Modify snap aliases?

Hi, anyone know how to change the aliases of snapping to an object. ie, if you want a line starting at the endpoint of another line and line command is invoked, you can type end to snap to and isolate the snap tool. Why have to type the whole word "end" instead of just "e" and so on such as "i" for intersection. I've found the aliases in the .mnu & mns files, but modifying them has no effect.

THIA,
Shawn

 

In the same tack as "steed" we use the pop0 menu for that. If you look down through the POP0 posted below you'll see "&" in the syntax as in
[&Endpoint]_endp
or
[No&de]_nod
That little & will cause that line of the menu to execute when that letter is pressed, so that the sequence is as follows:

Command: L
LINE Specify first point: <middlebutton then E>_endp of
Specify next point or [Undo]: <middlebutton then D> _nod of
Specify next point or [Undo]:<enter>

Now this assumes you have turned off MBUTTONPAN, we've set F12 to toggle MBUTTONPAN on and off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

***POP0
**SNAP
[&Object Snap Cursor Menu]
ID_Tracking [Temporary trac&k point]_tt
ID_From [&From]_from
ID_PointFilx [.&X].X
ID_PointFily [.&Y].Y
ID_PointFilz [.&Z].Z
[--]
ID_PointFixy [.XY].XY
ID_PointFixz [.XZ].XZ
ID_PointFiyz [.YZ].YZ
[--]
ID_OsnapEndp [&Endpoint]_endp
ID_OsnapMidp [&Midpoint]_mid
ID_OsnapInte [&Intersection]_int
ID_OsnapAppa [&Apparent Intersect]_appint
ID_OsnapExte [Extensi&on]_ext
[--]
ID_OsnapCent [&Center]_cen
ID_OsnapQuad [&Quadrant]_qua
ID_OsnapTang [&Tangent]_tan
[--]
ID_OsnapPerp [&Perpendicular]_per
ID_OsnapPara [Para&llel]_par
ID_OsnapNode [No&de]_nod
ID_OsnapInse [In&sert]_ins
ID_OsnapNear [Nea&rest]_nea
ID_OsnapNone [&None]_non
[--]
[R&O]none (ro)
[Cal &Vector Distance]none (cvd)
[Cal Vector Percenta&ge]none (cvt)
[--]
ID_Osnap [&Osnap Settings...]'_+dsettings 2

 

I thought this may draw a little confusion. When I work I like to work efficiently and maintain as little movement as possible, since I have to do it all day. So I like to keep most of the snaps on. But there are many times when I would like to isolate a snap, as where an endpoint comes to a node where a circle exists, but I trust the node more. I would like to just have to hit the "n" key and isolate that snap. Right clicking to access the snap shortcut menu is a little cumbersome. Anyway I just thought that there's probably a place in one of the files that one can truncate the existing alias, such as end to just "e."
TIA,
Shawn

 

Shawn,

I totally understand. The osnap popup menu takes to long to pop up, and
it also means moving your eyes from what you're editing work to the
popup menu. And toolbars take too much screen space imo.

Back in the DOS versions of AutoCAD, you could redefine the keyboard
function keys to output osnaps. So for example, hitting F5 might output
the "Cen" osnap, F6 the "Quad", and so on. But the ability to map the F
keys went away with Windows versions of AutoCAD. If you have a
programmable keyboard, you can still create "macro" keys which output
osnaps when hit.

For the past few years I've been using an auxiliary key pad which sits
next to my standard keyboard. This keypad is programmable and I have
all my osnaps set up with it. While I keep a few running osnaps on all
the time, when I need a single osnap only, it so easy to simply hit the
proper "osnap key".

Here's a link where you can see the Xkeys:

http://www.xkeys.com/xkeys/xkdesk.php#

Steve Doman

 

Thnx guys for all the info

 

Just for the record, please allow me to correct myself.

I said in my previous post that the ability to map the Function keys
went away. That's not true. You can still modify the Function keys by
menu customization.

Whew! I'm glad I got that off my chest

Steve Doman

 

<<The osnap popup menu takes to long to pop up,>>

Sounds like a system problem, ours pops immediately.


<< and it also means moving your eyes from what you're editing work to the popup menu. >>

Not if you know where the keys are on the key board. I don't even "see" the popped menu anymore, it barely blinks on the screen.

 

Ok after reading your reply I checked my osnap popup menu and it came up
real fast. I guess I haven't checked that method since R14. I swear
back than it was a lot slower.

And I also tried your Shift-RighClick-Letter method. Well that way just
isn't to my liking but I see how people might like it. I'd rather just
hit one key.

Thanks for the comments.

Steve Doman

 

I'm with OC -- shift right click + E for endpoint etc. It's instant and the popup never appears. It wasn't to my exact "liking" either but I got used to it. In previous releases I switched the pop menu to plain right click and that was easier & faster. But when Acad added tons of functionality to the right click, it didn't make sense to do that anymore. Then it was middle button (wheel) osnaps -- then that changed too when the wheel gained useful functionality.

Further back, before Windows, I'd used CTRL and ALT combinations for overrides -- but again I changed methods because these conflicted too much with Windows standard conventions.

I'd like a bit more streamlined method too -- if you find a solution you like, please post it! But I'm a little wary of reprogramming the interface and developing a strong habit that's dependent on my customization, based on my experiences. Several times, a change in a new version has made my previous "better" method unworkable, and I've had to (painfully) change habits yet again. Now I try to keep pretty closer to thge standard interface on things that I do most frequently.

 

<<And I also tried your Shift-RighClick-Letter method. Well that way just isn't to my liking but I see how people might like it. I'd rather just hit one key.>>

The shift+right-click wasn't me, I use the middle button.

Mouse in left hand right hand over keyboard, I get to use both hands while drawing.

 

Actually I would have been happy staying with middle-button snaps, but most of our users thought the wheel zoom and pan was super cool, and had already been accustomed to shift-right-click, so I went with the flow. But a single click is way better than a combo-click.