Deswik Keyboard Shortcuts -

In the world of mining engineering and geological modelling, speed is survival. Whether you are designing stopes in Deswik.CAD, building solids in Deswik.SMD, or managing data in Deswik.DH (Data Handler), every second counts. The difference between an average engineer and a power user often comes down to one thing: mastering the keyboard .

Deswik, renowned for its powerful suite of tools (Deswik.CAD, Deswik.Sched, Deswik.MD, Deswik.UG), is a mouse-heavy interface by default. However, hidden beneath the dropdown menus is a layer of efficiency that can cut your design time by over 30%. This article serves as your definitive encyclopedia of . deswik keyboard shortcuts

| Shortcut | Module | Action | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | CAD | Open Property Inspector (Quick edit vertices). | | Ctrl + 2 | DH | Open Drillhole Display Manager. | | Ctrl + 3 | CAD | Open Layers Tree (Layer Manager). | | Ctrl + N | All | New File. | | Ctrl + O | All | Open File. | | Ctrl + S | All | Save. (Get muscle memory for this. Deswik does not autosave aggressively). | | Ctrl + P | All | Print / Export to PDF layout. | | Ctrl + Z | All | Undo. | | Ctrl + Y | All | Redo. | | Alt + F8 | Sched | Run Gantt Chart schedule. | | Alt + F4 | All | Close Deswik. | Part 5: Deswik.SMD (Solid Modelling) Shortcuts Surface and solid modelling requires constant toggling between selection modes. In the world of mining engineering and geological

F4 "ViewTop" F5 "ViewFront" F6 "ViewLeft" Deswik has a suite of utilities that are rarely documented. Deswik, renowned for its powerful suite of tools (Deswik

Start today. Pick three shortcuts from this list that you don't currently use (e.g., TR for trim, SHIFT+Middle Mouse for pan, and Ctrl+1 for inspector). Force yourself to use them for one week. You will be surprised how quickly they become automatic.

| Shortcut | Action | Pro Tip | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Zoom Extents (All) | Brings everything back into view. Essential after "losing" your model. | | Ctrl + Middle Mouse | Dynamic Zoom | Hold Ctrl, hold the scroll wheel, drag up/down. | | Shift + Middle Mouse | Pan | Hold Shift, hold scroll wheel, drag. | | Ctrl + Shift + Middle Mouse | 3D Orbit (Rotate) | The classic "tumble" to view from all angles. | | F3 | Toggle Ortho Mode | Locks cursor to horizontal/vertical axes (Crucial for stope design). | | F8 | Toggle Grid Snap | Snaps cursor to grid points. Useful for rough layouts, annoying for fine work. | Selection & Layer Management | Shortcut | Action | | :--- | :--- | | Ctrl + A | Select All objects in current view. | | Ctrl + T | Select Similar (Type/Properties). Select one line, hit Ctrl+T, Deswik finds all identical line types. | | Ctrl + L | Isolate Layer (Hide all other layers). The single most powerful CAD shortcut. | | Ctrl + Shift + L | End Isolate (Unhide all layers). | | Ctrl + H | Hide Selected Objects (Temporary invisibility). | | Ctrl + Shift + H | Unhide All. | Part 3: Deswik.CAD Specific Shortcuts (The Design Suite) Deswik.CAD is the 3D design powerhouse for mining. These shortcuts align closely with AutoCAD veterans but have Deswik-specific tweaks. Drawing & Editing (The "Create" Commands) Note: Deswik uses a "Command Bar" similar to AutoCAD. You type these letters and press Enter.

We will cover everything from basic navigation to advanced custom macros, industry-specific bindings for underground mining, and how to create your own shortcuts using the .key file system. Deswik handles massive datasets—drillhole databases with millions of rows, triangulated surfaces with hundreds of thousands of triangles, and complex 3D wireframes. Navigating these with the mouse alone leads to "context switching fatigue." Every time you reach for the toolbar, you lose focus.