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: deswik keyboard shortcuts
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 mining engineering, your keyboard is your most powerful tool. Using shortcuts in Deswik.CAD
isn't just about speed; it's about staying in the "flow" of your design without hunting through menus. The Secret to "One-Handed" Modeling
Most expert Deswik users don't stick to the defaults. Because Deswik shortcuts are fully customizable via the Tools | Shortcuts Deswik is a powerhouse for mine planning and
menu, many engineers set up a "left-hand-only" system to keep their right hand on the mouse. Custom Shortcuts (Left-Hand Friendly): : Break polyline at point. : Connect polylines automatically. : Draw polyline. : Many former AutoCAD users remap "Draw Polyline" to for muscle memory. ISO/HID/SHO : Use abbreviations for Pro Tips for Power Users The Shortcut for Shortcuts : Set a shortcut (like
) specifically to open the shortcuts dialog. This makes it effortless to add a new command the moment you realize you're repeating it. Plane Definitions Ctrl + Shift + [0-9] to save a plane definition and Ctrl + [0-9] to quickly toggle between them. Layer Selection : When importing or managing layers, hold to select multiple items at once. Global Standard : Standard Windows commands like (Copy), and (Paste) work as expected. How to Customize Your Own menu and select Find the command you use most (e.g., "Draw Polyline"). column, type your preferred key or string. For combination keys (like Ctrl + Shift + P ), click the ellipsis (...) button next to the shortcut value to record the keystrokes. for specific tasks like underground development pit design
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%+.
Here are the essential Deswik shortcuts every planner should memorize 👇 Title: 🚀 Deswik Shortcuts You Should Be Using
Mine plans can have 100+ layers (e.g., Geology.Faults, Survey.Drilling, Design.Ramps). Use these shortcuts to stay sane.
| Shortcut | Action | | :--- | :--- | | Ctrl + L | Open Layer Manager (Full dialog). | | Ctrl + Shift + L | Layer Properties (Color, Line Type). | | Alt + Click (on object) | Select the entire layer of that object. | | Ctrl + W | Freeze/Thaw Layer (Makes layer invisible but memory remains). | | Ctrl + Y (in Layer Mgr) | Isolate Layer (Hide all except current). |
Pro Tip: Use the Layer Dropdown in the top toolbar. Type the first few letters of a layer name to jump to it instantly.
Scenario: You need to isolate a faulty ramp string, delete it, and redraw it.
Inefficient way: Click Layer dropdown -> Scroll -> Find layer -> Toggle off -> Click delete icon -> Click line icon.
Efficient way (using shortcuts):