Quickbar, global hotkeys

[zollern]

I'd like to suggest a way to access custom commands from everywhere. Whether I want to raise a wall at a certain point on the map or whether I want to have quick access to mining orders, I miss such a feature at this point. Right now I have to click Architect -> Section -> Command (maybe hotkey instead). It can get a bit tedious when building a room for example: putting down the plans for walls, doors, lamp, bed and floor results in a couple of clicks.

I thought about a couple of ways to implement global hotkeys. The change between global hotkeys and a quickbar (or whatever name you may have for such a toolbar) would be merely whether or not the bar is shown at all times or not, I guess.

• F key solution As the keys 1-3 are already used for the passing of time, the usual number keys are not ideal for hotkeys. However, the functional keys F1-F8 are yet to be used and one could give the user the ability to bind commands to them specifically. In this case (as there is a fixed number of rebindable keys) one could think about displaying the bar at all times and prompting the user to add commands (as depicted in the screenshot).
  
• Modifier solution Give the user (near) complete freedom for binding commands to keys. In order to avoid conflicts, a modifier has to be used (Ctrl or Shift probably being the most feasible options).
  Though I'm not sure at how to make the user-defined keys in this case. I pondered about hovering over the command and hitting the hotkey (as in Diablo 2), but that seems a bit awkward nowadays and what happens if the hotkey was already defined? Not being able to invoke a hotkey just because the cursor is at the wrong position seems aggravating. A checkbox "Edit hotkeys" is clunky. Maybe something like Modifier+Space to edit hotkeys? I'm not sure and like to hear your input.
  

So, that are my thoughts on using the commands more efficiently. What do you think about it?

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[StorymasterQ]

Me likey. I'd also think that this ought to be implemented with squads as well. So whenever there's an enemy attack, BAM, F1 all members of attack squad selected, go to defensive line, BAM F2 all support personnel selected, go hide in the bunkers.

[zollern]

Are squads a confirmed feature? I guess if squads get their own commands it'd easy to add them to such toolbar

[StorymasterQ]

What I meant is that I could select multiple colonists, assign them to a Function key, and then when I click that key those colonists are automatically selected. Is this not squad behavior?

[milon]

Hotkeys, yes!

And I think assigning them could involve a right-click possibly. If the key is already mapped, then its previous setting is merely overwritten.