calibre's ebook viewer from a game controller
The calibre E-book Viewer layout is built into InputConfig, free on the Mac App Store. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon.
On a Mac: Native on the Mac. The layout sends the e-book viewer's default shortcuts, with nothing to enable.
Yes, you can read in calibre's e-book viewer on a Mac from a game controller, with one hand. calibre's viewer is the reader for people with a library of their own, and this layout puts next page under every finger, text size on the triggers, and the table of contents, search and a bookmark on buttons you reach without looking away from the page.
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Turn pages. The bottom face button, the right bumper, D-pad right and the left stick pushed right all go to the next page. Their opposites go back.
- Text size. The right trigger makes the text larger, the left trigger smaller.
- Find your place. Triangle opens the table of contents, Square searches the book, Options adds a bookmark, and Create goes back to the previous location.
- Read. The right stick scrolls within the page, D-pad up and down scroll a line, and the left stick click toggles fullscreen.
Next page is under every finger, so the hand you hold the pad with is the hand you read with.
Tune it
- Read aloud. The viewer can read aloud. On a PlayStation pad, put its shortcut on the touchpad press.
- Lookup. The dictionary is a selection and a key. Put the key on a chord.
Read aloud on one press turns the pad into a remote for an audiobook you already own.
The short version
- Open a book in the viewer. The layout is for the viewer. The library window is pointer work.
- Activate it and lean back. Any button you rest a finger on turns the page.
This is the layout for reading in bed.
Get it in two clicks
- Get InputConfig free on the Mac App Store, open it, and click Smart Preset Maker on the welcome screen.
- Search for calibre E-book Viewer and pick it. The layout is created as a preset in your sidebar, named and ready.
- Press Activate. Every row can be changed afterwards: the editor's Scan button rebinds any control the moment you touch it.
Every binding, as a table
| Controller | Sends | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| A / Cross | Space | Next page (Space) |
| B / Circle | Shift (Left), Space | Previous page (Shift+Space) |
| RB / R1 | Space | Next page (Space) |
| LB / L1 | Shift (Left), Space | Previous page (Shift+Space) |
| Y / Triangle | Command (Left), T | Table of contents (Ctrl+T / Cmd+T) |
| X / Square | Command (Left), F | Search in book (Cmd+F) |
| Start / Options | Command (Left), B | Add bookmark (Ctrl+B / Cmd+B) |
| Back / Share / Select | Alt / Option (Left), Left | Back to previous location (Alt+Left) |
| L3 (left stick click) | Command (Left), Shift (Left), F | Toggle fullscreen (Cmd+Shift+F) |
| D-pad right | Right | Next page (Right arrow) |
| D-pad left | Left | Previous page (Left arrow) |
| D-pad up | Up | Scroll up a line (Up arrow) |
| D-pad down | Down | Scroll down a line (Down arrow) |
| Left stick right | Right | Page forward |
| Left stick left | Left | Page back |
| Right stick up | Scroll up | Scroll up within page |
| Right stick down | Scroll down | Scroll down within page |
| Right trigger | Command (Left), = | Increase font size (Cmd++) |
| Left trigger | Command (Left), - | Decrease font size (Cmd+-) |
Button names follow the Xbox / PlayStation pair shown in the editor, so A / Cross is the bottom face button on either pad. On a Switch Pro Controller the bottom button is labeled B; the mapping still fires on position.
Questions
Does it work in the main calibre window too?
The library window is pointer work. This layout is for the viewer.
Related
Completely free. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon. Open source on GitHub.
Updated