What's the best way to learn SketchUp Shortcut Keys?
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Thanks for the feedback and great tips guys.
One thing that throws a spanner in the works when it come to muscle memory and shortcut keys is that its either a left or right hand operation depending on whether one is right or left-handed. My two handed typing skills get me by. Its a mixture of eight finger typing and a little one finger typing. It works for me and muscle memory comes into play.
Maybe all the shortcut keys for a left-hander should be on the right side of the keyboard and in that case of a right-hander the light side of the keyboard? Could this be a follow through building on normal typing with muscle memory?
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It's not just muscle memory at play here. It's also logic, intuitiveness and above all confort when working with the mouse simultaneously. I work with the right hand on the mouse, so I tend to have all my shortcuts on the left side of the keyboard, within confortable distance from the CTRL+ALT+SHIFT modifier keys. One key shortcuts like line, can be farther away from the modifiers...
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I myself leave native SU tools to the keys assigned. No much reason to change them as they are well chosen: "l" for Line, "e" for Erase etc...
Then I see if there are some free keys left for other commands I use a lot. Of course there are some so I make them shortcuts: "n" - Top View, "x" - X-ray, "g" - Group, "k" - Component...
I do this even when the commands have already more complex shortcuts such are "Ctrl+c". Simply, single key is more convinient for use than combination of keys.Then when all are occupied I use combinations with "Ctrl" (more often) and "Alt" (very rarelly).
I don't bother to make shortcuts for commands used just occasionaly.
I let the process of work decide what I need.
What I always had on all versions of SU is:"Ctrl+e" - Explode (funny thing - this is so used command but with no shortcut originally assigned)
"Ctrl+h" - Hide/Unhide the rest of the model (a very useful command - I recommend this to everyone)
"Ctrl+g" - Hidden Geometry
"Ctrl+i" - Paste in PlaceEventually if I use some plugin a lot then I just see what key combination is "free" for it.
So, if you ask me about shortcuts I can tell you two things:
1) Let the process of work decide what you need, and
2) Stick to some hierarchy. -
@aureus said:
"Ctrl+h" - Hide/Unhide the rest of the model (a very useful command - I recommend this to everyone)
So useful, in fact, that "H" without CTRL is much faster to use. Who cares for "H" as pan? That's why you have your mouse for!
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I think the only "muscle memory" that's involved is the brain ! If I want to draw a circle, my finger goes to "C" not because my hand automatically goes there, (in a typing / Typist sort of way), but because my brain has learned the shortcut. I guess you could say I automatically then select C without looking down at the keyboard, but that's missing the point.
I'm not sure I've made my point clearly but I think typing is true muscle memory in that you don't even consciously think about where the letters are on the keyboard - you just type ! Shortcuts are different in that you DO think about it, (for a split second granted), and then you type the letter.
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Funny you should ask... about a week ago I finally (after 2-3 years with SU) decided to start using keystrokes. I found a list of the basics... & already I've almost forgotten using the icons. I guess it was just time!
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Just to make it all the more confusing, because I work in several languages I have a blind keyboard. Meaning there are no markings, so I simply know the relevant key depending on which language I am in. The keys I most often screw up are Z and y as they are the most often used but reversed in so many layouts.
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@box said:
Just to make it all the more confusing, because I work in several languages I have a blind keyboard. Meaning there are no markings, so I simply know the relevant key depending on which language I am in. The keys I most often screw up are Z and y as they are the most often used but reversed in so many layouts.
Bah, seems like you're a genius!
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along with his blind keyboard he has three blind mice.
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What a silly bunt I am.
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I was kidding. You're a good lad to have the place.
As for shortcuts...
I keep all app keys the same or close to the same.
Don't forget that SketchUcation Tools has a shortcut list tool under SketchUcation Tools > My Shortcuts
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@jql said:
@aureus said:
"Ctrl+h" - Hide/Unhide the rest of the model (a very useful command - I recommend this to everyone)
So useful, in fact, that "H" without CTRL is much faster to use. Who cares for "H" as pan? That's why you have your mouse for!
How do you pan with your mouse?
What kind of mouse do you use?With mine I can only zoom in, zoom out and orbit (scroll wheel).
Also, in my case the 'h' keyboard is reserved for "Hide". Here I made an exception - I changed an originally assigned shortcut for a SU native tool - Pan.
By the way, 'Pan' is also useful from time to time.
But I use 'Hide' more often................................
One more thing - if you assign a shortcut to some tool that is reserved for Windows commands (Ctrl+P, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+A...), you'll be able to use it untill you restart SketchUp.
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If you're a shortcut guy yourself, you'll probably use both hand for fast working on Sketchup.
I know I do...
Use shift while holding middle button and pan away. It's more stable than left click+middle button.
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@jql said:
If you're a shortcut guy yourself, you'll probably use both hand for fast working on Sketchup.
I know I do...
Use shift while holding middle button and pan away. It's more stable than left click+middle button.
You read my mind.
I just wanted to say: "Ok, scroll wheel and left mouse in the same time does the job, but it's somehow...unstable..."
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there's also the double click middle mouse that centres to clicked area
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@aureus said:
How do you pan with your mouse?
What kind of mouse do you use?I only learned recently that I can pan by pressing forward my scroll wheel on my Elecom Scope Node mouse. It was available on Amazon but any longer, here, http://www.amazon.com/Elecom-Wireless-Sensor-3-button-M-sn2dlsv2/dp/B00B08P934/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_opt?ie=UTF8
It might be possible to get one here, Special order anything from Japan.
http://whiterabbitexpress.com/scope-node-mouse-elecom/Mike
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I can't imagine work without shortcuts.
On the other hand, it seems there are people who are real SketchUp masters able to model excellent things in Sketchup by - clicking on tools.
This person needs only three and half hour to model a good looking car, yet he or she doesn't use shortcuts (at least not in this video).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv8gECOxLxY
He or she picks even the 'Select' tool from the toolbar. The 'Line' and 'Move' tool also...
However, this may has been done just for the sake of this video, so that people can see what's happening...
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@mike lucey said:
I only learned recently that I can pan by pressing forward my scroll wheel on my Elecom Scope Node mouse.
It might be possible to get one here, Special order anything from Japan.
http://whiterabbitexpress.com/scope-node-mouse-elecom/Mike
I've been using the same mouse for 10.5 years already.
Whenever I have to use someone other's mouse it feels strange...
This Microsoft baby is precise and reliable.
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