Is there a deselect icon? or Esc icon?

[LCE]

I can say that a person that uses shortcuts/keyboard is faster than ANY toolbar-only user.

Having worked with 100s of CAD users, and now managing 40ish, I can tell you that again, that is untrue.
There are guys that are quick with just command line, and there are guys that are slow with command line. There are guys that are quick with just toolbars, and guys that are slow with just toolbars.

[CADguy209]

When I learned AutoCAD there were no tool bars, and it was on dos. If you wanted short cuts you had to make your own modified pgp file and load it on the machine. When toolbars came I tried them but didnt realy care for them.

Back when I used to tutor people learning cad if one of their tool bars or buttons was missing it was like they were dead in the water, as they got used to just clicking a button. The good thing about using the keyboard I feel is that it really forces you to pay attention to the command line and thus how the commands them self function and what they ask you for. I would always tell the students that you should try and learn the commands as much as possible on the command line/keybord first and then migrate to toolbars as you need them.

For me personally I dont get the guys who have their screens full of toolbars. For one thing I can never remember what each little buttons image is and what command it represents. Also depending on how big your monitor is and how bad your eyes are it can be a little difficult looking at all those buttons. Secondly when your screen is cluttered with so many toolbars you have much less screen available and seemingly have to keep zooming and paning all the time. Not my cup of tea.

[Cad64]

Thread cleaned up, unnecessary posts removed.

[SLW210]

I use Ctrl+Z. Just takes one hand and about one second.

[LCE]

To undo, right? not deselect or cancel?

[SLW210]

To undo, right? not deselect or cancel?

Correct, it is just easier than reaching up for Esc, since my left hand sits right at Ctrl+Z.

[CADguy209]

Another way to "deselect" is to just hold down the select key while in the commands selection mode and then select the parts you want to remove from the selection set.

[LCE]

Correct, it is just easier than reaching up for Esc, since my left hand sits right at Ctrl+Z.

Thought so, and thread title is

Is there a deselect icon? or Esc icon?

[CADTutor]

I must say that this thread has been very interesting and that it raises some important issues. As I stated in my earlier post, AutoCAD is an incredibly flexible tool, designed in such a way that it can be used in an amazing variety of ways. Most of us who have used AutoCAD for many years have grown to love this "freedom of expression". Why is it then that some of us are unable to celebrate this diversity of use (after all, that is the spirit of the age) and insist that all AutoCAD users conform to an accepted norm?

Sure, in a purely commercial world there is only one way - the most efficient, time-saving and cheapest way but as with many aspects of commercial life, this denies the right to personal creativity, experimentation and (ultimately) freedom of expression.

The "toolbars vs. keyboard" argument is facile and based on a wholly erroneous precept. My view is that AutoCAD users should be given the freedom to use whatever method they wish. Ultimately, they will naturally find their most efficient preferred method because that is human nature.

[LCE]

I must say that this thread has been very interesting and that it raises some important issues. As I stated in my earlier post, AutoCAD is an incredibly flexible tool, designed in such a way that it can be used in an amazing variety of ways. Most of us who have used AutoCAD for many years have grown to love this "freedom of expression". Why is it then that some of us are unable to celebrate this diversity of use (after all, that is the spirit of the age) and insist that all AutoCAD users conform to an accepted norm?

Sure, in a purely commercial world there is only one way - the most efficient, time-saving and cheapest way but as with many aspects of commercial life, this denies the right to personal creativity, experimentation and (ultimately) freedom of expression.

The "toolbars vs. keyboard" argument is facile and based on a wholly erroneous precept. My view is that AutoCAD users should be given the freedom to use whatever method they wish. Ultimately, they will naturally find their most efficient preferred method because that is human nature.

Very, very, very well said. Thank you David.