Keyboard Shortcuts

by KatalinTakacs, KaticaAvvakumovits, updated 2012-09-24

See also: Shortcuts in ArchiCAD Help

What are your most used keyboard shortcuts? Is there a default keyboard shortcut you miss? Post and discuss it on ArchiCAD-Talk.

ArchiCAD is shipped with several predefined shortcut schemes. These can be listed and most of the shortcuts can be redefined in Screen shot 2011-08-30 at 10.50.44 AM.png Options > Work Environment > Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box.

Show Shortcut List in Browser

The currently assigned keyboard shortcuts can be listed in a web browser application if you click on the Show Shortcut List in Browser button at the bottom of the Work Environment dialog.

Keyboard Shortcut Customization

Step 1: Select command

From the list window, click on the function or command that needs a shortcut.

To locate a particular item in the list window, click a list format from the drop-down list.
The commands can be sorted by the Current menu structure, All commans by theme, or All commands in alphabetical order.

Click on any command or function to view its brief description in the field at the bottom of the list.

Step 2: Assign Shortcut

Use any single letter or number character, or a function key (e.g. F2) with or without modifier keys (i.e., Ctrl, Shift, and/or Alt). If you change your mind about the shortcut, just re-type it.
If the combination you typed has not yet been assigned to any other command, you will see the sentence: “Currently not assigned to any command”.

If the selected function/command already has a shortcut assigned to it, that shortcut is displayed in the Shortcut(s) for selected command window on the right. In this image, the selected command already has a shortcut (Alt+F7).

Click Detach selected shortcut to remove the existing shortcut. If you don’t detach it, you can still assign another shortcut; this way the function/command will have multiple shortcuts.
Now type the keys that will constitute the new shortcut. (Use the field where it says “Click here and press desired shortcut keys.”) As shown in the image, we pressed the F8 key as our new shortcut.

Click Assign.

Step 3: Check Shortcut Collision

If the key combination you entered has already been assigned to another function or command, this will be noted in the field: Currently assigned to.

In this case, you can try typing a different shortcut.
Note: No “collision” is detected if the shortcut has been assigned to commands from two different window types.

To assign the shortcut despite the collision, click Assign anyway. This action assigns the shortcut and detaches the shortcut from the function/command to which it was previously assigned.