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Where are the mnemonic underscores in SW2004?

Where are the mnemonic underscores in SW2004?

Where are the mnemonic underscores in SW2004?

(OP)
Where are the mnemonic underscores in SW2004?  They show up in all my other applications and SW2003.  But now with the "added functionality" of the SW2004 menus, it seems I can no longer use keyboard shortcuts?  Anybody know how to get them back?

...And stop all those yellow "tip" balloons from popping up?

Thanks,
Ken

RE: Where are the mnemonic underscores in SW2004?

Not sure what you mean by "mnemonic underscores" but you should be able to turn off the tip balloons by clicking on the quick tips help button in the lower right corner.

RE: Where are the mnemonic underscores in SW2004?

Yogibear,

I believe when Ken refers to "mnemonic underscores" he means that for every command or function available within a Windows program there is a keyboard equivalent to every action that one can perform with a mouse.  For example a user can either click on the printer icon or hit <CTRL>+<P> to generate a print in just about every program there is.  Similarly within SW virtually every command is available via mouse, menu, and keyboard (e.g. click on the "Rebuild" icon or hit <CTRL>+<B>).

FYI The term "mnemonic" is used in VB as a property name when setting up certain types of controls on a form thereby allowing user access to them via keyboard shortcuts.

Ken,

I've tested my installation of SW04 and have all of the keyboard equivalent functionality that I normally use available to me.  I do feel your pain though because I use a number of standard keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys quite routinely while working in SW.  Without them I'd be pretty bent out of shape.

Sorry but I'm not much in the way of ideas as to how to help you out with this one.  It's such standard Windows program functionality that I'm really dumbfounded to even hear of such a problem.  The only one I can think of is, have you tried reinstalling SW04?  I know that's kind of lame but it's all I can come up with.

I also checked the help file and the keyboard shortcuts are still part of the help file and one would assume are still supported.  I'll let you know if I find out anything additional.

Chris Gervais
Sr. Mechanical Designer
Lytron Corp.

RE: Where are the mnemonic underscores in SW2004?

(OP)
I use them for are things like:
To hide: RMB object, [H]
To open from feature tree: RMB part/assy, [P]
Open component prop. from feature tree: RMB part/assy, [C]
etc.etc.etc.

I hate having to read thru the entire menu each time, and if I do memorize a location of a choice, it is usually different whether selected from the graphics or freature tree...so I have to remember 2 locations and which menu is which.

I don't want make macros for all these "basic" commands.  I've actually started an "Open" macro from selection, but I get annoyed at the number of inputs needed for the API open command and have never finished it.  Up thru SW2003, the underscore character was filename specific if RMB'd in the graphics area...i.e. never the same.

Anyway, if the underscores are there in the menu then I have a reminder of which key matches to which command until I learn it.

I started fooling around with the "customize" function in the menu system.  I have noticed that the underscores do appear when customizing, so I can resort to that as a last resort until I learn them.

The jury is still out as to whether the menu improvements are more productive to the way I like to work.  Guess I'll have to change my ways.  You think I'd be used to that by now :)

Ken

RE: Where are the mnemonic underscores in SW2004?

From: http://www.andyrathbone.com/tips/xpclassic.html

Shortcut keys

The menus in older versions of Windows had an underline beneath certain letters. Keyboard-savvy users simply pressed Alt and the underlined letter to activate that menu item. No more taking the hands off the keyboard to find the mouse!

Windows XP leaves out these underlined "shortcut keys," but here's how to turn them back on: Right-click the Desktop, choose Properties, and click the Appearance tab. Click the Effects button and remove the check mark from the line, Hide Underlined Letters for Keyboard Navigation Until I Press The Alt Key. The underlines all appear, ready for shortcuts.

RE: Where are the mnemonic underscores in SW2004?

(OP)
wesman33,
Tried that already.  Thanks for the input, but SW2004 doesn't seem to care what Windows is set to for underscores...either way I don't get the underscore in any RMB menus unless I'm "Customizing" the menu.  However, the underscores in the main menu's do show once I hit {Alt}.
Thanks,
Ken

RE: Where are the mnemonic underscores in SW2004?

RMB on the menu idems still works, at least for me.
I don't see the underline first Character either but the RMB [H] still hides stuff etc...

DG

RE: Where are the mnemonic underscores in SW2004?

(OP)
dgiy,
Yes same here.  I'll just have to learn the "hidden" underscores for each RMB menu the hard way.  Maybe I'll take a screen-shot of each RMB customize menu and print it off to reference.  BEWARE, THE SAME KEYSTROKES IN DIFFERENT RMB MENUS MAY BE LINKED TO DIFFERENT OPERATIONS.
Example:  In one version of SW, RMB-O was component properties (RMB in the graphics window), and RMB-O in the Feature Tree area was dissolve sub-assembly...man did that cause same headaches.
Thanks,
Ken

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