clickMitigator (revised 3/10 2010)

clickMitigator Main screen

clickMitigator Minimized

ClickMitigator for Windows

is a simple application that allows you to make cause and effect activities out of any application that has a "play" and "pause" button. In some applications there is one button for both "play" and "pause". In others, there are two.

With clickMitigator you can record the positions of each of the two (or single) buttons and set an interval between when the first target is clicked and the second target is clicked.

clickMitigator also allows you to define a interval that occurs right after the first click during which additional clicks are ignored. This is especially useful for those switch users who may inadvertantly (or otherwise) issue multiple switch hits. This can be disruptive of e-stories made with Powerpoint where the additional clicks can cause pages to be skipped.

The clickMitigator is meant to be used with an adapted mouse or other switch interface that allows your switch user to issue a left mouse button click.

clickMitigator has been recently (Jan 3, 2010) updated so that it recalls its settings so the next time you open it it is ready to go. It requires a file named cm.ini to make this happen. cm.ini must reside in the same folder as the clickMitigator.exe program.

clickMitigator can now completely control the mouse cursor! To regain access to the normal left-click button while in mouse scan modes use the Esc key.

clickMitigator now has a One Click mode mainly useful for masking extra, unwanted clicks that might disrupt the continuity of a PowerPoint slide show for example.

A checkbox was added (3/10 2010) to optionally assure clicks are sent to a particular window or application. The default is that the clicks are just sent to the identified screen targets without regard to what application is active. I also changed the targeting hot keys to Win-1 and Win-2 as described below so as to be consistent with keyboardWedge and joystickWedge.

Here is how to use clickMitigator:

1. Double-click the clickMitigator icon to start it.

2. Select "One Click" or "Two Click" modes. Identify the first click target by putting the mouse cursor over the target and record the position using the Win-1 key combination (press and hold the Windows key, then briefly press 1.)

3. For "Two Click" mode, identify the second target by positioning the mouse cursor over the second target and record it with the Win-2 key combination. The second click target can be the same as the first.

4. For "Two Click" mode, set the desired Delay time - the interval between the click sent to the first click target and the click sent to the second click target.

5. Set a mask time - an interval after the first click when additional clicks are ignored.

6. Click hide controls to minimize the size of the clickMitigator.

7. You can move the clickMitigator window wherever you want it. Hover the mouse curser over clickMitigator's "Click Here" button, and your user is set to go.

And Now clickMitigator Has:

Scan Mouse 1 - Left mouse click is used to start or stop scanning mouse action options that appear as tool tips near the mouse cursor. Once a direction is selected the mouse cursor begins to move in one of the four labeled directions. Mouse click options are scanned similarly by selecting 'Mouse Clicks' when it appears. You can select from 'Click', 'Dbl Click', 'Rt Click', and 'Drag'. Return to moving the mouse by selecting the 'Mouse Moves' when it appears. The Mouse Speed menu defines how fast the mouse moves where smaller numbers make the mouse move faster. A drag action ends when the user selects 'Click' or 'Drag' from the 'Mouse Clicks' scan sequence. Sometimes the drag operation ceases prematurely. You will know if it is successful because the 'Mouse Move' scan will start automatically soon after you select a drag action, and you will actually move whatever you are dragging. If it does not succeed the first time, just try again

Scan Mouse 2 - Is just like Scan Mouse 1 but it copies the tool tip text to the clipboard so that it can be read outloud by a helper application that supports reading clipboard text like Deskbot or DSpeech. Recently, I discovered ClipSpeak 1.5 a small portable clipboard text-to-speech utility that is an ideal companion for clickMitigator. ClipSpeak can be found at: http://www.codeplex.com/clipspeak

Suggested uses:

1. Make Youtube a cause-and-effect activity. YouTube videos use the same button to both play and pause a video. Set the first and second targets the play/pause button.

2. Use Balabolka, a freeware tallking word processor, as a cause-and-effect reader. Open some desired text in Balabolka. Assign the first click target to the read aloud button and the second click target to the pause reading button. Click into the text to set the starting point for reading. Then hover the mouse cursor over the "Click Here" button in clickMitigator.

3, Reduce unwanted skipped slides while using Powerpoint. Select "One Click" mode. Set the Mask time to exceed the expected time that your user repeatedly taps on the button. Set the click target using the Win-G key combo anywhere in the slide. Minimize and position clickMitigator to be where it is the least obtrusive.

4. Control your mouse with the left mouse button!

clickMitigator is freeware that was created using the also freeware AutoHotKey scripting tool for Windows while watching the NBA playoffs and finals.

Download clickMitigator here