Using a neat little program called Sapiens, you can quickly launch any program on your Mac without using your keyboard. This brief overview will guide you through setting up and using Sapiens.
Please note: This guide was originally published back in 2007. Fast forward to 2020 and Sapiens still exists – but can only be found on 3rd party sites like Softsonic. With that said, it still works.
- After you’ve downloaded Sapiens and installed it, launch it from your Applications list. To bring up the main ‘launcher’, move your mouse cursor in a circle (clockwise or counter-clockwise).
- You’ll see a brief animation and the launcher will open.
- If you mouse your cursor over any of the program icons, that programs name will be displayed. Click the icon and that program will launch.
- One of the main features of Sapiens is that over time, it learns what programs you use, and when you use them. Before Sapiens becomes “smarter”, you can type a programs name to bring it into focus. In the screenshot below, I entered cal and all of the programs that contain the 3 characters (c, a and l) are displayed.
- Click the small ‘tools’ icon at the bottom of the Sapiens window to bring up its settings. The first tab, Foundation, lists all of the folders that Sapiens will look in for programs. If you store some of your applications in non-default locations, you can add those locations here.
- The Activation tab lets you change the sensitivity of the “circle gesture”. Or, change the Sapiens activation method to a keyboard combo/shortcut.
- Select the Advanced settings… button from the Activation tab. From here you can specify programs that will ignore the “circle gesture”. For example, if you play video games that involve moving your mouse in a circular motion, you’ll want to add them to this list – so Sapiens doesn’t launch in the middle of a game.
- Select the Layout tab. From here, you can change the way Sapiens is presented. Try each one out and see if you like them more than the default view.
- Below is a screenshot of the Mini visual layout.
