In AutoCAD, keyboard shortcuts are a great way to enhance your productivity and speed up your workflow. By enabling keyboard shortcuts, you can access various commands and tools with just a few keystrokes, saving you time and effort. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of enabling keyboard shortcuts in AutoCAD.
Step 1: Accessing the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor
To enable keyboard shortcuts in AutoCAD, you need to access the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor. This tool allows you to customize various aspects of AutoCAD’s interface, including the keyboard shortcuts.
- Step 1.1: Open AutoCAD and go to the “Manage” tab in the ribbon.
- Step 1.2: In the “Customization” panel, click on “Customize User Interface” or type “CUI” in the command line and press Enter.
Step 2: Navigating the CUI Editor
Once you have opened the CUI Editor, you will see a tree view on the left side of the window. This tree view contains various categories and subcategories that represent different aspects of AutoCAD’s interface.
- Step 2.1: Expand the “Partial Customization Files” category by clicking on the plus sign next to it.
- Step 2.2: Expand the “Customizations” category.3: Click on “Keyboard Shortcuts.”
Note:
The available categories may vary depending on your version of AutoCAD and the customization files you have loaded.
Step 3: Enabling Keyboard Shortcuts
Now that you are in the “Keyboard Shortcuts” section of the CUI Editor, you can enable keyboard shortcuts for various commands and tools in AutoCAD.
- Step 3.1: In the right pane, you will see a list of commands and their associated keyboard shortcuts (if any).
- Step 3.2: To enable a keyboard shortcut for a specific command, select the command from the list.3: In the “Properties” pane below, click on the “None” button next to “Access Key.”
- Step 3.4: Enter the desired keyboard shortcut in the text box that appears.
Note:
You can use single keystrokes as well as key combinations for your keyboard shortcuts. For example, you can use “F” for F1 or “Ctrl+C” for Copy.
Step 4: Saving and Applying Changes
After enabling keyboard shortcuts for your desired commands, it’s important to save your changes and apply them to AutoCAD.
- Step 4.1: Click on the “Apply” button at the top of the CUI Editor window to apply your changes immediately.
- Step 4.2: Click on the “OK” button to close the CUI Editor and return to AutoCAD.
Congratulations! You have successfully enabled keyboard shortcuts in AutoCAD. Now you can use your customized shortcuts to access commands and tools quickly, improving your efficiency while working with AutoCAD.
Remember to regularly save your customizations by exporting them as a customization file (.cuix) for backup purposes. This way, you can easily import the file in case you need to reinstall AutoCAD or transfer your customizations to another computer.
So go ahead, explore the world of keyboard shortcuts in AutoCAD, and take your drafting and design skills to the next level!