A problem I’ve seen affecting keyboard users (particularly fast ones) in recent AutoCADs (since 2006) is that the characters entered into the command line are not always the ones you typed. Or rather, they are the ones you typed, just not in the right order. In particular, I’ve seen the first couple of characters get messed up, so you might get ILNE instead of LINE. In addition to the annoyance factor, this is something of a productivity killer.
Has this happened to you? If so, please comment. Any comment is welcome, but it would be great if you could provide the following information:
- AutoCAD (or vertical) release(s) where you have seen this happen. Also mention any recent releases where you have seen it not happen.
- Command line status when you have seen this happen (docked, floating, off, all of the above).
- Dynamic input status when you have seen this happen (on, off, on but with some options turned off, all of the above).
- Screen configuration when you have seen this happen (single, dual, either).
- AutoCAD main window status when you have seen this happen (maximised, floating, either).
- Other than this problem, does AutoCAD’s general response to input seem “sticky”? Sticky keyboard, mouse, or both?
- Other than AutoCAD, do any other apps give sticky response on the same PC?
- General PC stats (OS, CPU type and speed, RAM size, graphics card).
Please add anything else that you think might be useful in tracking this down or working around it. If I learn anything that might be useful, I’ll report back in a later post.
I recall investigating this problem back in the AutoCAD R13 era. It happens to me frequently (at least twice last week, for example) when I type while AutoCAD is still busy loading stuff at startup. I think this problem is inherent in the architecture of the AutoCAD R12 command throat that remains largely unchanged even in AutoCAD 2010; the only thing that has changed with recent versions is that they take longer to start.
1. Yes – I’ve seen it in AutoCAD Land Desktop, and Civil 3d for the past couple of releases. I don’t recall what version, but I do recall a conversation with a Civil 3d developer late 2006 about the annoyance.
2. I don’t specifically recall a difference – docked, floating so all of the above.
3. Dyn? Don’t know. Its typically off.
4. Both.
5. Either.
6. Very sticky keyboard – only occassionally mouse related to selection.
7. None that I recall.
8. Win XP, AMD 3800, 4 GB ram, Quadro class thru Dell M4300 laptop with either Vista/Win7
Yes it happens to me. It acts as if the keyboard can’t keep up with my fingers!
1. AutoCAD and AutoCAD Map3D (that’s what I use now and where I have seen it the most) both 2009 and 2010 of each.
2. Command line docked.
3. Dynamic input status:on, I almost never turn it off.
4. Screen configuration: currently single.
5. AutoCAD main window status: maximised
6. Yes, from time to time.
7. No.
8. Windows XP Pro, Intel Core 2 Quad, 2.4 CHz, 3 gig RAM
1. AutoCAD, Land Desktop, Civil 3D. Various releases since R14 at least.
2. Always docked.
3. Always DYNMODE = 0
4. Single and Dual.
5. Always maximized.
6. Yes, worse so on each successive release.
7. Some yes, others no.
8. WinXP (32-bit), Pentium M 1.86GHz, 2GB RAM, Nvidia FX Go 1400
(The “always” comments on 2, 3, and 5 simply means that is how my system is configured, not that the problem doesn’t happen in other modes)
As far as the actual scenario you are talking about, it seems like it occurred more often back around the time of R2000-R2002, but it still happens today.
I have a much larger complaint about the generally slowness of the application in general. I can repeatedly click the application window in 2010, and it takes 0.5 second each time. That doesn’t sound like much, but it should appear instantly. Because it has that little delay, it makes it “feel” much slower. The drop-down button component of the QAT acts the same way.
The Ribbon is deathly slow, at least the first time through each tab. Once you have visited each tab, the response time is acceptable when switching between them. But what really annoys me is when another application has focus, then you move the mouse over the AutoCAD “minimize” button. The button changes color, which indicates to me that AutoCAD knows the mouse is there, but when you click – all it does is switch focus to AutoCAD and you have to click the button again. No other Windows application behaves like this.
1. Version: AutoCAD 2009, 2010
2. docked at bottom
3. Dynamic input status: on (DYNMODE 3 in 2009)
4. Screen configuration: Dual monitors
5. AutoCAD main window status: maximized
6. Input seem “sticky”?: Sticky keyboard. Mouse is fine.
7. Nope.
8. Vista Business SP2 (64bit), Core2 Duo E8500 (3.17GHz), 4GB RAM, NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600
I don’t usually “see” the screwed up characters displayed in the command line. What I normally experience is the commands show up in the dynamic input “tooltip”-commandline but it only takes the first letter because there’s some kind of delay. Like I’ll type “ex” for extend (and see both letter display), then hit the right mouse button to enter it, and it’ll only use the “e” and start the erase command. SOOO ANNOYING!
old article but still worthwhile.
thank you