Expert: Bill DeShawn - 10/10/2007

Question
QUESTION: I am running AutoCAD 2008 with an AutoCAD 2004 profile.  My "CTRL" key will not work.  I have been told my ACAD.cui file is the problem, but I do not know how to fix it.
Any suggestions

ANSWER: OK.  We'll try a different approach.  First we'll back up ACAD.CUI.  Copy it to a safe folder out of the way.  After that, in AutoCAD, type CUI to get access to the main menu at the top of the list.  Look for the Keyboard Shortcuts subheading and expand it by clicking on the plus (+) sign.  Then expand Shortcut Keys.  Look for Copy.  Does it exist?  If so, tell me what the Macro is that is associated with that shortcut key.  It will be on the right-hand side of the screen under Properties.  The macro should be ^C^C_copyclip.  

If it IS there, it should be working and I don't know why it would not be.  If you were working with AutoCAD 2000 thru AutoCAD 2006 and were opening AutoCAD 2007 drawings saved back as your current release, there is would be a fix for that copy and paste problem.  Are you able to use the copyclip, cutclip, and pasteclip commands?  Do they work?

If the macro or shortcut key isn't there, get back to me.  More explicit instruction will be necessary.

Keep in touch
Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The "COPY" macro does not exist in the shortcut key subheading.
The "copyclip", "cutclip", and "pasteclip" work if I type them in at the command line.

Answer
I'm almost positive that's the problem. A missing macro.  I'm surprised that a new installation would leave you in that condition.  Anyway, the macros should be like this:
Copy:^C^C_copyclip
Access Keys:CTRL+C

Paste:^C^C_pasteclip
Access Keys:CTRL+V

Copy with Base Point:^C^C_copybase
Access Keys:CTRL+SHIFT+C
(this one might not be a core macro.  You might need to add the command  If it's not there, forget it for now.  Lets take one step at a time.

Here are some macros for you for each of the commands you may be missing.  If there are others, let me know.

To easily select the Access Keys, click on the ... box to the right of the Access Keys line.

Cut:^C^C_cutclip
Access Keys:CTRL+X

Redo: ^C^C_mredo 1
Access Keys: CTRL+Y

Undo:_u
Access Keys:CTRL+Z

CTRL+H:'_setvar;pickstyle;$M=$(if,$(eq,$(getvar,pickstyle),0),1,$(if,$(eq,$(getvar,pickstyle),1),0,$(if,$(eq,$(getvar,pickstyle),2),3,2)))

CTRL+H toggles the pickstyle system variable so you can select individual objects of a group without selecting the whole group.

Properties:$M=$(if,$(and,$(>,$(getvar,opmstate),0)),^C^C_propertiesclose,^C^C_properties)
Access Keys:CTRL+1

Clean Screen:$M=$(if,$(and,$(getvar,CleanScreenState),1),^C^C_CleanScreenOFF,^C^C_CleanScreenON)
Access Keys:CTRL+0

Put these in the empty macro and access key slots.  Don't drag and drop any commands yet on the left side of the menu.  Just fill in the blanks as I showed you above for now.  Then let me know how it goes.

Keep in touch

Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn



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