Feature Requests
DaVideo Expanded Hotkeys for Aligning Nodes & Takeoff Items
I noticed that zzTakeoff.com already includes useful hotkeys for aligning nodes to extreme Top (T), extreme Bottom (B), extreme Left (L), and extreme Right (R). I’d like to suggest adding three additional hotkeys to improve alignment functionality, not just for nodes within a single takeoff section but also when multiple takeoff items are selected:
- C (or H) → Align selected nodes or takeoff items to their average Center Horizontal position
- V → Align selected nodes or takeoff items to their average Vertical position
- P (Page Centering) → Centers the selection to the middle of the page
- If nodes are selected, it centers the nodes to the page.
- If multiple takeoff items are selected, it centers the items to the page.
This would allow users to align multiple selected takeoff items the same way they align individual nodes—ensuring consistency across selections. Instead of just aligning to the extreme Left/Right or extreme Top/Bottom, this allows for precise centering both within the selection and on the page itself.
I believe this would greatly improve efficiency when working with multiple takeoff items at once.
Allowing hotkeys also to work for multiple takeoff items and the "P" hotkey for page centering. 🚀
Additional Considerations & Potential Drawbacks (Attached Note to Feature Request)
While adding C (or H), V, and P hotkeys for aligning nodes and takeoff items would improve efficiency, there are a few potential drawbacks to consider:
- User Input Errors
- Accidental Takeoff Item Movement Instead of Copying (Ctrl+C) → If a user doesn’t press Ctrl firmly enough, they might move takeoff items horizontally instead of copying them.
- Accidental Movement Instead of Pasting (Ctrl+V) → While pasting normally doesn’t require selections, if items are already selected, a weak Ctrl press might shift them instead.
- Accidental Centering Instead of Printing (Ctrl+P) → If a user intends to print but doesn’t fully press Ctrl, they might accidentally center their selection on the page instead.
- These scenarios are rare but possible—Undo (Ctrl+Z) exists to quickly correct such mistakes.
2. Increased Learning Curve
- Adding more hotkeys improves functionality but also increases the number of shortcuts that new users must learn.
- While experienced users would benefit from the extra tools, beginners might find it overwhelming to remember additional hotkeys.
- That said, these are powerful tools that streamline workflow, making them valuable for users who frequently manipulate takeoff items.
Conclusion
Despite these minor drawbacks, the added efficiency and precision far outweigh the rare user errors or learning curve. With Ctrl+Z always available, accidental movements can be easily reversed, making this a low-risk, high-benefit addition to the program.
Thank you for this thoughtful suggestion on expanding our hotkey functionality! 🎯
Currently, T, L, B, R hotkeys are limited to Area and Linear Takeoffs. Your proposal to extend these to Count Nodes and add new alignment capabilities (C/H, V, P) is interesting. Let's explore this further! 🤔
Questions for the community:
- 📍 How would you use these alignment features with Count Nodes in your daily workflow?
- 🎯 For the new alignment hotkeys:
- C/H (horizontal center)
- V (vertical align)
- P (page center) How often would you use these versus the existing T, L, B, R alignments?
Regarding shortcut conflict concerns (Ctrl+C, V, P), we could consider:
- Alt+ combinations
- Dedicated alignment mode
- Multi-item confirmation dialog
Share your thoughts on these alternatives! ⌨️
We want to ensure any new features enhance your workflow while maintaining precision and ease of use. Your specific examples and use cases will help shape this functionality. 🚀
The developers need to also consider performance and Architectural requirements.
Let us know what works best for your process! 💭
Good stuff. Thanks for all the suggestions and illustrations 🙂
I liked how other software would auto assign context hotkeys when you right clicked something. Saved me some scrolling and extra clicks.
For example, right click an object, hit H to Hide it, M to Move it
Not sure if others feel the same