Hotkeys: Selection Objects Window

[DzinEye]

4 minutes ago, dshall said:

The above statement is the key to understanding hotkey options.

Ya... after I wrote you and Glenn I re-read your statement and it was clear you were saying what I'm trying to say.  I think it was that you re-pasted Glenn's statement in BOLD that threw me off...  I thought you were saying that.

 

3 minutes ago, dshall said:

BTW, if you can wait about 5. hours,  Glenn should be rising out of bed

LOL... too funny... I actually looked to see what Australia-time was right after I typed and realized I probably wouldn't be hearing back for a while!

[SNestor]

33 minutes ago, DzinEye said:

Nice video as always Steve.  Nothing at all to disparage the other video makers here, they're all great, but yours are definitely the cream of the crop. 

Definitely not having to search for an icon to click-on for everything is a huge time-saver.  

Thanks so much. Greatly appreciated!

[glennw]

 

5 hours ago, DzinEye said:

My understanding and my point is simply this:   I can make a hot key combo like "SSS".... but if I have that, I cannot ALSO have "SS" or just "S" as hot-keys... or vice-versa.
Please of course correct me if I am wrong, because I would love to be wrong in this case!

 

Mark,

What you say is correct.

My point is that you were originally saying that you wanted a single keystroke shortcut and using Enter (or Space) to complete the shortcut.

This can be done.

In your case it is complicated by the fact that you have reassigned the Spacebar (I assume).

This also does not preclude you from having a shortcut like SS or SSS (one or the other).

The vast majority of my shortcuts are 2 letter which is almost enough to cover the majority of the most used commands.

I also have several 3 letter commands which I hardly ever use.

The beauty of the 2 letter commands is that they can be logical, like:

ZA zoom all

ZP zoom previous

LI draw line

IL input line

HD hinged door

SD sliding door

[glennw]

10 hours ago, dshall said:

"This does not preclude you from have shortcuts like "AA", "AAA", "AAB", "AAC", "ABB"."

 

The above bold statement is not correct. You can not have the AA if you want the AAA and AAB.  Think about it....  how would CA know that after you type in AA you that another keystroke is next.

 

Below is an example.  For CABINET hot keys I use a 2 stroke hot key starting with a "C".  If I want to use a single keystroke of a "C" I get the following message.  IOW,  if I want to use a single stroke hot key,  the keystroke cannot be used to begin a multiple hot key operation.

 

 

Scott,

You have to take what I said in context.

I was talking about using a single keystroke WITH the Spacebar.

I can have a single letter (well...a single letter and the spacebar) cabinet shortcut "C Space" AND I can also have a shortcut "CB".

 

[DzinEye]

27 minutes ago, glennw said:

 

My point is that you were originally saying that you wanted a single keystroke shortcut and using Enter (or Space) to complete the shortcut.

Good Morning Glenn,
I was kinda saying that, but my meaning was that if we were required to use a true <Enter> to initiate a command (not a part of the hot-key combo), then we could use the same key once, twice, thrice etc. all together in any given hot-key setup.  

 

27 minutes ago, glennw said:

The beauty of the 2 letter commands is that they can be logical, like:

ZA zoom all

ZP zoom previous

LI draw line

IL input line

HD hinged door

SD sliding door

Right... totally agree with this and for the most part this is what I've done.
There's just a few issues... like I wouldn't use L or I as hot-keys as you have because I have to take my hand off the mouse or move my left hand from the home-keys to do it.
This means ideally I want all my hot-keys to be reachable from my left hand without looking at the keyboard to move my hand from the home-keys.   Thus, to get more use from just the left side of the keyboard I'd like to be able to use the single key hot keys as well as the multiple key hot keys of the same key.  
Anywhoo... I've gotten a workable system down that probably uses a few more  triple hot-key combo's than you have but it works.
 

[glennw]

9 minutes ago, DzinEye said:

This means ideally I want all my hot-keys to be reachable from my left hand without looking at the keyboard to move my hand from the home-keys.   Thus, to get more use from just the left side of the keyboard I'd like to be able to use the single key hot keys as well as the multiple key hot keys of the same key.

 

Have you thought of moving the keyboard a little to the left (assuming you are right handed).  

[DzinEye]

5 minutes ago, glennw said:

 

Have you thought of moving the keyboard a little to the left (assuming you are right handed).  

No, but I've considered getting a few more fingers added to my left hand.

[glennw]

6 hours ago, DzinEye said:

BTW...for select I use Shift-S ... but 99% of the time Escape (spacebar) gets me back to select when I want it.

 

Ah,

So you are using simultaneous keystrokes - not sequential.

I don't use any simultaneous shortcuts - too hard to use.

[DzinEye]

1 minute ago, glennw said:

So you are using simultaneous keystrokes - not sequential.

Just a few... using the Shift key is a normal part of typing so not too hard to master

[glennw]

Are you aware that you can select any object with a right mouse click no matter what command is current.

No need for any shortcut or keyboard entry.

[DzinEye]

2 hours ago, glennw said:

Are you aware that you can select any object with a right mouse click no matter what command is current.

No need for any shortcut or keyboard entry.

I am, but I probably don't use it as much as I could because of the pop-up menu you get with it... and I know you can turn that off, but I like that feature.

[Alaskan_Son]

7 minutes ago, DzinEye said:

I am, but I probably don't use it as much as I could because of the pop-up menu you get with it... and I know you can turn that off, but I like that feature.

 

Don't turn it off.  Just change it to Click Twice To Display

[DzinEye]

Just now, Alaskan_Son said:

 

Don't turn it off.  Just change it to Click Twice To Display

Ya, I should probably do that.  I'd considered it a while back.

[Alaskan_Son]

25 minutes ago, DzinEye said:

Ya, I should probably do that.  I'd considered it a while back.

 

I personally think massive overuse of the Select Objects tool is one of the most detrimental habits practiced by the average Chiefer.  I think we all have those habits that we know we need to quit, and this is one of my own personal worst offenders as well.  I know better, but I developed an affinity for the space bar years ago and for whatever reason, it's been a very very difficult habit to break.  It is FAR more efficient to leave the appropriate tools active and either take advantage of the restrictive selection that brings with or use right click to select other objects. 

 

In addition, I think Escape is also underused.  Escape simply takes you back one tool at a time.  This can be used to simply back out of the current operation (without losing your selection mind you) or back to the last tool(s) you had activated.  I guess this is also related to overuse of Select Object though since most people's initial reaction to escape an operation is to switch to Select Objects. 

[DzinEye]

9 minutes ago, Alaskan_Son said:

In addition, I think Escape is also underused.  Escape simply takes you back one tool at a time.  This can be used to simply back out of the current operation (without losing your selection mind you) or back to the last tool(s) you had activated.  I guess this is also related to overuse of Select Object though since most people's initial reaction to escape an operation is to switch to Select Objects. 

Well... I've been saying I mapped Escape to my spacebar...but that's slightly wrong as I don't think Chief will allow a remap of the actual Escape key in full. (At least I couldn't find a way).  Instead I mapped the command ( Cancel Selection/Previous Command ) to my Spacebar.. which I think performs the same usual task as Escape in most circumstances.  It doesn't always work as Escape would work though, which kind of irks me... but for the most part I usually do exactly what you're saying, by using the Spacebar to back out of what I'm doing and still keeping my selection.    However... yes I do the less efficient behavior too by hitting it twice or thrice to get back to Select Objects sometimes instead of right clicking because my brain has locked in that that habit gets me the pop-up menu.  You're spot on with the point that these bad habits are hard to break.  

[glennw]

24 minutes ago, Alaskan_Son said:

In addition, I think Escape is also underused.  Escape simply takes you back one tool at a time.  This can be used to simply back out of the current operation (without losing your selection mind you)

Michael,

I lose my selection with an Esc.

OOB Esc cancels selection, cancels the current action and activates the previous tool.

[Alaskan_Son]

4 minutes ago, glennw said:

Michael,

I lose my selection with an Esc.

OOB Esc cancels selection, cancels the current action and activates the previous tool.

 

That's only if you're not doing anything and only have an object selected.  There's no reason to hit escape if you're not in the middle of an operation though right? 

 

Just a quick example:  I find myself hitting the Escape key all the time when I've accidentally started dragging an object, resizing an object, maybe dragging the wrong corner, or activating Resize edit mode instead of Concentric, etc..  Either way, I simply want to escape out of the operation.  Switching to the Select Objects tool though, doesn't just escape out of the operation.  It drops the current tool and loses the selected object(s) entirely.  This means in many cases you're forced to reactivate a tool and/or re-select one or more objects. 

[DzinEye]

9 hours ago, glennw said:

OOB Esc cancels selection, cancels the current action and activates the previous tool.

Ya, now thinking back, I believe I did the Spacebar remap to the normal Escape function because quite sometime ago @Alaskan_Son explained similarly as he did about the Escape function usually being superior to using the Spacebar's normal 'Select Object' behavior.  I kind of recall doing exactly what you just did and thinking the same thing.. 'All it did was drop everything and go back to Select Objects.'  I didn't really fully appreciate the difference until I started using it more frequently after putting it on the Spacebar.  The Spacebar is just so much more convenient to hit than the Escape key,  it made sense to change it's function. 

[payettedesigns]

Wow:

 

Just getting around to reading this tirade on Hot Keys. I am always amazed with the knowledge of some of you guys. I used Revit and AutoCAD for a long time and they are all good products for what they are purposed for. If your doing Custom Home Design and additions and actually want to run a decent business Revit and AutoCAD are hyper inflated  and over complex for the task, yes you can do it and they work but really do you want to?  I use about 10 Hotkeys and I will probably  add some more soon. The thing here in these forums and in the Chief User Facebook that amazes me is just really how smart some of you guys are. I have a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in design and I am stunned by just how stupid I am. I do at least 20 Custom Home jobs a year and a boat load of additions as well as some light commercial projects.  I do not have the time you guys  have to keep up with all the fancy equipment. We use a simple 3d Connexion Cad Mouse all are Computers are Dell Precision Workstations or XPS Work Stations we use HP Design Jet T630 Plotters and we have one expensive scanner. I hear guys going out and getting a big as-built done in a couple hours and how they can complete a project that takes me a good work week  in a few hours and I seriously want to just give up. It takes me a full day sometimes to do a decent size as-built in sometimes multiple days and yes we use lasers. Guys like Alaska Son, Joey Martin etc, etc your like the Gods of Chief Architect and some of you other guys blow me away with the equipment. Extra Numerical Keypads this that and the other thing.   I am convinced I must really suck at time management. Look we bring in about 300 grand a year after expenses who knows but Chief Architect for the last 8 almost nine years has made me an incredible living. We bought Lumion two years ago I don't have time to learn it. I have only had a few clients that would pay for that level of perfection in Ray-Tracing. We have not had time to even put some great marketing 3d stuff together because for those almost nine years we have been swamped. I am not being facetious here, I read through these forums at what you guys know and how well your doing it and I literally want to retire for the second time. God Bless you guys your all amazing you must be financially crushing it..