forum.datacad.com

Posted: **Wed Feb 16, 2005 12:49 pm**

We've created bunch of shortcuts that have helped us make DataCAD 11 more efficient. Here's a list of all of our [CTRL+] shortcuts (some are pre-loaded shortcuts that come with DataCAD). The ones in bold are the ones I believe we created or changed from something else we don't use as often:

[Ctrl+S] = Save
[Ctrl+Z] = Undo
[Ctrl+Y] = Redo
[Ctrl+L] = Layer Manager
[Ctrl+D] = Polyline Menu
[Ctrl+V] = Paste
[Ctrl+B] = Batch Plot
[Ctrl+W] = Weld Line
[Ctrl+F] = Hatch & Fill Menu
[Ctrl+G] = GoToView
[Ctrl+C] = Cleanup Menu
[Ctrl+1] = 1 Line Trim
[Ctrl+2] = 2 Line Trim
[Ctrl+3] = Stretch
[Ctrl+R] = Reference File Manager
[Ctrl+M] = Mirror
[Ctrl+E] = Clipboard Select
[Ctrl+N] = Window Menu
[Ctrl+A] = Doorswing Menu
[Ctrl+O] = Open File
[Ctrl+T] = Symbol Browser
[Ctrl+Q] = Geometry-Offset
[Ctrl+F7] = Spelling
[Ctrl+F1] = Reference Manual

We tried to make most of them one-handed combinations on the left hand so you don't have to release the mouse to use them. If you'd like a copy of this menu file, go to http://www.benchmarkdesign.us/shortcuts and save it as a text file in your My Documents folder with the name "dcadwin.mnu".

Open the program [Start][All Programs][Accessories][Notebook] and then open the "dcadwin.mnu" file you created with the Notebook program. You need to delete the html tags that were added when it was saved so delete the following:

All of this comes off the top:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<title>Untitled Document</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
</head>

<body>

All of this comes off the bottom:

</body>
</html>

After this, the first line in the file should read "File||Display File menu options<br>" and the last line in the file should read "Orphaned Bitmap Manager<br>".

The original file is in the C:\Program Files\DataCAD\Support Files\ folder. Change the name of your original menu file to "dcadwinold.mnu" in case you want to put it back later then copy your new menu file into this directory. The next time you start DataCAD your new shortcuts will be available.

If you have any suggestions for new shortcuts please list them. They have to be [CTRL+something] from what I understand from the help files.

My biggest suggestion would be to allow any key combination to be used in DataCAD for shortcuts. I've sent this to tech support, so maybe it will be available later. The reason for this is it would be nice if all of the generic shortcuts matched other Windows programs. My biggest for instance would be [CTRL+SHIFT+Z] for Undo.

Enjoy!!

Posted: **Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:19 pm**

Hello John:

I have some of the custom ones that you list on Alt- macros already. I'll add my custom Control- shortcuts:

Control-A for Save All, which I use instead of Control-S when ever I have more than one drawing open

Control-F for Refresh All, which I use a lot because I use XRef's a fair amount.

Posted: **Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:28 pm**

We just started using XREFs here. That's a great one. I'll have to see if I can find a letter to use in that file I posted since we use "F" for the Hatch/Fill menu.

Does the "U" function refresh XREFs too or just the current drawing?

Posted: **Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:50 pm**

Hello John:

You can just use H to go to the Hatch menu! :wink:

The U recalculates the Display List, but XRef's have to be Refreshed (or Reloaded) via the Insert/RFM/Refresh All (or Reload All, which is far more "dangerous"), so the Control- shortcut is the best way to do this. Refreshing an XRef is a different thing from refreshing the DL.

Another pointer for working with XRef's: get familiar with the Control-Right Click on an XRef -- there are lots of advantages to using this pop up menu.

Posted: **Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:51 pm**

The Xrefs, use to update when U was hit, but now it seems hit or miss on when they refresh. Sometimes if you use copy to create a new xref it seems like you have save and completely get out of the drawing for it to update. Kind of a bummer, but most I don't have to update them like that too much.

Posted: **Fri Feb 18, 2005 2:05 pm**

Is there somewhere I can find a list of shortcuts for doing 3D operations? I am not quite sure where I'd go look for those.

Posted: **Fri Feb 18, 2005 2:55 pm**

Posted: **Fri Feb 18, 2005 4:47 pm**

Neil Blanchard wrote:Hello John:
You can just use H to go to the Hatch menu!

Thanks for the other way. The reason I like the CTRL+F shortcut for hatch is it's on the left hand. I lose my "groove" if I use a right hand key because I have to look down at where the key is. What do you know, actually learned something in high school that stuck (of course, back then it was called "typing")

Mark F. Madura wrote:This should give you what you want.

MFM

Thanks Mark! That's fantastic!

I must have typed it in wrong before. I tried the CTRL+SHIFT+ and it didn't work for me, but it was the first time I tried changing shortcuts.

Thanks again for the help! I have lots of new shortcuts to creat now :mrgreen:

Posted: **Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:11 pm**

Greetings,

I was going to post my favorite custom Control shortcuts -- but I already have (see above). In (re)browsing this thread, I noticed that John, who started the thread listed Control-W to weld a line -- Alt-W does this by default, I think.

John, do you use Alt-W for something else? How about Alt-S, which is the default for Stretch? Or, have you basically replaced the Alt- functions with Control- shortcuts?

Posted: **Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:46 am**

Neil Blanchard wrote:Greetings,

I was going to post my favorite custom Control shortcuts -- but I already have (see above). In (re)browsing this thread, I noticed that John, who started the thread listed Control-W to weld a line -- Alt-W does this by default, I think.

John, do you use Alt-W for something else? How about Alt-S, which is the default for Stretch? Or, have you basically replaced the Alt- functions with Control- shortcuts?

Hi Neil.

I have replaced some of the [Alt] shortcuts with [Ctrl] functions because it's easier for me to hit those combos. I always have my pinky on the [Ctrl] key and my pointer on the [Alt] key so I can pan freely. I can easily hit all of the left-hand keys with my other fingers without moving my pinky from the [Ctrl] key. On the other hand (or finger in this case) it's hard to reach other keys with your pointer on the [Alt] key so you have to switch fingers (usually to the thumb) and it's still not as easy to hit an [Alt] combo.

Basically, I want the shortcuts I use the most to be available without having to lift my left hand from the keyboard and later have to re-orient that hand. It saves a small amount of time, but multiplied by the 100s of thimes I use them daily it adds up. :wink:

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