Make the key for changing brush to erase mode customizable

[ElPi ngas]

Currently (it's been years by now!) the only way to erase while using the brush is to hold the ~ ("tilde" in english) key. If you don't have a keyboard layout that supports that symbol, you are f'd.

I know posting in these forums is useless for trying to push for changes in any adobe product, but it would be quite nice if Adobe considers the huge user base that doesn't uses an enlgish layout by simply puting this feature available for customization in the keyboard shortcuts section.

Windows 10 x64

Gigabyte Aero 15  
Photoshop 24.0.1

The only solution I can think of right now as a really cancerous workaround is (at least on windows) customize whatever keyboard layout you are using for it to have somewhere the ~ key as the main symbol. I'll have to resort to that for now.

[thejanebradbury]

If you're a Windows user try Alt+Shift+R and some trusty Mac friends tell me that Option+Shift+R works for them 👍🏼 To return to Normal Mode: Windows Alt+Shift+N and for a Mac Option+Shift+N

You can then map it to a Wacom or other tablet shortcut button etc.

[ElPi ngas]

Thanks, it's a workaround, but not a solution. Since you waste 2 toggle-actions: First shortcut sets brush to Clear and doesnt put it back when released, thus needing wasting another remap key to make it back to Normal.
My workaround was making an effing custom windows keyboard layout (In my case, customized English US International keyboard) to have  the "~" key in the same key as US QWERTY does. 

Thing is, we wouldn't need these annoying workarounds (and really time consuming, because It took me an hour+ to find out how to customize and load custom keyboards on windows 10, and even then I had with trial and error see how to configure it for photoshop to even recognize the "~") if they just set this shortcut on the shortcut menu as it should be.

[Imaginerie]

Check if  ¬ (the key above TAB) works in place of the tilde. It works for me!

[ElPi ngas]

What keyboard layout are you using? (assuming you are on windows). 

On windows, I tested these layouts pressing the "key above the tab"

• US International (`) key + shift does the (~) symbol but since it's a dead key (it waits for other key before inputing the ~) it doesnt work in photoshop.
• US Spanish Variation (') key + shift does the (·) symbol. So, that's a no-go from the start.

In US QWERTY , where it works, the key above the tab produces (`) symbol + shift does the (~).
So it seems the shortcut it's linked very precisely to a key that has the (~) symbol as a secondary character (probably only with shift, but haven't tested with other modificators).

Working keyboard layout configuration (US QWERTY): 


Not working configuration even though it has the ~ character (US INTERNATIONAL):


So, again. The only solution on Windows to have the ease of use that the people using US QWERTY have, being able to erase holding just one key is to go through the hassle of making your own custom keyboard layout.

Cheers

[ElPi ngas]

You can edit your own keyboard layout in Windows with this ancient software
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=102134

You can edit the one you are currently using and set the U+007e character as a secondary input on any key you want.

I'll stop wasting my time with this since it seems I posted on english forums and no one seems to either use the erase function or use a layout other than US QWERTY.

[Imaginerie]

I am on Windows 11. This key have always worked for me, it's not dead, I use it also on other - non Abobe - software.

(and it's an English UK keyboard)

see my keyboard attached. If you look at US layouts, this is exactly where the tilde key sits...

Don't know with other keyboard layouts though...

[Imaginerie]

That said, I'm with you. It should be customisable , so I upvoted your suggestion.

Those of us who answer are mainly volonteers (some have a special "expert" badge, like mine, but still volunteer), and very few Adobe employees (I wish 😁, but they have a special, very recognisable badge), so basically, it will be taken into consideration when an Adobe employee will be reading it, and if a solution unknown to us is available, they may chime in too!

[ElPi ngas]

Thank you for coming back.
But see that you are using a standard English layout. I should've tested the standard UK one to remove all doubt, but the thing is, many of us can't use just one keyboard layout since we speak more than one language (and swaping between different layouts it's a pain because you have to learn multiple layouts in your muscle memory). That's beacuse I reffered to the US international (it could be UK international for that purpose) thing is it has a lot of tildes useful for other languages.

[Imaginerie]

I know, I am a French speaker/writer also, and became quite adept at knowing the codes for the é,á etc... 😁
I won't change my layout though, French people (including my family) will have to put up with it!