A Few Interface Improvements

[David L]

1. In group edit windows, provide a grey others option for anything not in the group. For that matter just grey all non-group items and make them snapable. I can't think of any reason not to.

2. In Workspace Editor, PLEASE provide the ability to assign F-keys (with modifiers) to menus commands and tools (especially with the new 19 F-key Mac keyboards). Also allow the Control key as a modifier. I've been doing it for years using QuicKeys, but it would be better built into VectorWorks.

3. Provide some way to assign attributes to selected objects by key commands, i.e. line weights, dashes, fills, hatches, font, font size, justification, yada, yada, yada... I've been doing it for years using QuicKeys, but its cumbersome and I have to revise them with each version update. Just think - select some objects - click a key command to change the line weight and fill of an object. I do it hundreds of times a day and it saves me tons of time.

[Pat Stanford]

1. In group edit windows, provide a grey others option for anything not in the group. For that matter just grey all non-group items and make them snapable. I can't think of any reason not to.

How about that then the object still need to be redrawn? When working on complex objects I often group the ones I am currently working on and then edit the group to hide everything else and eliminate the redraw hit from the thousands of other objects in the drawing. And No, I don't want to have to move the objects to a different Class or Layer.

Gray/Snap others would be a great option, but don't take away my ability to only see the selected objects.

Pat

[jan15]

I support all 3 wishes.

1. It would be nice if objects outside the group being edited could be greyed when they're visible. I always have the outside objects visible, but I often make the group red temporarily while editing it. It's easier when you can see what the group consists of.

2. I use a macro utility similar to Quickeys, and a keyboard with 24 function keys, to get all the menu commands I commonly use mapped to unshifted keys. It seems to me VW would be very slow without it. It should be possible to do that in the workspace editor. I don't see why it shouldn't be possible to assign unshifted number and even letter keys to menu commands as well.

3. As you said, assigning attributes by keypress is a quick way to work but cumbersome to set up even with a macro utility. I finally gave up and just use the eyedropper tool, which is sometimes a good alternative and sometimes not. It would be nice if there were some way the workspace editor could set that up.

[Chris D]

Gray/Snap others would be a great option, but don't take away my ability to only see the selected objects.

I agree with Pat.

Oh, and let's renew the oft repeated dream wish "show/snap others while editing SYMBOLS"...please...

[David L]

Gray/Snap others would be a great option, but don't take away my ability to only see the selected objects.

I didn't make it clear, but I was only referring to the "Show others objects while in groups" mode. I didn't intend for that pref to be removed. I edit groups with that pref off about half the time.

What's really handy is that I have several pref settings toggleable by an F-key. If I'm in a group edit window, all I have to do is hit an F-key to hide or display the background items instantly.

Pref settings are another item that should be key assignable. Of course you could write a VectorScript to do that, install it as a menu command then assign it a keystroke. The problem is that too many keystrokes are already in use by VectorWorks-that's why the F-keys are necessary. I have 76 functions assigned to the F-keys on my 19 F-key Mac keyboard and most of them get used on a daily basis.