Send Trackpad gestures over Barrier/Synergy using BetterTouchTool

README.md

Problem: Controlling a remote Mac desktop using a tool like Barrier or Synergy doesn't allow for trackpad gestures to be sent to the client machine.

Solution: Use Better Touch Tool on host machine to handle the gestures and send a remote command to the client machine.

Steps to setup:

[1] On the CLIENT machine in BTT setup these Named triggers:

Name: “mission”
Action: “Mission Control”

Name: “right”
Action: “Move Right a Space”

Name: “left”
Action: “Move Left a space”

[2] On client - enable BetterTouchTool Webserver

[3] On the HOST, disable *Swipe Better full-screen apps” and “mission control” from the Trackpad preferences (you are going to control all these gestures using BTT)

[4] In Trackpad items in BTT on host create an action for “3 Finger Swipe up”, another for “3 Finger Swipe Right”, etc

Each one should execute the terminal command to send the curl command which calls the named action on your client.

For example when you 3 finger swipe left, you call this: curl http://169.254.100.150:12345/trigger_named/?trigger_name=left

I like to do a modifier key for the remote machine (here I’m using ctrl) so the action doesn’t trigger on the host. And then your host actions are also setup as you can see in the screenshot above.

Is anyone been able to get this work on Big Sur? I am having trouble.

Works fine on Big Sur here, between intel MacBook and M1 mini...

Does anyone know how i could use this between a macOs and a Windows ? Doesn't matter if the server is the mac or the windows. I would like to use gesture both on mac and windows

please can you make the steps a little more detailed?

@ThomasKleinhans You can use Barrier or Synergy to use share a keyboard/mouse between both devices and then map gestures with BTT to send a keystroke, Barrier or Synergy should then target the correct device (client or server) with that keystroke. You can also remap some keys/keystrokes with Barrier or Synergy.

@spoelstraethan That's a good idea, but I guess you haven't actually tried it? It doesn't work. The virtual keystrokes that BTT generates are not the same as actually pressing keys on the keyboard. Barrier doesn't send them to the client.

Is there any thinkable way of enabling zoom gestures with BTT? I used every remote software on the market but I cannot zoom anything on my Macbook Pro host with my magic trackpad 2 connected on the client. All multi touch gestures are interpreted on the client, not on the host :(

You can also use advanced conditions on the host computer's BTT settings to cause the triggers to fire only when your mouse is on the client computer.

The "Other Current State" section can help you find useful conditions.