topic Re: Keyboard shortcut - create points in Mapping Questions

Keyboard shortcut - create points

ScottSweet — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 18:23:41 GMT

Is there a keyboard shortcut for creating points? I can't find one anywhere in the documentation. This seems like it would be the easiest shortcut to implement ever. Do I really have to use a different GIS software to avoid thousands of mouse clicks?

Re: Keyboard shortcut - create points

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 18:59:46 GMT

If you don't care where they go, you can create lots with a few clicks....

Create Random Points—Data Management toolbox | Documentation

but what would a keyboard shortcut do? bring up a tool? or replace a mouse click?

Re: Keyboard shortcut - create points

ScottSweet — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 19:12:32 GMT

Thanks Dan,

I don’t need to create random points. I need to digitize thousands of macadamia nut trees in an orchard. So instead of clicking the mouse button 10,000 times, or hiring an intern to do so I’d like to be able to hover the mouse over the location I need to place the point and push the “p” character on the keyboard to create a new point there, for example.

Thanks,

Scott

Re: Keyboard shortcut - create points

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 19:25:12 GMT

Keyboard shortcuts for editing—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

Create point features

Keyboard shortcut	Function	Description
F6	Absolute X,Y,Z	Opens the Absolute X,Y,Z dialog box.

but I doubt you want to add the x, y values manually.

If you are creating the featureclass and hovering over a location, a mouse click would be easiest.

Re: Keyboard shortcut - create points

ScottSweet — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 19:31:44 GMT

It isn’t easy when you have to click tens of thousands of times. I’d much rather push a button on a keyboard than click that many times. My finger gets tired! I guess I’ll have to use a different software if repetitive movement and health is not a concern of ESRI. Seems silly to not be able to incorporate something like this. I’ve tried deep learning to automatically detect the trees but no matter how I tweak the model it doesn’t do a good job at all in our orchards. So I’m stuck with click click click click…

Re: Keyboard shortcut - create points

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 20:02:58 GMT

Kory Kramer‌

... if repetitive movement and health is not a concern of ESRI. ...

anyone on the ergonomics team have an opinion on key stroke vs mouse click? or maybe a candidate for an addition to the shortcuts

Re: Keyboard shortcut - create points

ScottSweet — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 20:10:44 GMT

I would appreciate that Kory. In other software (Geocap AS) when digitizing points they have the option to use the P character or space bar. It saves me a lot of grief when I have to create many point features. But in order to use Geocap for this task I'd have to do a lot of conversions/import/export and re-import to ArcGIS.

Thanks,

Scott

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Re: Keyboard shortcut - create points

KoryKramer — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 21:21:03 GMT

Have you experimented with Use ArcGIS Pro with a keyboard—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation ?

I personally have not since I don't have a numpad on my laptop, but would be interesting to see if it serves the purpose.

If it doesn't, then submitting an idea on ArcGIS Ideas‌ would be needed since currently I don't believe there is a way to assign a shortcut key for 'mouse click'.

Re: Keyboard shortcut - create points

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 22:44:01 GMT

If you have a laptop with a touchpad, you can simply use the mouse to point, then hit the touch pad to add the point.

Works for me at least (Surface Book 2).

Re: Keyboard shortcut - create points

ScottSweet — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 22:46:45 GMT

Thanks for the suggestions. I changed the settings on my touchpad to still work when I have a mouse plugged in and that way I can use the button on the touchpad when my click finger gets tired, and alternate back and forth.

Scott

Re: Keyboard shortcut - create points

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 22:47:07 GMT

If you have a laptop with a touchpad, you can simply use the mouse to point, then hit the touch pad to add the point.

And you can switch up fingers on the touchpad to lessen the load