I’m sure you’ve caught this already.
Ctrl+G does not work for me.
The menus say that Ctrl+G is the shortcut for both spelling and definition.
Those ones take a bit of getting used to, they’re sort of a two step hotkey - you have to hit Ctrl+G first, and then whatever the next combo is.
So for Define, hit Ctrl+G and then hit Ctrl+F3.
Bonus tip: don’t even let up on Ctrl in between - hit Ctrl+G and then release G, but with Ctrl still depressed, hit F3.
Likewise with spelling - Ctrl+G and then Ctrl+Q.
Maybe they should be expressed differently? Perhaps “Ctrl+G, Q” or something? Not sure if that’s any clearer.
I don’t think it is an issue in Scrivener, as we don’t use any unmodified sequences in a shortcut chord, but in programs that do use chords, each sequence is expressed fully. For example, in Emacs, “C-u 8 C-f” moves the cursor eight characters forward. The 8 is typed in without modifiers (though Emacs will let you be sloppy with it and use Ctrl-8 in the middle, thus not having to alternate Ctrl states). To me, “Ctrl-G, Q” would imply that the Q should/could be pressed without any modifiers.
Scrivener doesn’t have any such shortcuts by default, but it is possible to create custom unmodified sequences in the Keyboard options. Ctrl+G, Q is thus distinct from Ctrl+G, Ctrl+Q.
Once you know how they work there’s no problem, but I can’t think off hand of any other programs that use two part hotkeys like this, so the comma between Ctrl+G and Ctrl+ kinda makes it look like you could use either of those, rather than needing to use both in sequence.
The usual Windows convention seems to be to just pile on modifiers, like Alt+Shift+Ctrl+. I had a look through InDesign yesterday and they do that a lot.
Mind you my hand starts to cramp up just reading some of those, so the two part way in Scriv is certainly friendlier in that regard.
WordPerfect used to work this way as well, back in the DOS days. 
It’s an uncommon solution, but a good one when your software has a high degree of keyboard access. I mentioned Emacs, that’s one of the more well-known examples (at least in certain circles), but even Vim, another 100% keyboard driven text editor, could be classified as chorded (it is just bimodal, so all functional keyboard shortcuts are single key component commands that are strung together to create more complex commands, like ‘dw)P’ to cut a word and then paste it after the current sentence). Either way, the point is ultimate operating efficiency through learned sequences—and I think it’s a pretty good system for that.
We aren’t anywhere near that level of keyboard integration, but it has been a nicer solution to the problem for us than excessive modifiers, mainly because Windows reserves so many modifier combinations, as well as the tendency for some combinations to trigger extended alphabet access on keyboards.
I somehow never got around to using Emacs* or Vim - always preferred Pico or Nano or whichever it was. 
Though I’m surprised I don’t remember that about WordPerfect - I used 5.1 a lot. Just been too long I guess. 
- other than the psychotherapist part.
Haven’t we all. 
Huh. Well, I never would have figured that out on my own, and I have never used a Windows app that uses something like that.
If I saw Ctrl-GQ, I might have figured it out. Forgive me for being blunt, but this is just too quirky/weird, and there’s no reason to resort to it. You have at least 72 Ctrl and Ctrl-Shift combinations to choose from.
I took a quick look in the manual, and didn’t find any description of how it works. I found this:
Additionally, Ctrl-G, Ctrl-F can be used to load the currently selected text into the
“Find” field without opening the panel.
That’s not going to make sense to most people. I tried that, by the way, and it did not work. Ctrl-G-Ctrl-Q works.
Another thing to realize is that some new computers, such as my HP Envy laptop, switch things such that, for example, pressing the F3 key activates the function (in this case screen brightness). You have to hold down the fn to activate F3. Because of this, Ctrl-G, Ctrl-F3 simply does not work.
Recommendation: Buy a third-party library that makes it easy to allow your users to assign their own hotkeys.
With regards to your function keys - you might be able to reverse that and have them work like regular function keys again.
Check your BIOS for Action Keys Mode and disable that.
h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/docu … =c02035108
Don’t know whether that applies to your specific model, you’ll maybe have to dig around HPs support pages a bit.
The description for how these shortcuts work is in the Terms and Conventions section at the very top of the manual:
(Actually that is a more recent rewrite than what is in the PDF—as I did not realise you could hold the Ctrl key down the entire time when initially writing it.)
It’s doubtful there is anything that would work with the Qt coding toolkit, though.
Regarding F-keys, wouldn’t that mean the shortcut is effectively: Fn-Ctrl-F3? That should work, though depending on where the keys are that may be a wrist-breaker. I usually switch these around as well, as SarsenLintel posts. I use F-keys more than I adjust the volume or whatever else the manufacturer felt was more important, and it means Modifier+F-keys are feasible again, whereas nobody is going to be using Ctrl-DisableTrackpad for anything.
Yes, I could switch the function keys back to the original system, but I find that HP’s default plan is much better. IOW, the hardware functions, brightness, volume, etc., are used more frequently than the good-old F1-F12 actions. It’s so much better that I’ll bet almost all users will use it that way.
I agree, it should, but it doesn’t. Ctrl-fn-F3 will always bring up the brightness control. I’ve tried all combinations of what I hold and what I press successively, and it never works.
This is all just to help you guys, since I solve this problem by creating macros with Macro Express, so I can make a shortcut for any command.
One point is that you never know which commands a user might use frequently. Letting the user customize shortcuts is a nice feature.