Command Functions
Autocad – Draw, Modify, Annotation, Layers, Blocks, Properties, View, Navigation, 3D, Parametrics, System, File, Utilities. Inquiry, Selection, Constraints, Plotting, Xrefs, Tables, UCS, Rendering
MycadKeys – Make, Change, Annotate, Layers, Blocks, View, 3D, Settings +(Osnaps, Options+System+ Constraints + Parametrics +Properties), File+(Utilities, Insert, Attach), Query, Plotting, Xrefs, UCS, Rendering, (^Selection), Workspace, workZone, @ttribute, Join, Navigate +(Zoom/Pan), <in, out>, Dialogue,
Names of commands and their aliases can be one of the biggest problems facing both CAD users and programmers. Autocad has something like 700 commands and a similar number of system variables and as the programs become more sophisticated with time this number keeps growing. Many of the names are quite long and complex e.g. BAUTHORPALETTECLOSE others quite simple e.g. COPY.
About thirty commands are used regularly, one hundred from time to time and the rest rarely if at all. Nevertheless the problem is how to identify and issue these commands to the program. Learning the command words is the best option but AutoCAD’s Ribbon menus have become the standard solution for most users.
MycadHELPER uses an entirely different approach.
Originally direct text entry at the command line was the only method of input. Most advanced users believe that it is still the best method; particularly since the introduction of short command aliases. It is the ONLY method that provides every command.
If one accepts command aliases as the way forward then the next problem is how to create aliases for in excess of 1500 commands. (including system variables now treated by Autocad as regular commands).
Completeness: Autocad and other CAD programs provide lists of aliases but these rarely cover all commands (quite reasonably so when one considers potential frequency of use). The problem with some AutoCAD aliases is that they evolved over time and being largely abbreviations of the commands are unstructured, frequently quite long, confusing and often provide little or no advantage over the full command word.
Different approach: MycadHELPER took a different approach. Beginning with AutoCAD Release 1. this writer had to learn the command words and type them at the Commandline. Various pick and choose menus developed later but never replaced the efficiency of the commandline for a drafter who new the commands and didn’t mind typing.
Design and naming of aliases: CAD programs have an inherant problem of naming commands. It is sometimes difficult to encompass complex difficult to describe concepts in a simple memorable name. MycadHELPER has taken the direction of trying to explain the command functions using acronyms built from the command function(s). As generic AutoCAD expanded and many custom functions were developed. MycadHELPER was deliberately designed and then adjusted to manage almost every command (including system variables) in a structured and logical way never using more than two characters for common commands or three and occasionaly four for complex or rare commands.
Alias conflicts: Occasionally a MycadKEYS alias will overwrite an AutoCAD alias. If there is a rare clash of aliases and you want the generic AutoCAD command, then re-type the MycadKEYS alias with a prefixed dash/hyphen or type AutoCAD’s full command name at the command prompt or, if really desperate, select from a graphical menu.
Enhanced commands: MycadHELPER aliases include most AutoCAD commands plus many MycadFUNS special custom functions not available in generic Autocad. The majority of commonly used commands have MycadFUNS functional enhancements providing additional OSNAPs and SELECT OBJECTS options and significantly reduce the need to confirm every step with repetitious <enters>. When using these commands a single character keypress with NO <enter> will move the function to the next input step.
OSNAPS…Along/Cen/noD/End/From/Gmid/Home/Int/Jmid/Kwik/parL/Mid/Nea/Per/Qua/inS/Tan/Vert/Xval/Yval/Zval/|ine From point: <repeat>/[done]/<<point/OSNAP/kwiksnap>> NON: From point: />done</<<point/OSNAP/kwiksnap>> NON:
SELECT OBJECTS…..=byproperty/*everything/All/Block/Crossing/Dialogue/Entlast/Fen/Grp/Just-bfr/Last/New/Over(WP)/Prev/Under(CP)/Visible/Window/eXcl+/-/?/<[done]>/<<add/remove>>
Backstop: If you really want the program’s generic function then prefix the alias with a dash/hyphen.
Voice-control: Significantly, recent developments in voice-to-text and and text-to-commandline technology has stimulated a need for careful design of spoken command words to avoid misinterpretation. It is thus that MycadHELPER has reviewed its alias naming structure to to develop a CAD Command language based on its initial MycadKEYS list of aliases to translate into spoken words. Effectively MC Make-Circle at the keyboard becomes spoken “Make-Circle”. The imediate question is “Why bother?” Just talk to the computer and let AI work out what you mean. My belief is that we need a prescise professional language tuned to the CAD program and the drafting profession that can be safely documented to include ALL of a program’s commands while being able to fall back on text input where speech is inappropriate.
Work-in-progress: Although MycadKEYS aliases have been defined for virtully every generic AutoCAD command some are not yet enhanced. Nevertheless MycadKEYS aliases will call AuotCAD’s generic command.
Command functional groups:
Note: For a long time MycadKEYS gave preferred commands a single character alias such as C for Copy but this has been discarded in favor of a more structured and memorable system. Make and Change commands are now prefixed with a leading character such as to expand the naming options. Make is preferred to Draw or Place as it best desscribes the command function. Aliases such as MC Make Circle, ML Make Line, ME Make Elipse are now used in preference to struggling with single characters. Key leading characters of multiple variant commands such as B for BLOCK and related commands are also extensively used. This leaves the the problem of commands with the same leading character such as Circle and Copy. Relying on the function of the command does not always help because COPY is a way of creating a NEW object, so should use MC for Make Copy that will clash with MC Make Circle. This is overcome by selecting another key character from the command word such as Y from copY Here are some of the results: McopY, MCircle, MElipse, MHatch, ML Line, MNode, MPolyline, MOffset, MArray. To be practical the old alias C for COPY was also retained because it does not conflict with other Mycad aliases and overwrites the old AutoCAD alias for Circle. It will all make more sense when we move to voice control when one would simply say “Make” “Copy” or “Make-Circle”.
Now that we know what make means the next problem is changing things, Be sure to distinguish between make commands that produce brand-new objects and change commands such as “Rotate” that alter existing objects. The written alias would be CR Change Rotation, the voice instruction would be “Change” “Rotation” or “Change-Rotation”.
Contextual-commands:
Neither “make” nor “change” are AutoCAD commands. MycadKEYS uses them as functional prefixes for example Command: M Make invites the drafter to identify what is to be Made. This can be answered either by completing the action with the type of object to be made e.g. “M” “Line” or by picking an existing object as a template for the new object to be made. Picking a line completes the request for a custom function “M” (quickpick) that uses the properties of the object picked (in this case a line) for the type of object. The properties of the picked line are used to create a new line instead of using the current environmental conditions. The response from Command: “M” <enter> is ?/<<Qikik/3d/Arc/Bdry/Circ/Donut/Elipse/Face/Helix/sKetch/Line/Mline/Node/Offset/pGon/Pline/sYmbol/Rect/revcloUd/Surf-or-Solid/Trace/Wiggle/Xline/Zigzag/ALTMENU:> You will notice a number of additional options to those provided by generic AutoCAD
“Change” will want to know what object to change, what feature to change and the required change. Thus typed “C” or spoken “Change” will prompt for a property to be changed, then an object to change then the property values to be changed. e.g. Change, Rotation, Select object(s), Base point of rotation, Angle of rotation.
ERASE is an akward concept as the object is removed rather than changed but CE Change Erase is the correct alias. Conveniently this leaves E unused so the old E Erase command is retained as an option.
Other command groups:
Annotation: ASymbol, ALabel
Change: CErase, CbreaK, CMove, CRotate, CLayer,
Viewing aids: Zoom, RTZoom, Pan, RTPan, View, Dview, Vports, Mview, Layer, Vplayer, Plan, Redraw(all), Regen(all). Mspace, Pspace, Ltscale, Psltscale, Tilemode
Utility functions: Open, New, Plot, Exit, Save/autosave, Undo, U, Redo, Cancel, Oops, Purge, Help.
Property: Layername, Color, Linetype, Elev, Thickness, No-plot, Width
Query: QList, QArea, ID, QDist, QStatus
Workspace & Menus: CUI, Sheetset, Customize, Toolbar, Showpalettes, Wssave, Menuload
File commands: FOpen, FAttach, FDxfin, FOlelinks
Workspace: Ortho, Snap, Grid, Snapbase, UCS, Grips, Preferences, Dwgprops, Layer, Ltscale, Lineweight, Zoom
A plethora of commands such as VIEW, VPORTS, MVIEW, VPOINT, DDVPOINT and WORKSPACE itself together with concepts such as MycadHELPER’s WorkZONEs make it difficult to both understand and remember the command words and what they do. Whether you use MycadHELPER, or not, it is worth reading the menu items relating to WorkZONES that distinguish between the drawing environment WORKSPACE and the intended resultant Production Drawings WORKZONES to be plotted.
WorkSPACE aliases start with “WS” and WorkZONE with WZ.
Go to https://mycadkeys.com menu item MycadKEYS for a complete list of Aliases.
Accelerator Keys:
In addition to conventional Alias type keyboard command shortcuts AutoCAD provides a number of special Accelerator Keys. Examples that you will be familiar with are F1 for AutoCAD’s HELP and F8 for Ortho ON and OFF. The distinction between Accelerator Keys and command Aliases is that whereas command Aliases are typed at the command line and must be completed by <enter> or [space-bar]; accelerator keys execute immediately without the need to press <enter>, Accelerator Keys also include some special key combinations such as Ctrl+chr.
MycadKEYS Accelerator keys: Under revision ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
F1 MycadKEYS HELP
F2 Same as AutoCAD (Textpage)
F3 Toggles MycadKEYS Command- repeat ON and OFF
F4 3DORBIT
F5 REGENALL
F6 Toggles MycadKEYS Edit Text mode ON and OFF
F7 Toggles layer name length between 5chr, 12chr or OFF
F8 Same as AutoCAD (Ortho)
F9 Toggles SNAP ON and OFF
F10 Same as AutoCAD (Polar ON/OFF)
F11 Toggles TILEMODE ON and OFF
F12 When Tilemode is OFF toggles Vport active or inactive
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AutoCAD accelerator keys:
Shift+F1 AutoCAD HELP
F2 or Shift+F2 Toggles between the AutoCAD drawing screen and the text screen
F3 or Shift+F3 Starts OSNAP command.
F4 or Shift+F4 Toggles TABMODE ON and OFF.
F5 or Shift+F5 Toggles ISOPLANE ON and OFF
F6 or Shift+F6 Toggles COORDS ON and OFF
F7 or Shift+F7 Toggles GRIDMODE ON and OFF
F8 or Shift+F8 Toggles ORTHOMODE ON and OFF.
F9 or Shift+F9 Starts SNAPMODE command.
F10 or Shift+F10 Toggles Polar Tracking ON and OFF
F11 or Shift+F11 Toggles object snap tracking ON and OFF
F12 or Shift+F12 None
MycadKEYS leaves the Ctrl+Shift+character keys as defined by AutoCAD.
EDIT
MycadKEYS OSNAP Ctrl+character shortcuts:
Ctrl+# aLong or diVide
Ctrl+A Apparent
Ctrl+B COPYBASE
Ctrl+C Center
Ctrl+D noDe
Ctrl+E End
Ctrl+F From
Ctrl+G general midpoint between two points
Ctrl+H Hidden EXTension
Ctrl+I Intersection
Ctrl+J midpoint between two end points
Ctrl+K kwik END, MID, INT, CEN
Ctrl+Ll paralleL
Ctrl+M Mid
Ctrl+N Nea
Ctrl+O nOn
Ctrl+P Perpendicular
Ctrl+Q Quadrant
Ctrl+R not used
Ctrl+S inSertion point
Ctrl+T Tangental point
Ctrl+U Until meet line
Ctrl+V PASTECLIP
Ctrl+W not used
Ctrl+X Xval X value filtered from a point
Ctrl+Y Yval Y “”
Ctrl+Z Zval Z “”
On a keyboard with a number pad the following definitions may be usefully added to your accelerator keys.
Numpad 1 – <90
Numpad 2 – <270
Numpad 3 – <315
Numpad 4 – <180
Numpad 5 – <@
Numpad 6 – <0
Numpad 7 – <135
Numpad 8 – <90
Numpad 9 – <45
Typical Alias Groups.
@ATTRIBUTES (@) ATTEDIT etc.
! ALERT/Constraint (!)
^SELECT (^) ^select objects
<IMPORT (^)
>EXPORT (>)
%SCALE (%) %scale objects or annotations
\MIRROR (\)
#CALC (#) Calculations or numbering
?query (?) e.g. ?A ?query Area
3D.. (3) 3D commands e.g. 3EM 3D Edges Manage
FILE commands (F) e.g. FL File Lisp, FX File >eXit, FS File Save
DIM (D) commands
TEXT (T) commands
JOIN (J) commands e.g. JF Join Fillet, JT Join Trim
SETTINGS (S) Default enviroment Settings are supplied by a template drawing file (often set up by a CAD manager) on startup or exist in a previously edited file before any work is done on the newly opened file. e.g. World UCS, Units, Snapmode, Dimstyle, current, Layername, Osnapmode, Orthomode, Properties
PLACE (P) New objects e.g. Lines, Circles, Arcs, Hatch etc are made by commands of the relevant name.
MAKE (M) Make new object(s) from existing e.g. MA Make Array
XREF (X) Objects are imported e.g. Wblock,
BLOCKS (B) All Block commands
CHANGE (C) Objects are Changed when a property or attribute is changed, e.g.CFC Change Field Color (Layers)
EDIT (E) Usually single characters e.g. ~stretch, Erase, Move, Join (JM Join-triM, JF Join-Fillet)
WORKZONE (W) workZones are MycadHELPER concept.
LAYER (L) Layer Command – both Settings and Action commands. A Layername becomes an applied Property when an object is made or may be changed via the Layer Command. LAYER Given its own grouping because of its major significance in drawings.
RENDER (R) Render commands – both Settings and Action commands. A Render becomes an applied Property when an object is made or may be changed via the Render Command. Given its own grouping because of its distinctivness from 2D drawing.
Vports, Vpoint, View Mview
Although having different meanings and workspace functions can be coveniently all listed under (V) withot too much confusion.
Command workflow. Autocad commands fall into one of the two common workflows:
- Select some objects then execute an edit command on them – e.g. Select some objects and Erase them.
- Begin a command then select some objects to process – e.g. Issue command Make then select the objects to erase. `HELPER uses action/selection in preference to selection/action workflow.
MycadHELPER strictly follows the Command word – Select objects workflow.
Example: Command: “E” (Edit) <enter> Select objects: Press option key letter: =byproperty/*everything/All/Block/Crossing/Dialogue/Entlast/Fen/GrpJust-bfr/Last/New/Over(WP)/Prev/Under(CP)/Visible/Window/eXcl
+/-/?/<[done]>/<add-remove> Press L (last) (No enter required) Action completes – Last object is erased
Another example.
Command: ML (Make Line) <enter> From point: OSNAPS…Along/Cen/noD/End/From/Gmid/Home/Int/Jmid/Kwik/parL/Mid/Nea/Per
/Qua/inS/Tan/Vert/Xval/Yval/Zval/|ine ……From point: />done</<<point/OSNAP/kwiksnap>> NON:……Press “E” (end) (No enter required) Use mouse to select an endpoint…..Draws to the endpoint the re-prompts To point: />done</<<point/OSNAP/kwiksnap>> NON:….To point: OSNAPS…Along/Cen/noD/End/From/Gmid/Home/Int/Jmid/Kwik/parL/Mid/Nea/Per END: ….Pick endpoint… ./Qua/inS/Tan/Vert/Xval/Yval/Zval/|ine Continue to press new OSNAP letters or pick endpoint or press <enter> or [spacebar] to end the command.
Special cases:
Zoom and Pan are not needed as commands from the point of view of creating aliases. Simple mouse functions do most of this work – Nevertheless ‘KEYS provides the use of WZ Workspace Zoom, WZE Workspace Zoom Extents, WZW Workspace Zoom Window etc.
UNDO has been undefined to allow U to be used for UCS functions such as UW UCS World. Use U1, U2 etc. Don’t forget that Ctrl Z also undoes the previous operation and OOPS erases the last object.