Finding and customizing keyboard shortcuts

Hi,

This page doesn't go into how one can find and save customized keyboard shortcuts onto an external medium so that one can take them with them in case they have to work on someone else's Pr. The process of locating the customized .kys files is in fact not easy on Mac OS 10.6 and exceedingly difficult on Mac OS 10.7. (since the Library folder is hidden) The location of my .kys files was MaindriveHDD/users/userfolder/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Premiere Pro/6.0.

It took me a while to find these files because they where unexpectedly in the folder "Adobe". I guess I was expecting there to be a folder "Premiere" higher up in the path.

I wonder why these files are hidden in the first place, but that's another story.

Thanks.

The page does have a link to video content describing the location of the .kys file and how to move it. Go here to see the video: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/switching-to-adobe-premiere-pro-cs5/shortcut-keys/

Even after watching the video, I was not able to locate my customized keyboard layout. I am on a PC and I am wondering if it is different than on a Mac as in the video.

Thanks

On PC, the .kys file is located in the AppData folder, which is a hidden folder. You'll need to reveal hidden folders in your user folder to find the AppData folder. Once this is done, here is a standard pathway for locating the file:

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\PremierePro\6.0

Look for the "Adobe Premiere Pro Custom.kys" file. Copy that to the same location on the destination computer.

Granted, it's not the most straightforward solution, and it's something we look forward to improving. Hope this is helpful.

Does this work in 5.5? I can't seem to locate any .kys files except ones for Illustrator and PS. I have saved my Premiere shortcuts, but they are not in the location stated or anywhere else on my harddrive.

Mac or PC?

Mac

Library > Application Support > Adobe > Premiere Pro > 5.5 > [your custom named shortcuts].kys

This .kys file is the one you can move to other systems.

That is exactly where I checked. As I said previously, no .kys files were found. I had to change everything manually, but it would be good to know why this was not working for future reference.

Are you sure that you checked the Library under user's? I can't believe it's not there. Try looking again after you created a new custom keys file. The folder maybe empty before a custom key set has been made... Pretty strange if it's not there if you ask me.

I have the exact same issue.  I'm trying to switch over from FCP 7 and I have customized my keyboard.  For the life of me I cannot find the .kys file. 

It's terribly frustrating.

I'm using Creative Cloud 6.0.  MacBook Pro.  OSX 10.7.4

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

...and "yes" I did create and save a custom keys file.

It's just nowhere to be found.

Anyone?...

Can you do a search for  *.kys in Finder?

Yes.  I did that.  NO results.

I also made sure that I searched both "visible and invisible" files.

No dice.

The only 4 files that show up when I search for .kys is...

Default Keyboard Shortcuts.kys

Default Keyboard Shortcuts.kys

Illustrator Shortcuts.kys

Illustrator Shortcuts.kys

That's it.  Nothing else.

I even tried following the "path" to get to the .kys file...

MaindriveHDD/users/userfolder/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Premiere Pro/6.0.

No dice.

I'd REALLY like to find this file so that I can load it onto my other system and save it on drop box for easy access if I'm ever working on a different system.

Anything else you can think of?

When you changed the keyboard shortcuts, did you just change them or did you also save them?

This is not funny. I can't find the folder anymore either. At least not on my MacBook Pro, running Lion. I'll check my Snow Leopard machine on Moday.

Jim Simon, I saved it under a unique name..."Vidano Keyboard 1".

What's funny is that I should at least be able to see the default "AVID Keyboard" file, and the default "FCP Keyboard" file as well.

But if you read my post above the only files I fine when searching (both visible and invisible files) are...

Default Keyboard Shortcuts.kys

Default Keyboard Shortcuts.kys

Illustrator Shortcuts.kys

Illustrator Shortcuts.kys

Super frustrating.

Any other ideas?

Yeah...I'm running MacBook Pro on Lion.

I'll check on my MacPro system next.

What is Adobe doing?  Does it have something to do with downloading and using the Creative Cloud versions of software? 

I have no idea...but I have to ask those kind of questions since "creative cloud" subscription based software downloads is so new.

It has to be something on the Adobe install side.

The default presets are in the Adobe Premier Pro CS6.app itself (show package contents) in the folder "contents/Keyboard Shortcuts".

Whoes going to be the first one to mess around in there? ... I have my .kys file saved from when I could still find it. ... should I ... shouldn't I...

Marq5.1 -

Do it!  Ha!    I need to know...

OK I did it.

Nothing bad happened. But nothing good happened either. Actually nothing happened.

I added my Keyboard .kys file to the ones the preset keys that show up normaly:

"Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5.kys"

"Adobe Premiere Pro Factory Defaults.kys"

"Avid MC 5.kys"

"Final Cut Pro 7.0.kys"

I added

"ABC.kys" to the list but it didn't show up when I restarted Pr CS6 (by the way also from creative cloud)

Strangely enough I have a folder "en_US" and a "zh_CN" folder with the same named .kys files in the "Keyboard Shortcuts" folder (in the Pr.app package).

Odd stuff... but I know I probibly shouldn't be poking around in there.

Ok.  That's a new bit of information that's helpful.

Adobe?  Do you have anything on this?

Apparently the Keyboard .kys files I found in the .app package are also just there for show.

First of all, Pr CS6 also has a Keyboard preset called "Adobe Premiere Pro CS6.0" which is not in this folder.

... so I trashed the "en_US" folder to see what happens... and nothing happened after restarting Pr. All of the Keyboard presets where still available.

... so they are in there somewhere... but only the Shadow knows.

I couldn't wait till Monday. I just went to look if I could find the .kys files on my Snowleopard Pro Mac, as I could before I updated to CS6. I can't. The change is apparently connected with the new file structure of CS6.

@ Kevin Monahan: What happened?! In that video; you convinced me that you were me, you asked the questions I would have asked! you know what FCP castaways are dealing with.

Being able to save your own personal shortcuts is a basic need. It was almost a tradition to mess with other editors custom keys and load your own when working "on the road"! It's like dogs peeing on fire hydrants.

I thought that it was funny you saying "that's ok" when Karl Soule says that the settings are "a little bit buried", but that was so real, I believed it! it is OK!, that's reality, (a save to folder option is unrealistic, too good to be believable ), but only as long as it's a little bit buried where we can find it!!!

Sorry, I just needed to vent a little.

@ Kevin Monahan: Do you have any answers for this post?  Do you have a solution for us?  Or did Adobe just "let go" of any ability to transfer my "already created" keyboard settings to another computer?

Please reply.  I would like to do this sooner than later if it's still do-able.

Here's how I found my keyboard shortcut file.  I'm on Macs.

Create a Keyboard setup in Pr, and named it with a unique name.  Let's say, "madonna."

Use EasyFind to search my disk, including invisible folders and for invisible files, for a file called "madonna."

Done.

OK I got it.

A friend told me about something he stumbled upon. This is for CS6 from creative cloud running on Mac Lion.

Create a custom Keyboard setting in Pr.

Click on the "Go" command in the Finder command bar, hold down the "alt" key while the drop-down window is open, this will reveal a hidden "Library" option.

This is not the same Library as the one in which I have been searching for my .kys files! This is another Library, a different one, a mystery Library ... OK it's the user Library, I've been looking in the System Library the whole time.

There it is under:

Application Support/Adobe/Premiere Pro/6.0/my.kys

Can anyone confirm.

marq5.1 - Confirmed.

Um...you're my hero dude.  SERIOUSLY!!!!!  WHY won't my mac get search results from that folder when I'm doing a search for my file name?!  That is AMAZING that you found it.  And terribly frustrating at the same time.

That is AWESOME!

Thank you so much.

Now I can transfer my keyboard file over to my other MAC.

YES!!!

svidano wrote:

 

@ Kevin Monahan: Do you have any answers for this post?

See post #30. Thanks.

Seems to have been found where Post #9 said it would be found.

Kevin, that IS me.  Post #30.

shooternz, it's not actually.  Post #9 didn't work at all for me.  Because that "Libary" folder doesn't show up in my user file structure.  And it seems that it doesn't on Marq5.1's either. 

That's the probelm.  I couldn't find the file structure and searching for ANYTHING close to the name (including the .kys portion of it) didn't show up any results.

How in the world did your friend stumble upon this marq5.1?  That's craziness.

For the benefit of others ...the location where it was eventually found  was  accurate (variables depending) as described

It's a tale of two Libraries, four Adobe folders, two Premiere Pro folders (one in Application Support and one in Preferences, I actually also have a PrmierePro folder as well in my Preferences Folder), two 6.0 folders, a operating system which makes it difficult to access any of the Libraries and the normal confusion of a typical work day.

The trick with the "alt" Key + Command Bar "Go" is so secret that not even the Apple geniuses who tried to help me with another issue don't know about it. My friend literally absent mindedly hit the alt Key while in the "Go" menu and noticed that something changed there.

@ Jim Curtis: It would be intersting to know how you managed the "madonna" trick what is "EasyFind"? is that a program?

@ shooternz: "Library" is not accurate enough!

[user] /Library / Application Support / Adobe / Premiere Pro / 5.5 / [your custom named shortcuts].kys

or

[user] /Library / Application Support / Adobe / Premiere Pro / 6.0 / [your custom named shortcuts].kys

The Library under USERS is hidden (for Mac LION users).  Open Your Finder, Hold OPTION and CLICK on "GO" from your top menu in Finder. Select Library.

Got to Application Support > Adobe > Premiere Pro > 6.0

Your KYS file should be there.