I am huge on command aliases. The less time I have to spend moving my mouse up to click an icon, the better. Also, with more command aliases I can eliminate more icons, thus freeing up more screen space. I have even gone so far as to modify the standard command aliases to be able to use them with my left hand ONLY so that I can keep my right had on the mouse as much as possible thus, maximizing my efficiency of hand movement. With all that being said, the new CUI interface has allowed me to see the great potential of using scripts to increase my drawing productivity.
I know how to create a custom command with a script (macro) (I think that they are the same?) and assign it to a toolbar with a nice little icon. What I want to do is be able to expand the running of a script from just clicking on an icon to a command alias where I type in 1-3 letters and get the space bar to send it.
Example. When I send the command alias for a dimension line, I want it to automatically change the layer to the dim layer. I can do this with an icon and a macro, but with command aliases I am limited to the command only without any modifiers or additional input preceding or following the command.
I have read Lee Ambrosious' white paper on the CUI editor and have see how to create nonstandard shortcut keys. This is ok, but is limited to having to do a CTRL - (something) or using the "F" keys or the arrows keys, or the function keys above the arrow keys (INSERT, DELETE, END, etc.) Most of the "F" keys are too far away even for my large hands and the arrow keys and function keys are on the right side of the key board which would require having to take my hand off of the mouse.
Is there a way through lisp (I have never written a lisp code) to expand the functionality of the command aliases??
Thanks, Blaine