You use the computer very often during your daily life and you often do the same operations, especially those related to the mouse: click on buttons, move elements on the screen and so on. It’s quite a tedious task, since automating them would save a lot of time. So, you’ve asked yourself what you can do about it and you’ve heard about the world of macros. However, you haven’t really understood what it’s all about and you haven’t been able to find a detailed guide to give you a general overview of the subject. Well, don’t worry: you’ve come to the right place!
In today’s tutorial, in fact, I will explain in detail how to put macros on the mouse. In case you’re wondering, I’m going to analyze both the simplest and the most advanced solutions, so that you can fully explore this fascinating world, according to your needs. I will also talk about the way the mouse buttons are managed and the solutions that can allow you to automate the most complex operations with a simple keystroke.
What do you say? Are you ready for me to take you into the magical world of macros? I think so, since you’ve come this far and are reading this guide with particular interest. Come on then, all you have to do is take some time for yourself and follow the instructions below. I assure you that this is a fascinating topic and one that can save you a lot of time. With that said, I’d say get started right away. There’s nothing left for me to do but wish you a good read and a lot of fun!
Preliminary information
Before we get into the details of the procedure on how to put macros on the mouse, I think you might be interested in learning more about this possibility.
Well, macros are nothing more than a combination of keystrokes or actions that can be saved to automatically and quickly implement an action that is done often or that may not be very easy to remember anyway.
To give you a concrete example, let’s consider typing the letter “It”. On Windows, this can be “written” by pressing the combination Alt + 0200 (the numbers must be those of the numeric keypad, while Alt must be held down).
A student may need to use the above letter often, but remembering the key combination is not always that simple. For this reason, having a mouse macro – or even a keyboard macro – that allows you to quickly perform this task at the touch of a button can be particularly useful.
Obviously the one mentioned is one of the myriad examples that can be given, since macros are applicable to essentially any computer-related activity, from writing to gaming. Just one thing: use macros responsibly, and don’t go taking actions that could create problems for you or someone else. In short, if you plan to use macros in competitive gaming activities, analyze the rules of the game well and don’t be unfair to other players.
How to set up macros on the mouse
After explaining in detail what macros are, I’d say you’re ready to take action. Below you’ll find all the information you’re looking for.
Mouse manufacturer program
Many times, those who want to use macros have a gaming mouse. In this case, it is directly the manufacturer that provides the program that implements this functionality.
Obviously, I cannot be precise with my indications, since there are myriad gaming mice and each brand develops its own software. In any case, it’s usually enough to open the manufacturer’s program, find the option for macros, register one and associate it to a specific key. You shouldn’t have any particular problems in this sense.
To give you a concrete example, I’ll look at the procedure for the Corsair Nightsword RGB mouse I own and the iCUE program for Windows. If you also have a mouse of this type, to download its management program, go to the official website of Corsair, click on the yellow button DOWNLOAD NOW and wait for the download to complete.
Then start the iCUESetup[version].msi file and click Yes, OK and Next in succession. Then check the I accept the license agreement box and click Next, Install and Finish. The program will start automatically. Next, click on the mouse icon that you have connected to your computer to access its settings. Next, click on the ACTIONS item on the left and press the + icon to start creating a new macro.
Now we are going to make a simple macro that allows you to automatically write the letter “It” by pressing a mouse button. To do this, open Notepad, press the red dot (record) icon in iCUE, return to the text editor window and use the combination Alt (held down) + 0200 to “generate” the letter “It” . Then go back to iCUE and press the red dot icon again to finish recording.
Now select the mouse button you want to associate with this action from the ones at the top (e.g. Back). Perfect, now all you have to do is keep iCUE open in the background (by default it should activate automatically), press the selected mouse button and you’ll see that the letter “It” will be “generated”.
Of course, you can delete this macro by selecting it and pressing the Trash icon. Great, now you have correctly learned how to use Corsair’s macro recording and playback system. Of course, you can also use this method for more sophisticated combinations than the one I have described.
Microsoft IntelliPoint (Windows/MacOS)
Excuse me? Is the manufacturer of your mouse Microsoft? Well, then you should take a look at the Microsoft IntelliPoint program.
If you have a Windows computer, all you have to do is connect to Microsoft’s official website (only for 64-bit systems), choose the language and press the Download button. Officially, the supported OS versions are Windows XP (32-bit), Windows Vista and Windows 7, but I actually managed to get everything working correctly on Windows 10 as well.
Now launch the resulting IP[version].exe file, click Yes, check the I accept the agreement box and click Next. After that, choose whether to allow the program to periodically check for updates and whether to allow Microsoft to collect information to improve the software. Once this is done, all you have to do is press Next and Finish in succession to finish the setup.
As for macOS, you have to connect to the official IntelliPoint website, select Mac OS 10.4.x-10.7 (32-bit and 64-bit) from the dropdown menu related to the operating system, choose the language and click on the IntelliPoint 8.2 link at the bottom. Next, you have to open the obtained Microsoft-Mouse-[version].dmg file and move the program’s icon to the Applications folder.
Now all you have to do is start the Microsoft Mouse program, record a macro and associate it with one of the mouse buttons. In case the mouse is not detected, I recommend you to click on the How to enable features and read the manual.
You can also proceed from the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Management Center, which should have been installed automatically the first time you connected the official mouse from the Redmond company to your computer. In this case, you just need to press on Macro > Create a new macro, type in the name, press on Editor and enter the macro. For all the relevant details, I recommend you to consult the official Microsoft guidelines.
Pulover’s Macro Creator (Windows)
If you want to make particularly complex macros using any type of mouse, my advice is to go through the program Pulover’s Macro Creator. We are talking about a software for experts, so I recommend you to keep in mind that you may find several difficulties, since the programs mentioned above are much easier to use.
In order to download the program, all you need to do is connect to the official Pulover website, click on the Download icon and eventually on the I accept button. Then open the MacroCreator-setup.exe file and click Yes, OK and Next in succession. Then check the I accept the terms of the license agreement box and click Next three times.
Then choose whether to install the 64-bit or 32-bit version of the program and click Next, Install and Finish in succession. Pulover’s Macro Creator will start automatically and ask you to choose the most suitable layout, language and press the Good button.
A tutorial will then appear on the screen to guide you step by step through the use of the program: simply follow the directions and click Next. When you have learned everything correctly, you can safely close the window.
At the end of the tutorial, you will find yourself in front of the main screen of the program, which at first glance may be a bit scattered. In any case, I recommend that you click on the blue ?? icon at the top left. This will start a short demo that will show you how far the program can automate actions.
Don’t worry if you see some Notepad screens appearing and if the computer performs operations on its own: what you saw running is really a macro. Once it is finished, you can safely close all the windows that the program has opened.
As you have probably already guessed, we are talking about an advanced software, capable of doing much more than what the average user usually needs. Therefore, this is not the right place to explain in detail how the program works, but I will give you a practical example as simple as possible to help you become familiar with Pulover’s Macro Creator (the “usual” example of the letter “It”).
To proceed, return to the main program screen and go to File > New to create a new macro. Then click on the red dot icon in the upper left corner of the screen and click on the Good item. After that, open Notepad and press the F9 key on your keyboard to start recording.
Now, use the key combination Alt (held down) + 0200 (the one for writing the letter “It”) and press the F9 key to finish recording the macro. For more information on the combination related to the aforementioned letter, I recommend that you consult my tutorial on how to capitalize the letter “It” in Word.
Perfect, now you just have to press the F3 button on your keyboard to make the computer automatically execute the sequence of keys that “generates” the letter “It”. Try to keep Notepad open and press F3: you will see that another “It” will appear next to the one you typed previously.
Of course, this macro can also be used in other programs. So close Notepad and try to open any other text editor and click on the F3 button: also in this case you will see the letter “It” appear on the screen. So, you have achieved your goal and now you can write this letter without having to remember its key combination.
Now, all you have to do is assign this macro to a mouse button instead of the F3 key. Then go back to the main screen of Pulover’s Macro Creator, go to File > Save, type a name (e.g. “letter-accentuated-capital letter”), select the path where the file should be placed and press Save. Great, now you can close the program.
Next, go to the location where you saved the .pmc file previously, right click on it and go to the Open With > Notepad menu. Now you can put your hands on the “instructions” of the macro. You’ll notice that, at some point, it says “F3”. Perfect, your goal is to go and change this key to the mouse button.
Usually, Pulover’s Macro Creator would only allow you to set keyboard keys using the graphical interface, but in fact I discovered that you can easily assign macros to the mouse by following the directions found on the official website of AutoHotkey, which indicate the right mouse button as RButton, the left one as LButton, the middle one / wheel as MButton, the fourth key (the one usually placed on the side and used to go back in the browser) as XButton1 and the fifth key (the one to go forward in the browser) as XButton2.
All you have to do now is to replace the “F3” text with that of the chosen key (for example, XButton1) and save the changes. Now, launch the .pmc file and the main screen of Pulover’s Macro Creator will appear. Don’t worry if the Playing text field in the upper right corner is empty: as I said before, it’s normal, because you can’t assign the macro to the mouse via the GUI. Therefore, I recommend that you don’t touch that setting.
Now, click on the ?? icon, select the heading Good and you will have correctly enabled the macro. To test it, all you have to do is open any text editor and press the associated key (e.g. XButton1, i.e. the side key that is usually used to go back in the browser). If everything is keyed correctly, you will see the letter “It” appear on the screen. Perfect, now all you have to do is keep the program open in the background to be able to activate the macro in this way.
In short, I realize that the procedure I have outlined in this chapter is not exactly for everyone, but I can assure you that this is one of the best ways to start making complex macros with any mouse.
In addition, this method is based on a procedure that does not require special skills in terms of scripts (since everything is done in a guided way through the program and then you simply go to act on a script), so, in my opinion, it is also a good way to start to become familiar with the world of advanced macros.
Clearly, in this tutorial I have only scratched the surface of what can be done with mouse macros and given a basic example. If you’re particularly intrigued by this world, I recommend that after you’ve mastered the possibilities offered by Pulover’s Macro Creator, you move directly to scripted macro creation.
To do this, you should inquire about .ahk files and take a look at the official documentation of AutoHotkey, another advanced program used by experts to create particularly complex macros.
Keep in mind, though, that the latter doesn’t have a true graphical interface, but it is very comprehensive and allows you to do essentially everything the world of macros has to offer.
Other solutions for macros
Of course, there are also other solutions for creating macros. Below, then, you will find the list of programs that I think you should try in this sense.
Mini Mouse Macro (Windows): if you don’t want to install anything on your computer, you should take a look at this program. It has quite limited functionality and does not allow you to assign macros to a mouse button (supported hotkeys are only keyboard hotkeys), but it is still very interesting to make and start macros with a few clicks. You can use it for free, but you can unlock advanced features by activating a PRO subscription for $9.50.
BetterTouchTool (macOS): a program that became famous for allowing you to use macros via mouse, trackpad and Touch Bar. It allows you to set custom gestures on Apple’s Magic Mouse and Trackpad and assign custom functions to the keys of any mouse. I also recommend you to take a look at the official documentation (in English), to get a good understanding of how powerful it is. A 45-day free trial is available, but then you’ll need to purchase a standard license (updates for 2 years, $7.50) or a lifetime license ($21).
Keyboard Maestro (macOS): an extremely powerful and advanced program that allows you to automate practically any kind of work on the Mac, through macros that can be triggered by pressing keys on the keyboard, mouse, combinations of the two and gestures (as well as launching programs, connecting to certain networks, inserting/removing USB devices and so on). As for mouse customization, it’s not as advanced as BetterTouchTool, but it’s definitely worth a try. A free 30-day trial version is available, then it costs just over 40 euros.
Great, now you have all the guidance you need to be able to create macros. Have fun!