Solutions Current Issues > July/August/September 2006 > BENNY & BRUCE
Email LinkBENNY & BRUCE
Mapkeys to Success 
(or, How to Use Shortcuts to Save Time and Ensure Consistency)
by BENNY FOREMAN & BRUCE SUMPTER
Bruce : Today we're talking about mapkeys, which are essentially shortcuts used to save time and keystrokes within Pro/E. A mapkey typically takes the place of choosing a function via a pull down menu or button.
Benny: For example, rather than selecting the "centerline" option from a menu, you can set up a mapkey that creates a centerline when you press the letter "C". Mapkeys are generally mnemonic, based on the first letter of what you are trying to do.
MAPKEY BASICS: Pro/E tracks the
mapkeys created and can
list them
in
the “Mapkeys” window shown
above left.
Selecting “New”
in this
window calls up
the “Record
Mapkey”
window as shown
above
right.
BUTTON BASICS: You can assign
buttons
to mapkeys via
the “Customize”
window
shown at top. Selecting
“Edit Button Image”
from the “Modify
Selection” pulldown takes you
to the “Button Editor” shown
at bottom.
Bruce : When you create the mapkey, you are creating a little "macro," a sequence of steps that Pro/E will automatically execute when you select the mapkey to trigger the sequence. To create a mapkey, you go to the "Tools" pull down menu, then select the "Mapkeys" submenu.
Benny: A separate window pops
up, and that's where you "record" the mapkey.
Bruce: You essentially record
your normal steps, then save it and give it a name.
Benny : You can also record specific values if those aren't going to change. Every time you use this mapkey, you want it to be that value. Or you can have the program pause and prompt you to enter a value. So there's lots of flexibility.
Bruce: After you create a mapkey,
it will only be available to you during the current work session unless you
save it into your configurations file, config.pro. Saving the mapkey to config.pro
allows you to use it beyond that session of Pro/E.
Benny: And recording mapkeys can save you a lot of time. Plus, they are entirely customizable, so you can make them suit your working style.
Bruce: Absolutely. Since my left hand is usually at the keyboard toward the left end, most of my mapkeys use a single letter from the left side of the keyboard.
Benny: But no matter how you assign your mapkeys, they can help you avoid having to redo the same mundane task over and over.
Bruce: And mapkeys can even help with outputting images from Pro/E. One of my mapkeys is just the "J" key for outputting a JPEG image of a certain quality level and a certain size.
Benny: I know from experience that the tooling industry makes use of mapkeys extensively, particularly when parts are being designed to have very consistent dimensions, such as threaded ends.
Bruce: If you're not currently using mapkeys but want to set some up, the first step would be to pay attention to what you do in Pro/E over the course of a few days. Make note of commands you use over and over again. For example, in about forty percent of what I sketch, I need a centerline, either for symmetry or for something that's revolved. So I have the key "C" set up to create a centerline. Now it is true that it's just a couple of clicks on the user interface to get to that same function, but if my left hand is sitting on the keyboard, all I have to do is push the "C" and click where I want the centerline, so it does save time.
Benny: And allows you to keep focus. If you are concentrating on the sketch, you don't have to look up at the menus on the right, find the button, move your cursor off the screen, select it, come back in, etc. Using mapkeys helps me stay focused.
Bruce: Very good point. Other mapkeys I use regularly are "D" for setting the working directory, and "F" for opening a file. So I can very quickly change directory, open a file, and move into a different project. I also use "R" for creating a revolved section. But, again, these are just examples of mapkeys I use; you could create a "D" mapkey that does something very different from mine.
Benny: And mapkeys can also be more than one key. You could define a "VR" mapkey for view refit, for example.
Bruce: But keep in mind that, if you create a mapkey using a single key on your keyboard, like "F" for open file, once you define "F" as a mapkey, you cannot define any mapkeys that are multiple strokes that begin with "F" because as soon as you press "F", Pro/E will execute the "F" mapkey.
Benny: But you can have "F" as a secondary character, as in "NF" for new file.
Bruce: Also be aware that, if you get beyond about 10 to 15 mapkeys, it's easy to forget what you have. So I'd recommend that you just focus on what you do a lot and not set up too many mapkeys, at least in the beginning.
Benny: You can also create buttons for your mapkeys. Under the "Commands" menu, scroll down to the "Mapkeys" submenu. All mapkeys that you have in your configuration file will be shown there. They start out with little smiley faces for buttons, but you can edit the buttons. For example, you can create a bitmap sketch to serve as the image for the button, then drag that button to your toolbars, so it's right there.
Bruce: Or the button can just be the name of the mapkey, if you don't want to create images.
Benny: True. Mapkeys (and buttons) can take a bit of time to set up right, but it's worth it once you have them for use.
Bruce: And mapkeys can also call other mapkeys, or issue a system command, such as to execute some third-party program. So you might have a mapkey where you click on a bill of materials on an assembly drawing, and it goes through the steps to save that bill of materials as a text file, then you want some third-party program (like Visual Basic) to look for that text file and do something with it. So you can create a mapkey to handle all of that.
Benny: You can also make a mapkey to turn off layers within your drawing, then an "Execute Print" mapkey.
Bruce: We're almost out of space again. Main points: Mapkeys are easy shortcuts to set up, and using them can save you time. Think about the Pro/E tasks you do most often and consider turning some of those into mapkeys.
Benny: And drop us an e-mail if you have other ideas about how to get the most out of Pro/E. You can reach us at benny&bruce@rlhudson.com. Pro/E is an amazing program, so have fun and be creative!
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