Pet Peeve

[Jim Smith]

One of my pet peeves is a little thing, (but that's why it's a pet peeve). Every time I open a file I have to reset several tools; for example the mirror tool, or the snap to constraints. Preferences does not seem to allow these (and other tools) to be "left" the way I like them. Any magic solutions or should I list this in the wish list?

[Travis]

If you'll wishlist this, I'll second it. I've borrowed a script or two from others (I'm pretty dumb when it comes to scripting) that I run first thing to set most of the tools how I like them.

Would be nice to have them "remember" how they were last time that file was saved, or perhaps have a "Set Preferences" button (like the Eyedropper will set attributes).

[jan15]

Jim, do you really mean every time you open a drawing file? That shouldn't happen. Normally tool modes only revert to the manufacturer's default values when you exit and re-start VectorWorks.

People have been asking for the ability to set their own tool mode defaults since at least version 6, but it's fallen on deaf ears.

Personally, I solved this problem in the same way I solve 90 percent of the customization issues people complain about on this forum -- with macros. I selected my tool modes once, years ago, and the macro editor recorded my keystrokes while doing so. Since then, every time I start VectorWorks I press a single Ctrl-key to play back that macro which sets all the tool modes the way I want them.

[jan15]

A macro is a recording of a sequence of keystrokes and/or mouse clicks. It's stored in memory, and can be played back whenever you want, by a single, user-selected keystroke or mouse click. When the macro is played back, the application it's played back in receives that sequence of keystrokes just as if you had typed them yourself, and it does whatever it would do if you had typed them.

Some applications have a macro utility built in, but VectorWorks doesn't. You would have to buy one, $20 for the PC or $80 for the Mac. The macro utility runs in the background, and starts capturing input whenever you press its designated hotkey. When the recording is finished, signalled by pressing the same hotkey, it asks you what keystroke you want to use to play back the macro, and whether you want it to play back in all programs or only in selected ones.

You can use it to substitute a single keystroke for a long sequence that has to be typed regularly, as for example setting all your VectorWorks Tool Modes with a single hotkey.

As another example, I have a macro that I use in Microsoft Word which removes all extra blank spaces in a text copied from an internet site, and then removes any extra carriage returns. I press one key, and a series of dozens of search and replace operations are performed in less than a second, turning a sloppy mess into a properly formatted document. It took several minutes to record that macro originally, but I've used it innumerable times since then.

You can also create a macro just to use it several times on one occaision and then erase it. For example, if I want to find all instances of a certain phrase in a text document and move the lines in which they occur to the top of the document, I only have to do that for the first instance, recording it while I do it, and then pressing alt-X repeatedly to replay it until all the instances have been found and moved.

Once you get used to macros, it makes sense to record a macro even if you're only going to use it 3 or 4 times, because the recording process only takes a few extra keystrokes and clicks.

You can also use it to assign keyboad shortcuts that the application itself doesn't support. For example, I hit F8 to execute the Group command in VectorWorks, because I use it constantly and a Ctrl-key combination would be too slow and tiresome. I've assigned other commonly used VW commands to other function keys. In any program, F3 means Copy, F2 means Paste, and F7 means Undo on my computer.

[Ray Libby]

So what macro application do you use?

[Delmer]

I agree: mirror tool on duplicate, eyedropper with the "pick up sets defaults" box checked . . .

jan15, could you elaborate on macros?

[jan15]

I use Macro Express, which cost $40 and does a lot more than I described. In fact I don't understand most of what it does. But it's a pleasure to use and totally stable and reliable.

The same company makes a more basic version which they call Keyboard Express, $25. I personally probably would have preferred that, since I don't use the extra features, but I didn't know about it when I bought Macro Express.

Either program can be downloaded for a 30-day fully functional free trial, at

http://www.macros.com/

http://www.keyboardexpress.com/

[fsung]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jan15:

Some applications have a macro utility built in, but VectorWorks doesn't. You would have to buy one, $20 for the PC or $80 for the Mac.

---

Um ... actually, no need to drop even as much as a plugged nickel on a macro program for Mac. AppleScript, which has been an integral component of Apple System sw since at least System 7.5 (maybe 7.1), can record and save keystrokes and/or mouse clicks.

[jan15]

That's good news for Mac users.

The first macro utility I ever bought was for the Mac and for VectorWorks. It was called "Quickeys". I remember thinking at the time that AppleScript would do what I wanted, but discovering after a lot of study that it couldn't. I don't remember what OS that was, but it was back when VW was still called MiniCad.

Kudos to Macintosh if they've added it to the OS. Microsoft should build it into Windows. Well, not really, because they'd probably screw it up.

The ideal thing would be for Nemetschek to build it into VectorWorks, since it enhances VW more than any other application, and it would solve 90 percent of the customization issues people raise in this forum.