Question
In versions of PowerCADD prior to version 6 I could press Option to set the currently selected tool to match an object's attributes and layer. I can't do that in PowerCADD 6, what happened?
Requirements
PowerCADD v6 , WildTOOLS v7 and Mac OS? X
Background
The feature you're describing is called Match Now and was not part of the core PowerCADD application in any version. Rather, Match Now was and is a WildTOOLS feature.
With the introduction of Mac OS X, Apple began to reserve many key command sequences which has changed what many applications ( not just PowerCADD ) can do with key commands.
In the case you're describing, the option key no longer works for Match Now in PowerCADD v6 and WildTOOLS v7 for Mac OS X programming reasons.
What to do
When WildTOOLs v7 is loaded in PowerCADD v6, Match Now will appear at the bottom of the Attributes (Attr) menu. Not to worry, Match Now is not only a menu item, it's still available via key command but you'll need to assign your own key command to the menu item to make it work because Apple has reserved the use of the option key at the operating system level for duplicate by dragging operations.
To use a key command for Match Now, do this:
- make sure you have the latest version of PowerCADD 6 and WIldTOOLS 7 installed
- make sure the WildTOOLS external is set to load when PowerCADD launches
- (choose PowerCADD menu > Preferences. If the WildTOOLS tab does not appear then you need to press the Loader tab and make sure there is a check mark next to WildTOOLS. The next time you launch PowerCADD , WildTOOLS will load)
- Choose PowerCADD menu > Preferences... > Commands tab
- Choose Misc > External Misc > Match Now
- type the desired command key sequence and press Okay
The next time you want to use Match Now simply use the command key sequence you specified in step (5) above.
Hint: Remember there are optional settings for Match Now, allowing you to specify just how the menu item should behave. You can access the optional settings by pressing Option and choosing Attribute menu -> Match Now. Alternatively, you can also assign a key command sequence containing the Option key and then access the optional settings by using the assigned key command sequence (remember any tool or menu item in PowerCADD can have more than one key command sequence assigned to it).
If you don't have WildTools, not to worry. While Match Now is a specific feature of WildTOOLs , you can still share object attributes without it. Simply use PowerCADD's Eye Dropper Tool to pickup and assign attributes (including text attributes) between objects. You can also quickly set your drawing tool attributes by pressing Control and clicking on the tool and choosing the desired attributes from the contextual menu!
We hope that helps
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