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Custom shortcut keys

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    Procedures

    Some designers prefer to enter keystrokes rather than rely on menu options or mouse clicks to use tools. Autodesk Inventor LT has many predefined shortcut keys. The shortcuts are shown in tooltips when you pause the cursor over a tool button and beside the option name in commands.

    You can develop your own shortcut scheme and assign custom shortcuts to commands. The key combination you want to use for a shortcut is sometimes already assigned to a default shortcut. In that case, you can usually delete the shortcut and reassign the keys to the command of your choice.

    What is the Autodesk Inventor LT strategy for shortcuts?

    The strategy for assigning default shortcut and command alias keys is designed to accommodate major workflows. In general, assign command aliases to modeling and other general-purpose tasks in Autodesk Inventor LT. Assign custom shortcuts for transparent commands (for example, zoom, pan), and for file utility functions, such as printing, and so on.

    NoteDo not use the Shift key in combination with a letter, because this will create a command alias. Use Shift in combination with another modifier (Ctrl or Alt).

    What default shortcuts cannot be overridden?

    Some keys are reserved for specific purposes in Autodesk Inventor LT. For example, F1 accesses Help in all Microsoft Windows applications. In Autodesk Inventor LT, all the F-keys (function keys) are reserved for global operations. Additionally, some other keys cannot be used in custom shortcuts. The following table contains all the reserved shortcuts in Autodesk Inventor LT:

    Shortcut

    Command/Operation

    F1

    Help

    F6

    Isometric View

    Shift+F5

    Next

    F2

    Pan

    F5

    Previous View

    F4

    Rotate

    F10

    Sketch Visibility

    F7

    Slice Graphics

    F3

    Zoom In/Out

    Shift+F3

    Zoom Window

    Are some keys ineligible for use in shortcuts?

    In addition to the function keys, some other keys cannot be used in custom shortcuts:

    Enter/Return

    Num Lock

    "Windows" key

    Scroll Lock

    "Menu" key

    Backspace

    Print Screen

    Spacebar

    Caps LockPause/BreakEscDelete

    Left and Right arrow keys

    Num Enter

    Tab

    Insert

    Ctrl+C

    Ctrl+V

    Ctrl+X

    		  

    Other nonstandard keys such as multimedia keys or Internet keys are also ineligible.

    Do not use Alt with the A-Z keys or the 1-0 keys because it can interfere with the Microsoft Windows standard accelerator keys for accessing menu commands. We recommend that you use Alt in combination with other modifier keys such as Shift and Ctrl plus a letter or number key.

    How do shortcut keys work?

    In any Autodesk Inventor LT environment, enter a shortcut to start a command. If the model or drawing is not in a state where the command can be used, the shortcut is inactive. For example, to define the plus sign on the numeric keypad (Num +) to the perpendicular constraint, a sketch must be active. If a sketch is not active, the command is not activated.

    If you enter the shortcut when the model is ready to use the command, the command starts normally.

    Can I import or export shortcuts?

    You can click Export in the Customize dialog box to export the shortcuts to an XML file. Then you can share your custom shortcuts with other users. Ribbon and marking menu customization settings can also be saved in the same XML file. You can import the shortcuts and other customization settings when you open a new release of Autodesk Inventor LT.

    Note on default install locations for both Import and Export operations:

    Windows XP: Program Files\Autodesk\Autodesk Inventor LT [version]\Preferences

    Vista: Users\[login]AppData\Local\Autodesk\Autodesk Inventor LT[revision]\Preferences

     

    Procedures

    Create custom shortcut keys

     

    Autodesk Inventor LT has many predefined shortcut keys. Using the defined key or combination of keys, you can start a command. In addition to predefined keys, you can create custom shortcuts or change the default shortcuts.

    1. Click Tools tabOptions panel Customize, and then click the Keyboard tab.
    2. In the Categories list, click the command category that you want.
    3. In the filter list, select All, Assigned, or Unassigned, to see a list of associated commands and shortcuts in the command box.

      All

      All commands are displayed in the command box

      Assigned

      Only commands with assigned shortcuts or aliases are displayed in the command box.

      Unassigned

      Only commands without assigned shortcuts or aliases are displayed in the command box.

    4. In the command box, click in the Keys column next to the associated command. Enter the shortcut, using any of these methods:
      • Press a punctuation key (including ` - = [ ] \ ; ' , . /), or one of the following keys: Home, End, PgUp, PgDn, Up arrow, Down arrow.
      • Press a combination of the Shift key along with a numeric key (0-9), punctuation key, or one of the following keys: Home, End, PgUp, PgDn, Up arrow, Down arrow.
        NoteAny Shift+letter combination results in a command alias.
      • Press any combination of Shift, Ctrl, and Alt keys along with an alphanumeric character.
        NoteCombine Alt with the Shift and/or Ctrl and a letter or number. We do not recommend using Alt without another modifier.
    5. To discard the new shortcut before assigning it, click Reject or press Delete or Backspace.
      NoteTo discard an existing shortcut, click in the Keys column next to the associated command and press Delete or Backspace.
    6. To assign the shortcut, click Accept or press Enter.
    7. Continue to assign shortcuts or click Close to close the dialog box.

    Tips for creating and using custom shortcut keys and command alias character sequences

    • A good rule of thumb to follow, when assigning custom shortcuts and command aliases, is to:
      • Assign command aliases for modeling and other general-purpose tasks in Autodesk Inventor LT.
      • Assign custom shortcuts for transparent commands, such as zoom and pan, and for file utility functions, such as printing, and so on.
      NoteThe Shift key, in combination with a letter (A-Z), creates a command alias. Shortcuts require the use of either Ctrl, Alt, or both as a modifier. Shift can be used in addition to Ctrl and Alt. Shift can also be used alone with numeric and punctuation keys.
    • Shortcuts assigned to the numeric keypad are sometimes unavailable on laptop computers.
    • A key combination or character sequence can already be in use as a default shortcut or alias. The customize dialog box allows you to override an existing assignment, and assign the key combination or character sequence to the command of your choice.
    • A key combination can already be in use as a reserved shortcut. In this case, you can assign an alias to the command, but not a customized shortcut.
    • In general, shortcuts can be executed when a dialog box is active. Command aliases are not used while a dialog box is active.
    • In the Customize dialog box, Keyboard tab, use Copy to Clipboard to copy a list of command names and their assigned aliases and shortcuts to the clipboard. You can paste this data into an Excel spreadsheet or any word processor.
      NoteIf this command is selected while a shortcut is being edited, any changes to the shortcut are discarded and reset to the last value.

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