Too many mouse clicks

[ToddPig]

Any tips out there for decreasing the number of mouse clicks?  On days that I use both Solidwork and Inventor, I'm reminded of how many more mouse clicks I make using Inventor.  I do not have as many hot keys set-up in Inventor as I do in Solidworks (slowly getting there), but I feel like I'm clicking twice as much to do the same work.  

I'm looking for any tips that would decrease the number of mouse clicks.

Thanks,

Todd

[Anonymous]

Work in Catia for a while, you'll feel much better after.

[ToddPig]

I guess we also need some "Funny" or "Die" voting buttons

[mcgyvr]

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@ToddPig wrote:

  I do not have as many hot keys set-up in Inventor as I do in Solidworks (slowly getting there), 

I'm looking for any tips that would decrease the number of mouse clicks.

Thanks,

Todd

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I think you answered your own question.. use hotkeys..

I love my 3d connexion space pilot.. Its got a bunch of buttons that I've assigned to Inventor.. 

Any specific areas/functions that you find that seem to require excessive clicks?

[Mark.Lancaster]

I would first ask what workflow are you doing and why do you think there's so many mouse clicks?

[mdavis22569]

I use my hotkeys ... 3d Spacemouse keys, 

Ilogic coding if possible ...

and if all else fails .. I use the Force, but people tend to get hurt when I do

[ToddPig]

I also have a 3D Connexion mouse, but it only have 2-buttons. I like it, but it seems like overkill when I could do the same thing in Solidworks with the middle mouse button. Maybe I need to look in the models with more buttons, and move some of my clicks from my right hand to my left hand.

[Anonymous]

Setting up Hotkeys is very good thing to do.

Here is a tip,

For most things you don't have to end a command to start a different one. I can just pick the next command.

Like if you are sketching you don't need to exit the sketch you can just pick extude or revolve.

It you are in the Hole dialog you don't need to close it to start a fillet command, just select the fillet.

Does this work for you?

[mcgyvr]

just about the only time my hands (left on the 3d and right on the mouse) come off is to type numbers in..

I rarely use the ribbon unless I don't know the hotkey or whatever..

Obviously having 17 years of one software it will take a bit of time to get used to the switch but I suspect there isn't too much difference between the 2 programs once you learn Inventor as well as you know solidworks..

[mdavis22569]

Like most are saying ..it'll all come with time. Just like with you and Solidworks.

Unless it's numbers or I'm on the forum, my hands are on the mouse(s)

Also as mentioned, Inventor now gives options depending on what state of modeling/drawing your in ..so that helps.   As mentioned, I rarely hit the ribbons for anything anymore.  

[JDMather]

Create a Screencast of a work session in Inventor and link it here.

I use both Inventor and SolidWorks. 

I have not noticed any difference in number of mouse clicks.

Someone will demonstrate how to improve the workflow.

[ToddPig]

Good idea, I will do this!!

Thanks.

[SteveMDennis]

All,

 If the functionality is completely equal i would be interested in "extra" clicks.

If anywhere in Inventor you think there are extraneous/unnecessary clicks please let us know. My team specifically deals with small quick fixes that make you more productive.

An example from a few years ago, at a customer event someone pointed out to me that if you preselected an iFeature to place it we still let you on the first page of the dialog where we prefilled in the iFeature you just selected! you had to hit next...  easy fix to move to the second page of the wizard dialog if you preselected the iFeature.

We as developers sometimes just miss these obvious things. Like multiselecting, etc.

[JDMather]

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@SteveMDennis wrote:

All, 

We as developers sometimes just miss these obvious things. Like multiselecting, etc.

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See this one

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-general-discussion/extra-clicks/td-p/5991159

[Curtis_Waguespack]

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@SteveMDennis wrote:

All,

 ...If anywhere in Inventor you think there are extraneous/unnecessary clicks please let us know...

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Hi steven.dennis,

I'll say it before someone else does:

      extraneous/unnecessary clicks = the ribbon menu

I'm actually not a "click counter", and therefore the ribbon doesn't bother me, but I know it does bother others for this reason.

Thanks to you and your team for the efforts toward making things better for the user.

- Curtis

[SteveMDennis]

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@Curtis_Waguespack wrote:

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@SteveMDennis wrote:

All,

 ...If anywhere in Inventor you think there are extraneous/unnecessary clicks please let us know...

---

Hi steven.dennis,

I'll say it before someone else does:

      extraneous/unnecessary clicks = the ribbon menu

I'm actually not a "click counter", and therefore the ribbon doesn't bother me, but I know it does bother others for this reason.

Thanks to you and your team for the efforts toward making things better for the user.

- Curtis

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Curtis, you know I'm not going to bite on that one!  I was not a fan of the Ribbon originally but you get used to it... there are larger implications of the ribbon than just clicks.

[swalton]

Here are some from IV 2014, not sure if they have been fixed in later versions:

Replace Model Reference comand in the idw environment:

If there is only one model in the idw, why do I need to select it before I click on the file browser icon?

When I open the file browser, and start typing in the file name, IV shows all matches in the filename dropdown.  This includes ipts, ipns, or iams (good) and idws (bad).  I can't use an idw, so why is IV displaying it?

Why do I get a warning dialog with a cancel option that tells me that I replaced a model in my idw?  That's the reason I invoked the command.  The main command window has a cancel option too.  I don't see the need to have it twice.

Why isn't the "ok" button highlighted to show that it is the default if I hit enter, rather than clicking with my mouse? 

Another tool that I would like to see:  Middle button accepts the defaults in any dialog box and/or completes the command.  PTC/Creo has done this for 20+ years. 

[mflayler]

In regards to your extra clicks with the middle mouse button...

For rotation you can hold CTRL and MIddle Mouse button for rotation...

For commands you want to be at your focal point more, you can customize the marking menu to have an additional 8 commands of your choosing per environment you enter.  For example, by default in a sketch, CTRL+RMB will give you all your sketch constraints.  You can modify this for Parts, Assemblies, Presentation, Drawings, and any sub environment.  Here is what my Part CTRL+RMB looks like currently.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Create a Screencast of a work session in Inventor and link it here.

I use both Inventor and SolidWorks. 

I have not noticed any difference in number of mouse clicks.

Someone will demonstrate how to improve the workflow.

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OP makes a valid observation.  I have made it too, but it's not terribly worse, but somewhat.  Hotkeys can get you so far, but there are MANY commands in Inventor to which you cannot assign one.

Here are three examples I use often:

EDIT FEAURE:

SW:

1. select feature

2. hotkey to call command

Inventor:

1. select feature

2. Right Click (RC)

3. LC on "edit feature" (would be SO nice to have a hotkey in Invetor for this)

>> SW wins by one click

INSERT ONE PROJECTED VIEW:

SW:

1. Hotkey to call command

2. LC to place

3. ESC key to exit tool

Inventor:

1. Hotkey to call command

2. LC to place

3. RC

4. LC on "Create"

>> SW wins by one click

PLACE ORDINATE DIMENSION SET WITH "N" NUMBER OF FEATURES

SW:

1. Hotkey to call command

2. pick zero geometry

3. place zero

4. LC on "N" number of features

5. ESC key to exit tool

Inventor:

1. Hotkey to call command

2. pick zero geometry

3. LC on "N" number of features

4. RC

5. LC on "Continue"

6. LC to place

7. RC

8. LC on "Create"

>>SW wins by 3 clicks

This in not about work flow.  This are discrete commands that are not a streamlined as SW.  If you have to knock out 50 prints in a week, you will be noticing this.

Note, SW does a nice job using the ESC key without erasing your work.

[SteveMDennis]

For edit feature what about double clicking on the feature? Does that count as one or two clicks?