Skip to main content

Can I Use Smart Keys or Keyboard Shortcuts?

D
Written by Daniel Smith
Updated over 6 months ago

Overview

Roof Wizard already supports fast, intuitive modelling with three-button mouse functions (Yes / No / Cancel), but you can take it further by assigning keyboard shortcuts to frequently used tasks. This can dramatically speed up repetitive actions, especially on complex projects with many roof planes or cut-outs.

This article covers how to:

  • Use Function Keys (F-keys)

  • Enable the right-hand menu

  • Create custom key macros

  • Speed up common tasks like digitising outlines or applying cut-outs


First: Turn On the Right-Hand Menu

To access command strings and create key macros, you must turn on the right-hand menu:

  1. Click the Menu button at the top of your screen

  2. From the dropdown, select Menu On

Without this menu enabled, the commands won’t be visible.



What Are Key Macros?

A key macro is a shortcut that triggers a specific command or series of commands using your keyboard. For example, instead of navigating through several menus to digitise a roof outline, you can press one key (like D) to go straight there.


Example Use Case

Task: Digitising a roof outline

Standard steps:
Construct > Cost-Roof > Track Outline > Digitize

With a macro:
Press D — and jump straight to digitise


Using Function Keys

You can view or modify the default function key setup:

  1. In your right-hand menu, go to CAD > Defaults > Fkeys

  2. Select any function key (F1–F12) to view or assign a shortcut

  3. Tip: Avoid changing default keys like F4. This button is used to bring a dialog box to the centre of the screen, as sometimes they try to return to a monitor that has been unplugged.


Creating Custom Key Macros

To assign your own key macros:

  1. Go to CAD > Defaults > Key-Macro

  2. Follow the prompts in the prompt area

  3. Enter the exact command string you want the key to execute

    Command String Example:

    To launch a smart-line trimming function directly:

    Main Const-Roof Smart-Lines Trim-to-Zline

    • !Main resets the menu to the right-hand menu root (important!)

    • The rest of the string must match the exact wording and case of the right-hand menu

    • Command strings are case-sensitive

  4. Press [Yes] to confirm

  5. Test your shortcut

    • If it doesn’t work, double-check spelling, case, and that the right-hand menu is on


Tips

  • You can assign any unused key, including letters (e.g. D for Digitise, C for Cut-Out)

  • You can only assign one function per key

  • Always refer to the right-hand menu for the correct command string

  • Ensure Menu > Menu On is active to see the command strings



Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment

Key macros are safe to try — if something doesn’t work, simply edit or remove it.
You can’t break anything by experimenting, so feel free to play around!

Did this answer your question?