ESC key on Notebooks
I am using Bricscad on a laptop and, as typical for this format, the ESC key is miniscule. Now everyone knows the ESC key is quite heaviy used and important to usability. Would it be possible to remap the function of the ESC key to another key on the keyboard. I am thinking of the [`¬] to the left of [1!] key as an ideal candidate. I am posting this as a feature request, but also want to hear how other users are coping with the problem. Cheers, Simon.
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I don't use a notebook keyboard, but I'm very keyboard-oriented and I remap lots of keys. All my function keys have custom meanings, most of them different for different apps. In Brics I map Esc to F12, because I like having an Esc key on both sides of the keyboard.
I use a keyboard macro utility called Macro Express. If I'd known about it I would have bought their cheaper product, Keyboard Express, which does everything but mouse macros, and I don't use those.
It records any sequence of keystrokes, and then allows you to assign that sequence to a single key, so that when you hit that key it sends that sequence of keystrokes to the system. The macros can be global or application-specific. It takes about a half hour to install and learn to use. The recording can be done while you're in the app and using the sequence of keystrokes.
If you just want to remap the Esc key, you can probably find a freeware macro utility.
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It is not difficult to remap keyboard keys.You can do it yourself! You can find instructions here: http://www.usnetizen.com/fix_capslock.php.
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I use autohotkey www.autohotkey.com/
it's really amazing
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You are such a nerd Dan!
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Ha! I must be : )
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I've been using powerpro 4.9: http://powerpro.webeddie.com/ for several years (free).
Even though the developer has stopped working on it, it's very versatile and solid.
I use it, for example, to map the Function keys in Acad (and now Bcad) to various zooms and pans:
F1 'zoom e F3 'zoom p, etc. F12 to a lisp that toggles through preset ucs's,
arrow keys give me <90{enter}, etc. (ctrl-arrow key for 45 degrees) and the Insert, Home, Delete, etc. keys give me esnaps.
and a few others.
The Customize dialog in Bcad seems to be able to do quite extensive remappping, I tried it with the F keys, and it seems to work okay.
(they stopped working a couple of days ago, but now they're working again, maybe just a glitch)
I suggest trying the Bcad Customize (keyboard tab) for a while before installing other programs.
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Anybody know of limitations to Bricscad keyboard customization? Any keys it doesn't allow?
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Lots of suggestions there to solve the problem.
It'll take me a while to try all the options and find the one that suits me best.
Many Thanks for your replies.
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Yaacov's idea might be the easiest way to do the simple thing you want. I didn't know about that. It's in the Keyboard tab of the Customize window. You can select Cancel from available tools, in the Context folder.
I couldn't find any way to get it to make the tilde key serve as the shorcut key (the third-party programs mentioned here would allow that), but I found I could use it to make a function key serve as a shortcut to Escape.
The only problem would be keeping your customization when you install a new version of BC. But that can be solved by creating your own custom CUI file and making it your main CUI file, and then loading "default.cui" as a "partial" CUI file attached to it. That sounds weird, but it only takes a few minutes to do, and then you never have to do anything when you install a newer version. The updated "default.cui" just takes the place of the old one as the attachment to your custom menu.
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