Function Flip
Function Flip is a Preference Pane
(i.e. it appears in System Preferences) which can
turn those special function keys back into normal
F keys one by one.
Long version:
When I first got my new MacBook, there were certain F
keys I had been using for other things; F8 for
Spaces, F5 for CoverSutra etc., which on the
MacBook keyboard now have special functions.
F1 = Lower Brightness
F2 = Increase Brightness
F3 = Exposé
...
F5 = Lower Keyboard backlight
F8 = Play/Pause
and so on...
These are their default functions. You can however
flip their functions the other way around by going
to:
System Preferences>Keyboard & Mouse and
ticking the box “Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as
standard function keys”.
You then use the Special Function by holding down the
fn key.
So, for example, to turn the volume up you would hold
down fn then F12. Slightly inconvenient, but it still
allowed me to use my own F keys. I was used to Exposé
using F9, 10 and 11.
Function Flip solves this problem of having to decide
between one or the other, allowing you to flip
individual F keys.
So now I can use the brightness keys etc., as well as
assigning some of the Special F keys I don’t
really use to other functions. I rarely use the
Backlight keyboard Special function keys, so now use
F5 for Spaces, and F6 for CoverSutra.
Also, although I had been using F9 & F11 for
Exposé, those functions can be done using the
Multitouch trackpad, allowing me to use the volume up
& down keys as intended. I did change the
standard Exposé key F3 to show Application Windows,
instead of all windows. Perfect.
Hopefully all that won’t have been too
confusing, it’s definitely worth installing and
is probably explained a lot better on the developers
site.
Ah, there is one other thing: To make it work, you
must go to System Preferences>Universal access and
tick, “Enable access for assistive
devices”.