In Deswik, keyboard shortcuts are highly customizable, allowing you to move away from the default multi-character strings to single-key strokes or specific combination keys
. This guide outlines standard navigation controls and how to set up your own efficient workflow. 1. Essential Navigation & Controls
Standard navigation in Deswik often relies on mouse and keyboard combinations to manage the 3D model space. View Manipulation
: Typically performed with the middle mouse button or specific direction keys if a SpaceMouse is configured. : Scroll wheel or standard CAD zoom commands. 3Dconnexion Standard OS Shortcuts : Save the current project. Ctrl + C / V : Copy and Paste entities. 2. How to Create Custom Shortcuts
Deswik allows you to map any command to a specific key or combination to reduce "friction" during repetitive tasks. Open the Shortcuts Dialog : Go to the menu (depending on your version) and look for Select a Command
: Browse the list of available commands (e.g., Draw Polyline, Connect, Break). Assign Key : Click the ellipse button next to the shortcut value. : Press the desired key (e.g., for Draw) or combination (e.g., Save/Apply : Confirm the change to update your interface. 3. Recommended User-Defined Shortcuts
Power users often replace default multi-key strings with single-key aliases to speed up drafting: Recommended Shortcut Draw Polyline Connect Polylines Break Polyline Translate Entities Snap Settings 4. Advanced Setup Tips Macro Integration
: If you use a gaming mouse or macro-enabled keyboard, you can map complex multi-step Deswik commands to a single hardware button. Shortcut for Shortcuts : Creating a dedicated shortcut (like Ctrl + Shift + K ) to open the Shortcuts Dialog
itself makes it easier to add new ones as you discover repetitive tasks. Toolbar Customization View | Toolbars | Show General
path to display common tools if you prefer visual icons over keyboard commands. CAD commands to help you decide which ones to map first?
Here’s a solid, ready-to-post guide on Deswik keyboard shortcuts — tailored for engineers and mine planners who want to speed up their workflow.
Title: 🚀 Deswik Shortcuts You Should Be Using Daily (Stop Clicking Everything)
Body:
One of the biggest myths in Deswik? That you need a mouse for everything.
Truth is, the right keyboard shortcuts can cut your design time by 30%+. deswik keyboard shortcuts
Here are the essential Deswik shortcuts every planner should memorize 👇
You don't need to memorize all 50+ Deswik keyboard shortcuts tonight. Start with the "Power Five":
Use these exclusively for one shift. Tomorrow, add three more (e.g., Ctrl+F for filter, F3 for plan view). Within a week, you will notice your mouse cursor gathering dust.
Deswik is a billion-dollar tool set. Using keyboard shortcuts is how you extract the last 30% of its value. Stop clicking. Start commanding.
Now go design that pit in record time.
Deswik is a powerhouse for mine planning and design, and mastering its keyboard shortcuts is the quickest way to move from "clicking through menus" to "fluid designing." Since Deswik is built on a CAD-based engine, many of its shortcuts will feel familiar, but it has several unique keys for navigating complex 3D environments. Essential Navigation & View Shortcuts
These keys help you manipulate your 3D workspace without constantly reaching for the toolbar:
F1 – F4 (Standard Views): Quickly toggle between Top, Front, Right, and Isometric views.
W / S / A / D: Use these for "Fly-through" mode navigation to move through your mine model.
Middle Mouse Button: Hold and drag to rotate your view; scroll to zoom. Shift + Middle Mouse: Pan across your current view. C: Centers the view on a specific point or selected object. General Design & Drafting
Speed up your CAD workflows with these common command shortcuts: L: Start the Line command. P: Start the Polyline command. E: Erase selected entities. M: Move selected entities. O: Offset a line or polyline. Z: Undo the last action. Y: Redo an action.
Spacebar / Enter: Repeatedly hitting these will often restart the last command used, saving you from re-selecting it from the menu. Precision & Snapping
Precision is everything in mine design. Use these to snap your cursor exactly where it needs to be: Title: 🚀 Deswik Shortcuts You Should Be Using
F11: Toggle Object Snaps (End, Mid, Center, etc.) on or off. F9: Toggle Grid Snap.
Ctrl + Click: Often used to select multiple entities or "drill down" into overlapping objects. Pro-Tip: Customizing Your Hotkeys
If the default shortcuts don't fit your workflow, Deswik allows for deep customization: Go to Tools > Customize. Select the Keyboard tab.
Search for the specific command you use most often (e.g., "Boolean Union" or "Attribute Filter"). Assign a custom key combination to it. AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more
In the world of mine planning, speed is as valuable as the ore being modeled. This story explores how mastering
keyboard shortcuts transforms a standard engineer into a "keyboard wizard," moving from cumbersome menu-clicking to a fluid, high-efficiency design flow. The Shift to Efficiency
For many new users, Deswik's default keyboard shortcuts can feel slow because they often require multiple keystrokes for a single command. Expert mine planners often overhaul these defaults to create a custom, high-speed environment. The "Live Listening" Advantage
: Unlike some CAD programs, Deswik "live listens" for inputs. This means as soon as you finish typing a shortcut, the command triggers automatically. The One-Handed Workflow
: By mapping common commands to the left side of the keyboard, engineers can keep their right hand on the mouse (or a 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse
for 3D navigation), never breaking their visual focus on the screen. The Planner’s Essential Shortcut Toolkit
Experienced users typically build their own "story" of shortcuts based on their specific needs—whether it's underground metals or open-pit scheduling. Customization via "T.S." : A favorite mnemonic for many is using to open the Tools | Shortcuts
menu itself—associating it with "T.S. I Love You" to remember how to keep refining their setup. The Polyline Power-Set
: Since mining design is built on strings, these are often reduced to single or double keys: : Draw Polyline. : Break polyline at a point. : Connect polylines automatically. Navigation & Visibility : Isolate selected layers. : Hide selected entities. : Show/unhide entities. Advanced Plane Management : A powerful "pro tip" involves using Conclusion: Practice the Top 5 First You don't
to define working planes for different mine areas, then quickly switching between them using A Healthier Design Life
Beyond just meeting deadlines, mastering these shortcuts changes the physical story of the workday. Relying heavily on the mouse can lead to "mouse arm" or repetitive strain injuries (RSI). By distributing the workload between both hands using keyboard shortcuts, planners improve their long-term ergonomic health while achieving a "mental flow" where the software feels like an extension of their thoughts. on how to set up your first custom shortcut profile in Deswik.CAD?
Deswik keyboard shortcuts are not ancillary features but core components of professional mine design. By reducing mechanical friction, they allow the engineer to iterate faster on pit optimization, stope design, and haul road alignment. While Deswik provides a robust default set (F-keys, Ctrl combinations, and standard CAD aliases), its true power emerges through the customized deswik.keys file and user-defined command aliases. For any mining professional using Deswik daily, investing one hour in learning and customizing shortcuts yields a cumulative productivity gain of dozens of hours annually.
Deswik handles strings (wireframes), solids (bench shapes), and points. These shortcuts speed up manipulation.
| Shortcut | Action | Use Case | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Ctrl + A | Select All | Deleting temporary construction geometry. | | Ctrl + 1 | Properties Panel | Toggles the object properties sidebar. | | Ctrl + C / V | Copy / Paste | Works across different Deswik files. | | Ctrl + X | Cut | Move strings from one layer to another. | | Delete | Erase | Removes selected objects. | | Spacebar | Repeat Last Command | Critical. Press Space to re-do "Extrude" or "Offset." | | Arrow Keys | Nudge (Move by 1 unit) | Requires active move tool. |
Solution: You are likely in Deswik.Sched (Scheduler) or DH. Deswik.CAD uses Ctrl+L. Sched uses Ctrl+L for "Link tasks." Check your module title bar.
In the high-stakes world of mining engineering and geological modelling, speed is not just an advantage—it is a necessity. Deswik.Suite has established itself as the industry standard for mine design, scheduling, and data integration. However, even the most powerful CAD and GIS tools can feel sluggish if you are constantly reaching for the mouse.
The secret to unlocking Deswik’s full potential lies under your fingertips. Deswik keyboard shortcuts transform a good engineer into a great one, cutting design times by up to 40% and reducing repetitive strain injuries. Whether you are designing a ramp, validating a block model, or drafting a stope, these shortcuts allow you to keep your hands on the keyboard and your mind in the flow state.
This article provides a comprehensive, categorized list of essential Deswik shortcuts, advanced command line tricks, and customization strategies to supercharge your productivity.
Deswik.CAD is a leading parametric mine design and geology modeling software, known for its flexibility and powerful toolset. As with any Computer-Aided Design (CAD) system, proficiency is directly linked to operational speed. Keyboard shortcuts in Deswik serve not merely as alternatives to mouse clicks but as essential tools for maintaining geological and engineering workflow momentum. This paper details the default, customizable, and hidden shortcut ecosystems within Deswik, categorizing them by function (file management, viewport control, object snapping, and editing). Furthermore, it explores best practices for customizing the deswik.keys file and integrating macros to reduce repetitive strain and minimize data entry errors in mine planning.
This is where Deswik keyboard shortcuts outshine the mouse. When drawing new designs (roads, pits, voids), use these modifiers:
| Shortcut | Action | During Command | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | F8 | Ortho Mode (Lock Axis) | Forces lines to be perfectly horizontal or vertical. | | F9 | Snap Mode (Grid Snap) | Snaps cursor to defined grid increments. | | F10 | Polar Tracking | Snaps to specific angles (45°, 90°, etc.). | | F11 | Object Snap (Osnap) | Automatically finds endpoints, midpoints, centers. | | Tab | Dynamic Input | Type exact coordinates or distances while drawing. | | Spacebar | Repeat Last Command | The ultimate speed hack. Hit Space to re-do your last edit. |
Expert Move: While drawing a line, type @100<45 to draw a line 100 units long at a 45-degree angle. This works because Deswik inherits AutoCAD syntax.