josvandoorn
16-01-2007, 12:27 AM
This is something they have added to AutoCAD 2006. In
AutoCAD 2006 you now have dynamic input. It helps to
stay on focused on the screen.
You're not in a command. You move the cursor over the
screen. The X position and the Y position of the cursor
are displayed.
Even better. You're in a command. What normally is
displayed in the command window is now displayed next
to the cursor.
Suppose you want to draw a line. You click on the Line
button in the Draw toolbar. The first prompt of the
line command is displayed. Next to the cursor.
Behind the prompt are two numbers. Those numbers give
the X position and the Y position of the cursor. Click
to get the first point.
The first prompt is no longer displayed. Now the next
prompt is displayed. We now have two numbers. Not
exactly behind the prompt.
The first number gives a distance. From the cursor to
the point that we picked. And the second number gives
an angle. From the first point to the cursor.
We pick another point. We now come to the next prompt.
That prompt is displayed next to the prompt. We can
pick another point.
But there is something in the prompt. There is
something in each prompt that is displayed. We see the
icon of a down arrow displayed in the prompt.
Press the down arrow on your keyboard. A shortcut menu
shows up. All available options are in the shortcut
menu.
Press the down arrow again. A black dot is displayed
next to the first option. If you want to invoke that
option, then press the Enter key.
Of course. You can keep on pressing the down arrow. You
go to another option. And press the Enter key to invoke
that option.
Do you see? With dynamic input you can keep your eyes
on the screen of AutoCAD. No need to look down into the
command window.
OK. I gave an example. Using the LINE command. But if
you use another command. Still the same. The prompts
are displayed in the screen.
There is much more to dynamic input. We will talk more
about dynamic input in the other articles in this
series. But allow me to make another remark.
This is the first article of a series of four articles.
The subjects of all articles are:
1. What Dynamic Input is.
2. Status bar. Switching on. Switching off.
3. Settings
- Enable Pointer Input
- Enable Dimension Input
- Dynamic Prompts
4. Settings
- Appearance
- Options
AutoCAD 2006 you now have dynamic input. It helps to
stay on focused on the screen.
You're not in a command. You move the cursor over the
screen. The X position and the Y position of the cursor
are displayed.
Even better. You're in a command. What normally is
displayed in the command window is now displayed next
to the cursor.
Suppose you want to draw a line. You click on the Line
button in the Draw toolbar. The first prompt of the
line command is displayed. Next to the cursor.
Behind the prompt are two numbers. Those numbers give
the X position and the Y position of the cursor. Click
to get the first point.
The first prompt is no longer displayed. Now the next
prompt is displayed. We now have two numbers. Not
exactly behind the prompt.
The first number gives a distance. From the cursor to
the point that we picked. And the second number gives
an angle. From the first point to the cursor.
We pick another point. We now come to the next prompt.
That prompt is displayed next to the prompt. We can
pick another point.
But there is something in the prompt. There is
something in each prompt that is displayed. We see the
icon of a down arrow displayed in the prompt.
Press the down arrow on your keyboard. A shortcut menu
shows up. All available options are in the shortcut
menu.
Press the down arrow again. A black dot is displayed
next to the first option. If you want to invoke that
option, then press the Enter key.
Of course. You can keep on pressing the down arrow. You
go to another option. And press the Enter key to invoke
that option.
Do you see? With dynamic input you can keep your eyes
on the screen of AutoCAD. No need to look down into the
command window.
OK. I gave an example. Using the LINE command. But if
you use another command. Still the same. The prompts
are displayed in the screen.
There is much more to dynamic input. We will talk more
about dynamic input in the other articles in this
series. But allow me to make another remark.
This is the first article of a series of four articles.
The subjects of all articles are:
1. What Dynamic Input is.
2. Status bar. Switching on. Switching off.
3. Settings
- Enable Pointer Input
- Enable Dimension Input
- Dynamic Prompts
4. Settings
- Appearance
- Options