Shortcuts- Saving and Using Rule Templates – Planworks Support Center

Shortcuts – Saving and Using Rule Templates

Shortcuts are named rule templates saved independently of the project. They can be loaded with one click from the Shortcuts menu and enable fast reuse of frequently used rule sets — across the whole team.

Creating a New Shortcut

→ Toolbar: "Shortcuts" → "Create New Shortcut"

Define your rules in the rule table first, then click "Shortcuts" › "Create New Shortcut".

Field	Description	Required
Name	Unique identifier. Appears in the menu and in "Recently Used".	Yes
Description	Shown in the status bar when hovering over the entry.	No
Category	Optional grouping for organizing many shortcuts.	No

Create new Shortcut

Loading a Shortcut

→ Toolbar: "Shortcuts" → Select entry from list

Click the desired entry. The current rules are replaced by the stored rules of the shortcut.

Missing Geometry Filters: If a rule references a geometry filter not present in the current project, the message "Scope Box not found (Row X)" appears. The rules are loaded but the filter is empty — verify manually.

Shortcut Menu Structure

Section	Content	Configurable
Recently Used (Main Menu)	N most recently used — visible directly	Yes
Recently Used (Submenu)	Additional recently used shortcuts	Yes
Most Used	N most frequently used	Yes
All (alphabetical)	Complete list of all shortcuts	–
By Category	Grouped by assigned category	–

Each use of a shortcut increments its counter and updates its timestamp. These drive the sorting in the above sections.

Managing Shortcuts

Via "Manage Shortcuts": rename or delete shortcuts, create/rename/delete categories, move shortcuts between categories, edit descriptions.

Manage Shortcuts

Automatic Last State

When the MultiPushTool window closes, the current rule state is saved as an internal shortcut with the reserved name {44F33DC0-E2D0-4680-A518-C2271883A64D} ("Shortcut_EndState"). If "Load Last Selection" is enabled in Settings, these rules are automatically restored on next open. The internal shortcut is deleted again after loading.

Exporting and Importing Shortcuts

Function	Description
Export	Writes all current shortcuts to a new XML file (location freely choosable)
Import	Loads all shortcuts from an XML file. After confirmation, existing shortcuts are replaced.

Caution on import: Import replaces all existing shortcuts. Export your shortcuts first as a backup before importing external ones.

External Shortcut File (Team Use)

Configure in Settings › Shortcuts › External Shortcut File:

Enable "Use External Shortcut File"
Enter the path to the XML file (network path recommended)
Confirm with OK — shortcuts are immediately loaded

Sync behavior: On open, shortcuts are loaded from the file. On close, new or changed shortcuts are written back. Ensure all users have read and write access to the file path.

Tip: Combine external shortcuts with Quick Access Ribbon buttons so users can execute workflows with a single click without opening the main window.