Comments on: Easily find Ribbon Commands http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/ By: Donnie Gladfelter Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:05:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jeff http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/comment-page-1/#comment-3062 Jeff Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:33:35 +0000 http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/#comment-3062 oh, and sorry for the massive spelling errors and the slaughtered grammer....im a CAD geek not a tech writer :P oh, and sorry for the massive spelling errors and the slaughtered grammer….im a CAD geek not a tech writer :P

]]> By: Jeff http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/comment-page-1/#comment-3061 Jeff Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:31:59 +0000 http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/#comment-3061 Sometimes the "lost" productivity comes from a unwilliness too accept new tech. I am what most would call a novice when it comes to AutoCAD with only 2000 hours under my belt I haven't developed the deep ruts that most veterans seem to have. Advancement requires change, and no one seems to want to accept change. I for one did find the ribbons frustrating when I was trying to locate commands and took up alot of screen space (esp. when I switch from my 22" widescreen at work to my 15" screen at home on my laptop :S) But instead of spining my wheels and cursing Autodesk for do a massive facelift (biggest since they went from text window to toolbars....how many of you hated that?) i decided i would be accepting of this new interface cause.....hate to break it to ya.....its here to stay. Know to quench this feeling of dispare of having to totaly relearning my most used software I used GOOGLE did you know there is a whole world of knowledge out there. I typed in sumtin simple like AutoCAD 2010 tips and tricks, and you wouldn't belive the wealth of knowledge that spewed into my lap. the biggest and best thing that i discovered was that you don't have to have the big and obnoxious ribbon across the top of your screen (how to do that and more--> http://www.cad-notes.com/2009/11/maximize-your-screen-and-speed-up-with.html) at the same time i discovered that the ribbons acctauly ADD MORE, yea more keyboard shorcuts, thus making me fast at my job! now i have a 3 letter shorcut to get the lay manager up, now you try to tell me that reduces your productivity. open your eyes people, and please don't fear sumtin new. be more accepting and you'll be suprised the things you will learn....and thats my rant for the day. Sorry if it seemed to be directed at you, Dairobi Paul its more directed to all the veterans who panic when they see teh ribbons and switch to classic Sometimes the “lost” productivity comes from a unwilliness too accept new tech. I am what most would call a novice when it comes to AutoCAD with only 2000 hours under my belt I haven’t developed the deep ruts that most veterans seem to have. Advancement requires change, and no one seems to want to accept change. I for one did find the ribbons frustrating when I was trying to locate commands and took up alot of screen space (esp. when I switch from my 22″ widescreen at work to my 15″ screen at home on my laptop :S) But instead of spining my wheels and cursing Autodesk for do a massive facelift (biggest since they went from text window to toolbars….how many of you hated that?) i decided i would be accepting of this new interface cause…..hate to break it to ya…..its here to stay. Know to quench this feeling of dispare of having to totaly relearning my most used software I used GOOGLE did you know there is a whole world of knowledge out there. I typed in sumtin simple like AutoCAD 2010 tips and tricks, and you wouldn’t belive the wealth of knowledge that spewed into my lap. the biggest and best thing that i discovered was that you don’t have to have the big and obnoxious ribbon across the top of your screen (how to do that and more–> http://www.cad-notes.com/2009/11/maximize-your-screen-and-speed-up-with.html) at the same time i discovered that the ribbons acctauly ADD MORE, yea more keyboard shorcuts, thus making me fast at my job! now i have a 3 letter shorcut to get the lay manager up, now you try to tell me that reduces your productivity. open your eyes people, and please don’t fear sumtin new. be more accepting and you’ll be suprised the things you will learn….and thats my rant for the day. Sorry if it seemed to be directed at you, Dairobi Paul its more directed to all the veterans who panic when they see teh ribbons and switch to classic

]]> By: Donnie Gladfelter http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/comment-page-1/#comment-2985 Donnie Gladfelter Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:12:14 +0000 http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/#comment-2985 Patricia - You can switch to the classic interface by using the workspace switcher in the lower right corner (the icon looks like a gear). Patricia – You can switch to the classic interface by using the workspace switcher in the lower right corner (the icon looks like a gear).

]]> By: Patricia O'Flaherty http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/comment-page-1/#comment-2982 Patricia O'Flaherty Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:33:53 +0000 http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/#comment-2982 How do you revert to the classic interface ? How do you revert to the classic interface ?

]]> By: Dairobi Paul http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/comment-page-1/#comment-2953 Dairobi Paul Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:16:01 +0000 http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/#comment-2953 I have found the ribbon in Microsoft products actually improved my productivity whereas the ribbon in AutoCAD reduces productivity by requiring multiple clicks where one click used to be enough. I was reverting to typing in commands. On top of that it takes up too much screen space. It was a relief to find that I could reinstate my familiar toolbars. Why is it that Autodesk finds it necessary to change the icons? I think this is at least the third iteration of redesigned icons. As a simple example, the pan icon. I have found the ribbon in Microsoft products actually improved my productivity whereas the ribbon in AutoCAD reduces productivity by requiring multiple clicks where one click used to be enough. I was reverting to typing in commands. On top of that it takes up too much screen space.

It was a relief to find that I could reinstate my familiar toolbars.

Why is it that Autodesk finds it necessary to change the icons? I think this is at least the third iteration of redesigned icons. As a simple example, the pan icon.

]]> By: Donnie Gladfelter http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/comment-page-1/#comment-2951 Donnie Gladfelter Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:13:56 +0000 http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/#comment-2951 Certainly didn't get the impression that you were knocking my post. There's no two ways about it - selling the ribbon to veteran users is tough. I do think the contextual ribbon in 2010 has helped make the sell easier, but bottom line - it's change many users question the purpose of. As for when Autodesk will stop updating the menus. For Civil 3D at least, the answer to that is this release. If you enable menus inside Civil 3D 2010, you will not find things like the new intersection tool. Certainly didn’t get the impression that you were knocking my post. There’s no two ways about it – selling the ribbon to veteran users is tough. I do think the contextual ribbon in 2010 has helped make the sell easier, but bottom line – it’s change many users question the purpose of.

As for when Autodesk will stop updating the menus. For Civil 3D at least, the answer to that is this release. If you enable menus inside Civil 3D 2010, you will not find things like the new intersection tool.

]]> By: R.K. McSwain http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/comment-page-1/#comment-2950 R.K. McSwain Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:26:13 +0000 http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/#comment-2950 Donnie, I certainly wasn't knocking your post here. I hope it didn't come across like that. I've got people now (on 2008) that will sit there and hunt and peck for a command on the menus or toolbars for half a minute when they could have just typed it in. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when we introduce the Ribbon... You are right about ability to revert to "classic" mode. There is no way they could have forced the Ribbon on everyone - that would have been PR suicide for them... Do you think they will keep the pull-downs and toolbars up to date with new commands in the future, or are these now considered "legacy"... Donnie, I certainly wasn’t knocking your post here. I hope it didn’t come across like that. I’ve got people now (on 2008) that will sit there and hunt and peck for a command on the menus or toolbars for half a minute when they could have just typed it in. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like when we introduce the Ribbon…

You are right about ability to revert to “classic” mode. There is no way they could have forced the Ribbon on everyone – that would have been PR suicide for them…

Do you think they will keep the pull-downs and toolbars up to date with new commands in the future, or are these now considered “legacy”…

]]> By: Donnie Gladfelter http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/comment-page-1/#comment-2946 Donnie Gladfelter Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:58:45 +0000 http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/#comment-2946 Indeed, the OFFSET command probably wasn't the greatest example of a command users have a hard time locating. As for the notion users shouldn't feel lost to begin with; I have mixed feelings on that one. Prior to 2010 the AutoCAD Architecture interface was completely different from the Revit Architecture interface. With more users using a broader range of products, I can side with Autodesk on the need to unify the user interfaces between products. That change does of course mean veteran users like you and I are sorta' left out in the cold, trying to re-learn the stuff we have known for years. Still, unlike Microsoft when they went to the ribbon in Office 2007, at least Autodesk gave us the option to go back to the "Classic" interface. Indeed, the OFFSET command probably wasn’t the greatest example of a command users have a hard time locating. As for the notion users shouldn’t feel lost to begin with; I have mixed feelings on that one. Prior to 2010 the AutoCAD Architecture interface was completely different from the Revit Architecture interface. With more users using a broader range of products, I can side with Autodesk on the need to unify the user interfaces between products. That change does of course mean veteran users like you and I are sorta’ left out in the cold, trying to re-learn the stuff we have known for years. Still, unlike Microsoft when they went to the ribbon in Office 2007, at least Autodesk gave us the option to go back to the “Classic” interface.

]]> By: R.K. McSwain http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/comment-page-1/#comment-2943 R.K. McSwain Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:53:27 +0000 http://www.thecadgeek.com/blog/2009/09/26/easily-find-ribbon-commands/#comment-2943 My initial gut reaction is just to scream at Autodesk. By the time you do all that, you could have just typed "offset" at the command line and saved another 10 seconds.... I know, sometimes the command name is not the same as what you might be searching for, in which case the search is a valuable tool -- but I guess what gets me is that users shouldn't ever be "having a hard time locating the (fill in the blank) command"... My initial gut reaction is just to scream at Autodesk. By the time you do all that, you could have just typed “offset” at the command line and saved another 10 seconds….

I know, sometimes the command name is not the same as what you might be searching for, in which case the search is a valuable tool — but I guess what gets me is that users shouldn’t ever be “having a hard time locating the (fill in the blank) command”…

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