Customizing the Keyboard

AutoCAD functions can be assigned to keys on the keyboard using the Customize window or by manually modifying a menu
file. Many shortcut keys are already assigned to AutoCAD functions. Shortcuts may be evaluated using the AutoCAD classic
shortcuts or Windows shortcuts. The default setting is Windows shortcuts, but this can be changed in the Options dialog box.
A list of built in shortcuts is at the end of this article.

Customizing the keyboard actually modifies a menu file. A menu file is a text file that determines the actions for the pull
down menus, toolbars and mouse buttons. The default menu file is acad.mnu. The acad.mnu file is considered the template
menu file and is not changed, except when edited using a text editor, like Notepad. The acad.mns file is modified each time a
toolbar or key is altered.

AutoCAD 2005 includes a blank menu file named custom.mns. The custom.mns file is loaded in addition to the acad.mns and
therefore is easy to copy to other workstations or migrate to newer versions of AutoCAD.

Using the Customize Dialog

This example will add a shortcut of CTRL+W to the Zoom Window command. To add a keyboard shortcut using the
Customize dialog, select the menu path Tools > Customize > Keyboard.

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Make sure the Menu Group is set to CUSTOM. If you are working in AutoCAD 2004, see the end of this article for
information on creating your own custom.mns.

Commands
Functions for your keyboard shortcut are selected from the Commands list. Scroll to the end of the list until you find Zoom
Window.

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Shortcut Key
Click in the box labeled Press new shortcut key. Press CTRL and W to choose this key combination.

Select the Assign button to complete the shortcut. Finally, click on the Close button and try out your new short cut.

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Manually Customizing the Keyboard
More involved shortcuts require you to manually edit the CUSTOM.MNS file. To manually customize the file, you will need
to open the C:\Documents and Settings\use\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2005\R16.1\enu\Support\custom.mns
file using Notepad or other text editor.

//
// AutoCAD menu file - C:\Documents and Settings\……..\custom.mns
//

***MENUGROUP=CUSTOM

***TOOLBARS

***ACCELERATORS
ID_ZoomWindo [CONTROL+INTERNAL+"W"]

//
// End of AutoCAD menu file - C:\Documents and Settings\……..\custom.mns
//

You should see something like the lines of text above. The area labeled ***ACCELERATORS defines the shortcut keys.
ID_ZoomWindo [CONTROL+INTERNAL+"W"] was added to the file when CTRL+W was defined as a shortcut in Part
1 of this article.

ID_ZoomWindo
AutoCAD uses this string to identify the internal command used by the shortcut.

[CONTROL+INTERNAL+"W"]
This string specifies the keys that define the shortcut. The string INTERNAL indicates that the shortcut refers to an internal
command.

This example will add a macro to the key F12 that performs a Zoom All, RegenAll and DimRegen.

//
// AutoCAD menu file - C:\Documents and Settings\……..\custom.mns
//

***MENUGROUP=CUSTOM

***TOOLBARS

***ACCELERATORS
ID_ZoomWindo [CONTROL+INTERNAL+"W"]
["F12"]^c^czoom all regenall dimregen
//
// AutoCAD Tip Sheet by
End of AutoCAD menu file - C:\Documents and Settings\……..\custom.mns
//

["F12"]
This string specifies the keys that define the shortcut Don’t forget the quotes.

^c^c
This string perform two cancels to make sure no other commands are active when the macro begins.

zoom all regenall dimregen www.ccadinc.com

This string outlines the commands and responses (if any) to the commands.
Creating a CUSTOM.MNS
Start by creating a new file using Notepad by selecting the Start button, then Programs, then Accessories, then Notepad.

Menu Group
The menugroup acts an identifier for the menu. It is used to load and unload the menu items. The name of the menugroup
may or may not be the same as the name of the file. The *** indicates a menu section. On the first line of the file type:

***MENUGROUP=CUSTOM

Make sure you press ENTER and the end of the line of text.

Saving the File

This is the tricky part. The location of several customizable files changed in AutoCAD 2004. The change is the result of
AutoCAD support for Power Users and Roaming Profiles. As a result, many support files have been moved from
C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2004 to C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD
2004\R16.0\enu. Substitute your profile name for user in the path.

Menu files are located in C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD

2004\R16.0\enu\Support. If you were attending a class at CCAD, the location of the menu files would be C:\Documents
and Settings\Training\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2004\R16.0\enu\Support.

Loading the Menu

Begin AutoCAD. Type Menuload at the command line and press ENTER. Make sure the Menu Groups tab is on top. Select
the Browse… button to locate the menu file. You will have placed this file in the C:\Documents and
Settings\user\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2004\R16.0\enu\Support folder. By default you will be loading an
MNS or MNC file.
After you locate the MNS or MNC file, left-click on the Load button. The Menugroup name defined in the menu file should
be displayed in the list. The Menugroup name is frequently the same as the menu file name, but this is not required.

Note: AutoCAD 2005 Path is C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD

2005\R16.1\enu\Support

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 Built in Shortcut Keys for AutoCAD 2005
Shortcut keys(s) AutoCAD classic shortcuts Windows shortcuts
ALT+F8 (No action) VBA Run
ALT+F11 (No action) VBA Editor
CTRL+1 (No action) Properties Palette
CTRL+2 (No action) DesignCenter Palette
CTRL+3 (No action) Tool Palette
CTRL+4 (No action) Sheet Set Manager Palette
CTRL+5 (No action) Info Palette
CTRL+6 (No action) DBConnect Manager
CTRL+7 (No action) Markup Set Manager Palette
CTRL+A Toggles group selection on/off Selects objects in drawing
CTRL+B Toggles Snap Toggles Snap
CTRL+C Cancels current command Copies objects to Clipboard
CTRL+SHIFT+C (No action) Copies objects to Clipboard with Base Point
CTRL+D Toggles coordinate display Toggles coordinate display
CTRL+E Cycles through isometric planes Cycles through isometric planes
CTRL+F Toggles running object snaps Toggles running object snaps
CTRL+G Toggles Grid Toggles Grid
CTRL+H (No action) Toggles PICKSTYLE on/off
CTRL+J Executes last command Executes last command
CTRL+K Hyperlink Hyperlink
CTRL+L (No action) Toggles Ortho mode
CTRL+M Repeats last command (No action)
CTRL+N (No action) Creates a new drawing
CTRL+O Toggles Ortho mode Opens existing drawing
CTRL+P (No action) Prints current drawing
CTRL+Q (No action) Exit
CTRL+R (No action) Cycles layout viewports
CTRL+S (No action) Saves current drawing
CTRL+SHIFT+S (No action) Saveas
CTRL+T Toggles Tablet mode Toggles Tablet mode
CTRL+V Cycles layout viewports Pastes data from Clipboard
CTRL+SHIFT+V (No action) Pastes data from Clipboard as Block
CTRL+X Cancels current input Cuts objects to Clipboard
CTRL+Y (No action) Repeats last action
CTRL+Z (No action) Reverses last action
CTRL+[ Cancels current command Cancels current command
CTRL+\ Cancels current command Cancels current command
F1 Displays Help Displays Help
F2 Toggles text window on/off Toggles text window on/off
F3
F4
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Toggles OSNAP
Toggles TABMODE
Toggles OSNAP
Toggles TABMODE
F5 Toggles ISOPLANE Toggles ISOPLANE
F6 Toggles COORDS Toggles COORDS
F7 Toggles GRIDMODE Toggles GRIDMODE
F8 Toggles ORTHOMODE Toggles ORTHOMODE
F9 Toggles SNAPMODE Toggles SNAPMODE
F10
F11 www.ccadinc.com
Toggles POLAR
Toggles OTRACK
Toggles POLAR
Toggles OTRACK