AutoCAD Keyboard

[G_Sarver]

I sent a quick email today to a keyboard manufacturer requesting an AutoCAD specific board.

The idea received a positive reply, but the company is concerned if there is enough of a market for such an item. Would Autodesk be interested in embracing such a device? (i.e. link to on website, images for promotions, the basic etc.)

So... My question to you.


Would you purchase an Autocad Keyboard?

Cost, effectiveness, learning curve. Several things I would be interested in. I would buy one if it could be proven to work well. There have been numerous options available to people who have the desire to check them out. I had looked into the programmable keypad already mentioned. There was also leap pad which was a take off on the keypad idea and then there is the supplemental mouse setup. See the link. It is a programmable device that allows you to use the pitch and yaw features to control zoom/pan/rotate and with programmable buttons. They also have a new one out called the space pilot.

http://www.3dconnexion.com/spacemouseplus.htm

[robert.1.hall72202]

I can vouch for the spaceball being a nice addition to my setup.
I like using it when I am more relaxed......ie looking over some Cad data.

When I am doing more serious design, since I am a command line junkie, I have
a hard time navigating towards using the spaceball for command entry instead
of the keyboard.

[Civil Samurai]

Way ahead of ya -

programmed each key with a customized command using a custom driver.
This one is close but without the settings selection:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1091099798505

Albert

I have this add-on numeric pad from Best Buy for my laptop. How did you program the keys? Could you elaborate a little more on that?

[Steve_Bennett]

It's a great idea, but I don't think it would ever catch. When is the last time you saw a Arch/Struct. firm actually pay for special keyboards when they get for free with new computers?

[vhertigharas]

I'd love to...but my question "is it necessary if you're using your own customize AutoLISP in a standard keyboard" how about if you're going to another place / country, which is easy to carry a keyboard or a file of your customize AutoLISP, .ctb in a 3.5 diskette.

[madcadder]

BTT...

Need More Votes!

[slayer913]

I have this add-on numeric pad from Best Buy for my laptop. How did you program the keys? Could you elaborate a little more on that?

Mike -

www.versiontracker.com has customized drivers that other individuals have already put together to assign any type of command/string/executable/macro/etc to any type of input device - you'll just have to search around for it as I don't have the exact name off the top of my head. The benefit of such drivers is of course in assigning commands to an add-on keypad, but you can also set up "CTRL-ALT" or CTRL-SHIFT" combos for your existing keyboard, and even your mouse.

The justification for this is in having the full arsenal of daily CAD commands sitting right in front of you. To the user who mentioned .ctb customization - I personally do not care for huge amounts of custom LISP files, monster pull down menus, or numerous toolbars. I am more like the "command line junkie" below in that if I can hit one button or type in a string to accomplish a task, then I'm set. Who wants to navigate toolbars and little icons all day? And we're talking about a user's home base system too - traveling would dictate maintaining this setup on a laptop, which is for ease of standardization, but if using another system is necessary, just email yourself the .ctb or carry a cd (similar to your suggestion). This is just preference, and perhaps stems from my gaming background - I've learned my personal CAD environment by "feel".

Good day,
Albert

[Mike.Perry]

Hi Tod

Please note I have *moved* this thread from the AutoCAD Customization Forum to this one as I feel this particular Forum is a more appropriate place for such a topic.

Thanks, Mike

Forum Moderator

[CADKitty]

Yes. Right now that is the idea. When I recieve their schematics that may change, but right now my idea is a second keyboard that looks and acts like a digitizer.

Wait, a second keyboard? So you'd have the "regular" one and then the "AutoCAD" one? I barely have enough desk space as it is, I don't have room for a second keyboard.

[jhohman]

Just found this in the Google news archive, sounds like a standalone solution everyone could live with. It's called the Optimus keyboard and it's pretty remarkable in the fact that the keys are individual digital displays and therefore can change the keyboard layout depending on the program it's being used for, look at the images and you can see how it switches from standard QWERTY to any language (Russian is shown because that's where it was developed), to Photoshop, to Quake. I could see the application to AutoCAD very possible through this.......

http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/