Choosing a Usage Style

Different people have different habits. You can pick the usage style that fits you best when using Cursor Crane. Here are some common styles:

Claw Machine Usage Styles

Keep the Claw Machine Active

Activate the Claw Machine with a shortcut, keep it active, and switch between different modes to operate your computer.

While the Claw Machine is active, you can still use most system and app shortcuts. For example, you can keep using ESC or arrow keys to interact with the current foreground app, and you can still use shortcuts like Command + C to copy text or Command + W to close a window.

Suppose you set Control + Space as the Claw Machine activation shortcut. Press Control + Space , then release it immediately, and the Claw Machine will remain active.

The Claw Machine starts in Command Mode. You can enter commands such as c to click an element, or i to enter Input Mode.

When you want to exit the current mode, press Control + Esc . To close the whole claw machine, press Shift + Control + Esc .

Pros

✓ Works well for long sessions without repeatedly reactivating the Claw Machine
✓ More seamless when switching between different modes

Cons

× You still need to enter input mode or exit the Claw Machine when typing text
× May feel heavy for one-off actions

Related Guides

Temporarily Activate the Claw Machine

Activate the Claw Machine and keep holding at least one key in the shortcut. When you release the shortcut, the Claw Machine exits automatically.

Suppose you set Control + Space as the activation shortcut. You need to press Control + Space and keep holding at least one key (for example, Control ) to keep the Claw Machine active. Once you release the key, the Claw Machine exits automatically.

The Claw Machine starts in Command Mode. You can enter commands such as c to click an element, or i to enter Input Mode.

Pros

✓ Great for quickly completing a single action
✓ You can type normally without entering Input Mode

Cons

× Holding keys can be tiring during continuous operations

Related Guides

Do Everything with Shortcuts

Besides entering commands directly in the Claw Machine, every command can be bound to a shortcut and triggered directly. With this style, you can complete actions in daily use without entering the Claw Machine interface at all.

For example, you can bind a shortcut like Control + Option + C to the command command.moveCursorToElementAndLeftClick. Each time you press Control + Option + C , Cursor Crane will automatically enter the Claw Machine and wait for you to choose an element. After selection, it runs command.moveCursorToElementAndLeftClick automatically, then exits the Claw Machine when done.

Pros

✓ No need to enter the Claw Machine interface, making actions more direct
✓ You can type normally without entering Input Mode

Cons

× Requires learning and memorizing more shortcuts
× Shortcut combinations may conflict with system or app shortcuts

Related Guides

Command Usage Styles

Decide the Action First, Then Pick the Target

In Element Mode, for example, you can directly use the command command.moveCursorToElementAndLeftClick to decide the action you want first (move and left click), and then choose the element you want to click.

Pros

✓ Becomes faster once you get used to it

Cons

× You need to remember the command sequence or shortcut for each action

Related Guides

Pick the Target First, Then Perform the Action

In Element Mode, for example, you can use the command command.moveCursorToElement to move the pointer to the target element first, and then perform the action you want, such as using trigger.leftClick to left click that element.