Chief Architect Hot Keys for $1000 Alex

[Rich_Winsor]

The answer is: Ctrl+Alt+S

 

It took me a while but I finally got around to creating a Hot Key List. Holy Cow! 130 default Hot Keys? And I can’t even remember to tie my shoes in the morning. I was going to print out a cheat sheet but the html file converts into 3 printed pages. Am I supposed to just man up and commit all 130 (+ any additional customizations) to memory? At some point doesn’t it become a tossup between finding the Hot Key and just executing the command? Back in the day of Lotus 123 and the like they used to have keyboard templates (probably still have them for all I know) that showed Hot Key locations. Does anybody use something like that? How do y’all handle the myriad of Hot Keys?

 

The question is: What is the Hot Key for "Start Camera Spin"?

 

[Bill_Emery]

With windows there are nearly 300 hot keys; I use a few.

With Chief there are 130; I use a few.

Nice to know that they are available; but if someone asks me to remember three things, I'm lucky to remember one.

My dog told me she could count; but anything past one is very confusing.

 

The thing that programmers and developers don't understand is that visual prompts are extremely important to many of us.

This is likely why DOS is a dead language (way too much to remember).

[glennw]

Rich,

 

I think the default shortcut for Camera Spin is Ctrl+Alt+S. ( you need 3 hands and a Twister mat do execute shortcuts like that)

I use the simpler SX.

 

X6 makes it a lot easier to use shortcuts because they can now be sequential key presses (1 to 4, 2 is ideal) unlike the previous simultaneous key presses which were really a pain to use (they are still available).

This now means that shortcuts can be a lot more logical - which in turn means that you don't have to put as much effort into remembering them - take a best guess and you are probably right.

Like:

ZA: Zoom All

ZI: Zoom In

AD: Active defaults

CS: Capture Screen

CC: Current Cad Layer

LD: Layer Defaults

RL: Reverse Layers

 

etc. etc.

Remember that these are 2 letter SEQUENTIAL key presses - not simultaneous.

 

I use a few 3 letter shortcuts along with a few of the default simultaneous shortcuts because I usually don't use then anyway and I haven't got around to changing them yet..

 

Anyone who grew up with Generic Cad will be familiar with this feature and will know how easy it is to use.

 

I have attached my hotkeys list which is still a work in progress.

 

You can import a hotkey list.

I am happy to share mine if anyone is interested.

[Joe_Carrick]

With X6 you can define multiple keys yourself.  So if you can actually devise a system that makes sense to you - go for it.

I tend to forget the hot keys almost immediately unless I practice using them.

[Bill_Emery]

Hi Glenn

Thank you for posting your list of hotkeys.

 

I do have to say it made my head spin,  I'm much like my dog in that remembering anything past one is a challenge.  I have to rely on a menu structure and visual clues to get what I need.

 

For me the point is that we all learn in different ways.  I'll never remember more than a few hotkeys.  I've posted them all over my monitor to no avail.

 

i believe that this is one of the reasons that Windows 8 has failed.  It gives us hidden menus with no visual clues.  It offers us improved hotkeys; but that's just not the way I learn.

[glennw]

Bill,

 

A good way to get familiar with the shortcuts is to look at the tooltips as your cursor runs over a toolbar button or menu item - the tool tips give a description of the tool and the shortcut.

 

Or better yet make the shortcuts so logical that you really don't have to remember them (as in my previous post).

 

It's really not that hard to run things from shortcuts and turn off the display of the toolbars altogether.

[DRAWZILLA]

Glen, I love your "undo" = o,o

[Gawdzira]

Here is my list culled down to what I actually use (and possibly remember).

hot key list culled alan lehman v1.pdf

[Electromen]

Take a look at X-Keys.  They're programmable keys that work with both PC and Mac.  I have them set up for Photoshop and Lightroom but I'm considering changing the setup to Chief.  You simple program each Key to your Hot Key list.  Each Key has a removable clear cap, remove the cap, slide in a label and re-install the cap.

[glennw]

Alan,

 

I would encourage you to explore the new sequential shortcuts.

How do ever use a simultaneous shortcut like Shift+Alt+D in an efficient manner!

Can you even do it with one hand efficiently?

[BFogarty]

It's really not that hard to run things from shortcuts and turn off the display of the toolbars altogether.

 

Are you saying you can operate Chief by shortcuts alone?  If that's the case, then you da man!

[glennw]

Almost - it's not that hard with logical 2 letter sequential shortcuts.

You can certainly do it with shortcuts and menus.

Have a look at some of d dot Scot's videos - he is the master of shortcuts - although I would like to make his short cuts more logical!  

[lbuttery]

it helps to say them as you use them

 

if you use them enough and say them every time - then maybe

 

if you say them out loud then the "funny people" may come to take you away

 

anyways the older I get the harder it gets to remember them

and the more I say them out loud

 

Lew

[Rich_Winsor]

Wow! Thanks for all the great info guys. Personally I find these kinds of threads that deal with methods of work much more instructive than posts that deal with individual problems or bugs. The old teach a man to fish deal. Not saying that there isn't valuable info to be gained in seeing solutions to someone's individual specific problems, but if I'm not having that problem it doesn't really affect me and I'll leave the bug chasing to the entomologists in the crowd.

 

Glenn: Thanks so much for sharing your hot key list. As Bill mentioned it is a bit daunting but as you said your hot keys are way more intuitive than CA's default choices. If I am going to embark on learning a system of hot keys yours looks like a much better system to start with. The good thing is that it won't take me any time to un-learn CA's system as I was only using about a half a dozen of their hot keys. The notion of turning off the display of the toolbars made me think of a time when I inadvertently switched my video card resolution to a value that wasn't supported by my monitor. My screen became an unintelligible jumble. Somehow I was actually able to navigate out of the situation by clicking my mouse in the general area on the screen where I thought the appropriate command buttons would be.

 

Bill: I'm with you in that the sheer size of the hot key list is rather overwhelming. Hopefully over time I can adapt to it.

BTW, your dog apparently is smarter than mine. My little guy only has 2 modes; total relaxation or full blown enthusiasm.

There is no graduated scale so no numbers are needed.      

 

Electromen: Very cool website. I should have known that they would have come up with something like that. Am I understanding the concept? You just plug the thing into any usb port and then you have an auxiliary programmable keypad?

 

Lew: Now with the advent of the cell phone it is much more acceptable to be seen mumbling in public.

 

Finally, I didn't realize what D.Scott was doing in his videos was calling out hot keys. I thought he was invoking some sort of mystical incantations.

 

Thanks again guys

[Electromen]

    

 

Electromen: Very cool website. I should have known that they would have come up with something like that. Am I understanding the concept? You just plug the thing into any usb port and then you have an auxiliary programmable keypad?

 

 

Yes, It takes some time to program it.  After the initial set up it can be transferred to another computer.  You can also export/import and share the programming.  Companies sell pre-programmed systems for things like Photoshop.

[glennw]

Those types of devices have been around for years and in my onion just add another layer of complexity to something that Chief ready provides. 

A bit like using a graphics tablet - why would you bother?

I already have a keyboard that I can customise with shortcuts!!

I reckon that I would be just as fast and it would be easier (and cheaper) using Chiefs new 2 letter sequential shortcuts than an additional programmable keyboard. 

[KKDollar]

Rich,

 

I think the default shortcut for Camera Spin is Ctrl+Alt+S. ( you need 3 hands and a Twister mat do execute shortcuts like that)

I use the simpler SX.

 

X6 makes it a lot easier to use shortcuts because they can now be sequential key presses (1 to 4, 2 is ideal) unlike the previous simultaneous key presses which were really a pain to use (they are still available).

This now means that shortcuts can be a lot more logical - which in turn means that you don't have to put as much effort into remembering them - take a best guess and you are probably right.

Like:

ZA: Zoom All

ZI: Zoom In

AD: Active defaults

CS: Capture Screen

CC: Current Cad Layer

LD: Layer Defaults

RL: Reverse Layers

 

etc. etc.

Remember that these are 2 letter SEQUENTIAL key presses - not simultaneous.

 

I use a few 3 letter shortcuts along with a few of the default simultaneous shortcuts because I usually don't use then anyway and I haven't got around to changing them yet..

 

Anyone who grew up with Generic Cad will be familiar with this feature and will know how easy it is to use.

 

I have attached my hotkeys list which is still a work in progress.

 

You can import a hotkey list.

I am happy to share mine if anyone is interested.

 

hi glennw,

 

i couldn't find your attached hotkey list in this thread.

i was wondering, can i share that with me also.

i am a novice user of CA, hope to learn with open mind.

thanks.

[glennw]

Here you go.

Glenns hot keys.html

[parkwest]

Thanks Glenn