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Configuration
This guide explains how to adjust Dwellpy's settings for your specific needs.
Click the SETUP button on the Dwellpy toolbar to open the settings dialog.
What it does: Maximum distance your cursor can move while still "dwelling" in one spot.
How to adjust: Use the slider or hover over the +/- buttons.
Recommended values:
- 3-8 pixels: Good cursor control (regular mouse, precise head tracker)
- 8-15 pixels: Head tracker users, minor tremors
- 12-20 pixels: Hand tremors, cerebral palsy, less precise control
Tips:
- Start with 8-10 pixels and adjust from there
- Too low = hard to dwell (keeps resetting)
- Too high = accidental clicks when moving between targets
What it does: How long you must hold your cursor in position before a click happens.
How to adjust: Use the slider or hover over the +/- buttons.
Recommended values:
- 0.1-0.5 seconds: Quick response, less fatigue
- 0.5-0.8 seconds: Balanced (good for most head tracker users)
- 0.8-2.0 seconds: Prevents accidental clicks, gives time to move away
Tips:
- Shorter times = faster but more accidental clicks
- Longer times = slower but more deliberate
- Most users find 0.6-0.8 seconds works well
Enable window transparency: Makes the toolbar see-through when your cursor isn't over it.
Transparency level: How see-through the toolbar becomes (10-90%).
Why use it: Reduces visual clutter while keeping the toolbar accessible.
Recommended: Enable at 70% transparency for most users.
What it does: Shows a brief visual animation (expanding circle) at the location where clicks are performed.
Colors by click type:
- Blue: Left clicks
- Green: Right clicks
- White: Double clicks and middle clicks
- Red: Drag actions (both down and up)
When to enable:
- Learning to use Dwellpy effectively
- Confirming clicks are happening where expected
- Troubleshooting click accuracy issues
- Presentations or demonstrations
When to disable:
- Reduces visual distractions during regular use
- Gaming or video applications where animations might interfere
- Battery optimization on portable devices
Default setting: Enabled
What it does: Automatically turns on dwell clicking when Dwellpy starts.
When to enable: If you always want dwell clicking active immediately.
When to disable: If you prefer to manually turn it on when needed.
What it does: Shows/hides the floating scroll helper that follows your cursor.
When to enable: For reading documents, browsing web pages, or working with long content.
When to disable: When using on-screen keyboards or other tools that might conflict.
What it does: Controls how fast scrolling happens when you hover over the scroll arrows.
Scale: 1 = slowest (200ms between scrolls), 10 = fastest (20ms between scrolls)
Recommended values:
- 1-3: Slow, controlled scrolling for precise reading
- 4-6: Medium speed for general use
- 7-10: Fast scrolling for quickly moving through content
Dwellpy has two types of click modes:
- Default Mode (Blue button): LEFT click - your primary click type, always returns to this
- Temporary Mode (Red button): Used once, then returns to LEFT click
- Use temporary mode: Click any mode button other than LEFT (turns red)
- Make temporary permanent: Click the same red button again (stays red until used)
- Return to LEFT: All modes return to LEFT click after being used once
The default mode is always LEFT click and cannot be changed.
Move Limit: 10-15 pixels
Dwell Time: 0.5-0.8 seconds
Scroll Speed: 3-5
Transparency: Enabled at 70%
Visible Clicks: Enabled (helpful for learning)
Auto Collapse: Enabled
Expansion Direction: Auto
Why: Head trackers have natural small movements, so higher move limit prevents constant resets. Medium dwell time balances speed with accuracy. Auto collapse reduces visual clutter while maintaining quick access.
Move Limit: 12-20 pixels
Dwell Time: 0.3-0.6 seconds (adjust based on tremor frequency)
Scroll Speed: 2-4
Transparency: Enabled at 60-80%
Visible Clicks: Enabled (confirms successful clicks)
Auto Collapse: Disabled (keeps controls always visible)
Why: Higher move limit accommodates tremor movement. Dwell time may need to be shorter if maintaining position is difficult. Keep UI expanded for easier target acquisition.
Move Limit: 8-12 pixels
Dwell Time: 0.1-0.5 seconds
Scroll Speed: 6-8
Start Active: Enabled
Visible Clicks: Enabled
Auto Collapse: Enabled
Expansion Direction: Auto
Why: Shorter dwell time reduces sustained effort needed. Faster scroll speed for efficiency. Auto-start eliminates need to manually activate. Auto collapse reduces cognitive load.
Move Limit: 15-20 pixels
Dwell Time: 0.8-1.2 seconds
Scroll Speed: 2-3
Visible Clicks: Disabled (reduces eye strain)
Auto Collapse: Enabled
Expansion Direction: Horizontal (easier eye movement patterns)
Why: Eye trackers can be less precise than other input methods. Longer dwell time prevents accidental activation from brief glances. Horizontal layout supports natural left-right eye scanning.
- Increase Dwell Time (try +0.2 seconds)
- Decrease Move Limit (try -2 pixels)
- Check if scroll widget is interfering
- Decrease Dwell Time (try -0.2 seconds)
- Increase Move Limit (try +3 pixels)
- Ensure transparency isn't too high
- Temporarily switch to a different mode for precision work
- Consider lowering Move Limit for detailed tasks
- Use scroll widget for document navigation instead of precise scrolling
- Disable transparency if using older hardware
- Reduce scroll speed if system feels sluggish
- Close other accessibility tools that might conflict
- Disable visible clicks if experiencing frame rate issues in applications
- If auto collapse interferes with workflow, disable it in settings
- Try different expansion directions if UI expands in wrong direction
- Ensure cursor movement isn't triggering constant collapse/expand cycles
- Disable visible clicks if animations cause seizures or motion sensitivity
- Adjust expansion direction if UI blocks important screen areas
- Consider transparency settings if collapsed UI is hard to see
You can hover over the +/- buttons in settings to adjust values quickly without dragging sliders.
After changing settings:
- Try clicking on different sized targets
- Test scrolling through a document
- Try precision tasks like selecting text
- Adjust as needed
Your settings are saved automatically, but if you find settings that work well, note them down in case you need to reinstall.
Future Enhancement: Multiple user profiles for different activities (reading vs. productivity) would be a useful addition.
| Task | Move Limit | Dwell Time | Visible Clicks | Auto Collapse | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General use | 8-12px | 0.6-0.8s | Enabled | Enabled | Balanced settings |
| Reading/browsing | 10-15px | 0.4-0.6s | Enabled | Enabled | Enable scroll widget |
| Precision work | 5-8px | 0.8-1.0s | Enabled | Disabled | Temporary mode helpful |
| Gaming | 6-10px | 0.3-0.5s | Disabled | Disabled | Fast response needed |
| Drawing/design | 3-6px | 1.0-1.5s | Enabled | Disabled | Maximum precision |
| Learning/training | 8-12px | 0.8-1.2s | Enabled | Disabled | Visual feedback helpful |
Remember: These are starting points. Everyone's needs are different, so experiment to find what works best for you.
What it does: Automatically shrinks the Dwellpy toolbar to a single button when your cursor moves away from it.
How it works:
- When enabled, the toolbar contracts to a small button showing current status after 1 second
- The contracted button shows current mode (e.g., "LEFT", "OFF", "DRAG*" for temporary mode)
- Hover over the contracted button to expand back to full toolbar
- Auto-expands when cursor returns to the area
When to enable:
- Reduce screen clutter during regular computer use
- Maximize available screen real estate
- Minimize visual distractions while keeping Dwellpy accessible
When to disable:
- Prefer having all controls always visible
- Frequently switch between click modes
- Using touch screen or other direct input methods
Default setting: Disabled
What it controls: Which direction the UI expands when auto-collapse is enabled.
Options:
- Auto (Default): Automatically chooses the best direction based on screen position and available space
- Horizontal: Always expands left-to-right (traditional toolbar layout)
- Vertical: Always expands top-to-bottom (column layout)
Auto mode logic:
- Analyzes available screen space in all directions
- Prefers horizontal expansion when space permits
- Falls back to vertical if horizontal space is limited
- Considers screen edges and multi-monitor setups
When to use specific directions:
- Horizontal: Wide screens, traditional desktop layouts
- Vertical: Narrow screens, side-mounted positioning, ultrawide monitors
- Auto: Most users - let Dwellpy choose the optimal layout
Note: This setting only applies when "Contract UI when cursor is outside" is enabled.