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Which AutoCAD Input Would You Like To Keep?

August 26, 2010 By 7 Comments

hardwareIf you already use computers for quite a long time, then you must know how the software changing. Let us see DOS as the first OS I know. Then we get Windows 3.1 on DOS. Now DOS prompt is still there. We don’t see it when we start Windows. It’s only as a console that most of us don’t use it.

Now let us see the word processors. I remember how we need to add tags to format the words. If you know a bit of html tags, then it close. I used WordStar. Then Microsoft Word. There must be some resistance when Microsoft decided to change the toolbar to ribbon. They are the one who said that toolbar is a part of Windows compliant application, and they change it. Not sure what elements a Windows compliant must has now.

The changes is permanent. Can you use toolbar in Word now? Nope. Can we use the formatting tag in a Word document? I don’t think so. Things have to change.

If we think of it, the AutoCAD users should be grateful. I think it’s the only application that has all three generation of command input: command line from Rolling Stones era, toolbar from Bon Jovi era, and ribbon from Justin Bieber era. At least I never found other application like that. Not even Revit and Inventor from Autodesk product line. Yes there is ‘unsupported’ old interface, but it’s not the same with the legal ‘classic interface’.

digital_dreams

It is good for the users, but sometimes can be not that good for the others. I read Donnie Gladfelter’s book: AutoCAD 2011 – no experience required. I can see him trying to explain all three command input. I don’t really care about explaining all of them. Then it cross my mind: Do we really have to mention all of that when we write or teach AutoCAD? If in Office 2015, they change the ribbon again to something new, then AutoCAD may have 4 ways to activate a command. Unlike AutoCAD, Microsoft Office application just get rid the old interface. But not AutoCAD! If Windows is replaced with something new, some Iron Man high tech stuff, will we still have command line and toolbar? If AutoCAD lives for another 25 years, it can be 8 ways to activate a line!

I guess it is interesting to see… if, only if, one day Autodesk decided to simplify this and only use one default interface. If you can choose, which one would you prefer to keep? The one that you can’t live without it. No right or wrong for your choice and your reason. Please vote below, and I appreciate if you mention your reason.

*This poll is closed. See result below.

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About Edwin Prakoso

Edwin works as an Application Engineer in Jakarta, Indonesia. He has 4 years experience in building industry, then start to work for Autodesk reseller.
He is certified as Revit Architecture 2010 certified professional and CATIA V5 part design specialist. Currently he is involved as team leader for implementing SmarTeam as PDM in several companies.
You can reach him on twitter @cad_notes. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn. If you prefer email, reach him at edwin.prakoso@cad-notes.com.

  • Steven

    After 23 years of Autocad experience, starting at R9 and having used all versions since, the command line still is the fastest way to get to the most used commands.
    L for line, C for Circle etc.

    If you (like me) need the Copy command more often then the Circle command, you can simply edit the acad.pgp file to suit your needs.

    My keyboard layout hasn’t changed significantly over the last 20-odd years, whereas the icons used in acad have changed in image, colour, location…
    For crying out loud, these damn buttons have been all over the place!
    I’ve seen pulldown, screen menus, tablets, toolbars, toolbars with flyouts, pallettes, dashboards, workspaces, ribbons… you name it – I’ve used it.

    I could (and still can) live with the toolbars, but all the rest just takes up way too much screenspace.
    Apart from that, they are counterproductive: to reach some commands you need to change workspace, activate the right palette, scroll up or down and THEN you can click the desired function. If you can remember what the friggin’ icon looks like, that is.

    Now, what could be easier then typing L with your indexfinger and tap spacebar with your thumb. Could it be made easier and faster than this?

    Think about it for a moment. How many commands do you use on a daily basis. 30? 40? I managed to get all 40 of them into my pgp file, and blind typing the abbreviations from memory I was the fastest CAD operator in town ;-).
    Whenever I needed a command that was not in the pgp file, I used either the pulldown or the toolbar.
    And every new release I hoped that Autodesk didn’t change the location and appearance of them toolbars and buttons just because the old icons had gotten out of fashion or some other stupid reason.
    If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it says common sense.
    Imagine each time you buy a new car they would change the location of the pedals? Or the commands for windscreen wipers and blinkers switched places? Would you buy another car from that company?
    Suppose manufacturers kept reshuffling the keys on your keyboard every year?
    Wouldn’t we all end up in the looney bin?

    • http://cad-notes.com Edwin Prakoso

      Steven,
      I agree with your statement here:

      And every new release I hoped that Autodesk didn’t change the location and appearance of them toolbars and buttons just because the old icons had gotten out of fashion or some other stupid reason.

      I know that CATIA (a high end CAD) and MicroStation (AutoCAD competitor) don’t change the appearance as often as AutoCAD. Even in latest CATIA release, the icons are still looks like in Windows 3.1. LOL… but who cares? As long as it works as expected, right? And it turns out that the users don’t easily get converted to other application. So appearance should not be a matter.
      I know veteran users will always choose command line. But I wonder if they who use it later will also choose command line. I wonder if they who don’t use AutoCAD intensively, only for reviewing and minor modification, which way would they prefer?
      And for the AutoCAD instructor, book writers, would they write assuming the users use latest interface only? Or do they cover them all? If we write tips for veterans, I know that if I use ribbon, the veterans will find the command line equivalent easily. But would the new users can find it easily too? Or we have to cover them all?

  • Morné

    Same here! The reason for my popularity is I’m fast and that only because of command line input. Longer commands witch I don’t use often, I’ll use icons or pull down menu. For all my extra lisp functions, I have created my own custom ribbon tab for the one’s I don’t use that much so if I won’t forgot the command. I actually wish that AutoCAD users want to learn the command inputs. I get so many newbie’s that seems too lazy too learn and stick to icons and takes them 3 times longer to do the drawings. We’ll I’m sure there are users that’s fast on using the ribbon only.
    But I hope AutoCAD keep it as it is!!

    • http://cad-notes.com Edwin Prakoso

      Thanks Morné,
      Sometimes I see that the users are not actually that lazy, but they don’t use AutoCAD as primary tool.
      I wonder if they will vote for ribbon, toolbar, or even command line.

  • Steven

    Edwin,

    speaking for myself I can answer your last question. Per year I teach acad (a 4 day base course) to about 50 employees that don’t have any cad experience.
    For the course I mainly use the ribbon, because that’s what Autodesk and the customers expect me to do. That doesn’t stop me, however, from emphasizing on the productivity gained by using pgp+command line. In my experience, the younger students stick to the mouse, the over fourties (like me) are more inclined to use the commandline.

    Being in the support & instruction business (+/- 1500 users in architecture) for over a decade now, I can honestly say that efficiency doesn’t seem to rank high among the cad operators. Those that are very proficient have moved to Revit Suite to become even more efficient.
    Most of the people still operating acad or acad architecture don’t seem to care about cad standards, layouts, …
    Those who bought acad Architectural more often then not use it as plain vanilla acad.
    I know it’s different in the mechanical world, where almost all stick to international standards. Not so in architecture, I’m affraid.

    • http://cad-notes.com Edwin Prakoso

      Thank you Steven.
      Now I know that I can stick to ribbon (or any latest interface later) when I write here. It doesn’t make sense if I have to write how to activate lines 3 times only because we can do it in 3 different ways :D Imagine if later we have 10 different ways to do it one day. Sounds silly, but it might happen if we see how AutoCAD never actually change.

  • Pedro

    AutoCAD with TOOLBARS and COMMAND bar
    Please allow future versions to have this option.

    It will make all the difference.