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AutoCAD Keyboard Map
Tip# 3404 By Mitch Hirschklau On 19-Apr-2010
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Rated By 1 users Downloaded : 1428
Categories : Ribbon/Dashboard
Software type : AutoCAD 2011
Rename File To : Vanilla_Keyboard/,Vanilla_Keyboard/.DS_Store,Vanilla_Keyboard/2010-FULL Vanilla Keyboard 2010-02-24.pdf,Vanilla_Keyboard/2010-FULL-Vanilla 2010-02-24.dwg
This drawing depicts keyboard shortcuts in AutoCAD.

Space Management Specialist Mitch Hirschklau shares with us a drawing he created that visually depicts keyboard shortcuts in AutoCAD. He also shares some tips on customizing them.

Mitch said that although the attached DWG file was updated for and in AutoCAD 2010, it was saved in AutoCAD 2007 format. The PDF was generated by the AutoCAD 2010 to PDF driver — the one with the wonderful new layer control options.
 
"Some additional comments, if I may.
 
First:
 
Whether or not the ribbon is on (or "on" in either of its two minimized modes), apparently as long as you have the AutoCAD Classic MenuBar (accessed by the MENUBAR setvar) turned on, there are then 14 Alt- prefix keys which will summon AutoCAD Classic MenuBar pull-down menus!
 
Second:
 
Now, of course, users are not supposed to be able to customize the Alt- prefix keys. (But Autodesk does! Not fair!)
 
Users aren't supposed to be able to customize the non-prefix numpad keys either, for that matter (although I've had them customized since the 1990s) — and, here's the tip, I transferred those customizations into the new CUI environment by importing my old ***ACCELERATOR ACAD.MNU menu through the CUI's "legacy" file transfer/import.
 
So if users wanted to customize their Alt- keys, probably the best way (or only way? Or the only way I know how?) would be for them to "customize" an old-fashioned MNU menu and then import them as a legacy MNU into their custom CUI. (Sometimes, the best way in is by the back door rather than the front door.)
 
Third:
 
With respect to the "To be…or not to be" ribbon/AutoCAD Classic ToolBars question: I am using both for the moment. (Mostly, as a long-time keyboard/Command-line guy, I use neither.) Still, to facilitate using the ribbon, I have decided to add a new custom shortcut key to my customizations. Since AutoCAD 2010 has left the Ctrl+R key unassigned by default, I have assigned to it the following macro:
 
    $M=$(if,$(and,$(>,$(getvar,ribbonstate),0)),^C^C_ribbonclose,^C^C_ribbon)
 
This macro essentially toggles the ribbon on and off (because sometimes you want it truly off, and not just minimized). And, as usual for me, this is a DIESEL macro — not a LISP or VBA macro — and as such should work in LT installations too."

Notes from Cadalyst Tip Patrol: There are a ton of shortcut keystrokes in AutoCAD. Some of them are Windows-based shortcuts, while others are straight from AutoCAD. This map shows what they are. Many of them can be customized, while certain others cannot.

I didn't have access to an older MNU file to test that part of the tip, but it might work. Be careful, however, that you don't mess up your interface. Setting up a macro to toggle the Ribbon on and off is a great idea. However, Ctrl+R actually is used in AutoCAD, to toggle through multiple viewports.
 

 

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User comments
Comment by Hirschklau,Mitchell
Posted on 2010-04-19 16:20:50
My fellow Tip Evaluator is exactly right about the Ctrl-R. At my current employer, none of our stuff generally has more than one viewport - and I'm such an "Old Dog" that I didn't think to test the keyboard in a multiple viewport environment. Users should probably consider another Key or Key combination than my Ctrl-R usage. Good Catch! Thanks! Mitch Hirschklau