Stephen_A_Marsh · Accepted solution]

What you can do is install these two scripts, then bind your preferred keyboard shortcuts to the scripts.

// Cycle forwards through open docs
selectDoc( 1 );

function selectDoc(relativeDoc) {
    // Equivalent of ctrl + tab | ctrl + shift + tab
    // 1 = forwards | -1 = backwards
	var s2t = function (s) {
		return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
	};
	var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
	var reference = new ActionReference();
	reference.putOffset( s2t( "document" ), relativeDoc );
	descriptor.putReference( s2t( "null" ), reference );
	descriptor.putInteger( s2t( "documentID" ), 0 );
	executeAction( s2t( "select" ), descriptor, DialogModes.NO );
}

// Cycle backwards through open docs
selectDoc( -1 );

function selectDoc(relativeDoc) {
    // Equivalent of ctrl + tab | ctrl + shift + tab
    // 1 = forwards | -1 = backwards
	var s2t = function (s) {
		return app.stringIDToTypeID(s);
	};
	var descriptor = new ActionDescriptor();
	var reference = new ActionReference();
	reference.putOffset( s2t( "document" ), relativeDoc );
	descriptor.putReference( s2t( "null" ), reference );
	descriptor.putInteger( s2t( "documentID" ), 0 );
	executeAction( s2t( "select" ), descriptor, DialogModes.NO );
}

Info on saving and installing scripts here:

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/11/downloading-and-installing-adobe-scripts.html

P.S. You can do this via actions, however, you would need to use F-key shortcuts, which in my opinion are less finger friendly (even more so on a laptop).

[Jeff Arola]

You can also use Command + ~ (tilda) to cycle open document windows

[tuomasvirtanen.net]

Thanks for the responses! As to Command + ~ it does not work on my keyboard (Finnish). The scripts, well, I need to study the issue a bit. Anyhow, they appear to me a little daunting ... 😳

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Don't feel daunted, just follow the instructions in the link and let the forum know if you get stuck.

EDIT: @tuomasvirtanen.net – so how did you go?

[tuomasvirtanen.net]

Hi Again! I just started my expedition and there was immediately a problem ... I copied the first script of yours and saved it in the text format with .jsx suffix using Text Edit with Plain text mode. Fine. Then I opened the file in Script Editor and compiled it as a JavaScript. Fine. When I tried to save the compiled file Script Editor froze a couple of times after which I booted my iMac but with the same result. So, I was not able to make the script. What might be the reason?? Regards, Tuomas (MacOS Monterey 12.1, iMac 2019, RAM 40 GB)

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

You have misunderstood.

Do not take the JavaScript file into ScriptEditor or anything else, JS code does not need compiling, it is OK as it is, all it needs to be is a plain text file with .jsx extension, Photoshop's JS engine will parse that without it needing to be compiled.

Only AppleScript code has to be compiled.

[tuomasvirtanen.net]

Hi! OK. I think I have a plain text file for the script. So I just should bind my new shortcut into it. How do I do that? And after that I put the file in PS's scripts? As for other comments, I am simply customed to use Option-Tab for changing between open documents with Witch (and cntrl + tab feels cumbersome). The app doesn't however work in PS. The other suggested method, command + tilde, doesn't either work through the Finnish keyboard (I tested everything which was even a bit like tilde :). Surprisingly, I'm not able to use this combination even if I change to the US keyboard commands (?). Anyway, I find it a bit frustrating that this kind of a normal everyday function cannot simply be adapted. Regards, Tuomas

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

You need to exit Photoshop and install the script file in Photoshop's presets/scripts folder as mentioned in my previously linked blogpost:

• /Applications/Adobe Photoshop 2022/Presets/Scripts

• C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2022\Presets\Scripts

Then restart Photoshop and use Edit menu > Keyboard Shortcuts to set your keycuts against the installed scripts (look under the File – then Scripts> category of Application Menus).

[tuomasvirtanen.net]

Sorry to be so incompetent 🙂 but the script I created is not visible among other PS scripts (?). To me, the file I created with TextEdit should be in the text format... Perhaps you could give me one more advice before this case will be closed??

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

---

@tuomasvirtanen.net wrote:

Sorry to be so incompetent 🙂 but the script I created is not visible among other PS scripts (?). To me, the file I created with TextEdit should be in the text format... Perhaps you could give me one more advice before this case will be closed??

---

OK, first verify that the scripts have been saved correctly as plain text files with a .jsx filename extension. Open two or more images in Photoshop. Then use File > Scripts > Browse... and select one of the two script files. Repeat with the other script file. Do both scripts select the next/previous open docs as expected?

If the scripts are working when browsed, then there must be an issue with how you installed them. Double check the filename in the Mac Finder or Windows Explorer, this is what you will be looking for in the File > Scripts menu for the correctly installed scripts. This is also what you would see under Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts as previously described. 

Also double check that they are installed in the correct folder and version of Photoshop, if you have multiple versions of Photoshop installed you may have put them in a different version folder.

All else failing, you may need to provide screenshots. Hope this helps.

[tuomasvirtanen.net · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the scripts, Stephen! They work! However, the shortcut Opt+Tab is not accepted but I had own shortcuts for Tile all vertically and Consolidate all to tabs, and I chose to make two additional shortcuts for the scripts which are close to those I mention above (and logical to me). Perhaps there was something wrong when I saved the scripts. Thanks! 

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Your welcome, thanks for the feedback.

[Conrad C]

---

@tuomasvirtanen.net wrote:

Thanks for the responses! As to Command + ~ it does not work on my keyboard (Finnish).😳

---

Command + ~ is the macOS standard shortcut for cycling through open windows, Photoshop simply follows it. Another approach you might try is to find out how Apple has localized that shortcut for Finnish, because as an important system-wide Mac standard shortcut, Apple has hopefully provided a version of it for a Finnish keyboard. And, once learned, you will be able to use that standard shortcut in any Mac standard application.

Although Ctrl + Tab also works, that is not standard across macOS. The only reason you find that window-cycling shortcut in Photoshop is because Adobe provided it in Photoshop in the years before Apple standardized on Command + ~ on US English keyboards. So Ctrl + Tab works, but is vestigial and is not the first choice for a Mac user who wants to use Mac standard shortcuts.

[mark@headTrix]

You do realize that Option key "Option+Tab" is literally right next to the Control key? Command+Tab is the normal way to cycle through applicaitons on a Mac, and if you just move your Left thumb over two keys, Control+Tab is very similar.

You can pretty much change every menu item in Photoshop, but I am pretty sure that "Control+Tab" is the Macs way to cycle through windows. It works the exact same way in Google Chrome.

If you have a Big monitor what might help is Window>Arrange and you can select 2-up, 4-up, etc... so all of your tabs are in front view... then you can just click on that window to edit the file. 

Good luck!
mark