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Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?
4

Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

(OP)
Is there such thing as keyboard shortcuts in SW like there are in ACAD?  I want to program my programmable mouse for instance to perform the pan command when I press down on the wheel button.  I also want to program the side thumb button to perform a "repeat last command" if there is such a thing in SW? If there are such keyboard shortcuts, can anyone tell me where I might be able to find a complete list?

RickV

Rick
Manufacturing Engineer
Grand Rapids,  MI
SW Newbe  
SolidWorks 2005 Personal Edition

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

Look in SW Help for "shortcut,keys".

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

FYI:  1) Logitech mouses are not supported by SolidWorks, but others should be.  2) After 10 years, SolidWorks finally made a more user friendly user interface for setting shortcuts.  Load a document type for which you are assiging the shortcuts.  Then goto Tools pulldown>Customize>Keyboard tab.  From there, you'll have the option to add shortcuts to almost all SW functions.

Matt
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
http://sw.fcsuper.com/index.php

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

Just because you mentioned it, holding down the middle button + ctrl will allow you to pan...

Jeff Mirisola, CSWP
CAD Administrator
SW '07 SP2.0, Dell M90, Intel 2 Duo Core, 2GB RAM, nVidia 2500M
http://designsmarter.typepad.com/jeffs_blog

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

Mirisola (Mechanical)      
22 Mar 07 22:01
Just because you mentioned it, holding down the middle button + ctrl will allow you to pan...



IF the scroll button is setup as (middle button). I'm using a Logitech mouse, and the scroll button came assigned as (alternate scroll), or something to that order.

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

About the mouses, Logitech isn't supported by SolidWorks, but normal Microsoft functions on all mouses are (Logitech or otherwise).  This means the middle button/wheel, LMC and RMC.  If you have a Logitech mouse with any extra buttons or functions, those will not work within SolidWorks.

Matt
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
http://sw.fcsuper.com/index.php

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

I assigned buttons on my mouse to such tasks as (inserting new sketches), extruding, and so on. you have setup a keyboard shortcut (if none already exists) and then assign the buttons to simulate the keypress

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

Since I STILL haven't bothered to get a 3D controller (like a SpaceBall) I use the arrow keys for navigation.

Arrow keys alone rotate, holding shift down with arrow keys rotates in 90* increments, and with CTRL and arrow keys it pans on the screen.  ALT and arrow keys spins the part about the Z axis (relative to user).  In combination with the roller/scroll on my mouse I navigate my parts quickly.

Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reason trumps all.  And awe transcends reason.

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

Oh, and to go along with the arrow keys (since that's where my left hand lives while modeling), I also mapped my number pad to sketch tools I use very commonly.  For instance, zero is Select (in or out of sketch), one is Convert Entities, two is Trim, three is Extend, four is Offset Entities, five is Dimension (sometimes works), and seven is Mirror.

This configuration keeps me from moving my left hand around and most of the time I don't even need to look at the keyboard to get what I need (easy-to-learn).

Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reason trumps all.  And awe transcends reason.

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

innov,

Which logitech mouse are you using?

Matt
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
http://sw.fcsuper.com/index.php

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

Jeff,

Why would you use the arrow keys instead of the middle mouse button?

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

(OP)
I found a list of keyboard shortcuts but it appears that solidworks doesnt like my intellimouse explorer.  When I map the buttons to specific commands they don't work in SW.  Maybe there is a patch for SW to fix that I don't know yet.  I figured out how to make custom menus for the commands I like the best so I have a single menu with all of my favorites in it - pretty cool.  If any of you guys have a programmable mouse that works let me know what kind it is.

Rick
Manufacturing Engineer
Grand Rapids,  MI
SW Newbe  
SolidWorks 2005 Personal Edition

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

(OP)
Thanks for the info.  I tried one of those space balls and I don't like them at all.  I try to get my custom menus all set up so I don't have to touch my keyboard at all - except for number inputs and also I like to hit the ESC key instead of using Select to end a command in SW and that's about it.  Out of my 14 years of using CAD and solid modeling with Mechanical Desktop I find that every time I have to touch the keyboard my efficiency goes down and the possibility of getting carpal tunnel goes up;)

Rick
Manufacturing Engineer
Grand Rapids,  MI
SW Newbe  
SolidWorks 2005 Personal Edition

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

I'm using a Logitech MX518 along with uberOptions.  It's basically a hack of the Logitech software that enables all of the features of all the mice.  The main feature I use that's not standard for my mouse is app-specific button settings.  Certain buttons perform different actions based on what program I'm using.  Website:

http://www.mstarmetro.net/~rlowens/uberOptions/

The other productivity enhancer I use is StrokeIt.  It's a mouse gesturing program that basically allows you to set up shortcuts that are activated by a right-click-and-drag motion.  It's especially handy when your screen is set to such a high resolution that your buttons become very small.

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

handleman,

I couldn't get this to give me any results.  The Logitech software required doesn't support my mouse MX700.  It only supports MX1000.  Are you using older versions of the uber program that uses older Logitech software?

Matt
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
http://sw.fcsuper.com/index.php

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

I'm not sure.  I'll check Monday.  It's been several months since I set it up.

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

Mine's an MX-610--maybe that's why it's sketchy with me, too.  Haven't tried the uberOptions, but checked it out when it was originally posted.  (Gettin' set in my old ways. ..)

Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reason trumps all.  And awe transcends reason.

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

sorry for not getting back sooner...I'm using a Cordless Desktop MX3000, the mouse is an MX600. I had to disable the side-scrolling option, as it clicks easier than the center button.
 I programmed the handiest one for 'Enter'. It's unbelievable how often that gets used, not only in SW, but any program.

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

Logitech MX500 and MX518 work fine for me (for over a year now). FYI, the <Enter> key does reapeat the last command in SolidWorks, so map one of your mouse buttons to the <Enter> keystroke.

Ken

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

All Matt said was that extra functions in addition to LMB, RMB, middle button, and scroll wheel don't work within SW, and that SW doesn't "support" Logitech mice.  

I'm not sure what sort of functions SW should be expected to "support" in addition to those four.  Matt, can you give some examples of Logitech mouse features that don't work in SW?  (as an aside, sorry I forgot to look into why uberOptions didn't work for you.  However, I did check today and the MX700 is not listed as a supported mouse.  I guess your mouse uses MouseWare instead of SetPoint?)

Scott, does your TrackMan marble have functions in addition to the standard four that do something in SW?

My mouse has extra buttons that I've mapped using SetPoint to act as keyboard shortcuts.  These do work in SW.

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

fcsuper,

I think I do a fine job of Contributing to the subject and this forum! I was just pointing out that you couldn’t just say that Logitech doesn't work with SW.

Quote:

About the mouses, Logitech isn't supported by SolidWorks, but normal Microsoft functions on all mouses are (Logitech or otherwise).  This means the middle button/wheel, LMC and RMC.  If you have a Logitech mouse with any extra buttons or functions, those will not work within SolidWorks.

Did SW tell you that this Mouse wouldn’t work inside SW? OR was that you just your judgment on the subject?

Try saying something like you have not any luck with it instead... if you don't like my opinions I really don't care. But at least don't rule everything out, because you had a little bad luck with you setting it up.

We have customers that are using the Logitech mice other then the ones with RH, Middle, and LH buttons and they work fine. We have an AE here that uses this Logitech and has no problems with in SW - http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2135,CONTENTID=12134

Sorry you are not having good luck, but don't contribute bad information that's not true. Because in reality Logitech is a fine product and I recommend them to everyone even those that run SW.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP pc2
www.scottjbaugh.com
FAQ731-376

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

Handleman,

Assigning shortcut keys to buttons on a LogiTech mouse does work (as mentioned previously).  However, these are not mouse functions.  They are key assignments that happen to mean something in one particular program.  They are meaningless in other software.  If I use a key assigned button in Word, I simply type that key in the edit field like this: ppppppppp   I just did that with the key assignment. :)

Mouse functions such as such as recall application, program launches, quick launch, Cruise Up/Down, Minimize, or any other similar functions do not work.  I've had many LogiTech mice, and have always had this issue regardless of the mouse, version of mouse driver and version of SW.  

If anyone has a way to make these sort of functions work, I am all ears, because, as I mentioned before, SolidWorks OFFICIAL word on this is only this statement "SolidWork does not support LogiTech mice," according to my VAR.  Not really sure how I could misinterpret that? ::Ribbing SBaugh::

Thank you.  :p

Matt
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
http://sw.fcsuper.com/index.php

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

The actual statement that appears in the SolidWorks VAR help files is soemthing like this:  "There is no support for Logitech optical mouse special function buttons."  So, yeah, my statement didn't apply to EVERY logitech mouse, but certainly the bulk of them.

The additional statement from my VAR is "Due to incompatibility between the Logitech Mouse drivers and SolidWorks program standard internal commands. Try to use a default Microsoft mouse driver that is installed with the OS or Contact Logitech Tech Support to see if there a new mouse driver that can be downloaded that can fix this issue."

Of course the alternative suggestions didn't work either.  I did my own research on this and found that the reason there is some limit of capatibility is because LogiTech drivers handle the special buttons events much differently than other mouse manufacturers.  

My VAR's interpretation is that SolidWorks just doesn't feel like it's worth their trouble to support Logitechs methods.

Man, I feel like I'm writing for Wikipedia!  LOL  Any further clarifications needed in order avoid being told how to answer or not answer in the future?  lol

Matt
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
http://sw.fcsuper.com/index.php

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

So... the functions you're trying to activate with the extra buttons aren't SolidWorks functions?  Non-SW functions can't be activated while the SW window is active?  I don't guess I've tried mapping any of the standard Windows type commands to my extra mouse buttons.  I've done application-specific commands for SolidWorks all mapped to hotkey combinations.  I use StrokeIt for all my minimize, switching, etc.  I'll give it a shot with SetPoint tomorrow and see what happens.  

It does look like you're using a four year old mouse.  Have you been able to try any mice that use SetPoint?

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

You need to look in the Knowledge base... you have that ability even as a user:

1) Question: There is no support for Logitech optical mouse special function buttons.

Answer: Due to incompatibility between the Logitech Mouse drivers and SolidWorks program standard internal commands. Try to use a default Microsoft mouse driver that is installed with the OS or Contact Logitech Tech Support to see if there a new mouse driver that can be downloaded that can fix this issue.

2) Logitech wireless mouse (MX 700) drivers do not work with SolidWorks - Driver does not work for many 3D software applications - Open SPR

3) Question: Mouse movement causes CPU usage to spike when using a Logitech mouse.

Answer: Slower mouse performance is a known issue with some Logitech mouse drivers. The problem is that some Logitech mouse drivers turn on an OpenGL setting used for gaming. Please go to Logitech’s web site (www.logitech.com) and download the latest drivers for the mouse, or just use the Microsoft default mouse drivers that are installed on the PC.

That's from the Knowledge base. I talked to the AE that has the Logitech mx610 he was able to program the buttons to do functions within SW. The driver version he is using driver 2.42. To do what the original poster of this thread wanted is to: just program it for the 'enter" keystroke assignment.

Now all new Logitech's are not supported for SW07, but that's Logitech's fault for bad drivers, but if you have a newer mouse try finding that driver (above) and see if that helps fix or get you around the problem.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP pc2
www.scottjbaugh.com
FAQ731-376

RE: Are There Keyboard Shortcuts In SW?

Forgot to add on item 3 - Make sure you Deselect under motion "disable acceleration in games" As that will slow your mouse movement when SW is open.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP pc2
www.scottjbaugh.com
FAQ731-376

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