Use option-arrows with Unicode Hex Input

Question

I recently switched to the Unicode Hex Input to make typing technical symbols easier. It seems, though, that the way it uses the option key to detect unicode input overrules the ⌥+arrow method of navigating text.

Is there any way to use both Unicode Hex Input and this shortcut?

Answer 1

I've disabled the ⌘+⌥+space shortcut for Spotlight window (since I never used it anyway), but enabled the same shortcut to switch to the next input method. (You can configure this in the Keyboard preference pane.)

So whenever you need to use the ⌥ key to navigate, you can punch the three keys, do your navigating, punch them again, and be back in Unicode mode (if you only have two input sources; otherwise you'll cycle through them.)

Answer 2

Downlolad Ukelele and copy System Keyboards/Unicode/Unicode Hex Input.keylayout from the disk image to /Library/Keyboard Layouts/. Keyboard layouts in the user library can't be selected in password dialogs or the login window.

Open the keylayout file in a text editor and replace <keyMap index="3"> with this:

<keyMap index="3">
    <key code="0" action="10" />
    <key code="2" action="13" />
    <key code="3" action="15" />
    <key code="8" action="12" />
    <key code="11" action="11" />
    <key code="14" action="14" />
    <key code="18" action="1" />
    <key code="19" action="2" />
    <key code="20" action="3" />
    <key code="21" action="4" />
    <key code="22" action="6" />
    <key code="23" action="5" />
    <key code="25" action="9" />
    <key code="26" action="7" />
    <key code="28" action="8" />
    <key code="29" action="0" />
    <key code="82" action="0" />
    <key code="83" action="1" />
    <key code="84" action="2" />
    <key code="85" action="3" />
    <key code="86" action="4" />
    <key code="87" action="5" />
    <key code="88" action="6" />
    <key code="89" action="7" />
    <key code="91" action="8" />
    <key code="92" action="9" />
    <key code="1" output="s" />
    <key code="4" output="h" />
    <key code="5" output="g" />
    <key code="6" output="z" />
    <key code="7" output="x" />
    <key code="9" output="v" />
    <key code="10" output="&#x00a7;" />
    <key code="12" output="q" />
    <key code="13" output="w" />
    <key code="15" output="r" />
    <key code="16" output="y" />
    <key code="17" output="t" />
    <key code="24" output="=" />
    <key code="27" output="-" />
    <key code="30" output="]" />
    <key code="31" output="o" />
    <key code="32" output="u" />
    <key code="33" output="[" />
    <key code="34" output="i" />
    <key code="35" output="p" />
    <key code="36" output="&#x000d;" />
    <key code="37" output="l" />
    <key code="38" output="j" />
    <key code="39" output="'" />
    <key code="40" output="k" />
    <key code="41" output=";" />
    <key code="42" output="\" />
    <key code="43" output="," />
    <key code="44" output="/" />
    <key code="45" output="n" />
    <key code="46" output="m" />
    <key code="47" output="." />
    <key code="48" output="&#x0009;" />
    <key code="49" output=" " />
    <key code="50" output="`" />
    <key code="51" output="&#x0008;" />
    <key code="52" output="&#x0003;" />
    <key code="53" output="&#x001b;" />
    <key code="54" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="55" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="56" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="57" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="58" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="59" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="60" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="61" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="62" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="63" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="64" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="65" output="." />
    <key code="66" output="&#x001d;" />
    <key code="67" output="*" />
    <key code="68" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="69" output="+" />
    <key code="70" output="&#x001c;" />
    <key code="71" output="&#x001b;" />
    <key code="72" output="&#x001f;" />
    <key code="73" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="74" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="75" output="/" />
    <key code="76" output="&#x0003;" />
    <key code="77" output="&#x001e;" />
    <key code="78" output="-" />
    <key code="79" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="80" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="81" output="=" />
    <key code="90" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="93" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="94" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="95" output="&#x0000;" />
    <key code="96" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="97" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="98" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="99" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="100" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="101" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="102" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="103" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="104" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="105" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="106" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="107" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="108" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="109" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="110" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="111" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="112" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="113" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="114" output="&#x0005;" />
    <key code="115" output="&#x0001;" />
    <key code="116" output="&#x000b;" />
    <key code="117" output="&#x007f;" />
    <key code="118" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="119" output="&#x0004;" />
    <key code="120" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="121" output="&#x000c;" />
    <key code="122" output="&#x0010;" />
    <key code="123" output="&#x001c;" />
    <key code="124" output="&#x001d;" />
    <key code="125" output="&#x001f;" />
    <key code="126" output="&#x001e;" />
    <key code="127" output="&#x0000;" />
</keyMap>

Save the file, log out and back in, and enable the new input source in System Preferences.

To apply changes to a keylayout file, you have to log out and back in after for example running sudo touch /Library/Keyboard\ Layouts/.

You can disable other input sources by editing the HIToolbox plist.