VS Code trackpad setup.
The editor is keyboard-first. A scene should remove the four mouse reaches around the code, not replace the keys.
VS Code is a keyboard application. If you are already typing at speed, the trackpad is not how you edit code and it should not try to be. The useful place for a trackpad layout is around the editor: the palette, the terminal, the sidebar, and the file you just opened.
The four reaches a scene can remove
- Command palette (Command-Shift-P) — top-left corner.
- Terminal (Control-backtick) — top-right corner.
- Quick Open (Command-P) — two-finger tap.
- New file (Command-N) — bottom-right corner.
What to leave alone
Do not map scrolling, text selection, or cursor movement. The trackpad is excellent at those already, and a utility that intercepts them makes the editor feel broken. Do not map Command-C or Command-V either; the risk of a misfire is higher than the reward.
The scene, step by step
Create a scene for Visual Studio Code, apply the Developer recipe as the baseline, then change the two-finger tap from the command palette to Quick Open and add the terminal to the top-right corner. The Developer recipe already has back and forward on two-finger swipes, which VS Code uses for navigation history on some setups; test those before keeping them.
If you use Cursor or another VS Code fork, add a scene for that bundle too. The shortcuts are the same, so the layout can be identical.
When the keyboard wins
Command-Shift-P, Control-backtick, and Command-P are fast once they are in your hands. A corner is not faster; it is easier to remember. If you already remember the shortcut, keep the shortcut and use the scene for something else.
Make the trackpad do more than point.
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Does VS Code support trackpad gestures?
It supports normal scrolling and pointer movement. There is no built-in new-tab or palette gesture; those are keyboard shortcuts a trackpad utility can map.
Is a trackpad scene useful for coding?
Only for the four or five actions you keep reaching for with the mouse. Editing and selection are better left to the trackpad and keyboard as they are.
Does the scene work in Cursor or VSCodium?
Yes, if you create a separate scene for that app. The shortcuts are the same, so the layout can be copied.
Will it conflict with VS Code shortcuts?
Only if you map the same shortcut twice. Keep one owner per action and test the two-finger swipes before enabling them.
Sources
App behaviour checked November 2026. Shortcuts and defaults change between releases; confirm in the app.
For the Apple-native version: an Xcode scene.