I know someone has asked this before, but there was no answer. I second the request: is there a way to use Apple's Built-In Dictionary, mainly the thesaurus, with apple-crtl-d and "mouse over" (or some other combination) instead of going into the dictionary through the menu?
Thanks, I would appreciate this.
Sebastian
Apple Dictionary/Thesaurus
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rpcameron
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Re: Apple Dictionary/Thesaurus
Because Mellel does not use Apple's standard text editor display, it does not have that functionality. You currently must manually perform your searches in the Dictionary program.
— Robert Cameron
Re: Apple Dictionary/Thesaurus
I am working with Mac OS 10.4.11 and I have just found out that the system keyboard shortcut for Look Up in Dictionary did not work because the menu command under the Services menu is called Look Up in Dictionary whereas the menu command for Keyboard Shortcuts in the System Preferences is called Look up in Dictionary.
So I have unticked the Dictionary Shortcuts in the Keyboard Shortcuts System Preferences and added a new Keyboard Shortcut under All Application and named it exactly the way it is written under the Services menu. I can now select a word in Mellel and hit Command - Alt - D and the Dictionary App opens with the Dictionary explanations for that particular word. Unfortunaty, it does not work with the Thresaurus. I only see the Dictionary explanations. If I want to see the the Thresaurus I still have to enter the word manually in the search field of the Dictionary app and hit return. This still appears to be counterintuitive to me.
I personally work with the Collins Dictionary and Thresaurus. This application allows me to assign a hotkey. So I can select a word in Mellel hit F9 and the Collins application pops to the front with either Thresaurus or Dictionary explanations of that words (whatever was open before). I can then easily switch between the Dictionary, Thresaurus, or Translation Dictionaries modules, depending on want is installed.
However, with the Collins app I cannot direcly replace a word in Mellel. I have to manually copy and paste it into Mellel. But I find the Collins Dictionary and Thresaurus superior both in content and handling to the bundled Apple dictionary.
Very similar are the dictionaries from Ultralingua.
You may download trial versions from them:
http://www.collinsdictionaries.com/shop ... -macs.aspx
http://www.ultralingua.com/en/mac-dictionary.htm
So I have unticked the Dictionary Shortcuts in the Keyboard Shortcuts System Preferences and added a new Keyboard Shortcut under All Application and named it exactly the way it is written under the Services menu. I can now select a word in Mellel and hit Command - Alt - D and the Dictionary App opens with the Dictionary explanations for that particular word. Unfortunaty, it does not work with the Thresaurus. I only see the Dictionary explanations. If I want to see the the Thresaurus I still have to enter the word manually in the search field of the Dictionary app and hit return. This still appears to be counterintuitive to me.
I personally work with the Collins Dictionary and Thresaurus. This application allows me to assign a hotkey. So I can select a word in Mellel hit F9 and the Collins application pops to the front with either Thresaurus or Dictionary explanations of that words (whatever was open before). I can then easily switch between the Dictionary, Thresaurus, or Translation Dictionaries modules, depending on want is installed.
However, with the Collins app I cannot direcly replace a word in Mellel. I have to manually copy and paste it into Mellel. But I find the Collins Dictionary and Thresaurus superior both in content and handling to the bundled Apple dictionary.
Very similar are the dictionaries from Ultralingua.
You may download trial versions from them:
http://www.collinsdictionaries.com/shop ... -macs.aspx
http://www.ultralingua.com/en/mac-dictionary.htm
