Which Key board and mouse for AC 2012 LT?

[Netmaker]

What is the best keyboard and mouse to use with AutoCAD 2012 LT, running on Windows 7  and XP?

[GilesPhillips]

Anything comfortable for prolonged use, as a rule.  AutoCAD has no particular requirements, other that you have them.

I'd suggest going for a full 108 key board, but beyond that, whatever suits you.

As far as mice, again go for what suits you - I'd reccomend optical, but most are anyway. Also consider extra buttons - I've got a 5 button mouse where I've mapped the ESC key to the one under the thumb - saves a ton of time.

[pendean]

Begs the question: what are you using now and why is that not good enough?

[Netmaker]

Excellent suggestion on the esc.  button.

Thank you.

[Netmaker]

I have downloaded a trial version of AC 2012 LT.

The cursor and crosshairs are jerky and move about as if the SNAP was on.

I tried every suggestion I could find on the internet for fixes. It came down to a suggestion that AC LT  in this version may require a 'more compatible mouse and keyboard'  and or it was a Windows 7 / XP issue???? I do not have  a clue. Techs at the AC Seller are looking into this as even the trial version should be Good -to-Go.

 I am evaluating 2012 LT for purchase and download to my PC  but do not want to deal with this jerky movement.

My hopes are that its just the trial version that is casuing this, but the internet is full of complaints for the same issue.

Hence, my questions about keyboards and mouse.

Thank you for any suggestions.

[GilesPhillips]

Post up the spec of your computer, it might shed some light on your issue.

First, obvious things to check would be if your graphics card drivers are up to date, how many other tasks/programs you have running, what anti-virus you have and how it's running etc.

I seriously doubt your issue stems from a mouse/keyboard issue unless you've got a 1990's roller-ball mouse with 20years of crud on the sensors.

G

[Netmaker]

This is all i know about my computer. If you can tell me how to access anything else that solve this issue please do.

AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual

Core Processor 5000+

2.61GH, 2.75 GB RAM

Virtual memory Total for all drives 2046MB

Total size of  [C:] 232 gb   free space 102gb

Malware Bytes

Kaspersky Pure

Windows 7  Home version of XP

Any help is appreciated and thank you for taking this time.

* ha ha .   I actually have a Roller ball mouse somewhere around here.I keep it in a drawer next to my South Central Bell rotary dial phone!

[entropist]

If you've intalled windows 7 on that old of a machine...  that is the main problem.

Win 7 is technically a resource hog; but if you're using newer hardware it can handle it. The system you listed would run XP fine, but I'd expect it to choke trying to run 7.

If you really just need to run LT, you can reinstall XP. Or better yet - get a newer computer, you won't have to spend too much to see a major improvement.

[Netmaker]

Thank you for the information.

I was in contact with the  Reseller today and his tech told me that I was running a shared graphics card?

He suggested installing a G-Force 220 as a dedicated card as i was not running any 3D.

He also said that the trial version I am using is running under Citrix  and that to get the real feel of the software, I should download the entire package and just activate it when I get the actual CD later this week.

does this make any sense?

[GilesPhillips · Accepted solution]

He's suggesting the graphics card is using your system memory for video applications - this is quite inefficient and would present a bottleneck in the graphics systems.

What is confusing about your spec listed earlier is that you're listing both an AMD and a (intel) Core processor -  I doubt you'll have both.  I suspect you have the AMD, judging by the rest of your spec.

First things first, I'd try using Autocad as a standalone appliction, on a 30day trial, rather than messing around with Citrix - Any additional overhead will cause issues on such an elderly system.  Also consider rolling back to XP -certainly turn off the aero visual style if that's on.

I'd definitely consider a newer graphics card - anything half decent for gaming would be a start, though you won't need a huge amount of a video memory.

Look again at your security software, you want as little running as possible, whilst maintaining the security level you require.

Being honest, I'd say you're asking a bit much of your hardware as it stands. The problem is later versions of Autocad are somewhat bloaty, and your system, whilst good for it's time, is now going to struggle.  If you can, consider an earlier version of the software - try 2006 era - that would tie in with the hardware age, yet doesn't sacrifice too much functionality <flame suit>most of the improvements since then have been cosmetic </Flame suit> 😉

Hope this helps.

G

[pendean · Accepted solution]

You don't have enough RAM.

You probably still have Win7's AERO Theme on, switch to a Windows Basic Theme instead.

And upgrade that RAM, that's a sad state to run AutoCAD in.

Inside AutoCAD, turn off hardware acceleration.

Upgrade your RAM: 4Gig minimum, if your PC can't take it it's time to get another.

You issue as noted has nothing to do with your mouse and keyboard choices.

[Netmaker]

Lets say i was going to start from scratch and have  a dedicated pc to run just AC2012 LT and a minimum of other programs like MSN Office and something that would allow basic video veiwing and internet access.

what  hard ware would you suggest as a good start  if i were going  all brand new?

Thank you again for your help in this.

[GilesPhillips]

What's your budget?

Typically the more you spend, the longer it'll be useable. Top shelf, bleeding edge stuff will be up to spec for a good time longer than something made from the cheapest components..

[Netmaker]

I have no budget . If I can not use what I have I will have to go into the store I have been using ( a private computer company that deals with folks  in the oil industry) and set something up.

I would just like an opinion on what a basic set up would consist of and let the pricing be what it is.  

So, with this said, what would any of you suggest as a good middle ground....not the low end but nothing like you all might use on full blown vesions or something like 3D MAx.

Thank you.

[GilesPhillips]

Okay then, here's my attempt..

Core i5 would be a good starting place, go for the newer SandyBridge architecture, so 2300 series upwards. Get the 'p' version if you want, this has the onboard graphics disabled as you'll be using your own graphics hardware.

Core i7 if you can stretch to it, as you'll probably go longer before needing to upgrade.

Nice and fast 3Ghz plus whatever you get - straight line speed is still very much applicable for Autocad.

At least 8Mb memory - your system builder should find the right spec and timings for your motherboard/processor combo.

If you're not hitting the 3D stuff, a modest graphics card spec would do, either moderate to good gaming, or an entry level Quadro (not the NVS) would suffice.  Check the connections on the card fit your monitor - older monitors might not have displayport which will require an adaptor to fit some cards, not end of the world, but a pain when you don't have the bits.

Get a smallish SSD (200Gb) for Boot/OS and a fast Sata 6 harddisc for Data.

I'm sure others will be along to refine this spec.

G

[dgorsman]

For production work, budget ~ $2k - $2.5k.  Sounds like a lot, but it should last for at least 4 years, maybe five if you delay some upgrades to the OS and AutoCAD in the later years.  All of the parts should be about the same cost +/-, which will ensure you don't bottleneck the system.  It all operates together, so no point dropping half the money on a processor and skimping on RAM, or getting a video card which costs the same as everything else combined.  Try to get a processor thats at least 3GHz in speed; since you are running LT then you might get away with ~2.6 GHz for now but it will bite you in a couple of years.

[RaoulM]

Hello Netmaker and forum members,

I know that it is not gentle and also miss fitting  mostly rules from much forums to reopen a thread.

But I was finding some interresting things that I want to share with you all and so I´ve me decided not to pm Netmaker alone and post this here in to share it with you all.

Mouse:

Some computer "game" mice were sorted with special drivers and they allows them to be define a whole setup of extra features for each "game" but also each program!!!!! 

My logitech G400 is  sorted with a driver that lets you define all buttons new like you want and need on the mouse for each program and if you are familiar with the lua scripting language you can also easily run your own scripts in each program. That means for cg artists and CAD construceurs they are working with more than one program, they are able to define for each program their own button setup: As an example

Main production tree: AutoCAD > inventor > 3ds Max > Maya > Softimage 

Post prodution tree: Adobe Photoshop or Premiere > After effects 

Once more again for each program I open and run I am able to predefine a whole setup of functions on each

mouse button ! So if I switch from one program to another I can also easily swich with a keyboard button hit from mouse button setup to mouse button setup for all different programs I run.

The A4tech mouse series is also sorted with a driver similiar to the logitech one, but not with so many features and another and different script language. 

As special class of its own is the pointing device or 3d mouse familly from  3D connxion that is supporting the most 

programs of the Autodesk family and there is a device for each one, from the lowest  bottom (Space Navigator) to the highest top (Space Pilot Pro) that is in my opinion a really good choice.

I´m right hand worker and so the Space Pilot Pro is placed on the left side and the Logitech G400 is placed on the right side of my keyboard. That allows a very smoth and easy work for me.

Keyboard:

In the middle I have at this time placed a  Logitech G15 keyboard, please don´t thing know I am a gamer and do some graphic related stuff on my workstation, but this keyboard is offering more than you will perhaps trust me, it has on the left side 18 special extra buttons and they can be used 3 times by using the upper switch buttons called M1, M2 and M3, so I can multiplicate all 18 buttons three times and at the end that gives me the cappaticity of 54 extra buttons !!!!!! The funtions for each button can be easily predefined by using a makrorecorder. If this will not work

you are able to open the program, hit the special keay combination for the funtion you want to call in the program

and a function recorder can helps you also easy out to program a special button. As an example:

The 18 keys of the group M1 for AutoCAD, the next 18 keys group M2 for inventor and the last 18 ones from the M3 group for revit. Or for the programs you are using. By the way, the profiles you have pre definet can easily backuped by safing the whole profile, if you need to work on more than one workstation.  

The last keyboard I´ll show up here, is also a very expensive one, sold by a company with the name art lebedev

and the keyboard name is "Optimus Maximus". This is perhaps not a really serious thing to sugest exactly here in the forum, but it lets you define all button of your self choice and you have the abillity to safe them easily on a SD card. Ok once more again this is perhaps a keyboard for people with special wishes or needs. 

Last but not least there are more pointing and drawing devices out there, as an example the tablet series from Wacom called Intuos and Cintiq. They can also add some special abillitys to your workflow and make some (not all) 

things much easier for the users. Some of them will also be delivered by Wacom with a pencil and a extra small mouse extra for CAD constructors.  

I hope really it hepls you all a little bit and 

best regards from germany

Raoul