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jb60606

macrumors 6502a
Jan 27, 2008
871
0
Chicago
Just because you don't use it, doesn't make it useless. Asking why someone would use it is like asking why someone would use the backspace key.

It's an alternative to backtracking through text you would like to remove, while simultaneously allowing you to overwrite it. A time saver to some people that have been using it for years and if they removed it from the standard-101 keyboard, I'd personally be kinda bummed.
 
F

fuzzyspider101

Guest
insert key!

you can find the insert key on the mac keyboard for things like maya under the f14 key the arrow that goes diagonally top left next to the fn key??:cool:
 

Macnification

macrumors newbie
Jul 30, 2008
1
0
just found this. at least it works in windows on my mbp. fn + enter.

fn + return

This worked for me in XP on Bootcamp! Make sure and release the return key before the fn key or you'll accidentally type a line break. I also read the Help key, but I have no help key! And F13-F19 are like absent party members here. :rolleyes:

Now, to those of you being angry and such, I use the insert key extensively in coding. Many times I need to type comments or code headers that are in blocked sections, and it is MUCH easier to create the blocked sections, then type inside them with the OVR on than put the borders in one by one. There's no reason to banish something from the keyboard just because someone can't find a use for it! That's just silly ;)
 

puma25uk

macrumors member
Aug 21, 2008
30
0
UK
Hi guys, newbie here :D

I came across this thread looking for the same thing - I'm primarily a Windoze developer, having just moved to the fruity side. I'm loving it! :p

The bootcamp manual points in this direction, where Apple details the various keyboard models and the windows mappings for each type.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1167

Hope this helps
 

TucsonTom

macrumors newbie
Oct 11, 2008
3
0
Overwrite key on Mac Keyboards

I feel like suck a newb for asking, but... Does anybody know what the insert key is on a Mac? :confused:

Right now I'm in desperate need of the insert key. And its nowhere to be found.


Thanks

EDIT: I'm using an Apple BT keyboard, if thats any help.

On my logitech keyboard the Help key toggles between insert mode and overwrite mode.
 

bartszyszka

macrumors member
Dec 7, 2004
65
85
New York, NY
For filling out old forms...

Hi, I'm looking for a solution to this. Don't see it in the thread.

To people wondering why you would need it, it would come in handy if you receive a form made in Microsoft Word where it has a lot of underscores where you're supposed to fill things out. If you just type something into a form like that, then "_______" turns into "_ABCXYZ_______", which expands the form and breaks its layout. But if you had the insert key on, you could type things in and have the characters replace the lines, which would make it "_ABCXYZ_".
 

benf.dc

macrumors newbie
Jan 10, 2011
1
0
Word 2008 solution

Word 2008 does not have an OVR toggle in the status bar.

However, if you go to View > Customize Toolbars and Menus you can assign a keyboard shortcut to toggle Overtype mode on and off, or add Overtype to one of your toolbars or your Edit menu. I couldn't find "Overtype" among the Editing commands, but it is there under All Commands. I believe that Word stores these customizations in your Normal template.

There is also an "Overtype" checkbox in Word's editing preferences that you can toggle if you only need Overtype mode on rare occasions or if you are using someone else's Mac.

Overtype mode is clearly deprecated in Word 2008. I don't have Office 2011 so I can't say whether any trace remains.
 

Astrobop

macrumors newbie
Sep 1, 2010
1
0
Insert Key on Mac

Insert" is sometimes obtained by pressing the Fn key and the numeric keypad 0 key at the same time. :D
 

Bill.Raynor

macrumors newbie
Jan 30, 2011
1
0
fn+numeric 0 works

Both the fn+numeric 0 and fn+return work just fine for programming a windows app under parallels on a macbook

THanks
 

TheSotomatic

macrumors newbie
Jun 13, 2011
1
0
Maya Insert Key

I'm not sure if anyone still needs this info, but the insert key in Maya is simply holding down the "D" key. If you want to continually work in insert mode, the command is "fn"+"Enter".

Hope that helps.
 

bill94566

macrumors newbie
May 5, 2012
1
0
Pleasanton, CA
Here's a Workaround

Instead of trying to morph your Windows software into the Mac keyboard, just connect up a standard 101 keyboard via bluetooth to your Mac. You'll have to take the Mac by the hand and specify the keyboard type, but it works brilliantly. The Apple evil empire hasn't been able to supplant ASCII yet :D. By the way, this is the preferred method for working remotely with Windows apps via RDP over your Mac. Save yourself the headaches.
 

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,544
6,042
I hate to revive such an old topic, but, how on earth does one swap to insert mode on a Mac!?

It's nice that there's a work around for Word, but I need to know how to use it in Eclipse (which is Java based.)

But while I'm at it, how does one enter Insert mode on any cocoa text field (IE, in Safari, or TextEdit, or Pages... etc... and I don't want an app specific answer!)

And if the answer is that there simply isn't an insert mode, then say so! I don't understand why people have been dodging just answering the question for six years!

Edit: I found this, saying there is no such thing:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4440595?start=0&tstart=0

Bummer. I wonder how difficult writing some kind of utility app to do this would be... or if people would pay money for it...
 

ezerini

macrumors newbie
Feb 8, 2013
1
0
I found a workaround for me using a different Mac Application that needs the Insert Key. I'm using Citrix Viewer, which is like a remote desktop into a PC from a Mac. I previously used the FN + Enter keys in Parallels which was assigned as the key command for Insert. I used this to toggle emails as read/unread.

so anyway, it seems that Mac OSX has a way to specify an application that you wish to program an insert key for, so here are the instructions for doing it using my example:

1. Open System Preferences on the Macintosh computer.
2. Go to the Keyboard preference pane and select the Keyboard Shortcuts tab.
3. Select Application Shortcuts.
4. Press the + button located under the right list box.
5. Select Other from the list for Application.
6. In the dialog press Shift, Command, and G simultaneously to open the Go To Folder page.
7. In the Go To Folder page, enter /Applications/Citrix Receiver.app/Contents/Helpers/.
8. Click Go.
9. Select Citrix Viewer.app and click Add.
10. Enter the exact name of the keystroke that you would like to create a Key Command for, such as 'Insert' in the 'Menu Title' field (I found this to be case sensitive).
11. Enter the shortcut key you are using. I tried combinations of fn + enter and ctrl + enter, but thise did not work, so try Command + i
12. Click Add.
 

Gordon Klaus

macrumors newbie
Feb 13, 2013
1
0
MacBook Insert = Fn+Shift+M

Someone mentioned Fn+NumpadZero. On a MacBook the numpad keys are accesible via Fn+{mjkl;uiop7890}; NumpadZero is Fn+M. Long story short, Fn+Shift+M seems to produce Insert, at least judging by the results in Adobe Reader via Remote Desktop to Windows. FWIW.
 

dan1eln1el5en

macrumors 6502
Jan 3, 2012
380
23
Copenhagen, Denmark
Maya seems to map their keys to the windows kayboard "mostly".
you can Ctrl+C for copy...it's nice since I work on Maya on Windows and OS X and I don't need to "adapt" my shortcut moves...but a tad annoying it's "windows style" that's the basis.
 
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