touchscreen input geometries in AutoCAD

[steven-g]

I'm sitting here looking at a 27" touch screen with an on screen touch keyboard. I find trying to use it in AutoCAD similar to pushing a wet rope up a wall.

 

What's more, the screen is so huge, my arm gets really tired playing solitaire. Maybe I should build it into a table top like they have on CSI Miami, so I don't have to hold my hand up so much.

You are probably right, I just know that what slows me down is moving my hand from keyboard to mouse, and my eyes from screen to keyboard. Whatever happened to light pens.

[Tuns]

AutoCAD on Google glasses anyone? Now that is value!

[Dadgad]

Personally I hate it when I have to take my right hand off the mouse, which is why I have time sensitive right click enabled,

and the majority of my most frequent custom short calls are under my default left hand position.

 

It seems to me like swapping a rapidograph for crayons.

Sorry, just calling it like I see it.

[dezignlab]

thanks for the feedback, appreciate the true opinions, negative or positive. Actually I especially welcome constructive criticism

[mikekmx]

I've used AutoCAD before, but not to the level you guys are using:)

 

We've developed a prototype of touchscreen input technology, a demo video is available at:

http://www.dezignlab.co

any comments about its possible applications, other than plugin in AutoCAD?

 

cheers for the link....it does look quite clever

[BIGAL]

Said it many times a hidden gem "pop side menus" can contain the ability to have numbers even simple 1-9,0 then you don't take your hand off the mouse, we used this for speed of pre defined objects sizes.

 

A example

  Begin AutoCAD Screen Menus
***SCREEN
**S

**SET_SC 2
[sCALES: ]
[  1:1   ]1
[  1:2   ]2
[  1:5   ]5
[  1:10  ]10
[  1:20  ]20
[  1:25  ]25
[  1:50  ]50
[  1:100 ]100
[  1:200 ]200
[  1:250 ]250
[  1:500 ]500
[  1:1000]1000
[Cancel]^C^C$s=s


**brickwid 3
[AutoCAD]^C^C^P$S=X $S=S
[select] 
[no of] 
[bricks]
[ 0.5]110
[ 1.0]230
[ 1.5]360
[ 2.0]470
[ 2.5]590
[ 3.0]710
[ 3.5]830
[ 4.0]950
[ 4.5]1070
[ 5.0]1190
[ 5.5]1310
[ 6.0]1430


[DWG.SCALE]$S=SET_SC2 $S=*

[mikekmx]

Said it many times a hidden gem "pop side menus" can contain the ability to have numbers even simple 1-9,0 then you don't take your hand off the mouse, we used this for speed of pre defined objects sizes.

 

A example

  Begin AutoCAD Screen Menus
***SCREEN
**S

**SET_SC 2
[sCALES: ]
[  1:1   ]1
[  1:2   ]2
[  1:5   ]5
[  1:10  ]10
[  1:20  ]20
[  1:25  ]25
[  1:50  ]50
[  1:100 ]100
[  1:200 ]200
[  1:250 ]250
[  1:500 ]500
[  1:1000]1000
[Cancel]^C^C$s=s


**brickwid 3
[AutoCAD]^C^C^P$S=X $S=S
[select] 
[no of] 
[bricks]
[ 0.5]110
[ 1.0]230
[ 1.5]360
[ 2.0]470
[ 2.5]590
[ 3.0]710
[ 3.5]830
[ 4.0]950
[ 4.5]1070
[ 5.0]1190
[ 5.5]1310
[ 6.0]1430


[DWG.SCALE]$S=SET_SC2 $S=*

 

what do you do to make this code run please?

[BIGAL]

At bottom of example [DWG.SCALE]$S=SET_SC2 $S=* this would be a line in say a different pop menu. Will have a go at setting it all up shortly.

[BIGAL]

Ok out of the box the screen menus are turned off! So must turn on.

 

1st menuload the example above, save code example as a mnu.

 

test code

 

(setvar "screenmenu" 1)
(menucmd "S=SET_SC")
(setq test (getreal "\npick side bar"))

(princ test) ; this should be the hidden value

[stevsmith]

I don't see what the problem would be to create an add-in for AutoCAD that allows the user to use "touch Screen" technology.

Surely the use of dynamic input and o/snaps would be simple enough.

 

On the ipad when you wish to add text, a keyboard pops up. Why not have something similar that appears on the AutoCad interface (like a keypad and specialized snap icons) that allows you to accurately create drawings.

[stevsmith]

Also, I'm pretty sure AutoDesk had developed something like this for it's mobile applications. (WS perhaps?? I can't remember)

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QMtzGP7Z8U

Edited September 8, 2013 by stevsmith
Link added

[mikekmx]

Also, I'm pretty sure AutoDesk had developed something like this for it's mobile applications. (WS perhaps?? I can't remember)

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QMtzGP7Z8U

 

nice!

 

the app will track where you are with gps so you can add notes onto your drawing depending on your location!

 

i'm in!

[BIGAL]

You could create a custom dcl that is a keyboard entry for numbers like calculator buttons or a custom dcl to match the required input. The dcl can have slider with pre defined increments or a list of available sizes etc all picked by mouse or I guess touch screen.

[Vector01]

Dear AutoCAD users:

 

We would like to develop a plugin for AutoCAD to create geometries (line/arc/circle/ellipse/polyline etc.) through touchscreen. So instead of using commands, it will be just like freehand drawing, the program will automatically generate shapes to match your touchscreen input.

 

We want to do a little survey here to see if it makes sense to you? Will you buy it?

 

One concern is, because touchscreen input is not as precise as through keyboard & mouse, the dimensions might be a little off (e.g. you want to draw a line with a length of 10.5, the program thinks it is a 10), and you will need to make some adjustments afterwards to get the exact size you really want. Would this be problem for you?

 

Thanks!

 

Disclaimer: We are a startup working on our own project and have no relations to Autodesk.

 

I think you should study AutoCAD WS or 360 input methods. I travel and would absolutely love Cad to function with "touchscreen mode". I measure and draw in the field and have found WS or 360 quite useless. The input methods are good but those "systems" are only 85% reliable. Files don't update, overwrite each other etc... The input methods are reasonable though and you can do some simple drafting things. If there was a cad App that did "line copy move erase undo and some text" and did those things reliably and accurately you'd win the "traveling engineer" market.

Edited October 12, 2013 by Vector01
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