Typing "L" to Draw a Sketch Line - Inventor 2024

[iamerm]

Is it just me, or does typing the letter "L" no longer create a line when you're in the sketch environment?  This question pertains to Inventor 2024.

[Gabriel_Watson]

It still should.

You can probably fix yours by going to Tools tab > Customize > Keyboard tab > and de-select "Use default multi-character Command Aliases".

[iamerm]

Thanks @Gabriel_Watson for your quick reply.

"Use default multi-character Command Aliases" was already de-selected.  But your suggestion did make me catch something:  when I type "L" when in sketch mode, the "Command alias input" appears at the bottom-left of my screen.  Basically it's prompting me to press Enter (see screenshot).

Perhaps I'm going to embarrass myself here, but I could swear that previously as soon as you hit "L" you could start drawing lines (without having to press Enter).  Similar to the way pressing CTRL+SHIFT+C immediately allows you to draw circles. Did I imagine this?

[Gabriel_Watson · Accepted solution]

That's because you probably have more than one command assigned with "L" as alias:

If you delete any others your Line command will start right away without asking for confirmation.

P.S.: you could also reset your Inventor settings if preferred, to go back to having only one command using the "L" shortcut/alias.

[iamerm]

Thanks again @Gabriel_Watson.

I don't recall ever doing any customization.  But, just in case, here are my assigned keys that start with the letter "L":

I wonder if the "Cable & Harness Library" command could be the issue.  Or do the keyboard commands activate based on the environment?

[Gabriel_Watson]

That's strange...
Here are mine below:

Cable and harness seems fine and does not stop my "L" command from firing Line in a Sketch right away.

Save your config and try the Inventor reset. See if that does anything. If not, then it could be an issue with your current version/update. I'm on 2024.0.1.

[CGBenner]

@iamerm 

Curious.... I only see those additional options with the Default Multi Character box checked.

But regardless, the shortcut should be dependent on Context, and there is only one in the Sketch environment.  Unless it is the Sketched Features shortcut for Loft that it causing this.

[iamerm]

Thank you @Gabriel_Watson for pointing me in the right direction.  And thank you for your input @CGBenner.

The issue appears to have been "LS" assigned as a shortcut for "Local Systems" in the "Frame Analysis" category.

I have no idea how that got assigned, and I'm not sure why it causes problems when sketching because it's in a different category.  But once I cleared that shortcut it works as it used to.

[jtylerbc]

---

@iamerm wrote:

I have no idea how that got assigned, and I'm not sure why it causes problems when sketching because it's in a different category.  But once I cleared that shortcut it works as it used to.

---

Those sorts of problems started a few years ago when Autodesk decided to make sketch commands "Always Available".  So if you start a sketch command (for example, a line) while not in a sketch, it makes a sketch and then executes the command to draw the line. 

This eliminates a negligible amount of clicks (the "S" to start the sketch), but results in being unable to reuse keyboard shortcuts from the Sketch environment in others.  It even messed up old Autodesk defaults - for example, "C" used to be both the default shortcut for Constraint in assembly, and Circle in sketch.  Now, you have to use "C" for Constraint, but "CTRL+SHIFT+C" for Circle, just so they'll be different.  

[iamerm]

Thank you @jtylerbc 

We just upgraded from 2021 to 2024, so perhaps that adjustment was made in that time-frame?

[jtylerbc]

No, I don't remember exactly when it happened, but it's older than that.  I've used Inventor since about 2006, so my perception of changes "a few years ago" may be different than yours.

I think it was more like 2016.  You just may not have actually had the conflicting shortcut assignments until more recently.

[RajSchmidt]

I could not pinpoint the problem yet, it seems to change with the weather, star alignment or something. But sometimes, without warning, the option "Use default multi-character Command Aliases" seems to kick in.

Then you should try the solution @Gabriel_Watson suggested. And even if the option is not selected, try to switch it on and off.

[iamerm]

Thank you @RajSchmidt - I will experiment.

But once I removed "LS" as a command alias for "Local Systems" in the "Frame Analysis" category the problem appears to be resolved.

[iamerm]

This is getting frustrating.  I always type "M" for the measure command.  But mid-session, I now have multiple command alias input choices:  "M" for Measure, "MS" for Manual Sketch, & "MB" for Mold Base.

15 minutes ago "M" started the measure tool, but now it's suddenly doing this.  What is going on???

[iamerm]

---

@iamerm wrote:

This is getting frustrating.  I always type "M" for the measure command.  But mid-session, I now have multiple command alias input choices:  "M" for Measure, "MS" for Manual Sketch, & "MB" for Mold Base.

15 minutes ago "M" started the measure tool, but now it's suddenly doing this.  What is going on???

---

Restarting inventor appears to have fixed this.  I don't know what else to say except that 2024 just seems "buggy."

[RajSchmidt]

Looks to me like the same bug I described above. @CGBenner: Where are these settings stored? In some XML files which are attacked by the local virus scanner? Or the registry which has been locked by the admin to punish unruly users?