I've run Acad for a very long time. I am being positioned to move to TC. My question, simply would be this: Would it be better to try to customize TC to behave like Acad, (as much as TC will allow), or try to change my drawing habits and "reprogram" my self to use TC as it comes? The way I have Acad setup, I can really scream, (or at least I think it's screamin") I want to fly in TC, as well. At first glance, I perceive that changing hotkeys is rather limited in TC. Hotkeys are very useful.
What do you think? No BS, please.

"it's usually easier to ask forgiveness than permission."

3Dnmore

It takes time to grasp it all you won't learn over night.a lot of these beautiful images you may see in the Gallery are from long time users since version one and they perfected the methodology as well you have done with Acad.So in long run there is learning curve to look forward to.If you get stuck you could always come to the forum to address your questions.There is whole team TC masters here that almost come to solution for anything.Another option if your fan of the command bar Doublecad may worth exploring


http://www.doublecad.com/Products/DoubleCADXT/tabid/1100/Default.aspx

You won't have to completely "reprogram" yourself to become proficient in TC. Setting up the keyboard shortcuts to get you close on your most used commands is a good place to start. With TC you can't use multi-character commands so that's where you have to decide what the most important use of a character would be. "L" for line, "P" for polyline, etc.

It'll certainly be an awkward change no matter how you choose to approach a transition. But, if you're proficient in ACAD you won't have a problem becoming the same in TC.

As WD mentioned, DoubleCAD is the perfect marriage of TC and ACAD. It has been designed to work much like ACAD but with TC's incredible toolset. It even uses an ACAD style command line.

I am curious if their is a way to use TC's programing tools to accommodate multi-character commands?  This is a real issue for me.  The single key commands are fast, but extremely limiting in their application.

I don't miss the command line, it is just one method of entering commands.  The pop up tool bars in combination with customized workspace settings burns the command line bad IMHO.

Camera views such as SI can be done in TC, but you have to set it up, it does not come that way.  I am finding ways to do back clipping in TC that are very powerfull.  The methods may appear a little unusual at first, but the results are what matters.

As much as I love speed and productivity, I will always choose stability over raw power.  "More haste, less speed"  To be honest, TC has had issues with stability.  IMSI says that stability was a top priority for V17.  It is a little too early to tell since it always takes a patch or two to get things sorted out.

The new Flatten feature in V17 Platinum implemented by exploding a Paper Space viewport is very interesting.  Also the new Xref capabilities would be cool if they work, the verdict still seems to be out on that.

Rod, do you mean keyboard sequence programming?  I have no programming expertise, but I've found a couple of useful programs that help me overcome that shortcoming.  One is a mouse software suite from a Taiwanese company called A4Tech.  It's got the capacity to use third and fourth buttons (works with generic mice, not only theirs) to summon additional 14-button toolbars that can have extensive keyboard sequences applied to them.  It's programmable on-the-fly, and useable with other programs too, which can also be accessed from the toolbars.  The second is a freeware scripting program called AutoIT, originally developed to enable hands-off OS installation, but now has a lot more extensive capability, more informative and powerful than the mouseware.  Takes a bit more to develop sequences with it, but it allows access to all of the TC tools that I've tried it with, and again, to other programs.  Its scripts are accessed from AutoIT rather than TC itself, but the interface is innocuous until you need it.   

Murray

I guess I wish I knew enough to answer your question.  I have not used programs anything like this before.

It would be awesome to have the ability to set up key sequences that could be used for more than one CAD program.  I have heard mention of windows based keyboard readers that could function somewhat in that fashion.

I primarily use an Architectural modeling program along with TC.  Both programs have single key command capabilities.

I did save a link to a website on windows automation tools and if I am understanding you correctly that is probably another option as well.

I guess I have been stuck in thinking that I had to find some way to do this from inside the programs themselves.

I'll do a search and find AutoIT and check it out.  It appears that I am behind the times on this one.  Glad this came up so I can hopefully get busy setting up commands they way I would like them.

Thanks.

 

My question, simply would be this: Would it be better to try to customize TC to behave like Acad, (as much as TC will allow), or try to change my drawing habits and "reprogram" my self to use TC as it comes?

Kind of both.  There will be certain features you take for granted in AC like the twist command that do not exist in TC.  The capability is there, hidden in a dbx.  In this case my choice would be to make a routine that gives me pretty much what I am used to in AC.

At other times I like to take it a step further if I can and create something just a little better if it is possible.  I am really wanting a more 3 dimensionally visual approach to setting up cameras for back clipping, and I have some ideas I want to try out.

To me this comes down to what I call the Hamberger Button versus Ala Carte.  It is nice to have something quick and easy to just grab and go, but at times you give up a few options along the way.

TC provides a ton of options.  It does not always provide the quick and easy buttons we are used to.

Thank you all for your input. I have been crash-coursing it for a few days. The biggest struggle is my lack of patience. All is well, though. I needed something new to lose myself in. Currently, I am looking at setting layers to not print (like viewports), and I really want to dock the palettes on the left side. OK, that's just picky, but one approach to software and equipment is to quickly find out what it WON"T do. After that you can run wild.

Take care, everyone.
3Dnmore

re: ...I really want to dock the palettes on the left side.

Grab the palettes by the Name at the top and drag towards the left.
Docking Stickers will appear.
Dragging the palettes to the sticker with the left arrow will highlight where the palettes will go.
Release and the palettes should go to the left side.

See New UI Customize Palettes for more info.