Danny, I'm starting a new thread on this as it is another topic:
Unknown said: ..... I have amended the default Position Mapping keys from the default. Sorry to say , .... this is because the default settings for the Position Mapping keys are ..... well, pretty rubbish. QWERTY, .??????????????? Are they serious about this???? Sadly it would seem they are. What relevance to any workflow does QWERTY (and the layout of the keys on the keyboard generally) have to any AEC workflow or sequence of modelling or drafting tasks? NONE!
..... I have amended the default Position Mapping keys from the default.
Sorry to say , .... this is because the default settings for the Position Mapping keys are ..... well, pretty rubbish.
QWERTY, .??????????????? Are they serious about this???? Sadly it would seem they are.
What relevance to any workflow does QWERTY (and the layout of the keys on the keyboard generally) have to any AEC workflow or sequence of modelling or drafting tasks? NONE!
As I have explained to (and has been understood by) many people in training sessions for many years the whole point of Position Mapping is that there is no logic connecting the command names/functions and the letters on the keyboard.
You just need to know that, for instance, Q brings up the top set of tools in the currently active Task panel at your cursor. This applies whether the active panel is Drawing, Drawing Composition, Visualisation, 'MyTasks' or whatever.
Even if you don't attempt to go any further learning other combinations, this is an immediate win as a quick glance to the left means you have whatever tools are available at your mouse cursor with one key click.
To change Task without having to mouse over to the Tasks dialog press F2 and a list of available tasks pops up at your cursor so it's easy to change task.
Why do I think this is a good way of doing things?
Note: Touch typists might want to change their keys from the default of QWERTASDFGZXCVB to QWERASDFZXCV as T,G and B are for the left index finger
I've complained about this before. It not the the idea of PM is bad. MicroStations implementation is bad. Here are my issues.
1) How does 0 thru 9 fit into all this? Not very well. Specifically 7,8,9 and 0 my fingers aren't that long. They shouldn't be using numbers at all. Numbers should go directly to accudraw or some values in tool settings.
2) There is no fixed sequence to give you a specific command. It all depends what's open and what apps are running.
3) Many are incomplete. What will sequence 2 , 3 get you? All depends on what you did last. Could be fence stretch, could be mirror, could be nothing if you don't have a fence active.
The syntax for MicroStation commands is all over the board. There is no logic to the structure or vocabulary. If there were you could probably get by with 4 or 5 strokes from one hand. 5 strokes with one hand is simple if there is logic an structure behind it. It will be come automatic like typing, where you think words not where each letter is on the keyboard.
CADDs 4X had a great verb noun modifier structure where you could pretty much guess what you needed to input. The digitizing tablet was nothing more than words which were your verbs, nouns and modifiers.
i.e.
Insert Circle Radius 5
You don't build it as a random sequences for every command. You structure it base on what you want to do.
Assign keys for Verbs like.
Add
Modify
Construct
Copy
Move
Delete
Keys for Nouns
Line
Circle
Arc
Etc.
Then add heads up overlays to prompt people thru each option if they pause.
I think the biggest problem with position mapping is the way Microstation is always changing focus to whichever tool or dialogue is active. If focus is not at home then when you hit a key you won't get what you expect. So to use it you always have to determine where the focus is, which negates the speed benefits of being able to just press keys.
Accordingly I have never invested time to set up position mapping. What I find more useful is a gaming mouse with lots of programmable buttons along with a gaming keyboard with programmable keys. Once you set them up you can quickly and consistently bring up the menus or tools you want. It's still not as efficient as pressing key combos but I find it's about as close as we can get to Autocad's command line efficiency.
I will say that being able to change focus to any number of open tool dialogues does have advantages over Autocad's one command at a time.
Neil Wilson (aka Neilw)
Power Civil v8i 08.11.07.245
AutoCAD Civil 3D 2018
There is no getting away from the fact that MicroStation is a complex application with several points where focus can reside. It's not Word where you are either typing or doing something in a dialog.
If in doubt press Esc to take focus home or glance down to the status bar to see the icon displayed for the current 'Dialog with Focus'.
The following F-keys control the four primary foci, additionally Spacebar and Enter can be used following Esc:
Home
F12
Esc
AccuDraw
F11
Esc > Spacebar
Tool Settings
F10
Key-in
F9
Esc > Enter
Marc
Unknown said: ...What I find more useful is a gaming mouse with lots of programmable buttons along with a gaming keyboard with programmable keys...
...What I find more useful is a gaming mouse with lots of programmable buttons along with a gaming keyboard with programmable keys...
Neil,
Would you like to share more about your experiences here?
regarding focus I find I have to manually set it to Accudraw in many workflows in ABD (manipulating and modifying TF Forms). Most annoying.
A long standing wish is to have Esc circle! focus between the possible states.
Perhaps it could be a preference a la multisnap so you can tick the ones you want.
First esc to HOME, second esc to Accudraw.
regards / Thomas Voghera