Are hot keys gone forever?

[Metal Flake (clocked in)]

Is there a switch to get back the hot key assignments that have been around since V1?

 

Thanks,

 

Dan

[Psychomill]

Hotkeys are still valid in X... they just might be different than you're used to. I found that out. Not sure if you're MCX or V9.

 

In MCX, go: 'settings > key mapping'

In V9, go: ' screen > configure > toolbar/keys

 

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

I'd say the single key hot keys and most menu specific keys are gone.

 

They will be missed.

 

What I noticed after a mourning period was that I can set up say alt&~ to create line endpoints and it has the v9 hot key equivalant of c-l-*

 

The trick for me is learning to think differently when creating stuff.

[Psychomill]

Jimmy's right...

 

The single keys are gone (have to use "Alt ?"). The only single keys left appears to be the function ( "F?" ) keys...

[Jeff Kemper]

You still have single key functions inside of commands that appear in the Ribbon Bar. To see 'em, check mark and save, Settings/Configuration/Screen/Use Learning Mode prompts. Then hover yer cursor over da buttons, 'til ya memorize what can be used where.

[Chris Rizzo]

I WANT "R" TO REVERSE CHAINS IN TOOLPATH SELECTION!!!

 

 

yeah I'm yelling, and considering sending X back to CNC (smashed into many little plastic pieces) just for the lack of carrying over that ESSENTIAL feature

 

boy I'll feel like a jerk if someone tells me how to make it work. But a happy jerk, none-the-less

[connormac]

I want C to pick center of hole!!

[connormac]

Jeff, how dose that work again?? Sounds cool!

[Johnny]

quote:

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I WANT "R" TO REVERSE CHAINS IN TOOLPATH SELECTION!!!

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me to!!

 

I want a direction arrow when chaining anything other than a toolpath. Its weird not seeing that chaining arrow your used to seeing V9

 

I also agree with "C for centre of circle" I also miss being able to snap a circle centre by picking the arc between quadrants

 

[gcode]

While everyone's is whining...

I want numbered levels back. I could care less about 2 billion available levels (which would not be praticle to number)

 

I just want to open my level manager and see

lots of rows of empty prenumbered lelvels.

In my entire career, I think I've used up 256 levels twice.

 

I too would like C and M and E back. I miss them dearly, but I don't hate the autocursor like some folks here

[betts]

I suppose we all have our preferences....

 

I don't have my "X" yet, but I am looking forward to having unlimited levels, as I FREQUENTLY run out of levels when only half way through a job. I am sure it is the way I organize things, but it has worked well for me and I will continue, but won't have to "cramp" levels anymore.

 

I'll hold my tongue on the hotkeys until I get some sperience w/the new X.

 

But I still miss the "add/remove" buttons from the "old" levels manager.

[Roger Peterson]

I know everyone does things differently but I guess what I would like to know is why are you reversing the direction all the time? Are you chain a LOT of individual contours so you are zoomed out? I am just wondering, I didn't really use the "R" all that much in V9. If I had to chain a lot of chains and didn't want to zoom in I would usually turn off "use curser position for manual selection" so all I had to do was click near the endpoint of where I wanted to start, I didn't have to pay attention to which entity or zoom way in and out.

 

Thank you,

[Mike Mattera - TFM]

You'll be superised how much it's still the same.

 

Example: Press Alt and then press C

and then press A. (Not Alt + C)

Hit them in sequence. It's a single finger pick just like before. Create Arc was C A in V9. Not too much different.

 

If your doing an Arc, Press "R" to change the radius, press "D" to change the diameter. Press "L" to change the length of a line.

 

Now here's your quiz: What key would you press to change an Angle?

 

Mike Mattera

[gcode]

There is one thing that has really surprised me

during the transion to X.

 

I had no idea how differently people use MC to do thier work

 

For example

quote:

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I didn't really use the "R" all that much in V9

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I never knew it exsisted, so I don't miss it.

I can't imagine working without the Autocursor, but some people don't use it at all.

 

I'll bet I've learned a dozen things about V9

I never knew cause people miss them in X.

[Paul McGarr]

For me Roger, often I chain around 100 contours at a time. Usually I can get away with using a window, but sometimes I can't. When I am on chain eighty and I click the wrong side of the breakpoint on an arc, reversing the chain is a lifesaver.

 

I'm sure I'll get over the hotkeys myself, but it's going to take a while. Been Mastercammin' for a long time with those hot keys.

 

Paul

[Roger Peterson]

Paul, that's what I'm saying. I turn off the "use cursor position for manual selection" checkbox in the chaining options. Once I do that chains will ALWAYS be CW or CCW based on the setting in te chaining options. This way I don't have to worry about which end I am closer to, I just click near where I want to start my chain and the direction is always CW. This doesn't work if you want to chain the outside of a part, then the inside, outside, inside, etc... But for me doing as I expained works the vast majority of the time. In fact I so rarely used the reverse chain function I would usually move the cursor over to click it because It wasn't a hot key that I really used. To me, when they move the forward, back into the change start menu was more of a big deal (when 9 came out) than loosing the "R" hot key.

 

And if I had a lot of chains I would create points and use the use set chain start from points deal in the chaining options. This way I didn't worry about getting the direction or the start point right.

 

JM2C

[cadcam]

Gcode you used 256 levels how is that I have never been able to use 256 levels in V9 or earler?

[gcode]

quote:

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you used 256 levels

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my mistake, 255 levels

[medaq]

quote:

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I can't imagine working without the Autocursor, but some people don't use it at all.

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For me I find the autocursor super annoying once you are trying to click something in a complicated solid or with tons of geometry. You will be trying to click a endpoint but it keeps grabbing circle centers, or what ever. But to each his own, everyone will have different patience for each method they use.

 

 

I have my left hand over the left hand portion of the keyboard to click hot keys as needed and my right hand on the mouse. I can click stuff I want at twice the speed using hot keys as I could with autocursor. I am version 8 still and with the looks of mcam 10, I dont see ever upgrading till they put mastercam back to what it can be. I still Can not understand why they would remove the tree. Why not have a option to turn it back on. No one can tell me he can create a line faster than with hot keys and the tree. c,l,e click click line in place. I have less mouse motion and can distribute the load of creating through my left and right hand. How is this not faster than the current method of creation?

 

Jim

[Roger Peterson]

medaq, I don't think anyone will tell you that there are things that everyone can do faster in 9. But you look at it as a whole and the picture changes drastically. I don't have to get out of endpoints to create tangent lines, etc.. The fact that everything give me a preview means I almost never hit undo, or if I escaped go into delete and hit delete result or worse delete individual entities to get back to where I started, etc... I save an exorbanant amount of time when backploting alone. What proved it for me was getting to the point of feeling comfortable in X, not an Xpert but just comfortable, take a job, and probram it in both softwares. I'm sure you'll be surprised at how fast you are in X. It is easy to find things that may be a little slower that it is to notice the new things that save you time.

 

 

JM2C

[Chris Rizzo]

It is interesting how many different features are staples for one programmer, and completly unknown by another.

 

For me "R" is handy for contouring both ID and OD features in the same toolpath.

[medaq]

Roger, I dont doubt some features in mcam10 are going to be faster. But why not have the best of both worlds in this software. As I can see they are taking out what is good in mcam10 and are removing to put those speedier things into different areas. Why not have both and go even more faster?

 

Jim

[Psychomill]

quote:

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You'll be superised how much it's still the same.

---

quote:

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Hit them in sequence. It's a single finger pick just like before. Create Arc was C A in V9. Not too much different.

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Mike, You are correct to a certain extent. Physically, its not "that much different". You have one extra step is all.

 

Mentally though, is another story. I don't have to "think" much when I'm designing or programming. My fingers for the most part know exactly what key to push to do what I'm thinking. It just goes there (if that makes sense). When I open a door, I don't "think" about turning the handle. My hand just does it. When I open a beer, I don't "think" about having to twist the cap, my hand just does it.

 

Its that extra step (or steps), however so little, thats causing a bunch of grief in the short time that I've been using it. I've got some serious stutter issues happening now. I'm about ready to tie my left hand to the back of my chair until I get used to all of this...

 

[Paul McGarr]

quote:

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Paul, that's what I'm saying

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Roger,

 

I never bothered to see what would happen with that de-selected. You're right. I could have used that all along, and maybe I wouldn't be so dependent on reversing.

 

Paul

[DavidB]

Reversing a chain is a MUST for contour Toolpaths.

What if I dont want to climb Mill a contour Reverse the chain.