Hi Brandt, I know of only one way to remap the Caps Lock key to act as an insert key for modifier purposes under VMware fusion, and that is to use KeyRemap4MacBook and the PCKeyboardHack from: http://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/ and http://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/pckeyboardhack-usage.html.en The reason that you can't simply remap the function of the Caps Lock key to act as an insert key using Sharp Keys is that starting between the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008, slightly after the time that Leopard was released, Apple modified the action of the Caps Lock key to include a slight delay before its activation. Earlier models of the Intel MacBooks and MacBook Pros did not have this delay, but by 2009 all laptop Macs had the delay built in. This Apple Knowledge Base article gives details: • Mac notebooks: Caps Lock modified to reduce accidental activation http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1192
Paul Erkens details the fact that while you can remap the Caps Lock key in VMware Fusion, you can't use it as a modifier key, in his reply to a current thread, "Re: Help with VMWare Fusion". The extra time delay that is introduced is the reason why. As to why this change was deliberately introduced, I believe that it was part of an accessibility solution for mobility disabled Mac users. This is only conjecture on my part based on having read some descriptions of accessibility standards for users with severe mobility impairments -- meaning quadraplegics and others who need to use mouth sticks to navigate keyboards, and use multiple presses of the Caps Lock for some sequences. If you're asking whether it is possible to use the Caps Lock key as an insert key for JAWS under VMware fusion, the answer is yes -- Eric Caron has a podcast and guide up at the AppleVis site that details how he has set up the Caps Lock key to act as the VO (Control+Option) keys on his Mac laptop, and to act as the JAWS insert key when he uses Windows under VMware fusion. You cannot, however, get this behavior by using either Sharp Keys, as you have found, or by using the VMware fusion preferences, as Paul described. In fact, if you use KeyRemap4MacBook, you should not be using either Sharp Keys or the VMware preferences remapping, because you will already have introduced multiple remappings for your keys. Here's the link to the AppleVis podcast page: • New & Updated: Remapping the Keys on your Mac's Keyboard to Enhance the VoiceOver Experience: http://bit.ly/Qu1K2e I've shortened the actual link, which would probably wrap and break, but it's: http://www.applevis.com/podcast/episodes/new-updated-remapping-keys-your-macs-keyboard-enhance-voiceover-experience There is also a user guide at: • Remapping the Keys on your Mac's Keyboard to Enhance the VoiceOver Experience http://bit.ly/Q6eTye However, while the user guide does provide useful documentation and references to the PCKeyboardHack page, it was written for the original podcast. It describes the general way of customizing the keyboard for the PCKeyboardHack, while Eric was only interested in getting a remapping for the Caps Lock key. The developer responded by introducing a custom setting for "Blind Voice Over" in the application that would take care of this. In addition, the most recent major update versions have incorporated this into app, so that it is no longer necessary to get the special version of the app to install that is referenced in the podcast. In fact, if you try to do so, you'll be taken back to the main KeyRemap4MacBook web page. Another change with the major update is that, instead of making the customization changes in preference panes for "KeyRemap4MacBook" and "PCKeyboardHack" under your System Preferences, you now work directly in these apps, instead. The AppleVis pages also contain a link to mac-access list post that provides more general information about working and configuring KeyRemap4MacBook. Most of this was discussed on that list. I'd simply conclude by saying that you do need to keep your key remapping actions straight, and that I suspect people who posted that the Insert key behavior didn't work for them had prior conflicting key remapping definitions set up with either Sharp Keys or their Fusion preferences. Paul Erken's post about also turning off key definitions for the F-keys for Exposé, etc. is also good advice -- so you don't have other conflicting key definitions set up on the Mac side. I don't use JAWS, Windows, or VMware fusion myself, so I can only point you to the AppleVis pages. Good luck. Cheers, Esther On 21 Apr 2013, at 06:45, Brandt wrote: > Hi there folks, > > I have a copy of Windows 7 in VMware fusion, but I'm not using it at this > point in time due to the fact that the insert key, the modifier key for both > Jaws and NVDA refuse to be mapped by Sharp keys, and no matter what I do, > CapsLock is always picked up by the Mac. > > The only solution I know of, is to use a second keyboard. Is there any > others? I would be happy, for then I don't need to plug in the secondary > keyboard into the Mac. > > Thanks so long. > > Warm regards, > > Brandt Steenkamp > > Sent from my macbook pro > > Contact me: > > Mobile/iMessage/WatsApp: +27781205013 > > Email: [email protected] > > My ring to Skype: > California, United States > +(1)760-5140161 > Extension 512 > Cape Town, South Africa > +(27)213-002317 > Extension 161 > Johannesburg, South Africa > +(27)105-002316 > Extension 170 > > Skype: Brandt.steenkamp007 > > SIP: [email protected] > > Twitter: brandtsteenkamp > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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