Getting StartedGeneralFeaturesRegistrationSupportTechnical
Page cover

Gestures

Gestures in UPDD Commander define how touch interactions map to actions such as clicks, drags, keystrokes, or application-specific commands. Each gesture is linked to a specific finger combination (1 to 5 fingers), and may be fine-tuned per application, UI element, or context. (There is a section at the end for Modifiers & Press Gesture Settings).

Quick Breakdown

  • Gestures are triggered by 1–5 fingers.

  • Each gesture is associated with an action (e.g. click, zoom, keystroke).

  • Gestures are inherited from “Default Gestures” unless overridden.

  • Modifiers and action-specific settings can extend behavior.

Gesture Definitions

Gestures are made up of several parts:

  • Gesture ID: Describes the gesture (e.g. “One Finger Drag”).

  • Gesture Setting: Optional per-gesture config (e.g. movement distance, visual feedback).

  • Action Name: Defines what the gesture triggers (e.g. Click, Scroll, Keystroke).

  • Action Settings: Expands to show detailed configuration (mouse button, scroll speed, etc).

  • Gesture Modifiers: Modifiers allow gesture duplication with keyboard keys (e.g. CTRL + One Finger Press)

Updating and Inheriting Gestures

By default, all applications inherit gestures from the “Default Gestures” (formerly “All Applications”) entry. New entries will inherit all gestures unless explicitly disabled:

  • Inherit from All Applications (global default)

  • Inherit from matching UI elements

  • You can disable inheritance entirely for gestures or apps

Editing Gestures

To modify or override an inherited gesture:

  • Click on an application or UI element

  • Locate the gesture in the list (inherited ones are shown beneath custom ones)

  • Double-click to edit or override

You can also:

  • Add new gestures using the gesture control bar

  • Remove overridden gestures

Newly added showing inherited gestures from All Applications

Modified with added application related gesture

Supported Gestures

Gesture inputs can involve 1 to 5 fingers. Each combination supports:

  • Tap / Press

  • Drag / Swipe (Horizontal, Vertical, Diagonal)

  • Swipe From Edge (Up, Down, Left, Right)

  • Rotate / Pinch / Expand (2 fingers or more)

Gesture Settings

Some gestures have gear icons for additional tuning, including:

  • Press duration (e.g. hold for 600ms)

  • Visual feedback (e.g. circular click cue)

  • Movement threshold (e.g. drag must move 10px to trigger)

  • Scroll behavior (e.g. line-by-line vs. smooth)

Action Definitions

Each gesture triggers an action, chosen from the Action dropdown. Actions include:

  • Click / Double Click

  • Scroll / Keystroke / Move Cursor

  • Open / Close App

  • Smart Zoom / Launchpad / Notification Center

  • Send Command to UI Element (e.g. Confirm, Cancel, Raise, Pick, etc.)

⚠️ Here is the full list (if you want to read it)

Advanced Action Settings

Actions also support advanced configuration. For example:

  • Scroll: Speed, axis, cursor alignment

  • Keystroke: Repeat on hold, modifier injection

  • Click: Distance threshold, smart click targeting

Standard

Advanced

Overview

The Gestures system in UPDD Commander provides full control over touch interactions. By leveraging inheritance, modifiers, per-app logic, and advanced tuning, users can design rich gesture experiences tailored to any workflow or environment.

Modifiers & Press Gesture Settings ⬇️

Modifiers

Modifiers in UPDD Commander enhance gesture flexibility by allowing alternate actions based on specific conditions. By default, a gesture is mapped to a single action, but modifiers let you define multiple versions of the same gesture that behave differently depending on the context.

There are four types of modifier triggers:

  • Keyboard: Uses keys like Command, Option, Control, and Shift to alter gesture behavior.

  • UI Element: Ties gestures to specific interface areas (e.g. scroll zones or toolbars) within applications.

  • Toolbar: Assigns gesture behavior based on touches within defined toolbar zones on the touchscreen. (Requires driver v7.1.40+ on macOS 10.14+.)

  • Setting: External values (set via CLI) that act as triggers to switch gesture actions dynamically.

Example Use Cases

  • Enhanced Functionality on Single-Touch Devices: Reassign gestures using modifiers to simulate multitouch features.

  • Dynamic Application Control: Use toolbars or UI element detection to shift gesture actions depending on the current workflow.

  • Macro Switching: Combine gesture triggers with automation tools like AppleScript, macOS Shortcuts, or Flexi-deck to enable powerful in-app workflows.

Managing Modifiers

  • Add modifiers via the (+) button in the gesture definition pane.

  • Reorder modifiers by dragging to change priority (top-most takes precedence).

  • Remove with the (–) control.

Visual Feedback

  • Active modifiers are indicated with green dots in the Settings window.

  • The “Select next performed gesture” tool helps confirm which modifier-triggered gesture will activate.

With modifiers, you can deeply customize touch interactions, adapting to user context, application behavior, and even external automation.

Press Gesture Settings

Press gestures are typically configured to perform a Right Click by default, but can be reassigned to trigger any available action. When a press is held, the gesture activates once a specified time threshold is reached — initially set at 600 milliseconds.

During this hold period, a visual indicator (a circle) is drawn at the point of touch, illustrating the countdown to activation. The action is triggered when the circle is fully rendered.

These settings — both the activation threshold and the visual annotation — can be tailored at both the global level(affecting all applications) and the individual application level, allowing for flexible customization based on context or user preference.

PreviousApplicationsNextFeatures

Last updated