Top key commands

(from http://www.archicadwiki.com/TopCommands)

Measure

Shortcut: M

The Measure Tool is usually used for measuring distances between two points. But with two or more clicks, the Tracker also shows the cumulative distance and area.

---

Highlight Toggle

Shortcut: TAB

Have you ever wanted to select a Zone instead of a Slab?
Using the TAB button allows you to toggle through overlapping elements. The active element show as highlighted.

---

Force Guide Line Display

Shortcut: Q

“Force Guide Line Display” is a keyboard shortcut that makes using Guide Lines even smoother.
Use this shortcut when you want to:

• Make multi-choice Guide Lines appear during element input without having to press the mouse button.
  Note: Your cursor needs to be resting on any point of the element for this to work.
• Create or activate a Guide Line along an edge without having to click the Guide Line handle.
• Grab and move the Guide Line with your cursor without having to click the Guide Line handle.
  Note: Your cursor must be over top of the Guide Line handle (the orange dot) for this to work.

See also: GuideLines

---

Show/Hide Guide Lines

Shortcut: L

Are you lost in a jungle of Guide Lines?
Use the "L" shortcut to turn Guide Lines on and off.

---

Quick selection Toggle

Shortcut: Spacebar

Do you want to modify a text, but cannot open up its Text Editor?
By pressing the Spacebar with the Arrow Tool active, you can temporarily activate or deactivate the selection of elements by their surfaces.

---

Pick Up/ Insert Parameters

Shortcut: Alt and Ctrl/Cmd+Alt

Press the "Alt (option)" button to pick element parameters to set them as default. Use the inject (Ctrl/Cmd+Alt) command to transfer the parameters into an element. You can inject parameters into an element in any view, 3D, or in the Door, Window or Object Settings dialog.

See also: How to Transfer Door/Window Parameters

---

Fit in Window

Shortcut: Double-click middle mouse button

Double clicking your middle mouse button will resize your view to accommodate all elements placed in the project. This provides a good way to check whether you have placed something in the far corners of your window.

---

Temporary Orbit Mode

Shortcut: Middle mouse button plus Shift key

While in editing mode (not in Orbit mode), you can temporarily simulate Orbit mode by pressing Shift together with the mouse scrolling button. Release the keys to stop orbiting.

TIP: How to set the middle button on Magic Mouse?

---

Switch between Pet Palette Items

Shortcut: F

Move your cursor over the icons to read the tool tip for each one, and click on the icon for the function you need. Use the shortcuts “F” and Shift+F (Opt+F) to move between the next and previous icons in the current pet palette.

---

Instant Arrow Tool

Shortcut: Shift

While another tool is active, hold down the "Shift" button and the Arrow tool will be available in the Info Box since ArchiCAD 16.

You can point at the desired element and click; or drag the mouse to draw a rectangle around the element you want to select.

---

Activate Last Used Tool

Shortcut: W

Pressing "W" allows you to toggle between the Arrow tool and the last used tool. The active tool will be selected in the Toolbar.

---

Previous/Next Tool in Toolbox

Shortcut: Page Up and Page Down

"Page Up" and "Page Down" toggles between and activates the tools located directly above or below whatever tool is currently active in the Classic Toolbox.

---

What's More

The entire list of all ArchiCAD commands is available within ArchiCAD:

Options/ Work Environment/ Keyboard Shortcuts

Suggestions - to be rolled into updated CAD Standards (for AC16 ->)

Thanks for all the suggestions; after review here is the response to those:

BIMx for Android now available

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.graphisoft.bimx

Using the Cadimage Slab foundation tool?

If you want your slab edge to merge with the slab, there is a check box you must tick....

(thanks Vaughan K)

CAD standards - suggestions part 4

DIMENSIONS:

Marker Size to 1.5mm (reduce from 2.5mm)

Custom Witness Line Length to 250mm or none at all.

CAD Standards Suggestions/Comments part 3

• Check all default settings use "window background" not pen91 (white pen).
• Create some guidelines as to when and at what stage levels of detail (i.e. modelling finesse) should be used. This should also include when to use- or not use- Cadimage tools -e.g. coverings - and when cover fills/ vectorial hatching will suffice.
• Revisit locked/ unlocked layers in layer combinations, and whether locked layers are visible or not.

Patrick's Tips

Invisible Master Titleblock in layouts that prints

Master layouts can be toggled on/off in display - 
VIEW > ON-SCREEN VIEW OPTIONS > MASTER ITEMS ON LAYOUT

Window Background VS Pen 91

Window background is preferred as it is not affected by pen set changes.
Remember this not only for objects but for text and labels as well.

Check default layer of a tool before proceeding

Many things default to the Column layer, when you pick up a tool such as line, polyline or object. (and the Column layer is almost as prevalent as the ArchiCAD Layer).
Even using ALT-click to pick up an item's settings will also default to the Column layer on first click. The 2nd ALT-click will pick up the true settings of the item.

CAD Standards Suggestions/Comments part 2

·         All elements in CAD manual available in example file (version of template) so they can be copied/pasted if someone wants to work that way. (Note - these elements are already available in the favourite palette).

·         The SK view options for plans and elevations limit certain things.

o   Colour and shading on sketch elevations. Would be good if there was a black’n’white line options for SK

o   Also, Urban Homes specifically requested window sizing to be shown on Plans, but the SK model view option block the door/window tag display. My work-around for this was to change to CD. But the point is probably that people are not necessarily aware of how the Model View Options affect these things. It might be good to have an “SK Pres” and an “SK Doc” option?

o   Template needs layers for 3D wall cladding and 3D roof cladding, such that they can be switched off when Cadimage interferes with the view. Often they seem to default to ArchiCAD layer.

·         Frozen layers seem to be more trouble than assistance from what I’ve heard around the office. Often when you find something on the wrong layer, the layer that you want to assign it to is not an available option until you go through the process of unlocking layers. What should be a simple 1-step process becomes a 3-step headache. That said, I understand that certain things like Grids should be secured/safe.

·         Cadimage box gutter??? Is there such a thing? In the rush I could only see and Apron gutter, fascia gutter or none.

·         Invisible master title block in layout that actually prints/publishes (the Landscape team had big dramas with this, but eventually Phil discovered the setting).....  VIEW > ON-SCREEN VIEW OPTIONS > MASTER ITEMS ON LAYOUT

·         3D editing plane (I think this is an AC15 thing too). Alicia and I both found this a problem, Joel knew where the toggle was under View>3D view mode ... I think.

·         Gripes:

o   Cadimage continues to frustrate. With objects disappearing when changes are made to walls or other features like columns and beams are added. Even to the extent of removing the wall completely and trying to apply the Cadimage object to the separate/individual wall.

o   I find the new way that Guidelines works in AC15 really annoying. AC12 is much simpler and easy to use, with the tilde ~ key. (But maybe I just need to re-learn the new ways?) People either love or hate guideline. Most people are not aware of how useful they can be for editing etc., and find them annoying on the screen (when they are not necessarily editing) It’s just a shame Graphisoft changed the interaction/implementation of guidelines from what they had previously.

CAD Standards Suggestions/Comments part 1

ArchiCAD 16 has officially been launched, but it will be a little while before we roll it out as it is not yet shipping here in Australia.

With the corresponding update to the template (and CAD manual) there is an opportunity to review/correct/update the template and standards. 

Here is a running list of suggestions as they are submitted - check back from time to time to see more.

• General text – 2mm not 2.5mm
• Add 0 and 0.13 width black pens to pen set (0 will print the finest possible line on the printer)
• When we are working collaboratively we should use the GBA CAD standard as a base – and have  a departure list for that project for any job specific issues – rather than creating whole new documents for every time.

AC16 announced

Main features include:

•  Morph tool 
• Eco designer included 
• Graphisoft curated web portal for GDL objects 

You can read about it here:
http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad
http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/ac16.html
http://bimcomponents.com/

The most useful keyboard shortcuts for ArchiCAD

Save File	Command/CTRL - S
one of the following actions (in this order) - Cancels current editing or drawing operation (if one is in process) Deselects Elements (if any are selected) Removes Marquee (if drawn) Switches to Arrow Tool (if set to another tool)	Escape key
Backs up one step at a time in polywall, polyline or polygon input	Delete(Mac)/Backspace(PC) key
Set coordinate values in Tracker (d = distance = r = radius)	x, y, r, a, d
add current value (whichever coordinate is being edited) to previous value shown in Tracker	+ (plus key)
subtract current value from previous value in Tracker (NOTE: in U.S., two dashes are necessary; one can be a separator between feet and inches, e.g. 5-6-)	- (minus or dash key)
confirm current Tracker values as shown and click mouse	Enter key
In Info Box, set base and top values for wall, beam, column, slab, stair, mesh, object Windows and Doors accept b or t depending on which anchor is set Roofs accept b for pivot line height	b, t
Create Guideline segment	Shift-` (PC) or Custom shortcut (Mac):
Drag, Rotate, Mirror:	Command/CTRL + D, E, M
During Move, Rotate, Mirror or Elevate command, will make a copy	Press and release Option / CTRL key
During Move, Rotate, Mirror or Elevate command, will make multiple copies until the Escape key is pressed	Press and release Option-Command / CTRL-ALT keys
Multiply	Command/CTRL - U
Group, Ungroup, Suspend Groups:	Command/CTRL - G Option-Command/ALT-CTRL - G Option/ALT - G
Element Settings (opens dialog based on which tool is active in Toolbox) Default Settings if nothing is selected; or Selected Element Settings	Command/CTRL - T
Edit Selection Set (allows parameter setting for multiple types of elements in one dialog)	Command-Option/CTRL-ALT - T
Layer Settings dialog	Command/CTRL - L
Trim, Split, Adjust, Intersect, Fillet Drafting shortcuts in the Toolbar: and their keyboard shortcuts including the use of the Command or Control key by itself to Trim pieces with the scissors icon
·         Trim pieces of linear or curved elements ·         Add points to a dimension chain ·         Adjust walls or lines to meet the edge of another element ·         Trim or Crop walls to a specific roof, or one or more roofs to trim or crop a wall	Command / CTRL – Click
Magic Wand	Space-bar – Click
Eye-dropper	Option / ALT – Click
Syringe	Option-Command / ALT-CTRL – Click
Selects different part while transferring parameters, keeps style or “family resemblance”	Option-Command / ALT-CTRL – Click [in library part window]
Activate tool and set default; if elements of that type are selected, injects the saved settings into the element(s)	Favorites palette – double-click
When hovering with the Arrow tool or Shift key over two or more overlapping elements, cycles through elements allowing you to choose which one to select	TAB key
Built-in shortcut to toggle between the Arrow tool and the last used drawing tool	W key
Show Selection/Marquee in 3D	F4 (Mac) / F5 (Windows)
Show All in 3D	Command-F4 / CTRL-F5
Show 3D Window (last-used selection or marquee will be active)	F3
Axonometric view mode	Command/CTRL - F3
Perspective view mode	Option/ALT - F3
Floor Plan	F2
Last Section	F6
Last Layout	F7
In Plan:
Go up a story	Command / CTRL – Up Arrow:
Go down a story	Command / CTRL – Down Arrow:
In Layout Book
Previous Layout	Command / CTRL - Left Arrow
Next Layout	Command / CTRL - Right Arrow
Scroll in that direction	Cursor keys (Left, Right, Up, Down)
Nudge selected element(s) the distance set in the Snap Grid	Shift – Cursor keys (Left, Right, Up, Down)
Nudge selected elements the larger distance set in the Construction Grid	Shift-Option / Shift-ALT – Cursor keys
Turns on or off the Grid Snap (NOTE: this used to be “s” without the Shift-key modifier)	Shift-S
Measure tool; hit M again or Escape to finish Measure mode	M key
In 3D window, triggers Orbit mode; end Orbit by hitting O again or using Escape key	O key
Pan view (note that there is a free add-on called Magic Prefs that makes this work for the Apple Magic Mouse, which does not have any visible buttons)	Mouse middle-button press
In 3D view, activates Orbit mode; release buttons to end Orbit mode	Middle-button plus Shift key
While drawing or editing an element with the mouse constrained on an angle (usually with the Shift key), this will cycle through Cursor Snap Variations.	Q key
While editing an element with a Pet Palette option in effect, this will “flick” through the available Pet Palette options.	F key
Moves User Origin to node point (on the fly)	Shift-Option / ALT-SHIFT
SPECIAL MOUSE CLICKS
Switches to next or previous library part; has the side effect of resetting the library part to the default settings.	Flick buttons [<>] in Library Part Settings or Info Box
In Window or Door Settings or Info Box, will switch to Empty Opening while maintaining the same width and height.	Empty hole button
Select HOLE only (allows the hole to be dragged, drag a copy, multiply, deleted, etc.)	Arrow-click or Shift-click on EDGE of hole (within polygon element such as Slab, Roof, Mesh, Fill, etc.)
Find and Select	ctrl/cmd-F:
adjust: extends (or trims) one or multiple lines/walls to a clicked or virtually drawn line	ctrl/cmd-minus:
split/break a line/wall at the selected intersection (of clicked or virtually drawn line)	ctrl/cmd-B:
zoom to selection. I use zoom extents in Eric's list the most often (ctrl-') but sometimes the project is too huge and selecting an area and zooming just it is faster.	ctrl/cmd-shift-':
intersect (walls/lines)	I:
hairline / true-weight toggle (Marc's cmd-1)	H:
Info Palette - info on selected elements	Shift-I
SEOp palette. (Shift='S'olid, E=Element)	shift-E
selects last created element(s)	ctrl/cmd-Z followed by ctrl/cmd-Shift-Z (Undo/Redo):
open selected object in the GDL editor	ctrl/cmd-shift-O:
Align 3D Texture > Set Origin	shift-O
Align 3D Texture > Reset	shift-P
Toggles True line weights on/off	Command + 1
Toggles trace reference on/off (the tilde key)	"`"

(Thanks to Eric Bobrow and others...

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=203059#203059)