Screen menu to die - what do you think?

[Steve Johnson]

Release 2000 basically killed it, of course that release was the biggest cosmetic (and functional) makeover in the history of AutoCAD.

Moving off my own topic here, but I can't agree with that. Releases 9, 12 and 13 (the latter in Windows, at least) all changed the user interface of AutoCAD far more than 2000 did. Versions 2.18, 2.5 and Release 12 all improved the functionality of AutoCAD more than 2000 did, although 2000's MDI was certainly a big improvement. If I had to choose "the biggest cosmetic (and functional) makeover in the history of AutoCAD", it would be Release 12. 2000 wouldn't be in the top 5, but it would be close.

All opinions, of course.

[jaberwok]

Moving off my own topic here, but I can't agree with that. Releases 9, 12 and 13 (the latter in Windows, at least) all changed the user interface of AutoCAD far more than 2000 did. Versions 2.18, 2.5 and Release 12 all improved the functionality of AutoCAD more than 2000 did, although 2000's MDI was certainly a big improvement. If I had to choose "the biggest cosmetic (and functional) makeover in the history of AutoCAD", it would be Release 12. 2000 wouldn't be in the top 5, but it would be close.

All opinions, of course.

I'd have to say that R13 was the biggest single step in acad's history - a complete rewrite of the code after the best part of 20 years of development. It also laid the groundwork to enable the new features that have come since. It was also an amazingly brave thing to do.

However, R12 was certainly the best ever version with respect to the hardware available at the time of release.

£0.02

[wtrost]

I've used it since R9 but just for custom screens, not for any of the basics which I've stripped out. I also toggle with "SI" a shortcut key. Much easier to keep picking the same item rather than multiple picks from a pull-down menu which I also have. Since my menu is 360k with nothing from AutoCAD in it, not even any icons, I like to have the option to put things where they do the most good whether in screen menus, pull-downs, or image boxes.

[ajohnson]

The sceen menu is much more dynamic than pull downs. It can respond to specific commands. If you don't use the screen menu, then it's loss will not affect you, but there are some who still use it regularly.

[sdanis]

I actually thought she meant "if you could care less, then go head and care less!"

[CADKitty]

Erm, I'm with Steve B. - what's a screen menu???

[jfontenot]

Erm, I'm with Steve B. - what's a screen menu???

Back in the days before pull-down menus, all the commands could be accessed this way, other than at the command prompt.

It changes to reflect the command chosen to show you options that the command may have, like for mirror, rotate, or PEdit. Options that are shown at the command line too but require typing the key and pressing enter, where a single click off of that screen menu will also do it with one less action on the users part. After all, isn't that the whole point of keeping everything on-screen? To me, that's it's continued usefulness.

Here is a screen cap of it...

Joel

[noozybkk]

Erm, I'm with Steve B. - what's a screen menu???

You can switch the screen menu on and off from the options dialog box. (I am now gonna try and attach an image to this post...if it doesn't work, then please bare with me - I am used to html enabled forums :O )

[tim]

No other part of the Acad interface is that interactive without getting in the way of what you are picking on (like that "dynamic input" does) or just piling more onto a pull-down. Just a flick of the wrist and a pick of the options and you continue on - no additional right-click and time-wasting look-through-the-list first and click again either.

I agree 100%. These days, most well-designed CAD software has an automatic display of options for whatever you are doing at that instant. It's a very effective way to both learn and use. Ironically, AutoCAD can only do this with the "ancient" screen menu. Unfortunately the menu was never very well organized as the basic interface, so people switched to pull-downs and toolbars when they were added. When customized for specific applications, such as blocks or third party applications it can be very efficient, as other posts have noted.

Now the new CUI system makes it easy to customize the screen menu without editing menu files (and makes customizing toolbars more complicated). So what does Autodesk do? They decide to drop it. Let's only hope they are planning to replace it with something better. Maybe the interface in Inventor or 3DS Max gives some clues about what they have in mind.

Tim Skene

PRO Menu - Making AutoCAD Better

www.multicim.com/pmenu.html

[dkh007.66346]

Now the new CUI system makes it easy to customize the screen menu without editing menu files (and makes customizing toolbars more complicated). So what does Autodesk do? They decide to drop it. Let's only hope they are planning to replace it with something better. Maybe the interface in Inventor or 3DS Max gives some clues about what they have in mind.

Tim Skene

PRO Menu - Making AutoCAD Better

www.multicim.com/pmenu.html

Now there is a thought. Instead of killing it, have it evolve to be more like the 3DS Max screen menu. That would be a welcome addition.