Question on creating a shortcut for inputting dimensions

[Blissful_Sloth]

Hello,

 

This is my first post here. I've used AutoCAD on and off since my junior year of high school. However, now that I'm using AutoCAD every day at an internship, I figured it was time to brush up on some info, especially shortcuts to boost productivity.

 

I'm wondering if there is a way to configure my profile so that i can input both feet and inches just with the numpad, i.e. skipping the apostrophe. Is there a way to have one of the keys on the numpad (I'm thinking asterisk) become a shortcut for feet?

 

As of right now I'm creating floor plans for an existing house from measurements I took and inputting them into CAD, so it's lots of repetitive movement for me to reach over to asterisk every time I input a dimension. Being able to type "12*8" instead of "12'8", for example, would save me a lot of time.

 

Thanks!

[Cad64]

You don't have to type the inch symbol. You can just type 12'8 and Autocad will understand that the 8 is inches.

[Blissful_Sloth]

Yes, thank you, I know. I can see how putting the inputs in quotation marks made that confusing. I'm specifically asking about being able to have another key, the asterisk (*), being a shortcut for the feet symbol, the apostrophe (')

[Cad64]

Sorry but I don't know of a way to make a key on your keyboard act like another key. If you're good at math you could enter everything in inches. Instead of 12'8 you could enter 152. That's about all I can suggest. Maybe someone else has an idea?

[Blissful_Sloth]

I know that AutoCAD LT has more limited options than the full program, but just from clicking around on my own I didn't see any options screen to re-map or double-map keys to certain functions. Using the CUI (Customize User Interface) command let me find where to change common keyboard shortcuts, such as copy, paste, properties, save, and lots of 'toggle' options, but I couldn't find any way to actually change an input of a particular key.

[ReMark]

Why are you typing in dimensions in the first place?

[Blissful_Sloth]

Creating a digital set of floor prints from an existing house. I've been taking measurements with tape, doing a rough drafting of it with a scale and clipboard, and recreating the drawing in AutoCAD. It's not a significant problem by any means but it would cut down on time and make it easier for me to quickly input dimensions without glancing at my keyboard constantly to move my hands.

[ReMark]

And you are doing this rather than drawing everything up first then using the dimensioning tools provided by AutoCAD because...?

[Blissful_Sloth]

I'm not using the Dimension tool, I'm talking about physically entering in the lengths of each line as I draw them in CAD. Unless I am misinterpreting what you mean.

[Blissful_Sloth]

Hopefully this clarifies what I mean to everyone. Here is the command prompt for creating a 12'8 LINE.

 

Command: LINE

Specify first point:

Specify next point or [undo]: 12'8

Specify next point or [undo]: *Cancel*

 

 

All I'm asking is if there is a way I can change the input that (') signifies "feet" to (*). So in the future I can type 12*8 (one handed).

[ReMark]

No, I misunderstood what you meant. Why not convert your dimensions then from this: 12'-8" to this 152.0? No or to enter.

[Blissful_Sloth]

I definitely could do that. I'm still grabbing dimensions for the house (I'm doing one floor per day on average, 4 stories total) so for the next floor i can take dimensions in feet-inches and overall inches.

 

I realize this was a hard thing to ask via text and harder to answer, thanks for the help. Just trying to optimize my workflow.

[ReMark]

Or you could take dimensions in the field in feet, inches and fractions of an inch then give your brain the mental workout it craves and convert to all decimal inches when you input the dimension/distance at the keyboard. Brains love to be exercised.

 

11'-6 5/8" = 138.625

[Blissful_Sloth]

True, I definitely could use the practice. Math was never my strong suit, but when it's all just based on 12 it isn't that scary haha.

[ReMark]

True, I definitely could use the practice. Math was never my strong suit, but when it's all just based on 12 it isn't that scary haha.

 

As a check you could always, from time to time, do a LIST on the line you just drew and AutoCAD will report back the length in the units you originally set the drawing up to use which in your case would be architectural. Or just click on a line and check its properties.

[BIGAL]

There is a way and its 12.8 or 12.8.25 ie 12'8" 12' 8 1/4" it can be done via lisp and obviously is much easier as you use num pad.

 

BUT for you blisfull_sloth its a big one you have LT. Steven-g any idea a macro ?

 

This came from survey bearings degrees minutes seconds so ddd.mmss 123.4513 is 123 degrees 45 minutes 13 seconds. Scientific calculators in particular HP have a button for this.

 

I have a LUDR.lsp this works the way you want L12.45 draws a line to the left 12.45 units so just keep tying and not watch screen. Sorry not for LT and version 2 was to be a imperial version I am metric so it works now. In a more advanced way it would use a reactor similar to something I did previously for Fillet Circle Offset.

 

; draw a pline by direction Up Down left or Right use upper or lowercase
; by Alan H dec 2015
; this version is a metric/decimal version
; version 2 depending on request will be a imperial version
; 1'8 1/4" input d1.8.25 start with 1.8 = 1'8" then add second fraction ver 3

; how to use u123.45 D34.57 R102.6 l53

(defun ah:left ( / pt2)
(setq pt2 (polar pt pi (atof (substr ans 2 (- (strlen ans) 1)))))
(setq pt pt2)
(command pt2)
)

(defun ah:up ( / pt2)
(setq pt2 (polar pt (/ pi 2.0) (atof (substr ans 2 (- (strlen ans) 1)))))
(setq pt pt2)
(command pt2)
)

(defun ah:right ( / pt2)
(setq pt2 (polar pt 0.0 (atof (substr ans 2 (- (strlen ans) 1)))))
(setq pt pt2)
(command pt2)
)

(defun ah:down ( / pt2)
(setq pt2 (polar pt (* 1.5 pi) (atof (substr ans 2 (- (strlen ans) 1)))))
(setq pt pt2)
(command pt2)
)

(defun C:ahpliner ( / pt ans)

(command "_pline")
(command (setq pt (getpoint "Pick start point - Enter or C to finish")))
(while (= (getvar "cmdactive") 1 ) 
(setq ans (getstring "Enter L123 U456 R67 D78"))
(cond ((= ans "")(command ""))
     ((= "L"(strcase (substr ans 1 1)))(ah:left))
     ((= "U"(strcase (substr ans 1 1)))(ah:up))
     ((= "D"(strcase (substr ans 1 1)))(ah:down))
     ((= "R"(strcase (substr ans 1 1)))(ah:right))
     ((= "C"(strcase (substr ans 1 1)))(command "close"))
) ;cond
) ; while
)

[Cad64]

I have moved this question to the Autocad LT section: http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?82-AutoCAD-LT