Improved Dictionary functions in Mac OSX Lion

[FadedStardust]

One of my new favorite features of the newest version of OSX that was released last week is the new Dictionary pop-up functionality.

Using the built-in Dictionary app that comes pre-installed and 小词典 http://xiaocidian.com/ plugin for it, which uses the free CC-EDICT, I can click into web pages, emails, QQ chats (and context menus, such as the description of a group) and three-finger double-tap on my MacBook Pro's trackpad and get an instant translation! The feature a LOT of Chinese learners have been wanting has finally arrived, and it's built right in to the OS!

(To be fair, there is a keyboard shortcut that can be enabled in Snow Leopard that kinda does this, but it was always waaaay too buggy to be useful, at least on my machine... so I never used it and don't remember what it was or how to enable it)

I've attached a screenshot of this feature in action in a QQ group window, looking up a word in the group's description.

[hbuchtel]

Would you mind explaining in more detail how you did this?

I downloaded and installed the 小词典 from their website, and it works well from within the Mac dictionary program, but I haven't figured out how to do the 'three-finger double-tap' to look up characters within other programs. Actually, selecting the text and control-clicking (or two-finger double-tap, or right-click) to bring up the menu doesn't show the definition either . . .

Thanks!

[muirm]

The three-finger double-tap worked for me (in English) right out of the box. You are running Lion on a newish Macbook, right? Older Macbooks' trackpads can't do all the gestures the modern ones can, I believe.

Anyway, to get the Chinese lookups to happen I had to open the Preferences in the Dictionary App and fiddle with the preferred dictionary order. It must have been a bug because even after I set it back to the original order the lookups still worked.

[hbuchtel]

Thanks for the response - yes, I'm using a Macbook that hasn't become obsolete yet , with Lion.

Right now selecting Chinese text and bringing up a menu (by double-finger tapping or right clicking) does show the 'Look up in dictionary' option. This is pretty useful, but a pop up definition would be even better!

Looking in the System Preferences under trackpad, there is actually an option for 'Look Up' (double-tap with three fingers), and it is on . . . but it still doesn't work, even with English! 'Tis a puzzle, this.