Deswik Keyboard Shortcuts <PLUS × CHOICE>
Try designing a stope wireframe or editing a solid tomorrow without touching the ribbon once. Just spacebar + shortcuts.
You’ll be surprised how fast you get.
Save this post. Share with a teammate who still uses the right-click menu for everything. 🔁
#Deswik #MiningSoftware #MinePlanning #ProductivityTips #KeyboardShortcuts
Master Deswik Keyboard Shortcuts: The Ultimate Guide to Efficiency
In the world of mine planning and 3D modeling, speed is just as important as precision. Mastering Deswik keyboard shortcuts is the fastest way to bridge that gap, transforming a repetitive, click-heavy workflow into a seamless, high-speed operation. Unlike many CAD programs that rely on single-key commands, Deswik uses a "live listening" system that allows for highly customizable character strings and combination keys. 1. How to Access and Customize Shortcuts
Deswik is designed for personalization. If you are a veteran of other software, you don't have to relearn everything; you can simply remap Deswik's commands to match your muscle memory.
The Shortcut Dialog: To view or edit your current hotkeys, use the menu path Tools | Shortcuts.
Creating a "Shortcut for Shortcuts": A popular pro tip is to create a shortcut specifically for the shortcut dialog itself (e.g., using "TS" for Tools | Shortcuts) to make future adjustments frictionless.
The Ellipse Button: For combination keys (like Ctrl + Z), click the ellipse (...) button next to the shortcut value in the customization window to record the keystrokes. 2. Common & Default Deswik Shortcuts
While many users prefer to customize their setup, Deswik comes with several logical defaults and common character strings used by industry professionals. Suggested/Default Shortcut Description New Polyline NS (or PL for AutoCAD users) Starts the command to draw a new polyline. Isolate ISO Quickly hides all entities except those selected. Hide HID Hides the selected entities from the current view. Show/Unhide SHO Reveals previously hidden entities. Undo Ctrl + Z Reverses the last action. Redo Ctrl + Y Re-applies an action that was undone. Save Project Ctrl + S Saves the current project file. 3. Strategies for Memorable Shortcuts
Because Deswik "listens" for strings, you are not limited to one key. However, to maintain high efficiency, consider these strategies: deswik keyboard shortcuts
Optimal Length: Aim for two to three characters. Single-character shortcuts trigger immediately, which can block other shortcuts from starting with that same letter.
Software Recycling: If you grew up on AutoCAD or Vulcan, remap your most-used commands to those familiar aliases. For example, changing the "New Polyline" command from NS to PL can save hours of training for new users.
Phonetic Abbreviations: Use short word stems that are easy to associate with the action, such as "MOV" for move or "ROT" for rotate.
External Hardware: For even more speed, many power users pair their shortcuts with macro-enabled mice or 3D controllers like the 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse, which allows for simultaneous panning, zooming, and rotation without touching the keyboard. 4. Advanced Tool Shortcuts
Deswik's specialized tools often have their own specific efficiency drivers:
Vertex List Tool: Useful for quickly adjusting gradients on lines, essential for ramp design.
Formula Builder: While not a traditional "hotkey," mastering the Expression Editor allows you to automate attribute modifications based on layer names or volumes.
Selection Filters: Using shortcuts to trigger specific filters can help isolate blocks in large solid geomodels.
By tailoring your Deswik keyboard shortcuts to your specific planning needs, you can significantly reduce menu-diving and focus on what matters: the engineering. Keyboard shortcuts for Project - Microsoft Support
To excel at mine planning in Deswik.CAD, mastering keyboard shortcuts is essential for maintaining high-speed design workflows. By moving away from menu-heavy navigation, you can significantly reduce repetitive strain and speed up complex tasks like polyline creation and solid modeling.
Below is a blog post draft designed to help you or your team optimize your Deswik environment. Try designing a stope wireframe or editing a
Speed Up Your Mine Planning: The Ultimate Guide to Deswik Keyboard Shortcuts
In the world of mine planning, efficiency isn't just about how fast you think—it’s about how quickly you can translate those thoughts into a 3D model. If you’re still clicking through the "Draw" or "Modify" tabs for every polyline, you're leaving hours of productivity on the table.
Deswik.CAD is incredibly powerful, but its true speed is unlocked through keyboard shortcuts. Whether you're a seasoned AutoCAD convert or a fresh Deswik user, here is how to master your hotkeys. 1. Why You Should Customize Your Shortcuts
By default, many Deswik shortcuts are multi-key strings. While descriptive, typing three letters for a single command can feel sluggish. Expert users often recommend:
The "Recycle" Strategy: If you previously used AutoCAD or Vulcan, map your Deswik commands to those familiar keys (e.g., changing "NS" to PL for polyline) to skip the learning curve.
The Sweet Spot: Aim for two-character shortcuts. Single-character keys trigger instantly (since Deswik is "live listening"), which can be efficient but prevents you from using any other shortcut starting with that same letter. 2. Essential Shortcuts to Master
While every planner has their favorites, these are the heavy hitters that belong in everyone's "Shortcuts" dialog: Shortcut (Recommended) Why it matters Draw Polyline PL or D The bread and butter of all design. Isolate Layer ISO
Quickly clear the noise to focus on a single string or solid. Break Polyline B Essential for cleaning up survey data or design strings. Connect Polylines C Automatically snaps endpoints together. Plane Definitions Ctrl + Shift + (0-9) Create plane views and swap between them with Ctrl + (0-9). 3. How to Set Them Up
Don't wait for a "slow" day to organize your workspace. You can update these in seconds: Navigate to Tools | Shortcuts.
Search for the command you want to change (e.g., "Tessellate" or "Section"). Type your desired key combination in the Shortcut column.
Pro Tip: Create a "shortcut for shortcuts" (like TS) so you can tweak your hotkeys on the fly as you find new repetitive tasks. 4. Leveraging Advanced Hardware Save this post
If you want to go beyond the keyboard, consider these expert-level tools:
3D Mice: Using a 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse allows you to map common commands to radial menus and buttons, letting you navigate and design simultaneously.
Macro Keyboards: High-end gaming keyboards allow you to map multi-step macros (like Select All > Change Layer > Hide) to a single dedicated key. The Bottom Line
Shortcuts are about reducing friction. Every second saved by not looking at your mouse or searching a menu adds up to a more fluid, creative design process. Start with five shortcuts today, and your future self will thank you.
These shortcuts work in virtually every Deswik module (CAD, MD, Sched). If you learn only five shortcuts from this article, make it these.
Before diving into the cheat sheet, let's address the "why." Deswik is a hybrid environment: part CAD (like AutoCAD) and part GIS (like ArcGIS). It handles massive datasets. If you rely solely on the ribbon menus or right-click context menus, you are likely wasting hours per week.
The Productivity Math:
A single mouse-to-keyboard transition takes roughly 1.5 seconds. If you perform 500 commands per day (selecting, drawing, editing, saving), that is 12.5 minutes of pure transition waste. Deswik keyboard shortcuts eliminate that friction, keeping your cursor exactly where it belongs—on the design.
Furthermore, Deswik’s default shortcuts are logically grouped to mirror industry standards (AutoCAD for drawing, Windows for file management), reducing the learning curve significantly.
This is where Deswik keyboard shortcuts outshine the mouse. When drawing new designs (roads, pits, voids), use these modifiers:
| Shortcut | Action | During Command | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | F8 | Ortho Mode (Lock Axis) | Forces lines to be perfectly horizontal or vertical. | | F9 | Snap Mode (Grid Snap) | Snaps cursor to defined grid increments. | | F10 | Polar Tracking | Snaps to specific angles (45°, 90°, etc.). | | F11 | Object Snap (Osnap) | Automatically finds endpoints, midpoints, centers. | | Tab | Dynamic Input | Type exact coordinates or distances while drawing. | | Spacebar | Repeat Last Command | The ultimate speed hack. Hit Space to re-do your last edit. |
Expert Move: While drawing a line, type @100<45 to draw a line 100 units long at a 45-degree angle. This works because Deswik inherits AutoCAD syntax.
