COMMANDLINE

Command-Flow

Each ‘HELPER Command is run from the Command prompt using text prompts similar to the generic AutoCAD prompts but showing extended functionality of point selection, object selection and command options. Many ‘HELPER commands are quite sophisticated and require careful reading of the prompt for the next step. The critical issue and one of the major benefits of MycadHELPER is the dramatically reduced rquirement for pressing <enter> to confirm every step. This is what confuses many new users until they get used to the new way of working.

Actions in response to a prompt

Responses may be of the following types:

  • Select objects.
  • Pick or enter a point.
  • Supply a value or name.
  • Accept a default value or name.
  • Select a command option. 

Capital letters in command prompt strings such as Crossing/Last/Window:   indicate response options to `HELPER commands such as E

When using `HELPER commands that requier a Select Objects response the prompts are quite long as they include many additional `HELPER options.

“=by property/*/All/Block/Crossing/Dialog/Entlst/Fen/Grp/Just-bfr/Last/New/Over(WP) /Prev /Under(CP)/Visible/Window/eXcl/+add/-rem     <<add/remove>>/[done]:/ALTMENU:>” Only the required option is key letter is required NO <en

Here is an example of the response to the command alias of “L” <enter> for Layer. Note also the prompt includes [spacebar] to load a Layer dialogue.

Try it……………..

Typogaphy

  • A fully spelled out and capitalised command word indicates a Generic AutoCAD command.  e.g. ERASE.
  • AutoCAD alaiases are overwritten by `HELPER alaiases e.g. E Erase.
  • Generic AutoCAD commands are accessible by adding a leading hyphen to the `HELPER alias e.g. -E ERASE.
  • Multi-character `KEYS aliases combine command words and options e.g. EL Erase Last.

Non-alpha keyboard characters

  • ~ Stretch
  • @ attrib
  • # number
  • $ style,
  • % scale
  • ^ angle
  • > export
  • < import/insert
  • & group
  • * all
  • – off/reduce
  • + on/increase,
  • \ mirror
  • ? question

Other uses of non-alpha characters:

  • < >  or <enter>      <enter>
  • [] or [spb]               [spacebar]
  • <[]>                        [spacebar] or <enter>
  • :>                            Tab key
  • <:                            back-space
  • <<                           Left mouse click
  • >>                           Right mouse click
  • AOK Any Other Key

Repeating commands:

All commands including HELPER commands may after completion be repeated by pressing <enter> at the command prompt.  With some commands it is possible to have the command repeat continuously without pressing <enter> until terminated by pressing <enter>, thus avoiding the need to restart the command, each time it is used.  AutoCAD’s text editing dialogue box is a good example of this.  It keeps prompting for new bits of text to edit until deliberately terminated.  With `HELPER commands a similar effect can be achieved by turning a “Command Repeat” switch ON.  Most `HELPER commands will then repeat until “Command Repeat” is turned OFF.  See “$ $witches” for further information.  

Multiple commands

Some commands can continuously produce similar results from the same source object or the same result from different source objects. AutoCAD Copy Multiple is a good example of this.  The same source object(s) are copied using the same “from” point continually to different “to” points until terminated by <enter>.  `HELPER provides an easier to use version: C# Copy #multiple.

`HELPER combines the #multiple concept with some other commands also.  A good example is when rotating separate objects (individually) through the same angle: R# Multiple.  By picking objects in sequence each is rotated about its pick-point the same (given) angle.  (Very handy for correcting the rotation of text when a drawing plot rotation is changed).  (See also DEF & DEF2 Dimension Edit Fix for correcting dimension text rotation and location)

R#45   Rotate 45deg.               Rotate Multiple (45deg.for each)  (other angles include 90 & 180deg)

Composite commands

CR       Copy Rotate                Deprecated AutoCAD command   Use C<enter>R

MR       Move Rotate               Deprecated AutoCAD command  Use M<enter>R

It is possible to CR and MR without clashing with object selection options such as CL Copy Last since R and M, fortuitously, are not used as select object codes.

An automatic Copy Edit function is available but this is handled by turning ON the text EDIT switch $E.  CE would conflict with Copy Entlast. (look it up – very useful).  C# with Edit ON is very useful for placing door numbers etc.

(Compare with TI Text Incrementing).

Quick-keys/Switches

  •             $Tilemode ON OFF
  •             $Modelspace / Paperspace
  •             $Repeat mode ON/OFF
  •             $Editext mode ON/OFF

Clashes with AutoCAD

The only known clashes between AutoCAD and HELPER option key letters occur when drawing Polylines.  `HELPER uses the following:

  • B             Bulge     replaces ‘A’ Arc-mode
  • L             Line       returns to Line-mode
  • H            Home    replaces ‘C’ Close in both Line and Pline

Typical command prompts

Because of `HELPER greatly enhanced command functionality there is an inevitable increase in the number of things that you can do and thus an increase in command options.   These options are displayed in a Command: prompt when a command shortcut is executed

e.g. Command:V (View) <enter> produces the prompt:   `Ddview/?/3d/-delete/Current/Extent/…..etc.

As with AutoCAD, the prompt indicates the next user action.  Explanatory notes or other options relating to the command are shown on the one or two prompt lines.  Often a fuller description may be obtained by scrolling back a few lines or by viewing the text-screen (F2).

Multiple default options

`HELPER often provides more than one default value.  When multiple options are available they may be accepted by pressing [spacebar], <enter>, tab:>, or <:backspace as indicated in the prompt.  The [spacebar] is the most easily accessed and thus is used for the most common choice. 

Right mouse button used for pointing

Both left and right mouse buttons are used for pointing.  The right mouse button is often used to select sub-entities within blocks and thus may not be available as an alternative to pressing the <enter> key as found in AutoCAD.

Dynamic dialogue commands

When Autodesk first began to introduce dynamic dialogues there was often both a dialogue and a command line version of the same command; in which case the dialogue version was distinguished by a DD prefix e.g. INSERT and DDINSERT.  Later as dialogues became the standard the simple command name replaced the DD command e.g. INSERT now starts the dialogue version. Command names prefixed with a dash e.g. –INSERT starts the command line version.  Some DD named commands still work but are progressively being dropped.  Although several are still available, only a very few are listed in AutoCAD Command help file. 

For greater speed, flexibility and efficiency `HELPER uses the command line versions of commands but the AutoCAD dialogue option is generally available by prefixing the shortcut code with a hyphen -. 

Complex command concepts handled with ease

MycadKEYS aliases manage complex command concepts with ease.  A good example is that one of the most common activities after creating objects is to change them in some way.  The CHANGE command is quite extensive as you have to nominate what property to change as well as select the objects to change.  Options include: Change: Point, Color, Elevation, Layer, Line-type, Line-type scale, Line-weight, and Thickness.  To these, `HELPER adds GF layer-name-Field, GL Length, GM Mline-edit, GP Properties, GR Radius, GT Text, G* match-*properties, GX eXtrusion and GW Width and several other developments of these. See more under WorkZONES.

Some commands may have further sub-options, particularly Text, such as GTA chanGe Text Alignment, GTC Characters, GTT Text, GTK breaK, GTL Lower (case), GTU Upper (case), GTR Rotation, GTS Size, GT$ $tyle, GTW sWap, etc.   GTL and GTU are particularly helpful if the wrong case has been accidentally typed.

`HELPER commands are model/paper-space sensitive and execute the appropriate command depending upon whether modelspace or paperspace is active e.g. WorkZONE commands incorporate the commands of:  Mview, Workzone, Mvsetup, Vplayer, Vclip.

Shift keys

To further reduce keystrokes; within `HELPER functions the un-shifted version of many keys may optionally be used as an alternative to the shifted version

e.g. 4 = $, 5 = %, 8 = *,  \ = |,   = = +,  / = ?, ` = ~  (these may vary slightly with non-US keyboards as do the locations of some keys).

Keyboard variations

While most countries use a standard US keyboard layout, with $ symbols, England has not yet managed to let go of the British pound £, and now of course we have a Euro symbol to cope with.  This one currency difference can have several repercussions over the keyboard.

The English keyboard places the £ at Shift3 whereas most other countries have # at Shift3.  To re-accommodate the # symbol @, ~, “and ‘ have been moved.  An additional character ¬ appears where ~ is normally found.  You may find other minor changes on your keyboard.

In normal use none of these differences will have any affect once you know where each character is except that pressing a lower case number as a quick alternative to its shifted version may have an unintended result.  At the moment there is no simple solution to this other than correctly pressing Shift when required.

In a future release a substitution table will be provided to allow you to program `HELPER to your own keyboard.

Scroll to Top