ModLock
About | Installation | Freeware
Screenshots | Changelog | Feedback
Download the latest version here
(Version 0.7.2 – Zipped Windows Executable – 53kb)
Important: Make sure you disable “Run automatically at startup” before upgrading if you are using version 0.3 or 0.4.
About
Modlock is a tiny windows application designed to make the use of modifer keys such as Alt and Control a lot easier when using a tablet PC, as needed when using software such as Adobe Photoshop. When using tools such as the clone tool or the lasso in Photoshop, you often need to press and hold the Alt, Ctrl, Shift or Space keys while you use the tool to modifiy the way in which the tool behaves. Whilst this is a simple task on a regular PC, it can be quite troublesome when using a tablet PC where you have no access to the keyboard.
Not wanting to use the standard on screen keyboard and lose so much screen real estate, and unhappy with the other applications designed to give access to these keys, I set about writing ModLock to suit the requirements I had for such an application. After input and feedback from a few forums new features such as auto-release have been added to make the application more user friendly. See the changelog for a full list of features.
Installation
It couldnt be easier, just save the file somewhere on your hard drive and run it. The code for auto starting with windows will detect where you have saved it once you tick the box in options.
Freeware
ModLock is released as freeware and as such you are welcome to download it and use it on as many computers as you wish without any need for purchase or licensing. I would however ask that if you decide to provide the file for download on your own site, that you provide a courtesy link back to this page.
Screenshots
The main window of ModLock:

The options panel of ModLock (No visual changes since 0.6)

Changelog:
Version 0.7.2
- Bug fix in code for using F1, F2 etc. as custom keys.
Version 0.7.0
- Bug fix in vertical button bar code
- Update system modified to allow minor revision numbers
Version 0.6
- Removed notification message box when minimizing.
- Removed title bar to save on space.
- Added option for vertical button bar
- Added option for double sized button bar
- Added help screen
Version 0.5
- Added option for up to 4 extra customisable buttons
- Added ability to check for updates manually or automatically
- Filename name back to modlock.exe to prevent problems updating
- Added double click support to tray icon
Version 0.4
- Fixed bug where all auto-delay timers were linked to Alt timer.
Version 0.3
- Added transparency support
- Added auto run on startup option
- Added minimize to tray functionality
Version 0.2
- Prevented ModLock from stealing focus from current application
- Added support for space bar
- Added auto-release feature with customisable delay
- Added right click to lock on modifier and ignore auto-release delay
- Added buttons highlighting in red for noticability
- Added remembering of location between sessions
Version 0.1
- Initial release, ability to lock Alt, Control and Shift with ModLock
Feedback
Comments and suggestions are always welcome, so please if you have an idea how ModLock can be improved then please get in touch via the comments box at the bottom of this page, or by sending a mail to modlock@shepy.co.uk
Comments
Comment from FlameStream
Time August 25, 2008 at 6:30 am
First of all. Very thoughtful of you to think about creating this software. I’m thinking of adopting it but there is one little thing that bothers me when using it. Saves a few bucks to buy one of those nifty keypads to accompany the tablet PC.
However, most of the time, the modifier keys are used with a single key/click and it’s released, never to be chained with another input (with the exception of the spacebar key with huge pictures). For example, when I want to rotate the canvas using alt + space or change my brush size using ctrl + alt, I find myself having to toggle those buttons back to release them. Would it be possible to make the activated modifier keys release after an keyup or mouseup event? That would make the software perfect in my eyes.
Comment from Matias
Time September 3, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I been serching for this solution for years! Thank you!
Comment from pechorin
Time October 16, 2008 at 7:27 am
this is great, the perfect solution, thank you!
do you still support this project? it wold be nice a vertical configuration and the option to increase a little the size.
Comment from Shepy
Time October 16, 2008 at 11:50 am
pechorin,
The two changes you have requested have been added.
~Shepy
Comment from pechorin
Time October 16, 2008 at 6:28 pm
wow, thats amazing!
thank you so much
Comment from Sothis
Time October 20, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Thanks, Shepy, for keeping up the work on this. It’s great. I have noticed a problem with assigning “function” keys to the buttons:
F1 to F6 – the buttons show Usr1 to Usr6, result is always CTRL-H ; F7 to F12 -the buttons show and act like F1 to F6 .
Comment from Shepy
Time October 21, 2008 at 12:37 am
Sothis,
I have now corrected that bug and release version 0.7.2 which should have the F keys working correctly, thanks for letting me know.
Cheers
~Shepy
Comment from Sothis
Time October 21, 2008 at 8:10 am
Thanks, Shepy!
Comment from Alex
Time October 26, 2008 at 12:42 am
Thanks for really useful program.
what about making double click mode (like in Word for some buttons): if click once – button will release after … sec.; dubclick (or right button) – stick mode.
Comment from Shepy
Time October 29, 2008 at 7:02 am
Alex,
The functionality you want was already present in Modlock.
If you click once, and have timers set in the options, then the button will release after that amount of time.
If you right click the button then that button will lock on till you click it again.
Cheers
~Shepy
Comment from Josean
Time November 10, 2008 at 9:37 am
It is a very ussefull utility.
At last, I can use babylon comfortably in my Tablet PC.
But I have a little problem: I have just installed modlock in Windows Vista Home Premium. It works fine. However, when I push the option button, the following error is shown: “Runtime error 339. Component ‘MSCOMCTL.OCX’ or one of its dependencies not correctly registered. A file is missing or invalid. So I cannot configure modlock. The rest of funcionality works ok.
Regards,
Josean
Comment from Shepy
Time November 10, 2008 at 10:44 am
You seem to have a corrupted Visual Basic Runtimes Josen.
If you re-install that you should be able to use ModLock correctly.
Cheers
~Shepy
Comment from Anestis
Time January 31, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Very useful exactly what I wanted. Is it possible to have an extra check-box, in order the button to be relished after the first click on the screen instead the timer?
Comment from Shepy
Time February 2, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Unfortunately not Anetis, that would require monitoring all system wide mouse events, which could get quite unnecessarily resource intensive.
~Shepy
Comment from pechorin
Time February 3, 2009 at 9:41 am
hi! still using and loving your little program
i comment a pair of things, just in case you are bored
1. when you move the bar, sometimes you cant see it until you release the button. i am not sure when it happens, i think after selecting the bar the second time
2. would it be very difficult to add a snap option to edges and the taskbar?
thank you!!
btw, why \alt, ctrl, shift\ and not \ctrl, alt, shift\?
Comment from CioN
Time February 15, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Great job!!
The customisable buttons are a big help to work.
Only one suggestion, why can’t hide the others buttons, for example shift. This option would make modlock more customisable
Comment from Serge
Time February 17, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Shepy, thanks a lot for the cool app!
Great idea, definitely “must have” for every tablet pc user, this is (almost) exactly what I was looking for since I bought the tablet PC.
Do you still support this project? There is one more wish, if possible:
The same as Josean, I want to use Babylon without a keyboard. Your tool is indispensable for it, but I think it would be super cool if a temporary modifier could be assigned to a double-click of side button of a stylus.
It seems, all pens for today active digitizers have eraser and side button serving as a right mouse button. When I click this button on my stylus, the OS detects it even if I don’t touch the screen (the mouse pointer changes). How do you think, it is possible to assign a modifier to such an action?
Cheers!
Serge.
Comment from Shepy
Time February 18, 2009 at 5:32 am
pechorin:
1) Not quite sure why that is, ill look into it for the next release.
2) Sounds like a good idea, i’ll see what i can do ![]()
3) Alphabetical order, why do you pick ctrl/alt/shift?
CioN:
Its main function is the those primary buttons, making these hidable as well would mean a major revamp of the resizing / hiding code, which i just dont have the time to do. It was never really about customisation, it was about providing pen access to a few buttons.
Serge: I’m afraid that it something you would need to check in your pen drivers. I can happily code in an API call or a run option that presses a button if called from the drivers, if your pen drivers allow for execution of arbitrary code etc on press?
~Shepy
Comment from pechorin
Time February 18, 2009 at 3:43 pm
i think it is just the standard way… order in the keyboard or something. nevermind anyway
it is great you are so close to users, we love your applicaion, thank you!
Comment from Thomas Pope
Time February 19, 2009 at 12:31 am
What a wonderful little application!
The only thing I would like to see is the ability to add things like Ctrl-Z to the custom buttons list.
Even so, this is incredibly helpful for Photoshop and Illustrator. Thank you!
Comment from Jon
Time March 1, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Great little tool for tablet users, I’ve been looking for something similar for a while now. So, what’s the chance of allowing each button to trigger two or three keys, as what I really, really want is a button to press Ctl-Z and Ctl-Shift-Z, that is, undo and redo?
How’s about it? That would be the perfect tablet tool!
Comment from Tim
Time April 5, 2009 at 1:24 am
I would also like the ability to bind the additional keys to key combos. Great tool, thanks!
Comment from Andario
Time April 22, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Hi Shepy, thanks a lot for the software.
Unfortunately, I too have the same problem as the guy a few posts above, the auto-release never works for me. It’s weird, because it only let me use 0 or 0.5, and no other number (neither using the arrows or typing in it), and the auto-release never works. A real pain, since I always forget to turn it off each and every time I press a key.
I´m using an original XP Tablet, US version, and no resident antivirus. (If that helps, I noticed that the other guy who had the auto-release problem was in Spain as I am, not sure if it may have something to do with language settings??)
Thanks mate.
Comment from Andario
Time April 22, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Forgot to say that perhaps an older version might work for me, is it possible to get one of those?
Comment from pshop
Time May 5, 2009 at 8:13 am
hello. awesome tool. just one request, is it possible to add brakets to the additional keys?
Comment from pshop
Time May 5, 2009 at 8:19 am
square [] brackets specifically, they are photoshop brush resize shortcut keys.
Comment from Lasphere
Time May 6, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Hey mighy-creator-of-this-pieceofart-software!
I was wondering if I could come with a request for and useful addition to modlock. If would be nice if it was possible to set key like: alt+f4, and alt-t and so on. You know, customizable keys.
i could really use windowsbutton-t.
Comment from Juan carlos
Time May 10, 2009 at 1:16 am
Hi shepy, thank’s for the software, cool work.
Unfortunately I have the same problem that Andario have, I use mor or less the same configuration that him, I am also from Spain.
Well if you know how to fix it, or if you want that I try same thing, please put it in the post.
Anyway, thank’s a lot for the program, I love it.










Comment from Sherbople
Time August 21, 2008 at 1:48 am
Looks like a really good idea – simple, nice and small. I’ve only just ordered my tablet, and this software fixes one of the problems that I had anticipated when I was going to use flash/PS/etc. I’ll have to play with the settings and find the best way to use it. Anyways, thanks for making my life easier