Poll Result: Should Autodesk Purge AutoCAD Command Line?

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a poll ‘Should Autodesk Purge AutoCAD Command Line?’. The result is kind of obvious: 90% votes don’t want Autodesk to mess with the command line. 5% want it to be removed completely, and the other 5% want it to be removed, but leave it as an option.

Don’t take this seriously. I’m just a user who want some improvement, not the one who make the decision :)

Not all of the voters leave comments, but most of them worry if command line has gone, AutoCAD lost its versatility. Some blogs responded to that poll. I have a feeling that my message was not clear enough. So I would like to discuss more about it.

It’s not removing the engine, it’s upgrading it

indy_car_engine

AutoCAD now looks like a fancy sport car. But probably still have old engine attach to it. Well, at least it still using the old DOS style. I know it works great for AutoCAD users, but if you use many applications it can be confusing. Many other CAD applications don’t use something like command line. And they work great. Let us look to the Autodesk products family, besides AutoCAD and AutoCAD based products, none of them using command line. But they are still very popular and powerful.

Don’t worry about shortcuts. Every application has it. Many of them are customizable just like acad.pgp. Don’t worry you will not get information what you should do when you are using a tool. Most applications use status bar for it. Tooltips, dialog box, or option bar can provide it too.

Command Line needs you to define settings sequentially and repeatedly

progression_view_1

I was thinking about changing the command line workflow (or whatever that is), not only removing it from the screen. You can do it now by pressing [ctrl] + 9.

Let’s take draw polygon tool as an example.

After we activate draw polygon, AutoCAD will ask us several questions sequentially. We may want to change the number of sides only, but we have to go through all the questions. After we finished drawing a polygon and want to create another polygon, AutoCAD will ask the whole same questions again.

Command: _polygon Enter number of sides <4>: 6

Specify center of polygon or [Edge]:
Enter an option [Inscribed in circle/Circumscribed about circle] <I>: I

Specify radius of circle: 500

Sure we can press [space] or [enter] quickly. Let’s take a look to Revit option bar.

We can change only the properties we want to change. Yes I know there is no shortcut to change it in Revit. But I know some CAD applications allow you to use shortcut to change the properties.

After you define the number of sides once. You can create dozens of similar polygons without changing the properties again.

Honestly I don’t think we can compare to use or not to use command line directly. There are many advantages and disadvantages. My main concern is: why should AutoCAD so different with the others? If you’ve never knew AutoCAD, it would be easier to learn Inventor. No actual survey on it, but I found that fact from my classes. The difference makes switching from AutoCAD to the others become difficult.

Paul Munford

‘I’m using MS Office as much as AutoCAD for 20 years and have never needed command line’

And here you’ve hit right on the issue, You may not have needed the command line, but I’m sure you used keyboard entry, right!

Adding geometry in Autocad via the command line (keyboard entry) is the quickest way to work. You only have to remember a few basic commands and you’re away. You don’t have to remember where the command toolbar/ribbon/menu and (with practice) you don’t even need to look down at your keyboard.

I use Inventor more than Autocad these days, and I find myself wishing it was as easy…

http://cad-notes.com Edwin Prakoso

I use Inventor more than Autocad these days, and I find myself wishing it was as easy…

That is exactly what I’m talking about. Command line is very powerful for AutoCAD as drafting tool, but when you use AutoCAD based application (or vertical product) you will use it less, especially in 3D applications. You definitely can’t use command line in Inventor. Inventor was created later, and designed as Windows based application. So it depends on GUI a lot.
As a CAD instructor, I found many AutoCAD users have difficulties switching from AutoCAD to other application. And guess what? People who start using from other CAD application than AutoCAD, also find the hard time learning AutoCAD! Autodesk is very lucky that most people are switching from AutoCAD, not to AutoCAD. Their sales will have to work very hard when most people are not using AutoCAD anymore :)
Today, many companies and projects requires us to use more than 1 CAD applications. AutoCAD still has its place, and will always be used. Don’t you think it is good if they have similar look and feel?
http://www.dailyautocad.com Orhan Toker

Of course I need keyboard entry. But Command line is slower than ribbon for entering commands for me. (as a dinosour)

http://cad-notes.com Edwin Prakoso

If you are a dinosaur, then what that makes me? :D Sure you are not a dinosaur Orhan. It is very debatable which is faster, depends on your habits. I saw someone that actually use dual monitor and put every toolbar on the other monitor :)
I prefer to use shortcuts and use both hands. But if I may choose, I would like it’s not command line shortcuts ;)

http://www.dailyautocad.com Orhan Toker

In my opinion,

Command line gives user filexibility and faster option entry. (I have to confess that ribbon is much more faster than typing commands) but the otption menu that appear with the cursor is awful.

Another view angle: We have to think that what if the command line never be… E.g. I’m using MS Office as much as AutoCAD for 20 years and have never needed command line. If AutoCAD doesn’t have command line, I’m sure we would use to.
Hendru Lagerweij

What improves when taking away the command line? You said: “Command line is very powerful for AutoCAD as drafting tool”. So basically when you take away the command line you’ll end up with a Revit or Inventor clone? What’s the use of having Autocad then?

The command line is what makes Autocad such a great Cad program. What is easier then following prompts like in your polygon example? Know your shortcut commands ;)

Now I don’t know how it works in Revit, but is the polygon command box always showing on your screen? Or do you have to go through tabs and find the polygon tool to show the polygon command box and then you can work on making a polygon? A lot of mouse clicking before you actually can use the command? Not really looking like an upgrade to me.

I say leave the command line as it is. Changing between Cadprograms is always hard, because you will be used to working with one program and not the other.

http://cad-notes.com Edwin Prakoso

It is powerful as drafting tool but not in the vertical products :)
It’s not about clone of anything, it’s about Windows compliant applications.

In Revit, it’s not a floating dialog box, but option bar. Just as big as your toolbar. It doesn’t take screen space if that is your concern :) You only need to click it when you need to change its’ properties. You can use it right away, but yes you need to click it when you need to change the properties. I’m using it as comparison because in AutoCAD you need to go through several [enter] before actually using the tool. Even when you don’t need to change any properties.

I agree with you that switching between CAD applications is always hard. But today, many companies tend to use more than one application. So it would be great if they look more similar, aren’t they? ;)

Hendru Lagerweij

I’m not sure what you mean with “vertical products” or “windows compliant applications”.
Screen space isn’t my concern, more the endless clicking and searching for a single command. Let’s stick with the polygon example. If I didn’t have my command line in Autocad, I had to go to my “Home” tab (click), look up where the polygon command is hiding, ah under “rectangle” command pull down (click), select the “polygon” command (click). So I’ll spent some time clicking for this specific command and then some more clicking for another command, etc. Is this how it goes in Revit or Inventor?
I’m a sole Autocad user, I don’t know how other Cadprograms work. So I do agree with you that it would be great if they look similar, but make them like Autocad with command line and all ;)
http://cad-notes.com Edwin Prakoso

@Hendru what you described is also available in ACAD today, isn’t it? You can speed up by typing in command line (probably you’ve customized your acad.pgp). You can do the same without it.
You can press ctrl + i to make italic fonts in Words. Or press V in photoshop to activate selection tool. The only difference is we don’t need to press enter after the shortcut. And only limited to 1-2 characters.
I don’t see typing 5 chars or more as shortcut anyway :) At least we agree in one thing ;)
Hendru Lagerweij

What I described was an example of using Acad 2010, if there wasn’t the command line to use. To illustrate how it would be without the command line.
Now in photoshop you have short cuts that consist of more then 1-2 characters ( Control + Shift + .. ), some require my “mouse” hand to help with typing in a key. For me these dont qualify as a “shortcut”.
My pgp file is customized that I never have a shortcut command longer then 3 characters, all can be done with my “keyboard” hand. The enter / spacebar will give you more control over your actions, because the command line allows you to see which command you’ll be activating. This is not the case in for example photoshop. Hitting the wrong key combination and you have to hit another key combination to correct it.

http://cad-notes.com Edwin Prakoso

I ran this poll because saw similar poll in Autodesk Butterfly Blog.
Probably you want to try to work with Project Butterfly and try using Butterfly shortcuts and see if you like it.
I do believe that Autodesk will probably keep the command line for another decade though :)

Autoxxx

you just don’t understand the value of a command line. there’s no substitute. period.
What

if you used autocad in a production environment for a number of years you’d come understand the value of the command line