Just another idea: I have eight dedicated keys to select the active layer you want and start the route function. My non-mouse hand hovers over these eight keys when routing. You can get really fast at laying copper by doing this, as you don't mess around with the 'Act' or 'Alt' buttons on the RHS of the Allegro screen or the '+' and '-' keys on the normal keyboard. Even on a 2 or 4 layer board I find it's good. It needs a couple of scripts to set it up to do this, as different boards have different layer counts. Let me know if you're interested in trying it. Cheers, Richard >>> gary.macindoe@xxxxxxx 27/04/2006 2:41 a.m. >>> Hey Paul, I was thinking of getting the 20 key, but then decided on the 58 key. I've got the desk space and the extra keys can't hurt!Man, you guys from NZ seem to be ahead of the curve! Thanks. Regards, Gary E. MacIndoePCB Design EngineerAdvanced Micro DevicesLongmont, Colorado From: icu-pcb-forum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:icu-pcb-forum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Paul Gilmore Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 5:44 PM To: icu-pcb-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [PCB_FORUM] Re: X-Keys 20 key, any good? I am using the 20 key version, and haven't assigned a function to every key yet. By assigning one key as CTRL and another as SHIFT each key can preform three functions (four counting the CTRL SHIFT combination) then double that if you set up the second x-key layer the same way. The rest of the x-keys are assigned F2-F12, Insert, Home etc. Then a few lines from my Allegro Env, alias F11 iangle 90 alias CF11 spin alias SF11 shape void circle and since we also use concept, in the "concepthdl_key.txt" file F11 _EDIT_ROTATE; CTRL+F11 _EDIT_SPIN; -- Paul G. Senior PCB Designer Tait Electronics Ltd 535 Wairakei Road Christchurch New Zealand Gary MacIndoe wrote: Hey again, So here's another one. Anybody use the Pi Engineering X-Keys 20 key programmable supplemental keyboard? Is it easy to program, works well?Thanks for any input. Gary E. MacIndoePCB Design EngineerAdvanced Micro DevicesLongmont, Colorado This email, including any attachments, is only for the intended addressee. It is subject to copyright, confidential and may be the subject of legal or other privilege, none of which is waived or lost by reason of this transmission. If the receiver is not the intended addressee, please accept our apologies, notify us by return, delete all copies and perform no other act on the email. Unfortunately, we cannot warrant that the email has not been altered or corrupted during transmission. ----------------------------------------------------------- To subscribe/unsubscribe: Send a message to icu-pcb-forum-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with a subject of subscribe or unsubscribe To view the archives of this list go to http://www.freelists.org/archives/icu-pcb-forum/ Problems or Questions: Send an email to icu-pcb-forum-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------------- NOTICE: This message contains privileged and confidential information intended only for the use of the addressee named above. If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby notified that you must not disseminate, copy or take any action in reliance on it. If you have received this message in error please notify Allied Telesis Labs Ltd immediately. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the sender has the authority to issue and specifically states them to be the views of Allied Telesis Labs.