Question
Explain the keyboard shortcuts available in CIM.
Answer
CIM provides the following keyboard shortcuts.
Function Key
| Keyboard Shortcut |
Explanation |
|---|---|
| F1 | Opens the CIM Learning Center website. |
| F2 | Show Only the selected objects in the Neutral’s Select Phase |
| F5 | Clears the message window on the bottom left of the screen. |
| T / F / S | Changes Snap to the Top / Front / Side plane. |
| Shift |
As long as you hold down the button, the snap at the time you press it is fixed. |
Alt + ( ) Key
| Keyboard Shortcut |
Explanation |
|---|---|
| Alt + A |
Shows all objects. |
| Alt + N |
Enable Select Target. |
| Alt + D |
(View Tool) Turns the Datum option On/Off. |
| Alt + P |
(View Tool) Turn the Perspective option On/Off.. |
| Alt + S |
(View Tool) Switches to Display Mode. |
| Alt + Q |
Switch the active tab of the Main Panel down. |
| Alt + 1 |
Switch the active Tab of the Main Panel to the 1st Tab. |
| Alt + 2 |
Switch the active Tab of the Main Panel to the 2nd Tab. |
| Alt + 8 |
Runs the Mode OK tool within the mode. |
| Alt + 9 |
Shows all objects. |
| Alt + 0 |
Runs the Mode Cancel tool within the mode. |
| Alt + Space |
Executes the Apply function of the Main Panel. |
| Alt + ` |
Executes the Cancel function of the Main Panel. |
| Alt + F4 |
Exits program. |
Ctrl + ( ) Key
| Keyboard Shortcut | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Ctrl |
While the button is pressed, the coordinates are fixed around the object and then rotated. |
| Ctrl + F | Fit the zoom to the current camera perspective. |
|
Ctrl + S |
Saves current file. |
|
Ctrl + Shift + S |
Saves file to a different name. |
|
Ctrl + Y |
Redo the undone task. |
|
Ctrl + Z |
Undo previous task. |
| Ctrl + 1 | Runs the Import DWG/DXF tool. |
| Ctrl + 2 | Run Measure Tool. |
| Ctrl + 3 | Runs Global Option. |
| Ctrl + 4 | Runs View Option. |
| Ctrl + F2 | Hides the object selected in Neutral’s Select Phase. |
| Ctrl + Space | Executes the OK function of the Main Panel. |
The shortcut keys of midas CIM can be divided into 3 groups for each purpose.
1. Run Functions
2. Exit/Save Workspace
3. Panel Control
4. Adjust View Option
Let’s learn about the following keyboard shortcuts and how they work for each group.
1. Run functions
CIM allows certain functions to be executed immediately through keyboard shortcuts.
◈ CIM Learning Center website
Keyboard Shortcut [ F1 ] Opens the CIM Learning Center website.
◈ Message Window initialization
Keyboard Shortcut [ F5 ] Initializes the command line in the lower left corner of CIM.
◈ Import DWG/DXF
Keyboard Shortcut [ Ctrl + 1 ] Opens the task window to import DWG/DXF files.
◈ Measure
Keyboard Shortcut [ Ctrl + 2 ] Opens the Measure tool to measure distance/angle/coordinate, etc.
◈ Global Option
Keyboard Shortcut [ Ctrl + 3 ] Opens the Global tool to set up units and snaps.
◈ View Option
Keyboard Shortcut [ Ctrl + 4 ] Opens the View tool to set the display and color transparency.
2. Workspace Exit/Save
CIM consists of a total of 9 Modes, including the Base Mode.
As each Mode is entered, the upper ribbon menu is reconfigured based on the features of each mode.
To enter each Mode, the user can click on the desired Mode in the Ribbon Menu.
Figure 1. Mode entry through Ribbon Menu
Figure 2. Mode OK / Mode Apply / Mode Cancel
Mode OK : Keyboard Shortcut [ Alt + 8 ] Saves current mode and moves to parent mode.
Mode Apply : Keyboard Shortcut [ Alt + 9 ] Saves current mode and remains in current working state.
Mode Cancel : Keyboard Shortcut [ Alt + 0 ] Cancels the current progress and moves to parent mode.
When each corresponding Mode is entered, not only does the upper Ribbon Menu gets reconfigured, but also the Work screen changes to the corresponding Work Space.
The user can exit each Mode and return to the Base Mode by clicking on one of the options on the upper left corner of the screen (Mode OK/ Mode Apply/ Mode Cancel).
The following keyboard shortcuts are used for saving and exiting CIM programs as well as moving back and forth.
Program Off : Keyboard Shortcut [ Alt + F4 ] Exits the program.
Save : Keyboard Shortcut [ Ctrl + S ] Saves current file.
Save as : Keyboard Shortcut [ Ctrl + Shift + S ] Saves current file as a different name.
Undo : Keyboard Shortcut [ Ctrl + Z ] Undo previous task.
Redo : Keyboard Shortcut [ Ctrl + Y ] Redo the undone task.
3. Panel Control
When using the main panel, you can conveniently run/stop the function by using the shortcut keys.
OK : Keyboard Shortcut [ Ctrl + Space bar]
Apply : Keyboard Shortcut [ Alt + Space bar]
Cancel : Keyboard Shortcut [ Alt + ' ]
The following are other shortcuts related to panel control.
Switch input window : Keyboard Shortcut [ Tab / Shift + Tab] The focus is moved to the next / previous input window.
Neutral Select Active Control : Keyboard Shortcut [ Alt + N ] Enables/disables object selection of Header Panel.
Tab Conversion (Works Tree / Function) : Keyboard Shortcut [ Alt + 1 / 2 ] Switches the active tab to 1st / 2nd.
4. Adjusting View Options
When modeling in midas CIM, the user can use keyboard shortcuts to model efficiently.
The functions below work in the same way for both 3D (Base Mode etc.) and 2D (Rebar Draw Mode etc.) workscreens.
Show only : Keyboard Shortcut [ F2 ] Hides all objects except the selected object.
Hide only : Keyboard Shortcut[ Ctrl + F2 ] Hides the selected object.
Show All : Keyboard Shortcut [ Ctrl + A ] Shows all objects on the work screen.
Zoom Fit : Keyboard Shortcut [ Ctrl + F ] This feature optimizes the view by adjusting only the scale while maintaining the viewpoint direction.
Click on the mouse wheel for the View Option where the user can view objects from various angles including Top/Bottom.
The view that is provided here is automatically adjusted to include all objects on the screen where the user can zoom in and out by moving the mouse wheel up and down.
Top Snap / Front Snap / Side snap
: Keyboard Shortcut [T/F/S] : Pressing the T/F/S keys on the keyboard will activate Snap based on the
Top / Front / Side planes, respectively.
The box shape in the lower right corner shows the status of the current view, the T / F / S plane, and the status of the X / Y / Z axis.
Snap Hold
: Keyboard Shortcut [Shift]: While holding down the Shift button, the Snap will be locked to the moment
it was pressed.
When this shortcut is executed, the snap is fixed and separated from the mouse movement.
View Point Hold
: Keyboard Shortcut [Ctrl] : While holding down the Ctrl button, the coordinates at the moment the
button was pressed are fixed to the center of the object, and the object rotates around this center.
The keyboard shortcut [Ctrl + Wheel + Move] results in a rotation around the object with the cursor.
If the cursor is not above the object, the rotation occurs around the previous point of rotation.
Additionally, you can use shortcut keys to toggle specific options provided in the View Options on and off, or to switch between them.
Datum On/Off : Keyboard Shortcut [ Alt + D ] The user can turn the reference point on or off.
Perspective On/Off : Keyboard Shortcut [ Alt + P] If enabled, the model is made more prominent by applying a wider angle than the default angle.
Display Mode Change : Keyboard Shortcut [ Alt + S ] Switches between three types of Display Mode: Shading+Edge/Shading Only/Edge Only.