Deswik Keyboard Shortcuts -

Title: Enhancing Workflow Efficiency in Mine Design: A Comprehensive Guide to Deswik Keyboard Shortcuts

Author: [Generated for User Request] Date: [Current Date] Subject: Deswik Suite (Deswik.CAD) Productivity Optimization

🧠 Pro tips (not in the manual)


Part 1: Why Bother with Shortcuts in Deswik?

Deswik handles massive datasets—drillhole databases with millions of rows, triangulated surfaces with hundreds of thousands of triangles, and complex 3D wireframes. Navigating these with the mouse alone leads to "context switching fatigue." Every time you reach for the toolbar, you lose focus.

The benefits of shortcuts:


Selection Tools

| Shortcut | Action | | :--- | :--- | | Ctrl + A | Select All | | Ctrl + Shift + A | Select All (in specific contexts) | | W | Select by Window (draw a rectangle to select) | | P | Select by Polygon (draw a shape to select) | | C | Select by Circle | | L | Select by Polyline (Follows a string path) | | Ctrl + I | Invert Selection | | Ctrl + Click | Add to selection (Pick mode) | | Shift + Click | Remove from selection |

How to Edit

  1. Close Deswik.
  2. Open User.key in Notepad.
  3. The syntax is: [Shortcut] [Command] [Arguments]
  4. Example: You want Alt + D to create a dynamic section.
    • Syntax: !D "SectionDynamic"
    • (! = Alt, ^ = Ctrl, + = Shift)
  5. Save and restart Deswik.

How to customize or find lost shortcuts

If your setup differs or you want to set your own hotkeys:

  1. Go to the File menu (or the big "Deswik" button in the top left).
  2. Select Options.
  3. Navigate to the **Keyboard

Deswik Keyboard Shortcuts: Boosting Efficiency in Your Work

Deswik is a popular software used in various industries, including mining, geology, and engineering. To maximize productivity and efficiency while working with Deswik, it's essential to utilize keyboard shortcuts. These shortcuts enable users to perform tasks quickly, reducing the need to navigate through menus and toolbars.

Benefits of Using Deswik Keyboard Shortcuts

  1. Increased Productivity: By using keyboard shortcuts, you can significantly reduce the time spent on tasks, allowing you to focus on more critical aspects of your work.
  2. Improved Accuracy: Minimizing mouse interactions reduces the risk of errors caused by accidental clicks or selections.
  3. Enhanced User Experience: Mastering keyboard shortcuts can make you feel more comfortable and confident while working with Deswik.

Common Deswik Keyboard Shortcuts

Here are some essential Deswik keyboard shortcuts to get you started:

  1. Navigation
    • Ctrl + Home: Go to the top of the project tree
    • Ctrl + End: Go to the bottom of the project tree
    • Ctrl + Up/Down: Scroll up/down in the project tree
  2. Selection and Editing
    • Ctrl + A: Select all
    • Ctrl + C: Copy
    • Ctrl + V: Paste
    • Ctrl + Z: Undo
    • Ctrl + Y: Redo
  3. View and Display
    • F1: Help
    • F2: Rename selected item
    • F5: Refresh view
    • Ctrl + Shift + >: Increase font size
    • Ctrl + Shift + <: Decrease font size
  4. Data Management
    • Ctrl + Shift + N: New item
    • Ctrl + Shift + D: Delete selected item

Advanced Deswik Keyboard Shortcuts

For power users, here are some advanced keyboard shortcuts to further streamline your workflow:

  1. Customization
    • Ctrl + Shift + C: Customize current view
    • Ctrl + Shift + R: Reset view to default
  2. Reporting and Exporting
    • Ctrl + Shift + P: Print preview
    • Ctrl + Shift + E: Export to Excel

Tips and Tricks

  1. Create a Cheat Sheet: Create a cheat sheet or print out a list of keyboard shortcuts to keep nearby for easy reference.
  2. Practice and Memorize: Regularly practice using keyboard shortcuts to commit them to memory.
  3. Customize Your Shortcuts: Deswik allows you to customize keyboard shortcuts; take advantage of this feature to tailor shortcuts to your specific workflow.

By mastering Deswik keyboard shortcuts, you can significantly improve your productivity, accuracy, and overall user experience. Take the time to learn and practice these shortcuts to unlock the full potential of Deswik and take your work to the next level.

Deswik.CAD primarily utilizes a command-driven shortcut system rather than just single-key hotkeys. While many standard Windows shortcuts apply, the software's core efficiency comes from customizable multi-character aliases that can be mapped to any tool. Accessing & Customizing Shortcuts

You can view or change your current shortcuts by navigating to the Tools | Shortcuts dialog box.

Customization: Many users remap Deswik's default multi-character shortcuts (like "NS" for a polyline) to more familiar single or double-letter commands (like "PL" or "D").

Composition: Shortcuts can consist of the Ctrl or Alt key combined with a single alphanumeric character. Essential Default Navigation

Navigation in Deswik often relies on mouse-keyboard combinations and dedicated 3D navigation modes: Object Mode: Moves the model in sync with your inputs.

Fly/Drone Mode: Controls the camera/viewport as if flying through the scene.

Target Camera Mode: Orbits around a specific point of interest. Common Productivity Shortcuts deswik keyboard shortcuts

While many are user-defined, these are standard or frequently recommended by power users: Common Shortcut / Recommendation Draw Polyline NS (Default) or PL / D (Recommended) Connect Polylines C (Recommended) Break Polyline B (Recommended) Isolate Layer ISO (Recommended abbreviation) Hide Layer HID (Recommended abbreviation) Unhide Layer SHO (Recommended abbreviation) Open Shortcuts Menu TS (Recommended for Tools | Shortcuts) Standard General Commands

Deswik supports standard Windows and CAD-style control keys:

Appendix: Quick Reference Card

| Action | Shortcut | | :--- | :--- | | Repeat last command | SPACEBAR | | Object Snap toggle | F3 | | Ortho toggle | F8 | | Zoom Extents | Double-Click Wheel | | Move | M | | Copy | CO | | Trim | TR | | Extend | EX | | Select Similar | SS | | Layer Isolate | Ctrl + L | | View Previous | Ctrl + E | | Surface Snap | Alt + Click |

End of Paper

Mastering keyboard shortcuts in Deswik.CAD is one of the most effective ways to boost your mining engineering and design productivity. While the software provides a wide array of default commands, its true power lies in its customization, allowing users to tailor their workflow to mirror familiar tools like AutoCAD or build entirely new efficiencies. Essential Navigation & General Shortcuts

Before diving into complex design commands, mastering basic navigation ensures you can move through large-scale mining models with ease. Ctrl + Home: Quickly jump to the top of the project tree. Ctrl + End: Jump to the bottom of the project tree.

Ctrl + Shift + (0-9): Create specific plane definitions for different areas of your model.

Ctrl + (0-9): Rapidly switch between your saved plane definitions to view different mining levels or sections.

Standard Windows Operations: Deswik supports standard commands like Ctrl + C (Copy), Ctrl + V (Paste), Ctrl + Z (Undo), and Ctrl + Y (Redo). Polylines and Design Commands

Designing in Deswik often centers on manipulating polylines. Many professionals prefer single or double-key shortcuts for these frequent tasks: Title: Enhancing Workflow Efficiency in Mine Design: A

PREV: A common shortcut used to reverse the direction of a selected string. D (Recommended): Often mapped to Draw Polyline.

B (Recommended): Often mapped to Break Polyline at a specific point.

C (Recommended): Often mapped to Connect Polylines automatically. Productivity Tips & Customization

Deswik is unique because it uses "live listening" for shortcuts. This means as soon as you type the designated keys, the command triggers immediately without needing to press "Enter".

Avoid Single-Character Shortcuts: If you use a single character like "P," you cannot have another shortcut starting with "P" (like "PL"). Most power users recommend two or three characters for optimal balance.

Access the Shortcut Manager: To view or edit your current list, use the command path Tools | Shortcuts. A popular mnemonic for this is mapping the shortcut itself to "TS" ("TS I Love You").

Recycle Known Commands: If you are transitioning from other CAD software, map your Deswik shortcuts to match (e.g., using "PL" for Polyline as in AutoCAD) to leverage existing muscle memory.

Hardware Integration: For high-intensity modeling, consider using a 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse. It allows for fluid movement like Object Mode (moving the model) or Fly Mode (moving the camera) while keeping your other hand free for keyboard shortcuts. Strategic Short Word Abbreviations

Using short, meaningful abbreviations can make memorization easier: ISO: Isolate a layer or entity. HID: Hide selected data. SHO: Unhide or show all data.

By moving away from multi-key defaults and setting up a personalized, logical shortcut system, you can significantly reduce the "click-fatigue" associated with complex mine design. Keyboard shortcuts in Windows - Microsoft Support Spacebar is your best friend – use it