Tools In Pet Palette

[Anonymous]

In the same way that we can pick which Tools go into the Toolbars (custom Toolbars), it would be nice to pick which Tools could go into a Pet Palette and which Tool (singular) is the Default one when the Pet Palette appears. There are Tools in the Pet Palette that I never use and would like to remove, and I usually use one of the Tools on a regular basis and would like this one to be my default.

Thanks.

[TomWaltz]

Why not learn how to use them for something instead of wishing them to go away? I'm shocked you don't have a use for Drag, Mirror, or insert points. (OK, the curve ones may not be that useful) 😉

All kidding aside, it would be nice to get a few more editing commands in there.

[Dwight]

I've never been impressed with the pet palette since I'm an old guy with the keystroke thing: A keystroke is always faster than a palette selection and the thing gets in the way too often. While it is nice to be able to quickly stretch an edge or expand a shape - exclusive pet palette functions - the rest of them are easier and faster with a keystroke.

The main flaw in the pet palette is that the cursor is delivered to the SIDE of the palette. Graphisoft should adopt a smarter approach similar to the extensive [and bewildering] conditional menu in Maya where the cursor finds itself in the center of an array of choices. If our pet palette was arranged in an octagon or circle, things would be better.

[Anonymous]

I agree. It seems counter-intuitive to distort or move your selection in order to pick up the tool you want.

The pet palette seems to keep reverting to 'drag' which is the least useful option, because it's so much easier to select drag with a shortcut.

I only ever use pet palette commands to do things I don't have shortcut keys for.

- Keith

Archicad Release 11 on MAC OSX 10.4.8

[Anonymous]

I'm a little stunned to hear you guys don't think the pet palette is useful, I use it ALL the time! I agree that keyboard shortcuts are quick and i use them as much as i can, but, there are some features like add point and offset edge that are handy to have right there while you're editing. Finally, a circle or octogon shape, IMHO, would be MORE in the way as it is guaranteed to cover a portion of the drawing you are working on whereas the rectangle only 'might' cover the section drawing you are working on.

As for customizing the pet pallete - sure, why not. You can customize pretty much everything else. Why not the PP?

[Dwight]

The pet plaette is kludgy.

While needing to switch functions in midstream can be disturbing, once the new function is engaged, all is well.

The pet palette should surround the cursor since going down rows of functions is slow and annoying = perhaps the reason for keyboard shortcuts.
See Maya for a good example of this.....

The old rule is that the cursor is for position and the keyboard is for function applies here. Trying to assign function to the cursor slows things down because the keyboarding hand remains idle unless you are reaching for your coffee at the time.

[Link]

You can hit F and shift+F to flick through the different pet palette options.

Cheers,
Link.

[Dwight]

Right. So like learn the darned keyboard shortcuts and be done with it.

This is my point.

[James Murray]

The best investment you can make in your own productivity (speed++, frustration--) is to learn the shortcuts for your most common actions. Edits, tools, grouping, display order, fill-in-the-blank. Commit to it and make it a habit, you'll never look back.

The polygon editing buttons are great. They're also not optional. I'd like to see the edit buttons removed. They complicate training by offering a visual shortcut to the wrong way of doing something, right next to something users need to use and see all the time: the polygon editing. They remember the little button because they've seen it, and they forget Cmd+D because they've only heard that. And then people coming from Windows are used to looking on the context menu for everything, which is an even worse way to Drag and Mirror 200 times a day. </rant>

Seriously, if you're doing something all the time, learn the shortcut.