Toolbar perfection

I've got a couple of questions for the AC pro's about some advanced custom toolbar properties, and I'd like to hear about if anyone has made any out-of-the-ordinary steps to improve their input efficiency.

I know there is a thread about AC set-ups, but I was hoping to look at individual parts in a bit more detail.

My questions:

1. Is there a way to remove the time delay when hovering over things like the Project Manager? (ACE)

I use it a lot so I have it as part of my interface, but sometimes I'll accidentally hover over it, and I'll have to wait a few seconds for it to disappear.

2. The ribbon along the top. Is there a way to make it so that you can just hover your over it rather than clicking on it and waiting for it to disappear again? Sometimes I'll accidentally double click making it change state, and then I'll have to cycle through the different ribbon variations to get it back to how I like.

Anyway, this thread is more out interest than anything else. I'm aware that the time it took to write these questions out will probably end up taking up more time than just living with it

So have you guys done anything like this? And what haptic/intuitive improvements would you like to see in future AutoCAD versions?

EDIT: Removed first line. Was perhaps misleading.

Assuming both could be done how much time are you saving in a given day? You want to increase your productivity do it in an area that will save you a considerable amount of time which means you would first have to analyze your work habits and see where the inefficiencies lie. Have you done that?

While you're looking to shave milliseconds off of your hover times here is a link to a freeware program (by JTB World) that will speed up show/hide times for palette windows.

http://www.jtbworld.com/PaletteAuto-hideSpeed.htm

Assuming both could be done how much time are you saving in a given day?

Small time! A minute, maybe two!

You want to increase your productivity do it in an area that will save you a considerable amount of time which means you would first have to analyze your work habits and see where the inefficiencies lie. Have you done that?

This is a part of my analysis. The purpose of this thread is to discover the small things that bug people from time to time - mainly the ones that can't be modified through the standard AutoCAD settings. What better way to find out than to ask a community of AutoCADers? My input were the two questions I asked - formed as questions because perhaps somebody knows of a way to change these that isn't instantly obvious.

While you're looking to shave milliseconds off of your hover times here is a link to a freeware program (by JTB World) that will speed up show/hide times for palette windows.

 

http://www.jtbworld.com/PaletteAuto-hideSpeed.htm

This looks neat. I'll take a look. I can't wait to save those milliseconds!

EDIT: Doesn't seem to be compatible with ACE'14 Last update to the plug-in was 2009.

I've yet to come across any "setting" that would effectively speed things up in regards to either of your questions.

What inefficiencies have you identified in your own work habits that could be changed to effectively increase your productivity?

That minute you save over the course of the day, what do you do with it? Do you just use it to extend your coffee break?

What inefficiencies have you identified in your own work habits that could be changed to effectively increase your productivity?

Inefficiencies in my own work?! I don't know what you're talking about, ReMark! A lot of my inefficiency probably comes from not using the right tools for the job. Which is one of the reasons I joined this forum. There are a few things I am trying to implement such as a more definitive set of standard blocks that we use in our schematics.

EDIT: Heh, another inefficiency is spending minutes on a thread about how to save even less minutes. Although that isn't the goal of this thread. Perhaps I'll make another thread in 'CHAT' that is better written and less confusing. 'ITT: Things that would make AutoCAD perfect'

That minute you save over the course of the day, what do you do with it? Do you just use it to extend your coffee break?

That'd be nice. Unfortunately in reality I'd just put it towards completing another project.

You might want to set this OPTION if it is available to 0, as shown it is in

Autocad Vanilla. Not sure if it will help you, but it won't hurt.

If you have not investigated the contextual tab states ribbon options as shown in the image, you may want to explore them.

You might want to set this OPTION if it is available to 0, as shown it is in

Autocad Vanilla. Not sure if it will help you, but it won't hurt.

Thanks Dadgad. Found this option but unfortunately it only applies to the tooltips

I'd suggest concentrating on tasks that you do that could be sped up using lisp routines.

Set your ribbon to display the way you prefer by selecting this little button.

If you really want to speed things up, learn and customize keyboard shortcuts for your most used commands.

I find that not taking naps at ones workstation makes one much more efficient. Also a very large container for liquids such as coffee or water at your desk helps with productivity. Not going to lunch helps as well as staying seated in front of your monitor the whole time your at work. Don't talk with other employees or ask questions. But above all never ever blink. You can waste a whole minute per day just by blinking.

I'd suggest concentrating on tasks that you do that could be sped up using lisp routines.

Learning about lisps is something I've been looking into I worked through a few tutorials that had been discussed on the forums but not a whole lot stuck. It seems like one of those things that is probably a lot less complicated than it looks at a first look. I'll have to keep working on it.

Dadgad:

That's a neat setting. These are the kind of milliseconds I want to be saving Unfortunately it's not a setting that affects my 'problems' but I've still used it

SLW210:

Thanks. Not perfect, but it's faster than double clicking through the cycle

I find that not taking naps at ones workstation makes one much more efficient. Also a very large container for liquids such as coffee or water at your desk helps with productivity. Not going to lunch helps as well as staying seated in front of your monitor the whole time your at work. Don't talk with other employees or ask questions. But above all never ever blink. You can waste a whole minute per day just by blinking.

Cheers buddy. Very wise words. I'll certainly not be blinking any longer - or at least make sure my blinks coincide with actions that don't require any vision.

Write down the top 20 commands you do, are they levels deep in the menus ?

I have two toolbars left & right of screen bang option picked no go to top find correct ribbon then run option, we have customised workspaces so sometimes have to change these also to switch bewtween options, you can bring nearly any command to the top of a menu.

If you can use notepad you can make menu's and tool bars, you just need to go inside CUI and look for the commands or learn how to make your own custom menu within CUI. We mix and match commands between autocad, our add on software and custom lisps. Save this as alans.mnu then Menuload it will appear then likewise menuload to remove.

***MENUGROUP=ALANSTOOLBAR
***TOOLBARS
**ALANSTOOLS
ID_TbModify  [_Toolbar("Alans", _Right, _Show, 0, 0, 1)]
AECC_ShowTS  [_Button("Show Toolspace", RCDATA_16_IMAGE, RCDATA_16_IMAGE)]^C^C^C^P_ShowTS
ID_Matchprop [_Button("Match Properties", RCDATA_16_MATCH, RCDATA_16_MATCH)]^C^C_matchprop
ID_Erase     [_Button("Erase", RCDATA_16_ERASE, RCDATA_32_ERASE)]^C^C_erase
ID_Copy      [_Button("Copy", RCDATA_16_COPYOB, RCDATA_32_COPYOB)]$M=$(if,$(eq,$(substr,$(getvar,cmdnames),1,4),GRIP),_copy,^C^C_copy)
ID_Mirror    [_Button("Mirror", RCDATA_16_MIRROR, RCDATA_32_MIRROR)]$M=$(if,$(eq,$(substr,$(getvar,cmdnames),1,4),GRIP),_mirror,^C^C_mirror)
ID_Offset    [_Button("Offset", RCDATA_16_OFFSET, RCDATA_32_OFFSET)]^C^C_offset
ID_Array     [_Button("Array...", RCDATA_16_ARRREC, RCDATA_32_ARRREC)]^C^C_array
ID_Move      [_Button("Move", RCDATA_16_MOVE, RCDATA_32_MOVE)]$M=$(if,$(eq,$(substr,$(getvar,cmdnames),1,4),GRIP),_move,^C^C_move)
ID_Rotate    [_Button("Rotate", RCDATA_16_ROTATE, RCDATA_32_ROTATE)]$M=$(if,$(eq,$(substr,$(getvar,cmdnames),1,4),GRIP),_rotate,^C^C_rotate)
ID_Scale     [_Button("Scale", RCDATA_16_SCALE, RCDATA_32_SCALE)]$M=$(if,$(eq,$(substr,$(getvar,cmdnames),1,4),GRIP),_scale,^C^C_scale)
ID_Stretch   [_Button("Stretch", RCDATA_16_STRETC, RCDATA_32_STRETC)]$M=$(if,$(eq,$(substr,$(getvar,cmdnames),1,4),GRIP),_stretch,^C^C_stretch)
ID_Trim      [_Button("Trim", RCDATA_16_TRIM, RCDATA_32_TRIM)]^C^C_trim

Thanks BIGAL. Nice stuff

If you get stuck as I hinted I use mnu files and have had to find command stuff inside CIV3D so should be able to guide you where to look and basicly cut and paste. I also made my own icons bit rough but work. trying to remember there is a bitmap program that allows you to open various source icons and make changes a good place to start making your own. I will have a look at homefor it.

Thanks! I'll have a fiddle and get back to you if I have problems