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AutoCAD 2011

User’s Guide

February 2010

©

2010 Autodesk, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Except as otherwise permitted by Autodesk, Inc., this publication, or parts thereof, may not be
reproduced in any form, by any method, for any purpose.
Certain materials included in this publication are reprinted with the permission of the copyright holder.
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Disclaimer
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ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE REGARDING THESE MATERIALS.
Published by:
Autodesk, Inc.
111 McInnis Parkway
San Rafael, CA 94903, USA

Contents

Part 1

Get Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter 1

Find the Information You Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Find Information Using InfoCenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Overview of InfoCenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Search For Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Access Subscription Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Receive Product Updates and Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Save and Access Favorite Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Specify InfoCenter Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Search Topics in Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Learn the Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
View the Product Readme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Where to Find AutoCAD Express Tools Volumes 1-9 . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Join the Customer Involvement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Chapter 2

Get Information from Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Obtain General Drawing Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Count Objects Within a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Part 2

The User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

iii

Chapter 3

Tools in the Application Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
The Application Menu . . . . . . . . .
Search for Commands . . . . . . .
Access Common Tools . . . . . .
Browse Files . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quick Access Toolbar . . . . . . . . . .
The Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of the Ribbon . . . . . .
Display and Organize the Ribbon .
Customize the Ribbon . . . . . .

Chapter 4

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. 44

Other Tool Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Access the Classic Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Status Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Application Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Drawing Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Keytips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
The Command Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Enter Commands on the Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Enter System Variables on the Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Navigate and Edit Within the Command Window . . . . . . . . . 58
Switch Between Dialog Boxes and the Command Line . . . . . . 60
Dock, Resize, and Hide the Command Window . . . . . . . . . . 62
Shortcut Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Tool Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Create and Use Tools from Objects and Images . . . . . . . . . . 69
Create and Use Command Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Change Tool Palette Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Control Tool Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Customize Tool Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Organize Tool Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Save and Share Tool Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
DesignCenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Overview of DesignCenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Understand the DesignCenter Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Access Content with DesignCenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Add Content with DesignCenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Retrieve Content from the Web with DesignCenter Online . . . 101

Chapter 5

Customize the Drawing Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Set Interface Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Set Up the Drawing Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Set Options for 3D Modeling with Perspective Projection . . . . 118

iv | Contents

Switch Between Model Space and Layouts .
Specify Application Fonts . . . . . . . . . .
Specify the Behavior of Dockable Windows .
Control the Display of Toolbars . . . . . . .
Create Task-Based Workspaces . . . . . . . . . . .
Save and Restore Interface Settings (Profiles) . . .
Customize Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Play Back an Action Macro . . . . . . . . . . . .
Migrate and Specify Initial Setup . . . . . . . . .

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. 123
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Part 3

Start and Save Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Chapter 6

Start a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Overview of Starting a New Drawing . . . . . .
Specify Units and Unit Formats . . . . . . . . .
Determine the Units of Measurement . . .
Set the Unit Format Conventions . . . . .
Use a Drawing Template File . . . . . . . . . . .
Add Identifying Information to Drawings . . . .
Specify the Geographic Location of a Drawing .

Chapter 7

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. 165
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Open or Save a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Open a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Open Part of a Large Drawing (Partial Load) . . . . . .
Work with Multiple Open Drawings . . . . . . . . . . .
Preview Open Drawings and Layouts . . . . . . .
Switch Between Open Drawings . . . . . . . . . .
Switch Between Layouts in the Current Drawing .
Transfer Information between Open Drawings . .
Save a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Find a Drawing File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specify Search Paths and File Locations . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 8

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Repair, Restore, or Recover Drawing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Repair a Damaged Drawing File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Create and Restore Backup Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Recover from a System Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

Chapter 9

Maintain Standards in Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Overview of CAD Standards . . . . . . . .
Define Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Check Drawings for Standards Violations .
Translate Layer Names and Properties . . .

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Contents | v

Part 4

Control the Drawing Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Chapter 10

Change Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Pan or Zoom a View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pan and Zoom with the Aerial View Window . . . . . . . .
Save and Restore Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Control the 3D Projection Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Parallel and Perspective Views . . . . . .
Define a Perspective Projection (DVIEW) . . . . . . .
Define a Parallel Projection . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Choose Preset 3D Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Define a 3D View with Coordinate Values or Angles .
Change to a View of the XY Plane . . . . . . . . . . .
Shade a Model and Use Edge Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use a Visual Style to Display Your Model . . . . . . .
Customize a Visual Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Control Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 11

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Use Viewing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Specify 3D Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of 3D Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use 3D Navigation Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Walk and Fly Through a Drawing . . . . . . . .
Create a 3D Dynamic View (DVIEW) . . . . . .
Use ViewCube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of ViewCube . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ViewCube Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reorient the View of a Model with ViewCube .
Change the UCS with ViewCube . . . . . . . .
Navigate with SteeringWheels . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of SteeringWheels . . . . . . . . . . .
Wheel Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Navigation Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Navigation Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Define and Change Views with ShowMotion . . . . .
Overview of ShowMotion . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create and Modify Shots and Shot Sequences .
Play Back a Shot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Define a 3D View with a Camera . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create a Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change Camera Properties . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Preview Animations . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Motion Path Animations . . . . . . . . . . . .

vi | Contents

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Control a Camera Motion Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Specify Motion Path Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Record a Motion Path Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Use Navigation Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Available Navigation Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Reposition and Reorient the Navigation Bar . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Control the Display of Navigation Tools on the Navigation
Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Use 3Dconnexion 3D mouse to Navigate Views . . . . . . . . . 369

Chapter 12

Display Multiple Views in Model Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Set Model Space Viewports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Select and Use the Current Viewport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Save and Restore Model Tab Viewport Arrangements . . . . . . . . . . 378

Part 5

Organize Drawings and Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381

Chapter 13

Create Single-View Drawings (Model Space) . . . . . . . . . . 383
Quick Start for Model Space Drafting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Draw, Scale, and Annotate in Model Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385

Chapter 14

Create Multiple-View Drawing Layouts (Paper Space) . . . . . 391
Quick Start for Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understand the Layout Process . . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Model Space and Paper Space . . . . . .
Work on the Model Tab . . . . . . . . . . . .
Work on a Layout Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Access Model Space from a Layout Viewport .
Export a Layout to Model Space . . . . . . . .
Create and Modify Layout Viewports . . . . . . . .
Control Views in Layout Viewports . . . . . . . . .
Scale Views in Layout Viewports . . . . . . .
Control Visibility in Layout Viewports . . . .
Scale Linetypes in Layout Viewports . . . . .
Align Views in Layout Viewports . . . . . . .
Rotate Views in Layout Viewports . . . . . . .
Reuse Layouts and Layout Settings . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 15

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. 426

Work with Sheets in a Sheet Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
Quick Start for Sheet Sets . . . . .
Understand the Sheet Set Manager
Create and Manage a Sheet Set . .
Create a Sheet Set . . . . . .

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Interface .
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. 431
. 433
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. 436

Contents | vii

Organize a Sheet Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create and Modify Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Include Information with Sheets and Sheet Sets .
Publish, Transmit, and Archive Sheet Sets . . . . . . . .
Use Sheet Sets in a Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. 438
. 442
. 451
. 454
. 459

Part 6

Create and Modify Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463

Chapter 16

Control the Properties of Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465
Work with Object Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Object Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display and Change the Properties of Objects . . . . . .
Copy Properties Between Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Layers to Manage Complexity . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create and Name Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change Layer Settings and Layer Properties . . . . . . . .
Override Layer Properties in Viewports . . . . . . . . . .
Filter and Sort the List of Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use New Layer Notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reconcile New Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Layer States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set the Current Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change the Color of an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Color Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Linetypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Linetypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Load Linetypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set the Current Linetype . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change the Linetype of an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Control Linetype Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display Linetypes on Short Segments and Polylines . . .
Control Lineweights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Lineweights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display Lineweights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set the Current Lineweight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change the Lineweight of an Object . . . . . . . . . . .
Control the Display Properties of Certain Objects . . . . . . .
Control the Display of Polylines, Hatches, Gradient Fills,
Lineweights, and Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Control the Transparency of Objects . . . . . . . . . . .
Control How Overlapping Objects Are Displayed . . . . .
Control the Display of Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

viii | Contents

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. 465
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. 467
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. 527
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. 540

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. 540
. 543
. 545
. 547

Chapter 17

Use Precision Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549
Use Coordinates and Coordinate Systems (UCS) . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Coordinate Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enter 2D Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enter 3D Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understand the User Coordinate System (UCS) . . . . . . .
Specify Workplanes in 3D (UCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Assign User Coordinate System Orientations to Viewports .
Control the Display of the User Coordinate System Icon . .
Use Dynamic Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Snap to Locations on Objects (Object Snaps) . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Object Snaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Object Snap Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Visual Aids for Object Snaps (AutoSnap) . . . . . . . .
Override Object Snap Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Restrict Cursor Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adjust Grid and Grid Snap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Orthogonal Locking (Ortho Mode) . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Polar Tracking and PolarSnap . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lock an Angle for One Point (Angle) . . . . . . . . . . . .
Combine or Offset Points and Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . .
Combine Coordinate Values (Coordinate Filters) . . . . . .
Track to Points on Objects (Object Snap Tracking) . . . . .
Track to Offset Point Locations (Tracking) . . . . . . . . .
Specify Distances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enter Direct Distances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Offset from Temporary Reference Points . . . . . . . . . .
Specify Intervals on Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Extract Geometric Information from Objects . . . . . . . . . . .
Obtain Distances, Angles, and Point Locations . . . . . . .
Obtain Area and Mass Properties Information . . . . . . .
Use a Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use the QuickCalc Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use the Command Prompt Calculator . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 18

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. 549
. 549
. 552
. 556
. 561
. 566
. 574
. 576
. 578
. 585
. 585
. 588
. 589
. 590
. 593
. 593
. 600
. 601
. 605
. 606
. 606
. 608
. 612
. 613
. 613
. 614
. 615
. 620
. 620
. 621
. 627
. 627
. 642

Draw Geometric Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 647
Draw Linear Objects . . . . . . . . . .
Draw Lines . . . . . . . . . . . .
Draw Polylines . . . . . . . . . .
Draw Rectangles and Polygons .
Draw Multiline Objects . . . . .
Draw Freehand Sketches . . . . .
Draw Curved Objects . . . . . . . . .
Draw Arcs . . . . . . . . . . . .
Draw Circles . . . . . . . . . . .

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. 647
. 647
. 649
. 654
. 657
. 661
. 663
. 663
. 668

Contents | ix

Draw Polyline Arcs . . . . . . . . . . . .
Draw Donuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Draw Ellipses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Draw Splines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Draw Helixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Draw Construction and Reference Geometry .
Draw Reference Points . . . . . . . . . .
Draw Construction Lines (and Rays) . .
Create and Combine Areas (Regions) . . . . .
Create Revision Clouds . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 19

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. 670
. 675
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. 691

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. 695
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. 727
. 727
. 729
. 742
. 750
. 763
. 773
. 785
. 786
. 787
. 794
. 797
. 799

Add Constraints to Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 803
Overview of Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Constrain Objects Geometrically . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Geometric Constraints . . . . . . . . . .
Apply or Remove Geometric Constraints . . . . . . .
Display and Verify Geometric Constraints . . . . . .
Modify Objects with Geometric Constraints Applied .
Infer Geometric Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Constrain Distances and Angles between Objects . . . . . .

x | Contents

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Change Existing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 695
Select Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Select Objects Individually . . . . . . . . . .
Select Multiple Objects . . . . . . . . . . .
Prevent Objects from Being Selected . . . .
Select Objects by Properties . . . . . . . . .
Customize Object Selection . . . . . . . . .
Group Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Correct Mistakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Erase Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Windows Cut, Copy, and Paste . . . . . . . .
Modify Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Choose a Method to Modify Objects . . . .
Edit Objects with Grips . . . . . . . . . . .
Move or Rotate Objects . . . . . . . . . . .
Copy, Offset, or Mirror Objects . . . . . . .
Change the Size and Shape of Objects . . .
Fillet, Chamfer, Break, or Join Objects . . . .
Modify Complex Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Disassociate Compound Objects (Explode) .
Modify Polylines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Splines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Helixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Multilines . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 20

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. 803
. 808
. 808
. 810
. 816
. 820
. 823
. 826

Overview of Dimensional Constraints . . . . . . . . . .
Apply Dimensional Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Control the Display of Dimensional Constraints . . . . .
Modify Objects with Dimensional Constraints Applied .
Constrain a Design with Formulas and Equations . . . . . . .
Overview of Formulas and Equations . . . . . . . . . . .
Control Geometry with the Parameters Manager . . . . .
Organize Parameters into Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. 826
. 829
. 834
. 836
. 840
. 841
. 842
. 847

Part 7

Define and Reference Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 849

Chapter 21

Work with Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 851
Overview of Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Insert Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Dynamic Blocks in Drawings . . . . . .
Overview of Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . .
Work With Action Parameters in Blocks . . . .
Work With Constraint Parameters in Blocks .
Remove Block Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 22

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. 851
. 853
. 858
. 858
. 859
. 862
. 863

Create and Modify Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865
Define Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Blocks Within a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Drawing Files for Use as Blocks . . . . . . . .
Control the Color and Linetype Properties in Blocks .
Nest Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Block Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Tool Palettes to Organize Blocks . . . . . . . . .
Create Construction Geometry Within a Block . . . .
Attach Data to Blocks (Block Attributes) . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Block Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Define Block Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Extract Data from Block Attributes . . . . . . . . . .
Extract Block Attribute Data (Advanced) . . . . . . .
Modify Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify a Block Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify the Data in Block Attributes . . . . . . . . . .
Modify a Block Attribute Definition . . . . . . . . . .
Disassemble a Block Reference (Explode) . . . . . . .

Chapter 23

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. 865
. 865
. 867
. 870
. 872
. 873
. 874
. 874
. 875
. 876
. 878
. 882
. 883
. 889
. 889
. 892
. 893
. 898

Add Behaviors to Blocks (Dynamic Blocks) . . . . . . . . . . . 901
Overview of Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901
Quick Start to Creating Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 902

Contents | xi

Create and Edit Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of the Block Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Custom Block Authoring Tools . . . . . . . . . . .
Test Blocks Within the Block Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Dynamic Block Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add Constraints to Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Constraints in Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . .
Define User Parameters in Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . .
Control Constrained Blocks with the Parameters Manager .
Use a Block Properties Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Identify Fully Constrained Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add Action Parameters to Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Actions and Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add Parameters to Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add Actions to Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specify Properties for Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . . . .
Specify Value Sets for Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . . . .
Specify Distance and Angle Values . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specify Grips for Dynamic Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Control the Visibility of Objects in a Block . . . . . . . . .

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. 903
. 904
. 906
. 909
. 910
. 912
. 912
. 914
. 915
. 916
. 918
. 920
. 920
. 924
. 925
. 939
. 944
. 947
. 947
. 953

Part 8

Work with 3D Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 959

Chapter 24

Create 3D Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 961
Overview of 3D Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 961
Create Solids and Surfaces from Lines and Curves . . . . . . . . . . . 966
Overview of Creating Solids and Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . 966
Create a Solid or Surface by Extruding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968
Create a Solid or Surface by Sweeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 972
Create a Solid or Surface by Lofting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 976
Create a Solid or Surface by Revolving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 980
Create Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 983
Overview of Creating 3D Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 983
Create 3D Solid Primitives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 987
Create a Polysolid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1000
Create 3D Solids from Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1002
Combine or Slice 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1007
Check 3D Models for Interferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1012
Create Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1014
Overview of Creating Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1014
Create Procedural Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1019
Create NURBS Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1031
Create Associative Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1036
Create Meshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1044
Overview of Creating Meshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1044

xii | Contents

Create 3D Mesh Primitives . . . . . . .
Construct Meshes from Other Objects .
Create Meshes by Conversion . . . . .
Create Custom Mesh (Legacy) . . . . .
Create Wireframe Models . . . . . . . . . . .
Add 3D Thickness to Objects . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 25

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. 1049
. 1067
. 1074
. 1078
. 1083
. 1087

Modify 3D Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1091
Overview of Modifying 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . .
Use Gizmos to Modify Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Using Gizmos . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use the Gizmos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Move 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rotate 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scale 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Grips to Modify Solids and Surfaces . . . . . . . .
Use 3D Subobject Grips . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cycle Through and Filter Subobjects . . . . . . .
Use Grips to Edit 3D Solids and Surfaces . . . . .
Modify 3D Subobjects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Move, Rotate, and Scale 3D Subobjects . . . . .
Modify Faces on 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Edges on 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Vertices on 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Complex 3D Solids and Surfaces . . . . . .
Display Original Forms of Composite Solids . . .
Modify Composite Solids and Surfaces . . . . . .
Shell and Remove Redundancies in 3D Objects .
Press or Pull Bounded Areas . . . . . . . . . . .
Add Edges and Faces to Solids . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Properties of 3D Solid, Surface, and Mesh . . .
Modify Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Modifying Surfaces . . . . . . . . .
Trim and Untrim Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . .
Extend a Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fillet a Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit NURBS Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Analyze Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Mesh Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Modifying Meshes . . . . . . . . .
Change Mesh Smoothness Levels . . . . . . . .
Refine Mesh Objects or Subobjects . . . . . . . .
Add Creases to Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Mesh Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create and Close Mesh Gaps . . . . . . . . . . .
Tips for Working with Mesh . . . . . . . . . . .

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. 1091
. 1093
. 1093
. 1095
. 1099
. 1102
. 1104
. 1109
. 1109
. 1112
. 1115
. 1119
. 1119
. 1122
. 1126
. 1131
. 1134
. 1134
. 1136
. 1138
. 1140
. 1142
. 1144
. 1149
. 1149
. 1151
. 1153
. 1154
. 1155
. 1158
. 1167
. 1168
. 1172
. 1176
. 1178
. 1181
. 1186
. 1189

Contents | xiii

Chapter 26

Create Sections and 2D Drawings from 3D Models . . . . . . 1197
Work with Sections . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Section Objects . . .
Create Section Objects . . . . . .
Modify a Section View . . . . . .
Save and Publish Section Objects
Create a Flattened View . . . . . . . . .

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. 1197
. 1197
. 1199
. 1204
. 1213
. 1218

Part 9

Annotate

Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1221

Chapter 27

Work with Annotations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1223
Overview of Annotations . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scale Annotations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Scaling Annotations . . . .
Set Annotation Scale . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Annotative Objects . . . . . . . .
Display Annotative Objects . . . . . . .
Add and Modify Scale Representations .
Set Orientation for Annotations . . . . . . . .

Chapter 28

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. 1223
. 1224
. 1225
. 1227
. 1229
. 1251
. 1253
. 1256

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. 1259
. 1267
. 1272
. 1272
. 1278
. 1280
. 1283
. 1285
. 1288
. 1289
. 1289
. 1290
. 1291
. 1293
. 1295

Notes and Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1297
Overview of Notes and Labels . .
Create Text . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Creating Text .
Create Single-Line Text . . .
Create Multiline Text . . . .

xiv | Contents

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Hatches, Fills, and Wipeouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1259
Overview of Hatch Patterns and Fills . . . . . . . . .
Specify Hatch and Fill Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Control the Appearance of Hatches . . . . . . . . .
Choose a Hatch Pattern or Fill . . . . . . . . .
Control the Hatch Origin Point . . . . . . . .
Control the Scale of Hatch Patterns . . . . . .
Set Property Overrides for Hatches and Fills . .
Control the Display of Hatch Boundaries . . .
Control the Draw Order of Hatches and Fills .
Modify Hatches and Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Hatch Properties . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Hatch Alignment, Scale, and Rotation .
Reshape a Hatch or Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Re-create the Boundary of a Hatch or Fill . . .
Create a Blank Area to Cover Objects . . . . . . . .

Chapter 29

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. 1297
. 1300
. 1300
. 1304
. 1308

Create and Edit Columns in Multiline Text . . . .
Import Text from External Files . . . . . . . . . .
Create Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Leader Objects . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create and Modify Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Leader Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add Content to a Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Fields in Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Insert Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Update Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Hyperlinks in Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Text Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Text Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Assign Text Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Text Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Text Obliquing Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Horizontal or Vertical Text Orientation . . . .
Change Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Changing Text . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change Single-Line Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change Multiline Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Find and Replace Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change Text Scale and Justification . . . . . . . .
Check Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use an Alternate Text Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Using an Alternate Text Editor . . . .
Format Multiline Text in an Alternate Text Editor .

Chapter 30

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. 1331
. 1334
. 1336
. 1336
. 1338
. 1346
. 1348
. 1352
. 1352
. 1358
. 1361
. 1363
. 1363
. 1366
. 1373
. 1375
. 1376
. 1377
. 1377
. 1378
. 1380
. 1383
. 1385
. 1387
. 1391
. 1391
. 1392

Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1397
Create and Modify Tables . . . .
Link a Table to External Data . .
Work with Table Styles . . . . .
Add Text and Blocks to Tables .
Use Formulas in Table Cells . .

Chapter 31

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. 1397
. 1401
. 1404
. 1407
. 1412

Dimensions and Tolerances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1417
Understand Basic Concepts of Dimensioning . .
Overview of Dimensioning . . . . . . . . .
Parts of a Dimension . . . . . . . . . . . .
Associative Dimensions . . . . . . . . . .
Use Dimension Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Dimension Styles . . . . . . .
Compare Dimension Styles and Variables .
Control Dimension Geometry . . . . . . .
Control Dimension Text . . . . . . . . . .

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. 1417
. 1417
. 1420
. 1421
. 1424
. 1424
. 1425
. 1427
. 1437

Contents | xv

Control Dimension Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set the Scale for Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Linear Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Radial Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Angular Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Ordinate Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Arc Length Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Existing Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify A Dimension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Apply a New Dimension Style to Existing Dimensions .
Override a Dimension Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Dimension Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Dimension Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change Dimension Associativity . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add Geometric Tolerances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Geometric Tolerances . . . . . . . . . . . .
Material Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Datum Reference Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Projected Tolerance Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Composite Tolerances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. 1448
. 1461
. 1464
. 1464
. 1472
. 1480
. 1483
. 1485
. 1486
. 1487
. 1500
. 1501
. 1504
. 1508
. 1511
. 1513
. 1513
. 1516
. 1516
. 1517
. 1518

Part 10

Plot and Publish Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1521

Chapter 32

Prepare Drawings for Plotting and Publishing . . . . . . . . 1523
Quick Start to Saving Settings for Plotting and Publishing .
Specify Page Setup Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Page Setup Settings . . . . . . . . . . . .
Select a Printer or Plotter for a Layout . . . . . . . . .
Select a Paper Size for a Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set the Plot Area of a Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adjust the Plot Offset of a Layout . . . . . . . . . . .
Set the Plot Scale for a Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set the Lineweight Scale for a Layout . . . . . . . . .
Select a Plot Style Table for a Layout . . . . . . . . . .
Set Shaded Viewport and Plot Options for a Layout . .
Determine the Drawing Orientation of a Layout . . .
Use the Layout Wizard to Specify Layout Settings . . . . . .
Import PCP or PC2 Settings into a Layout . . . . . . . . . .
Create and Use Named Page Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Named Page Setups with Sheet Sets . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 33

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. 1523
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. 1524
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. 1532
. 1533
. 1535
. 1536
. 1537
. 1540
. 1542
. 1543
. 1544
. 1545
. 1549

Plot Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1553
Quick Start to Plotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1553

xvi | Contents

Overview of Plotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use a Page Setup to Specify Plot Settings . . . . .
Select a Printer or Plotter . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specify the Area to Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Paper Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Position the Drawing on the Paper . . . . . . . .
Specify the Printable Area . . . . . . . . .
Set the Position of the Plot . . . . . . . .
Set Drawing Orientation . . . . . . . . . .
Control How Objects Are Plotted . . . . . . . .
Set Plot Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Shaded Viewport Options . . . . . . .
Set Options for Plotted Objects . . . . . . .
Use Plot Styles to Control Plotted Objects .
Use Color-Dependent Plot Style Tables . .
Use Named Plot Style Tables . . . . . . . .
Change Plot Style Settings . . . . . . . . .
Preview a Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plot Files to Other Formats . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plot DWF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plot DWFx Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plot to DXB File Formats . . . . . . . . . .
Plot to Raster File Formats . . . . . . . . .
Plot Adobe PDF Files . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plot Adobe PostScript Files . . . . . . . . .
Create Plot Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 34

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. 1553
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. 1560
. 1561
. 1562
. 1565
. 1565
. 1566
. 1567
. 1568
. 1568
. 1571
. 1575
. 1579
. 1588
. 1589
. 1596
. 1608
. 1609
. 1609
. 1610
. 1612
. 1613
. 1615
. 1616
. 1618

Publish Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1621
Overview of Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create and Modify a Drawing Set for Publishing . .
Create a Paper or Plot File Drawing Set . . . . . . . .
Publish an Electronic Drawing Set . . . . . . . . . .
Publish a Sheet Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Republish a Drawing Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
View Electronic Drawing Sets with Autodesk Design
Set Publish Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Publish 3D DWF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Print 3D Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Review .
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. 1621
. 1624
. 1628
. 1631
. 1636
. 1643
. 1645
. 1646
. 1652
. 1660

Part 11

Share Data Between Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1663

Chapter 35

Reference Other Drawing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1665
Overview of Referenced Drawings (Xrefs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1665
Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1668

Contents | xvii

Attach Drawing References (Xrefs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Paths to Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Detach Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Update and Bind Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nest and Overlay Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . .
Update Referenced Drawing Attachments . . . . . . . . . .
Archive Drawings That Contain Referenced Drawings
(Bind) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Clip External References and Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Referenced Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit a Referenced Drawing in a Separate Window . . . . . .
Edit Selected Objects in Referenced Drawings and Blocks . .
Use the Working Set to Edit Referenced Drawings and
Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Save Back Edited Referenced Drawings and Blocks . . . . .
Edit Referenced Drawings and Blocks with Nesting, OLE, or
Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resolve Referenced Drawing Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resolve Missing External References . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resolve Circular External References . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resolve Name Conflicts in External References . . . . . . .
Track External Reference Operations (Log File) . . . . . . .
Increase Performance with Large Referenced Drawings . . . . . .
Overview of Demand Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unload Xrefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Demand Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Layer and Spatial Indexes . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Paths for Temporary Xref File Copies . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 36

. 1668
. 1674
. 1679
. 1680
. 1680
. 1682

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. 1685
. 1686
. 1691
. 1691
. 1692

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. . 1698
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. 1700
. 1701
. 1701
. 1703
. 1704
. 1706
. 1709
. 1709
. 1710
. 1711
. 1712
. 1714

Link and Embed Data (OLE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1717
Overview of Object Linking and Embedding . . . . . . .
Import OLE Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Importing OLE Objects into Drawings .
Link OLE Objects in Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . .
Embed OLE Objects in Drawings . . . . . . . . . . .
Export OLE Objects from Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit OLE Objects in Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 37

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. 1717
. 1720
. 1720
. 1721
. 1724
. 1727
. 1729

Work with Data in Other Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1733
Import Other File Formats . . . . . . . . .
Import Autodesk 3ds MAX Files . . .
Import FBX Files . . . . . . . . . . .
Import 3D Point Cloud Files . . . . .
Import ACIS SAT Files . . . . . . . .
Convert DXF and DXB Files to DWG

xviii | Contents

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. 1733
. 1733
. 1734
. 1735
. 1739
. 1740

Import MicroStation DGN Files . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manage Translation Mapping Setups . . . . . . . . . . .
Insert WMF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attach Files as Underlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Underlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attach, Scale, and Detach Underlays . . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Underlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manage and Publish Drawings Containing Underlays .
Attach Raster Image Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Raster Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attach, Scale, and Detach Raster Images . . . . . . . . .
Modify Raster Images and Image Boundaries . . . . . .
Manage Raster Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tune Raster Image Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export Drawings to Other File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export DWF and DWFx Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export PDF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export DXF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export FBX Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export MicroStation DGN Files . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export WMF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export Raster Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export PostScript Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export ACIS SAT Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export Stereolithography STL Files . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Drawings from Different Versions and Applications . . .
Work with Drawings in Earlier Releases . . . . . . . . .
Save Drawings to Previous Drawing File Formats . . . .
Work with AutoCAD Drawings in AutoCAD LT . . . . .
Work with Custom and Proxy Objects . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 38

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. 1741
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. 1747
. 1749
. 1749
. 1750
. 1760
. 1774
. 1781
. 1781
. 1783
. 1787
. 1794
. 1799
. 1802
. 1802
. 1804
. 1806
. 1807
. 1808
. 1811
. 1811
. 1813
. 1814
. 1815
. 1817
. 1817
. 1822
. 1825
. 1829

Extract Data from Drawings and Spreadsheets . . . . . . . . 1833
Overview of Data Extraction . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Extract Data Using the Data Extraction Wizard . . .
Start the Data Extraction . . . . . . . . . . . .
Select the Source for a Data Extraction . . . . .
Select Objects for Data Extraction . . . . . . .
Organize and Refine the Extracted Data . . . .
Use Table Styles for Data Extraction Tables . .
Link an Excel Spreadsheet to Access Data . . . . . .
Output Extracted Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Update Extracted Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Updating Extracted Data . . . . .
Update Extracted Data Manually . . . . . . . .
Update Data Extraction Table Automatically .
Modify a Data Extraction Table . . . . . . . . . . .

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. 1833
. 1835
. 1838
. 1839
. 1841
. 1844
. 1850
. 1851
. 1855
. 1858
. 1858
. 1859
. 1861
. 1863

Contents | xix

Detach a Data Extraction Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1866

Chapter 39

Access External Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1867
Overview of Using External Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Access a Database from Within AutoCAD . . . . . . . . . . . .
Configure a Database for Use with AutoCAD Drawings . .
View Data in a Database Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Data in a Database Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Link Database Records to Graphical Objects . . . . . . . . . . .
Create and Edit Links and Link Templates . . . . . . . . .
Identify and Select Existing Links . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Find and Correct Link Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export Link Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Labels to Display Database Information in the Drawing . .
Create and Edit Labels and Label Templates . . . . . . . .
Update Labels with New Values from the Database . . . .
Use Queries to Filter Database Information . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Construct Simple Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use the Query Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use SQL Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Combine Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Save and Reuse Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Share Link and Label Templates and Queries with Other Users .
Work with Links in Files from Earlier Releases . . . . . . . . . .
Manage Files with Autodesk Vault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. 1867
. 1869
. 1869
. 1872
. 1877
. 1880
. 1880
. 1885
. 1888
. 1889
. 1891
. 1891
. 1896
. 1897
. 1897
. 1899
. 1903
. 1906
. 1907
. 1910
. 1912
. 1913
. 1917

Part 12

Collaborate with Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1919

Chapter 40

Protect and Sign Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1921
Drawing Encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Encryption . . . . . . . . .
Protect Drawings with Encryption . . . .
View Password-Protected Drawings . . .
Sign Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Digital Signatures . . . . . .
Personally Sign Drawings . . . . . . . . .
View Drawings with Digital Signatures .

Chapter 41

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. 1921
. 1921
. 1922
. 1925
. 1927
. 1927
. 1929
. 1937

Use the Internet for Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1943
Get Started with Internet Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1943
Add Hyperlinks to a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1944
Overview of Using Hyperlinks in a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . 1944

xx | Contents

Use a Hyperlink to Access a File or a Web Page .
Use a Hyperlink to Create an Email Message . .
Use Hyperlinks in Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use a Hyperlink to Start a New Drawing . . . . .
Work with Drawing Files over the Internet . . . . . .
Open and Save Drawing Files from the Internet .
Share Drawing Files Internationally . . . . . . .
Access Buzzsaw for Project Collaboration . . . .
Work with Xrefs over the Internet . . . . . . . .
Insert Content from a Website . . . . . . . . . .
Package a Set of Files for Internet Transmission .
Review and Markup Files with Design Review . . . . .
Use the Publish to Web Wizard to Create Web Pages .
Use Autodesk Seek to Add and Share Drawings . . . .

Chapter 42

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. 1945
. 1950
. 1951
. 1952
. 1953
. 1953
. 1958
. 1960
. 1967
. 1968
. 1971
. 1980
. 1982
. 1984

Use Markups for Design Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1987
Overview of Using Markups for Design
Publish Drawings for Review . . . . . .
Insert Markups . . . . . . . . . . . . .
View Markups . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Respond to Markups . . . . . . . . . .
Republish a Markup Set . . . . . . . . .

Review .
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. 1987
. 1988
. 1989
. 1989
. 1994
. 1997

Part 13

Render Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1999

Chapter 43

Draw 2D Isometric Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001
Set Isometric Grid and Snap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001
Draw Isometric Circles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2003

Chapter 44

Add Lighting to Your Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005
Overview of Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Standard and Photometric Lighting Workflow .
Illuminate a Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Guidelines for Lighting . . . . . . . . . .
Use Point Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Spotlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Weblights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Distant Lights . . . . . . . . . . . .
Assigning a Shape to a Light . . . . . . .
Adjust and Manipulate Lights . . . . . . . . .
Control the Display of Lights . . . . . .
Adjust Light Placement . . . . . . . . . .
Control Light Properties . . . . . . . . .

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. 2005
. 2010
. 2012
. 2012
. 2015
. 2022
. 2028
. 2039
. 2041
. 2042
. 2043
. 2045
. 2049

Contents | xxi

Sun and Sky Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Incorporate Luminaire Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Converting Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Lights in Drawings from Previous Versions of
AutoCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Import Drawings into 3ds Max or VIZ . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 45

. . . . 2063
. . . . 2064

Materials and Textures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2065
Overview of Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create and Modify Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Browse Material Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create New Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manage and Organize Materials . . . . . . . . .
Modify Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Convert Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Apply Materials to Objects and Faces . . . . . . . . .
Use Maps for Added Realism . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Map Channels for Added Texture Realism .
Understand Map Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modify Map Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adjust Mapping On Objects and Faces . . . . . .

Chapter 46

. . . . 2056
. . . . 2061
. . . . 2063

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. 2065
. 2066
. 2067
. 2071
. 2077
. 2080
. 2082
. 2082
. 2084
. 2084
. 2084
. 2087
. 2093
. 2098

Render 3D Objects for Realism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2101
Overview of Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Prepare a Model for Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understand Face Normals and Hidden Surfaces . . . .
Minimize Intersecting and Coplanar Faces . . . . . .
Balance Mesh Density for Smooth Geometry . . . . .
Set Up the Renderer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use the Render Settings Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create Custom Render Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Control the Rendering Environment . . . . . . . . .
Basics of Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set the Render Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Render Views, Selected Objects, or Cropped Content .
Set Output Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Material Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adjust Sampling to Improve Image Quality . . . . . .
Use Shadows in Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advanced Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ray-traced Reflections and Refractions . . . . . . . .
Benefits of Indirect Illumination . . . . . . . . . . . .
Final Gathering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rendered Image Histories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

xxii | Contents

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. 2101
. 2103
. 2103
. 2106
. 2108
. 2111
. 2111
. 2113
. 2116
. 2119
. 2119
. 2121
. 2124
. 2126
. 2127
. 2130
. 2133
. 2133
. 2136
. 2138
. 2139

Save and Redisplay Rendered Images . . . .
Save a Rendered Image . . . . . . . .
Redisplay a Rendered Image . . . . .
Save Copies of Rendered Images . . .
Use Models with Other Applications .
Update Legacy Drawings . . . . . . .

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. 2142
. 2142
. 2144
. 2145
. 2145
. 2146

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2149
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2189

Contents | xxiii

xxiv

Part 1: Get Information

1

2

Find the Information You
Need

1

There are various ways to find information about how to use this program, and multiple
resources are available.
This program is a powerful application with tools that help you work with a high level of
efficiency and productivity. You install this software with the Installation wizard that starts
automatically when you insert the product media.
This application is often intuitive, but when you do need to look something up, you can save
time and avoid frustration if you use the Help system to find information. The Help system
is organized in a structured design that makes information easy to locate.

Find Information Using InfoCenter
You can use InfoCenter to search a variety of information sources with one
query. You can also easily access product updates and announcements.

Overview of InfoCenter
You can use InfoCenter to search a variety of information sources with one
query. You can also easily access product updates and announcements.
You can use InfoCenter to:
■

Search for information through keywords (or by entering a phrase)

■

Access subscription services through Subscription Center panel

■

Access to product-related updates and announcements through
Communication Center panel

3

■

Access saved topics through Favorites panel

■

Access topics in Help

To display the InfoCenter box in a collapsed state, click the arrow to its left.

To browse search results
➤

On the panel for Search Results, Subscription Center, Communication
Center, or Favorites, on the right side of the category header, do one of
the following:
■

Click the Next button.

■

Click the Previous button.

To rearrange the topics displayed on a panel
1 Display a panel by doing one of the following:
■

In the InfoCenter box, enter a keyword or phrase. Then press ENTER
or click the Search button.

■

In the InfoCenter box, click the Communication Center button.

■

In the InfoCenter box, click the Favorites button.

2 Click and drag a category or group header to the desired position.

Search For Information
You can enter keywords or a phrase in the InfoCenter box to search for
information.
When you enter keywords or a phrase in the InfoCenter box, you search the
contents of multiple Help resources as well as any additional documents that
have been specified in the InfoCenter Settings dialog box or through the CAD
Manager Control Utility.

4 | Chapter 1 Find the Information You Need

When you enter keywords or a phrase in the InfoCenter box, you search the
contents of multiple Help resources as well as any additional documents that
have been specified in the InfoCenter Settings dialog box or through the CAD
Manager Control Utility.
Keyword searches produce better results. In case of a misspelled word, spelling
suggestions are displayed on the panel.
The results are displayed as links on the InfoCenter Search Results panel. Click
a link to display the topic, article, or document.

To keep Search Results, Subscription Center, Communication Center, and the
Favorites panel expanded, click the push pin icon in the bottom-right corner
of the panel.
When you use InfoCenter to search for information, you can use the following
special symbols in your query to refine or expand it. These symbols can be
used alone or can be combined.
Symbol

Description

*

Replaces one or more characters when used at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. For example, “*lish”,
“p*lish”, and “pub*” will all find “publish”. Also, “anno*”

Search For Information | 5

Symbol

Description
will find “annotative”, “annotation”, “annoupdate”, “annoreset”, and so on.

?

Replaces a single character. For example, “cop?” will find
“copy”, but not “copybase”.

~

Adds grammatical form variations to a keyword when added
at the beginning or end of a word. For example, “plotting~”
will find “plots”, “plotted”, and so on. Also, “~plot” will find
“preplot”, “replot”, and so on.

When performing the exact phrase search, use double quotation marks (" ")
to enclose words that must appear next to each other in the specified sequence.
For example, enter "specify units of measurement" to find only topics with
all those words in that order. You can also use the previously mentioned
symbols in a text string that is enclosed in double quotation marks.
See also:
■

Specify InfoCenter Settings on page 11

To search multiple sources for information
1 In the InfoCenter box, enter a keyword or phrase.
2 Click the Search button.

To search a single location for information
1 In the InfoCenter box, enter a keyword or phrase.
2 Click the down arrow next to the Search button.
3 Select a location from the list to search.

To add a location to search
1 In the InfoCenter box, click the down arrow next to the Search button.
2 Click Add Search Location.
3 In the Add Search Location dialog box, specify a document or a file
location to search.
4 Click Add.

6 | Chapter 1 Find the Information You Need

Access Subscription Center
You can click the Subscription Center button to display links to information
about subscription services such as product enhancements, personalized web
support from Autodesk technical experts, and self-paced e-Learning. To learn
more about Autodesk subscription membership, visit
http://www.autodesk.com/subscriptioncenter.

Autodesk Subscription Services
With Autodesk Subscription, you get the latest releases of Autodesk software,
incremental product enhancements, personalized web support from Autodesk
technical experts, and self-paced e-Learning.
Subscription services are available to subscription members only (available in
countries/regions where Autodesk subscriptions are offered).
Click the Subscription Center button in the InfoCenter box to access the
following options:
■

Create support request. Provides direct communication with Autodesk
support technicians. You receive fast, complete answers to your installation,
configuration, and troubleshooting questions.

■

View support request. Tracks and manages your questions and responses
through Autodesk's support system.

■

Edit Subscription Center profile. Sets up and maintains your subscription
membership.

■

View e-Learning catalog. Features interactive lessons organized into product
catalogs.

■

e-Learning lessons. Provides e-Learning lessons. Each lesson is 15-30
minutes and features hands-on exercises, with an option to use a simulation
instead of the software application. You can use an online evaluation tool
that identifies gaps in skills, determines the lessons that will be most
helpful, and keeps track of learning progress.

Subscription Resources and Privacy
Subscription resources provide interactive product features over the Internet.
Each time you access subscription resources from Subscription Center in an

Access Subscription Center | 7

Autodesk product, product information (such as the serial number, version,
language, and the subscription contract ID) is sent to Autodesk for verification
that your product is on subscription.
Autodesk compiles statistics using the information sent to subscription
resources to monitor how they are being used and how they can be improved.
Autodesk maintains the information provided by or collected from you in
accordance with Autodesk's published privacy policy, which is available at
http://www.autodesk.com/privacy.

Enable Subscription Resources
The CAD Manager Control Utility can be used to turn Subscription Resources
on and off in the program.

To access the Subscription
1 In the InfoCenter box, click the Subscription Center button.
2 On the Subscription Center panel, under Subscription Center, click the
subscription resource you want to access.
NOTE Subscription Center is not available to all product users. If subscription
resources are not available in your product, your product is not entitled to
subscription benefits.

Receive Product Updates and Announcements
You can click the Communication Center button to display links to
information about product updates and announcements, and may include
links to RSS feeds.

Overview of Communication Center
To open Communication Center, click the Communication Center button in
the InfoCenter box.

8 | Chapter 1 Find the Information You Need

Communication Center provides the following types of announcements:
■

Autodesk Channels: Receive support information, product updates, and
other announcements (including articles and tips).

■

CAD Manager Channel. Receive information (RSS feeds) published by your
CAD manager.

■

RSS Feeds. Receive information from RSS feeds to which you subscribe.
RSS feeds generally notify you when new content is posted. You are
automatically subscribed to several default RSS feeds when you install the
program.

You can customize the items that display in the Communication Center panel.

Communication Center Online Privacy
Communication Center is an interactive feature that must be connected to
the Internet in order to deliver content and information. Each time
Communication Center is connected, it sends your information to Autodesk
so that you receive the correct information. All information is sent
anonymously to Autodesk to maintain your privacy.
The following information is sent to Autodesk:
■

Product name (in which you are using Communication Center)

■

Product release number

■

Product language

■

Country/region (specified in the Communication Center settings)

■

Your subscription contract number (if you’re a subscription customer)

Autodesk compiles statistics using the information sent from Communication
Center to monitor how it is being used and how it can be improved. Autodesk
maintains information provided by or collected from you in accordance with
the company's published privacy policy, which is available on
http://www.autodesk.com/privacy.
See also:
■

Specify InfoCenter Settings on page 11

■

Access Subscription Center on page 7

Receive Product Updates and Announcements | 9

Receive New Information Notifications
Whenever new information is available, Communication Center notifies you
by displaying a balloon message below the Communication Center button
on the InfoCenter box.
Click the link in the balloon message to open the article or announcement.
If you don’t want to receive Communication Center notifications, in the
InfoCenter Settings dialog box, turn off Balloon Notification.
See also:
■

Specify InfoCenter Settings on page 11

Save and Access Favorite Topics
You can click the Favorites button to display saved links to topics or web
locations.

Any link that displays on the Search Results panel, Subscription Center or
Communication Center panel can be marked as a favorite.
A link marked as a favorite displays a star icon on the Search Results panel,
Subscription Center panel or the Communication Center panel.

To display the InfoCenter Favorites panel
■

In the InfoCenter box, click the Favorites button.

To save a link in InfoCenter as a favorite
1 Display a panel by doing one of the following:
■

In the InfoCenter box, enter a keyword or phrase. Then press ENTER
or click the Search button.

■

In the InfoCenter box, click the Subscription Center button.

■

In the InfoCenter box, click the Communication Center button.

2 Click the star icon that is displayed next to the link that you want to save
as a favorite.

10 | Chapter 1 Find the Information You Need

To remove a favorite link from the InfoCenter Favorites panel
1 In the InfoCenter box, click the Favorites button to display the Favorites
panel.
2 Click the star icon that is displayed next to the link that you want to
remove from the Favorites panel.

Specify InfoCenter Settings
You can specify InfoCenter Search and Communication Center settings in
the InfoCenter Settings dialog box.

In the InfoCenter Settings dialog box, you can specify the following settings:
■

General. Your current location, frequency for checking new online content
and option to turn on or off animated transition effects for the InfoCenter
panels.

■

Search Locations. Locations (documents, web locations, and files) to search
for information, as well as the name that displays for each location and
the number of results to display for each. Also, you can add or remove
search locations.
The Web Locations check box provides access to important information
on the Autodesk website, including the Knowledge Base and discussion
groups. When you add document locations, you can specify files on your
local drive.
NOTE User-specified CHM (compiled help) files must be located on your local
drive. InfoCenter cannot search CHM files located on network drives.

Specify InfoCenter Settings | 11

■

Communication Center. Maximum age of the articles displayed on the
Communication Center panel and the location and name of the CAD
Manager Channel.

■

Autodesk Channels. Channels to display in the Communication Center
panel as well as the number of articles to display for each channel.

■

Balloon Notification. Notifications for new product information, software
updates, product support announcements, and Did You Know messages.
Also, you can customize the transparency and the display time of the
balloon.
NOTE Did You Know messages displayed below the Communication Center
button on the InfoCenter box provide Knowledge Base information and general
instructional messages such as tips. You can click on the text or the Expand
icon to expand the balloon to view the detailed information.

■

RSS Feeds. RSS feed subscriptions. You can add or remove RSS feeds. RSS
feeds generally notify you when new content is posted.

You can use the CAD Manager Control utility to specify InfoCenter Search
and Communication Center settings. For more information about how to
install and run the utility, see To install the CAD Manager Control utility on
page 104. Click Help in the CAD Manager Control utility window for details
about the settings you can control.

To specify locations to search for information
1 In the InfoCenter box, click the down arrow next to the Search button.
2 Click Search Settings.
3 In the InfoCenter Settings dialog box, Search Locations panel, in the right
pane, select or clear the search locations you want to include or exclude
when you search for information.
4 Click OK.

To add new location to search for information
1 In the InfoCenter box, click the down arrow next to the Search button.
2 Click Search Settings.
3 In the InfoCenter Settings dialog box, do one of the following:
■

On the Search Locations panel, in the right pane, click Add.

12 | Chapter 1 Find the Information You Need

■

On the Search Locations panel, in the right pane, right-click anywhere
in the pane. Click Add.

4 In the Add Search Location dialog box, specify a file location to search.
5 Click Add.
6 Click OK.

To remove a search location
1 In the InfoCenter box, click the down arrow next to the Search button.
2 Click Search Settings.
3 In the InfoCenter Settings dialog box, do one of the following:
■

Select a location to remove, and then click Remove.

■

Right-click a search location. Click Remove.

4 In the InfoCenter - Remove Search Location dialog box, click Yes.
5 Click OK.

To specify the CAD Manager Channel location and name
1 Click Start menu (Windows) ➤ All Programs (or Programs) ➤ Autodesk
➤ CAD Manager Tools ➤ CAD Manager Control Utility.
2 Select the product you want to modify. Click OK.
3 In the CAD Manager Control Utility window, InfoCenter tab, select the
option to enable CAD Manager Channel.
4 Enter an appropriate feed under Feed Location.
5 Enter the display name for the CAD Manager and then click Apply. Click
OK.
6 Restart AutoCAD.
7 In the upper right-side of the application, on the InfoCenter box, click
the arrow next to the Search button.
8 Click Search Settings.

Specify InfoCenter Settings | 13

9 In the InfoCenter Settings dialog box, in the left pane, click
Communication Center. The CAD Manager Channel location and name
are displayed.
NOTE A green check mark is displayed if the channel can be located and a yellow
warning sign is displayed if it cannot be located.

To specify the channels to display in the Communication Center panel
1 In the InfoCenter box, click the down arrow next to the Search button.
2 Click Search Settings.
3 In the InfoCenter Settings dialog box, in the left pane, click Autodesk
Channels.
4 In the right pane, select or clear the channels you want to display in the
Communication Center panel.
5 Click OK.

To specify InfoCenter balloon notification settings
1 In the InfoCenter box, click the arrow next to the Search button.
2 Click Search Settings.
3 In the InfoCenter Settings dialog box, in the left pane, click Balloon
Notification.
4 In the right pane, select or clear the options to turn balloon notification
on or off.
NOTE You can turn off the balloon notification for Did You Know messages
in the InfoCenter Settings dialog box.
5 Select one of the following options to set the display time for the Did
You Know messages:
■

Use Balloon Notification Display Time. Uses the display time specified
in the InfoCenter Settings dialog box (Balloon Notification panel) for
the Did You Know messages. This option is unavailable if the Did You
Know messages option is cleared.

■

Display until Closed. Displays the Did You Know message until you
click the Close button.

14 | Chapter 1 Find the Information You Need

6 Enter the number of seconds to set the length of time for balloon
notifications to display.
7 Enter the transparency value of the balloon or set the value using the
slider.
8 Click OK.

To turn on the display of Did You Know hidden messages
1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, System tab, under General Options, click the
Hidden Message Settings button.
3 In the Hidden Message Settings dialog box, select the InfoCenter Did You
Know Balloons option to turn on the display of all hidden messages.
Click OK.
4 Click OK.

To add an RSS feed to Communication Center
1 In the InfoCenter box, click the down arrow next to the Search button.
2 Click Search Settings.
3 In the InfoCenter Settings dialog box, in the left pane, click RSS Feeds.
4 In the right pane, do one of the following:
■

Click Add.

■

Right-click anywhere in the right pane. Click Add.

5 In the Add RSS Feed dialog box, enter the location of the RSS feed you
want to add. Click Add.
6 In the InfoCenter - RSS Feed Confirmation dialog box, click Close.
7 Click OK.

To remove an RSS feed from Communication Center
1 In the InfoCenter box, click the down arrow next to the Search button.
2 Click Search Settings.
3 In the InfoCenter Settings dialog box, in the left pane, click RSS Feeds.

Specify InfoCenter Settings | 15

4 In the right pane, do one of the following:
■

Click Remove.

■

Right-click an RSS feed. Click Remove.

5 In the InfoCenter - Remove RSS Feed dialog box, click Yes.
6 Click OK.

Search Topics in Help
You can click the Help button to display topics in Help.

You can get much more benefit from the Help system when you learn how
to use it efficiently. You can quickly find general descriptions, procedures,
details about dialog boxes and palettes, or definitions of terms.

To display topics in Help
■

In the InfoCenter box, click the Help button.

Learn the Product
For the latest information about Autodesk training, visit
http://www.autodesk.com/training or contact your local Autodesk office.

New Features Workshop

----- The New Features Workshop introduces you to
what's new in PRODNAME.

Authorized Training Centers

More than 1,200 ATC sites are available
----- worldwide to meet your needs for
discipline-specific, locally based training.

16 | Chapter 1 Find the Information You Need

Autodesk Official Training
Courseware

Autodesk Official Training Courseware (AOTC) is
technical training material developed by
----- Autodesk. You can purchase AOTC from your
local reseller or distributor, or you can order it
online from the Autodesk Store.

e-Learning

Autodesk e-Learning for Autodesk Subscription
----- customers features interactive lessons organized
into product catalogs.

Autodesk Developer Network

The Autodesk Developer (ADN) program provides
----- support for full-time, professional developers who
want to build software based on Autodesk
products.

Consulting

Autodesk Consulting provides services that help
----- set up processes and provide critical training that
will help increase productivity so you can
capitalize on the power of your products.

Partner Products and Services

Visit the Partner Products & Services page for a
----- list of resources available for your Autodesk
product and your industry.

View the Product Readme
You can find late-breaking information about this software in the Readme.
It is suggested that you read through the Readme for information about
recommended hardware, updated installation instructions, and known software
problems.
■

View the Readme

View the Product Readme | 17

Where to Find AutoCAD Express Tools Volumes 1-9
AutoCAD Express Tools Volumes 1-9 contain a library of productivity tools
designed to help you extend the power of AutoCAD. They are easy to use,
easily integrated into your menus and toolbars, and cover a wide range of
AutoCAD functions (including dimensioning, drawing, object selection, and
object modification).
AutoCAD Express Tools Volumes 1-9 are installed as a Typical installation of
AutoCAD. If you do not want them installed, you must disable them during
the AutoCAD installation by selecting the Express Tools option on the Select
the Installation Type page.
For more detailed information about using Express Tools, refer to the AutoCAD
Express Tools Help system found on the Express menu (in the Classic Menu
Bar on page 47).
NOTE Express Tools are available in their original form, in English only, and are
not supported. Double-byte characters are not supported.

To verify if Express Tools are loaded
■

At the Command prompt, enter EXPRESSTOOLS to enable the tools.
You can install the AutoCAD Express Tools as part of the AutoCAD
installation, or you can add them later using Add or Remove Programs on
the Control Panel.

To access the Express Tools and their toolbars
■

To display the Express menu, enter EXPRESSMENU at the Command
prompt.

■

To display the Express toolbars, right-click next to any docked toolbar.
Click EXPRESS, and select an Express toolbar. Repeat these steps until all
of the Express toolbars you want are displayed.
TIP With the Express toolbars displayed, select a workspace and save it. The
Express Tools toolbars will then always be included with that workspace.

Join the Customer Involvement Program
You are invited to help guide the direction of Autodesk design software.

18 | Chapter 1 Find the Information You Need

If you participate in the Customer Involvement Program (CIP), specific
information about how you use AutoCAD is forwarded to Autodesk. This
information includes what features you use the most, problems that you
encounter, and other information helpful to the future direction of the
product.
See the following links for more information.
■

Learn more about the Autodesk Customer Involvement Program:
http://www.autodesk.com/cip

■

Read the Autodesk Privacy Statement: http://www.autodesk.com/cipprivacy

When you join, you will be able to view reports that can help you optimize
your use of AutoCAD.
To turn the CIP on or off
1 On the InfoCenter toolbar, to the right of the Help button, click the
drop-down arrow.
2 Click Customer Involvement Program.
3 In the Customer Involvement Program dialog box, select to start or stop
participating.
4 Click OK.

Join the Customer Involvement Program | 19

20

Get Information from
Drawings

2

You can retrieve general information from a drawing including identifying information and
the number of objects that it contains.
There are types of information stored in a drawing that are not specific to objects within the
drawing, but provide useful information to help you understand the behavior of the drawing,
the settings of system variables, the number of objects, descriptive information, and so on.

Obtain General Drawing Information
You can retrieve general information about the drawing file and its settings.
This information includes the following:
■

Custom descriptive information about the drawing (DWGPROPS)

■

General drawing settings (STATUS)

■

Amount of time spent in the drawing (TIME)

This information can help you document a drawing, displays a variety of drawing
settings such as the total number of objects in the drawing and the amount of
free space on your disk drive, and the total amount of time spent in the drawing
file.
See also:
■

Enter System Variables on the Command Line on page 56

■

Add Identifying Information to Drawings on page 174

■

Extract Geometric Information from Objects on page 620

21

■

Compare Dimension Styles and Variables on page 1425

Quick Reference
Commands
DWGPROPS
Sets and displays the file properties of the current drawing.
SETVAR
Lists or changes the values of system variables.
STATUS
Displays drawing statistics, modes, and extents.
TIME
Displays the date and time statistics of a drawing.

System Variables
CDATE
Stores the current date and time in decimal format.
DATE
Stores the current date and time in Modified Julian Date format.
SAVENAME
Displays the file name and directory path of the most recently saved drawing.

Count Objects Within a Drawing
You can count objects within a drawing using the QSELECT command.
The QSELECT command displays the Quick Select dialog box, which allows
you to create a selection set based on the filtering criteria. You can filter
selection sets by property such as color or linetype, and by object type.
Creating a selection set based on the filtering criteria in the Quick Select dialog
box, allows you to count specified types of objects within a drawing.

22 | Chapter 2 Get Information from Drawings

To count specified types of objects in a drawing

1 Click Home tab ➤ Utilities panel ➤ Quick Select.
2 In the Quick Select dialog box, do one of the following:
■

In the Apply To List, select Entire Drawing.

■

Click the Select Objects button to select a group of objects. Press Enter.
In the Apply To list, select Current selection.

3 In the Object Type list, select the type of object you want to count.
4 In the Properties list, select a property that belongs to the type of objects
you want to count.
5 In the Operator list, select = Equals.
6 In the Value list, select the property value of the type of objects you want
to count.
7 Click OK.
The number of objects displays at the Command prompt.

Quick Reference
Commands
QSELECT
Creates a selection set based on filtering criteria.

Count Objects Within a Drawing | 23

24

Part 2: The User Interface

25

26

Tools in the Application
Window

3

Use the Application menu, Quick Access toolbar, and ribbon to access many frequently used
commands.

The Application Menu
Click the application button to search for commands, as well as access tools to
create, open, and publish a file.

Search for Commands
Perform a real-time search for commands on the Quick Access toolbar, in the
application menu, and on the ribbon.
The Search field displays at the top of the application menu. Search results can
include menu commands, basic tooltips, and command prompt text strings.
You can enter a search term in any language.

27

Quick Reference
Commands
CUI
Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.

Access Common Tools
Access common tools to start or publish a file in the application menu.

28 | Chapter 3 Tools in the Application Window

Click the application button to quickly
■

Create, open, or save a file

■

Audit, recover, and purge a file

■

Print or publish a file

■

Access the Options dialog box

■

Close AutoCAD

NOTE You can also close AutoCAD by double-clicking the Application button.

Quick Reference
Commands
CUI
Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.

Browse Files
View, sort, and access supported files that you have recently opened.

Recent Documents
View the most recently used files with the Recent Documents list.
Files display in the Recent Documents list with the most recently used file at
the top by default.

Browse Files | 29

Pinned Files
You can keep a file listed regardless of files that you save later using the push
pin button to the right. The file is displayed at the bottom of the list until you
turn off the push pin button.

Sort and Group Options
Use the drop-down list at the top of the Recent Documents list to sort or group
files by
■

File name

■

File size

■

File type

■

Date the files were last modified

30 | Chapter 3 Tools in the Application Window

To change the preview display options for recent documents
1 Click the Application menu and then, click Recent Documents.
2 Under the Search text box, click the Display Options menu.
3 Select a display option.

NOTE The preview display option you choose remains in both the Recent
Documents and Open Documents lists.

To change the number of recent documents listed
1 Click Tools ➤ Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, click the Open and Save tab.
3 In the Application Menu ➤ Number of Recently Used Files text box,
enter the number of recent documents to be listed. You can choose any
number between 0 and 50.

Browse Files | 31

Quick Reference
Commands
CUI
Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.

Currently Open Documents
View only files that are currently open with the Open Documents list.
Files display in the Open Documents list with the most recently opened file
at the top. To make a file current, click the file in the list.

32 | Chapter 3 Tools in the Application Window

To change the preview display options for currently open documents
1 Click the Application menu and then, click Open Documents.
2 Under the Search text box, click the Display Options menu.
3 Select a display option.

NOTE The preview display option you choose remains in both the Recent
Documents and Open Documents quick menus.

Quick Reference
Commands
CUI
Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.

Browse Files | 33

Preview Documents
View a thumbnail of files in the Recent Documents and Open Documents
lists.
When you hover over a file in either of the lists, a preview of the file is
displayed along with the following information:
■

Path where the file is stored

■

Date the file was last modified

■

Version of the product used to create the file

■

Name of the person who last saved the file

■

Name of the person who is currently editing the file

You can also include a thumbnail of the file next to the files in the list. To
change the file icon to a thumbnail preview, click the drop-down list at the
top of the Recent Documents or Open Documents lists and choose small icons,
large icons, small images, or large images.

Quick Reference
Commands
CUI
Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.

Quick Access Toolbar
Display frequently used tools with the Quick Access toolbar.

34 | Chapter 3 Tools in the Application Window

View Undo and Redo History
The Quick Access toolbar displays options to undo and redo changes to your
file. To undo or redo a less recent change, click the drop-down button to the
right of the Undo and Redo buttons.

Add Commands and Controls
Add unlimited tools to the Quick Access toolbar. Tools that extend past the
maximum length of the toolbar are displayed in a flyout button.

Quick Access Toolbar | 35

To add a ribbon button to the Quick Access toolbar, right-click the button on
the ribbon and click Add to Quick Access toolbar. Buttons are added to the
right of the default commands on the Quick Access toolbar.

Move the Quick Access Toolbar
Place the Quick Access toolbar either above or below the ribbon using the
Customization button.

See also:
■

Quick Access Toolbars

■

Toolbars on page 48

To add a command to the Quick Access toolbar
1 Right-click the Quick Access toolbar.
2 Click Customize Quick Access Toolbar.
3 In the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor, drag a command from the
Command list to the position you want it to be displayed on the Quick
Access toolbar.
For multiple commands, hold down CTRL and select the commands.
4 Click OK.

36 | Chapter 3 Tools in the Application Window

To remove a command from the Quick Access toolbar
1 Right-click the command you want to remove.
2 Click Remove from Quick Access Toolbar.

Quick Reference
Commands
CUI
Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.

The Ribbon
The ribbon is a palette that displays task-based tools and controls.

Overview of the Ribbon
The ribbon is displayed by default when you open a file, providing a compact
palette of all of the tools necessary to create or modify your drawing.

Quick Reference
Commands
CUI
Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.
RIBBON
Opens the ribbon window.

The Ribbon | 37

RIBBONCLOSE
Closes the ribbon window.

System Variables
MTEXTTOOLBAR
Controls the display of the Text Formatting toolbar.
RIBBONCONTEXTSELECT
Controls how ribbon contextual tabs are displayed when you single- or
double-click an object.
RIBBONCONTEXTSELLIM
Limits the number of objects that can be changed at one time with the ribbon
property controls or a contextual tab.
RIBBONDOCKEDHEIGHT
Determines whether the horizontally docked ribbon is set to the height of
the current tab or a predetermined height.
RIBBONSELECTMODE
Determines whether a pickfirst selection set remains selected after a ribbon
contextual tab is invoked and the command is completed.
RIBBONSTATE
Indicates whether the ribbon palette is open or closed.
TABLETOOLBAR
Controls the display of the Table toolbar.

Display and Organize the Ribbon
The ribbon is displayed horizontally or vertically.
The horizontal ribbon is displayed across the top of the file window. You can
dock the vertical ribbon to the left or right of the file window.
The vertical ribbon can also float in the file window or on a second monitor.

38 | Chapter 3 Tools in the Application Window

Ribbon Tabs and Panels
The ribbon is composed of a series of panels, which are organized into tabs
labeled by task. Ribbon panels contain many of the same tools and controls
available in toolbars and dialog boxes.

Some ribbon panels display a dialog box related to that panel. The dialog box
launcher is denoted by an arrow icon, , in the lower-right corner of the
panel. The dialog box launcher indicates that you can display a related dialog
box. Display the related dialog box by clicking the dialog box launcher.

To specify which ribbon tabs and panels are displayed, right-click the ribbon
and, on the shortcut menu, click or clear the names of tabs or panels.

Floating Panels
If you pull a panel off of a ribbon tab and into the drawing area or onto another
monitor, that panel floats where you placed it. The floating panel remains
open until you return it to the ribbon, even if you switch ribbon tabs.

Display and Organize the Ribbon | 39

Slideout Panels
An arrow in the middle of a panel title,
, indicates that you can slide out
the panel to display additional tools and controls. Click on the title bar of an
open panel to display the slideout panel. By default, a slideout panel
automatically closes when you click another panel. To keep a panel expanded,
click the push pin,

, in the bottom-left corner of the slideout panel.

Contextual Ribbon Tabs
When you select a particular type of object or execute some commands, a
special contextual ribbon tab is displayed instead of a toolbar or dialog box.
The contextual tab is closed when you end the command.

Checkboxes
Checkboxes allow you to toggle an option on or off. A third, indeterminate
state occurs if the setting differes for multiple objects.

40 | Chapter 3 Tools in the Application Window

Radio Buttons
Depending on the available space in the vertical or horizontal ribbon, radio
buttons can collapse into a single button. A single radio button works as a
toggle, allowing you to cycle through each item in the list, or as a split button,
where the top half of the radio button is a toggle button and clicking on the
arrow icon in the lower half displays a drop-down of all items in the list.

Sliders
When an option can be executed with varying intensity, the slider allows you
to control the setting from lower to higher, or reverse.

See also:
■

Create Task-Based Workspaces on page 148

Display and Organize the Ribbon | 41

To display the ribbon
■

Click Tools menu ➤ Palettes ➤ Ribbon.
NOTE The ribbon displays the ribbon panels associated with the workspace
you used last.
To display the ribbon panels associated with a specific workspace, click
Tools menu ➤ Workspaces.

To minimize the ribbon
1 The first button toggles the between the full ribbon state, the default
ribbon state, and the minimize ribbon state.
2 The second drop-down button allows you to select the minimize ribbon
state. These are the four minimize ribbon states:
■

Minimize to Tabs: Minimizes the ribbon so that only tab titles are
displayed.

■

Minimize to Panel Titles: Minimizes the ribbon so that only tab and
panel titles are displayed.

■

Minimize to Panel Buttons: Minimizes the ribbon so that only tab
titles and panel buttons are displayed.

■

Cycle Through All: Cycles through all four ribbon states in the order,
full ribbon, minimize to panel buttons, minimize to panel titles,
minimize to tabs.

To display or hide a ribbon panel
■

Right-click anywhere inside the ribbon. Under Panels, select or unselect
the name of a panel.

NOTE In the 3D Modeling workspace, both the Home and Render tabs include
additional panels that are turned off by default.

42 | Chapter 3 Tools in the Application Window

Quick Reference
Commands
CUI
Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.
RIBBON
Opens the ribbon window.
RIBBONCLOSE
Closes the ribbon window.

System Variables
MTEXTTOOLBAR
Controls the display of the Text Formatting toolbar.
RIBBONCONTEXTSELECT
Controls how ribbon contextual tabs are displayed when you single- or
double-click an object.
RIBBONCONTEXTSELLIM
Limits the number of objects that can be changed at one time with the ribbon
property controls or a contextual tab.
RIBBONDOCKEDHEIGHT
Determines whether the horizontally docked ribbon is set to the height of
the current tab or a predetermined height.
RIBBONSELECTMODE
Determines whether a pickfirst selection set remains selected after a ribbon
contextual tab is invoked and the command is completed.
RIBBONSTATE
Indicates whether the ribbon palette is open or closed.
TABLETOOLBAR
Controls the display of the Table toolbar.

Display and Organize the Ribbon | 43

Customize the Ribbon
You can customize the ribbon in the following ways:
■

You can create and modify ribbon panels using the Customize User
Interface Editor. See Ribbon in the Customization Guide.

■

You can associate a customizable tool palette group with each tab on the
ribbon. Right-click the ribbon tab to display a list of available tool palette
groups.

■

You can change the order of ribbon tabs. Click the tab you want to move,
drag it to the desired position, and release.

■

You can change the order of ribbon panels. Click the panel you want to
move, drag it to the desired position, and release.

■

You can convert toolbars into ribbon panels using the Customize User
Interface Editor. See Ribbon in the Customization Guide.

See also:
■

Ribbon

To associate a tool palette group with a ribbon tab

1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ User Interface.
2 In the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor, Customize tab, in the
Customizations In  pane, click the plus sign (+) next to the
Workspaces node to expand it.
3 Select the workspace that has the ribbon tab for which you want to assign
a tool palette group.
4 In the Workspace Contents pane, click the plus sign (+) next to the Ribbon
Tabs node to expand it.
5 Select the ribbon tab that you want to assign a tool palette group.
6 In the Properties pane, in the ToolPalette Group box, click the down
arrow and select the tool palette group you want to assign to the ribbon
tab.
7 Click OK.

44 | Chapter 3 Tools in the Application Window

To display the tool palette group associated with a ribbon tab
■

Right-click a ribbon tab and click Show Related Tool Palette Group.

Quick Reference
Commands
CUI
Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.
RIBBON
Opens the ribbon window.
RIBBONCLOSE
Closes the ribbon window.

System Variables
MTEXTTOOLBAR
Controls the display of the Text Formatting toolbar.
RIBBONCONTEXTSELECT
Controls how ribbon contextual tabs are displayed when you single- or
double-click an object.
RIBBONCONTEXTSELLIM
Limits the number of objects that can be changed at one time with the ribbon
property controls or a contextual tab.
RIBBONDOCKEDHEIGHT
Determines whether the horizontally docked ribbon is set to the height of
the current tab or a predetermined height.
RIBBONSELECTMODE
Determines whether a pickfirst selection set remains selected after a ribbon
contextual tab is invoked and the command is completed.
RIBBONSTATE
Indicates whether the ribbon palette is open or closed.

Customize the Ribbon | 45

TABLETOOLBAR
Controls the display of the Table toolbar.

46 | Chapter 3 Tools in the Application Window

Other Tool Locations

4

Use common tools in the classic menu bar, toolbars, tool palettes, status bars, shortcut menus,
and Design Center to find more commands, settings, and modes.

Access the Classic Menu Bar
Display pull-down menus from the classic menu bar using one of several
methods. You can also specify alternate menus.
The classic menu bar can be displayed at the top of the drawing area. The classic
menu bar is displayed by default in the AutoCAD Classic workspace.
NOTE The classic menu bar is turned off by default in both the 2D Drafting and
Annotation and 3D Modeling workspaces.

47

You can specify menus to display in the menu browser for all workspaces by
customizing a CUIx file and loading it into the program.
See also:
■

Create Task-Based Workspaces on page 148

■

“Pull-down and Shortcut Menus” in the Customization Guide

To display the classic menu bar
■

On the Quick Access toolbar, click the Customization drop-down menu
➤ Show Menu Bar.

Quick Reference
System Variables
MENUBAR
Controls the display of the menu bar.

Toolbars
Use buttons on toolbars to start commands, display flyout toolbars, and display
tooltips. You can display or hide, dock, and resize toolbars.
Toolbars contain buttons that start commands. When you move your mouse
or pointing device over a toolbar button, the tooltip displays the name of the
button. Buttons with a small black triangle in the lower-right corner are flyout
toolbars that contain related commands. With the cursor over the icon, hold
down the left button on your mouse until the flyout toolbar displays.
The Quick Access toolbar at the top of the application window is displayed
®
by default. This toolbar is like those found in Microsoft Office programs. It
®
contains frequently used AutoCAD commands such as PLOT, UNDO, and
REDO, as well as Microsoft Office standard commands such as New, Open,
and Save. For more information about the Quick Access toolbar, see Quick
Access Toolbar on page 34.
NOTE You can turn a toolbar into a ribbon panel using the Customize User
Interface dialog box.

48 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

Display or Hide, Dock, and Resize Toolbars
You can display or hide toolbars, and you can save your selections as a
workspace. You can also create your own toolbars.
A toolbar displays as floating or docked. A floating toolbar displays anywhere
in the drawing area, and you can drag a floating toolbar to a new location,
resize it, or dock it. A docked toolbar is attached to any edge of the drawing
area. A toolbar docked at the top edge of the drawing area is located below
the ribbon. You can move a docked toolbar by dragging it to a new docking
location.
See also:
■

Create Task-Based Workspaces on page 148

■

“Toolbars” in the Customization Guide

■

Ribbon in the Customization Guide

To display a toolbar
1 Click View tab ➤ Windows panel ➤ Toolbars.
2 Select a toolbar from the list.
TIP You can also right-click any toolbar and select a toolbar from the shortcut
menu.

Quick Reference
CUI
Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.

System Variables
TOOLTIPS
Controls the display of tooltips on the ribbon, toolbars, and other user
interface elements.

Toolbars | 49

Status Bars
The application and drawing status bars provide useful information and
buttons for turning drawing tools on and off.

Application Status Bar
The application status bar displays the coordinate values of your cursor,
drawing tools, and tools for Quick View and annotation scaling.
You can view the drawing tool buttons as icons or text. You also can easily
change the settings of snap, polar, osnap, and otrack from the shortcut menus
of these drawing tools.

You can preview and switch between open drawings and layouts in a drawing.
You can also display tools for scaling annotations.
With the Workspace button, you can switch workspaces. The lock button
locks the current positions of the toolbars and windows. To expand the drawing
display area, click the Clean Screen button.
You can add or remove a button from the application status bar from the
shortcut menu of the status bar.
NOTE When the application status bar is turned off, the Clean Screen button is
not displayed on the screen.

50 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

To control the display of icons and notifications in the status bar tray

1 Click View tab ➤ Windows panel ➤ Status Bar.
2 In the Status Bar drop-down, click Tray Settings.
3 In the Tray Settings dialog box, select or clear the following display
options:
■

Display Icons from Services. Displays the tray at the right end of the
status bar and displays icons from services. When this option is cleared,
the tray is not displayed.

■

Display Notifications from Services. Displays notifications from services
such as Communications Center. When the Display Icons from
Services option is cleared, this option is unavailable.

4 If Display Notifications from Services is selected, set a time for a
notification to be displayed, or select Display Until Closed.
5 Click OK.

To control the display of buttons on the status bar

1 Click View tab ➤ Windows panel ➤ Status Bar.
2 In the Status Bar drop-down, select any button name to change the
display.

To control the display of cursor coordinates on the status bar

1 Click View tab ➤ Windows panel ➤ Status Bar.
2 In the Status Bar drop-down, select or clear Cursor Coordinate Values.

Quick Reference
TRAYSETTINGS
Controls the display of icons and notifications in the status bar tray.

Application Status Bar | 51

System Variables
STATUSBAR
Controls the display of the application and drawing status bars.

Drawing Status Bar
The drawing status bar displays several tools for scaling annotations.
Different tools display for model space and paper space.

When the drawing status bar is turned on, it displays at the bottom of the
drawing area. When the drawing status bar is turned off, the tools found on
the drawing status bar are moved to the application status bar.
When the drawing status bar is turned on, you can use the Drawing Status
Bar menu to select which tool to display on the status bar.

To turn the drawing status bar on or off

■

Click View tab ➤ Windows panel ➤ Drawing Status Bar.

To control the display of buttons on the drawing status bar
■

Click the arrow to the right of the drawing status bar and select or clear
any option name.
Checked items are displayed on the drawing status bar.

Quick Reference
System Variables
STATUSBAR
Controls the display of the application and drawing status bars.

52 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

Keytips
Use the keyboard to access the Application menu, Quick Access toolbar, and
ribbon.

Press the Alt key to display shortcut keys for common tools in the application
window.
When you select a keytip, more keytips are displayed for that tool.

The Command Window
Enter Commands on the Command Line
You can enter a command by using the keyboard. Some commands also have
abbreviated names called command aliases.
Commands, system variables, options, messages, and prompts are displayed
in a dockable and resizable window called the command window. The bottom
line of the command window is called the command line. The command line
displays the operation in progress and provides an inside view of exactly what
the program is doing.

Keytips | 53

To enter a command by using the keyboard, type the full command name on
the command line and press Enter or Spacebar.
NOTE When Dynamic Input is on and is set to display dynamic prompts, you can
enter many commands in tooltips near the cursor.
Some commands also have abbreviated names. For example, instead of entering
line to start the LINE command, you can enter l. Abbreviated command names
are called command aliases and are defined in the acad.pgp file.
To define your own command aliases, see Create Command Aliases in the
Customization Guide.
To find a command, you can type a letter on the command line and press
TAB to cycle through all the commands that begin with that letter. Press Enter
or Spacebar. Restart a recently used command by right-clicking on the
command line.

Specify Command Options
When you enter commands on the command line, you see either a set of
options or a dialog box. For example, when you enter circle at the Command
prompt, the following prompt is displayed:
Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan, tan, radius)]:

54 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

You can specify the center point either by entering X,Y coordinate values or
by using the pointing device to click a point on the screen.
To choose a different option, enter the letters capitalized in one of the options
in the brackets. You can enter uppercase or lowercase letters. For example, to
choose the three-point option (3P), enter 3p.

Execute Commands
To execute commands, press Spacebar or Enter, or right-click your pointing
device after entering command names or responses to prompts. The
instructions in Help assume this step and do not specifically instruct you to
press Enter after each entry.

Repeat and Cancel Commands
If you want to repeat a command that you have just used, press Enter or
Spacebar, or right-click your pointing device at the Command prompt.
You also can repeat a command by entering multiple, a space, and the
command name, as shown in the following example:
Command: multiple circle
To cancel a command in progress, press ESC.

Interrupt a Command with Another Command or System Variable
Many commands can be used transparently: that is, they can be entered on
the command line while you use another command. Transparent commands
frequently change drawing settings or display , for example, GRID or ZOOM.
In the Command Reference, transparent commands are designated by an
apostrophe in front of the command name.
To use a command transparently, click its toolbar button or enter an
apostrophe (') before entering the command at any prompt. On the command
line, double angle brackets (>>) precede prompts that are displayed for
transparent commands. After you complete the transparent command, the
original command resumes. In the following example, you turn on the dot
grid and set it to one-unit intervals while you draw a line, and then you
continue drawing the line.
Command: line
Specify first point: 'grid
>>Specify grid spacing (X) or [ON/OFF/Snap/Aspect] <0.000>: 1
Resuming LINE command
Specify first point:

Enter Commands on the Command Line | 55

Commands that do not select objects, create new objects, or end the drawing
session usually can be used transparently. Changes made in dialog boxes that
you have opened transparently cannot take effect until the interrupted
command has been executed. Similarly, if you reset a system variable
transparently, the new value cannot take effect until you start the next
command.
See also:
■

“Keyboard Shortcuts” in the Customization Guide

To copy a command you have recently used
1 Right-click on the command line. Click Recent Commands.
2 Click the command you want to use.

Quick Reference
MULTIPLE
Repeats the next command until canceled.
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.
PASTECLIP
Pastes objects from the Clipboard into the current drawing.

System Variables
CMDNAMES
Displays the names of the active and transparent commands.

Enter System Variables on the Command Line
System variables are settings that control how certain commands work.
They can turn on or turn off modes such as Snap, Grid, or Ortho. They can
set default scales for hatch patterns. They can store information about the
current drawing and about program configuration. Sometimes you use a system
variable in order to change a setting. At other times you use a system variable
to display the current status.

56 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

For example, the GRIDMODE system variable turns the dot grid display on
and off when you change the value. In this case, the GRIDMODE system
variable is functionally equivalent to the GRID command. DATE is a read-only
system variable that stores the current date. You can display this value, but
you cannot change it.

Bitcode Variables
Some system variables are controlled using bitcodes. With these system
variables, you add values to specify a unique combination of behaviors. For
example, the LOCKUI system variable provides the following bitcode values:
0

Toolbars and windows not locked

1

Docked toolbars locked

2

Docked or anchored windows locked

4

Floating toolbars locked

8

Floating windows locked

Thus, if LOCKUI is set to 1 + 4 = 5, only docked and floating toolbars are
locked; docked, anchored, and floating windows are not locked.
NOTE You can examine or change a system variable's setting transparently, that
is, while using another command; however, new values may not take effect until
the interrupted command ends.

To change the setting of a system variable
1 At the Command prompt, enter the system variable name. For example,
enter gridmode to change the grid setting.
2 To change the status of GRIDMODE, enter 1 for on or 0 for off. To retain
the current value of the system variable, press Enter.

To see a complete list of system variables
1 Click Tools menu ➤ Inquiry ➤ Set Variable..
2 At the Variable Name prompt, enter ?.
3 At the Enter Variable(s) to List prompt, press Enter.

Enter System Variables on the Command Line | 57

Quick Reference
SETVAR
Lists or changes the values of system variables.

Navigate and Edit Within the Command Window
You can edit text in the command window to correct or repeat commands.
Use the standard keys:
■

Up, Down, Left Arrow, and Right Arrow

■

Insert, Delete

■

Page Up, Page Down

■

Home, End

■

Backspace

You can repeat any command used in the current session by cycling through
the commands in the command window with Up ArrowCtrl and Down Arrow
and pressing Enter. By default, pressing Ctrl+C copies highlighted text to the
Clipboard. Pressing Ctrl+V pastes text from the Clipboard to the text window
or the command window.
If you right-click in the command window or text window, a shortcut menu
is displayed from which you can access the six most recently used commands,
copy selected text or the entire command history, paste text, and access the
Options dialog box.
For most commands, a command line with two or three lines of previous
prompts, called the command history, is sufficient for viewing and editing.
To see more than one line of command history, you can scroll through the
history or resize the command window by dragging its border. For commands
with text output, such as LIST, you might need a larger command window,
or you can press F2 to use the text window.

Use the Text Window
The text window is a window similar to the command window in which you
can enter commands and view prompts and messages. The text window
displays a complete command history for the current work session. Use the
text window to view lengthy output of commands such as LIST, which displays

58 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

detailed information about objects you select. To move forward and backward
in the command history, you can click the scroll arrows along the right edge
of the window.
Press SHIFT with a key to highlight text. For example, press SHIFT+HOME in
the text window to highlight all text from the cursor location to the beginning
of the line.
To copy all the text in the text window to the Clipboard, use the COPYHIST
command.
To save commands to a log file, use the LOGFILEON command.
See also:
■

Dock, Resize, and Hide the Command Window on page 62

■

Use Dynamic Input on page 578

To close the text window
■

At the Command prompt, enter graphscr.

NOTE You can also close the text window by pressing F2, or using the standard
Windows controls.

To copy text from the text window to the command line
1 If the text window is not displayed, click View tab ➤ Windows panel ➤

Text Window.
2 Select the text you want to copy.
3 Right-click in the command window or text window. Click Paste to
Command Line.
The text is copied to the Clipboard and then pasted on the command
line. After you press Enter, the commands are executed in sequence, like
a script. You can also use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V to copy and paste text.

To display the text window

■

Click View tab ➤ Windows panel ➤ Text Window.

Navigate and Edit Within the Command Window | 59

The text window is displayed in front of the drawing area.

Quick Reference
COPYCLIP
Copies selected objects to the Clipboard.
COPYHIST
Copies the text in the command line history to the Clipboard.
GRAPHSCR
Switches from the text window to the drawing area.
LOGFILEOFF
Closes the text window log file opened by LOGFILEON.
LOGFILEON
Writes the text window contents to a file.
PASTECLIP
Pastes objects from the Clipboard into the current drawing.
TEXTSCR
Opens the text window.

System Variables
LOGFILEMODE
Specifies whether the contents of the text window are written to a log file.
LOGFILENAME
Specifies the path and name of the text window log file for the current
drawing.
LOGFILEPATH
Specifies the path for the text window log files for all drawings in a session.

Switch Between Dialog Boxes and the Command Line
You can display prompts on the command line instead of using a dialog box,
or switch back again. This option is useful primarily when using scripts.

60 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

Some functions are available both on the command line and in a dialog box.
In many cases, you can enter a hyphen before the command to suppress the
dialog box and display prompts on the command line instead. For example,
entering layer on the command line displays the Layer Properties Manager.
Entering -layer on the command line displays the equivalent command line
options. Suppressing the dialog box is useful for compatibility with earlier
versions of AutoCAD® and for using script files. There may be slight differences
between the options in the dialog box and those available on the command
line.
These system variables also affect the display of dialog boxes:
■

ATTDIA controls whether INSERT uses a dialog box for attribute value
entry.

■

CMDNAMES displays the name (in English) of the currently active
command and transparent command.

■

EXPERT controls whether certain warning dialog boxes are displayed.

■

FILEDIA controls the display of dialog boxes used with commands that
read and write files. For example, if FILEDIA is set to 1, SAVEAS displays
the Save Drawing As dialog box. If FILEDIA is set to 0, SAVEAS displays
prompts on the command line. The procedures in this documentation
assume that FILEDIA is set to 1. Even when FILEDIA is set to 0, you can
display a file dialog box by entering a tilde (~) at the first prompt.

FILEDIA and EXPERT are useful when you use scripts to run commands.

To use the command line version of a command
■

For most commands, enter minus (-) in front of the command.

■

For dialog boxes that open and save files, set the FILEDIA system variable
to 0.

Quick Reference
GRAPHSCR
Switches from the text window to the drawing area.

Switch Between Dialog Boxes and the Command Line | 61

System Variables
ATTDIA
Controls whether the INSERT command uses a dialog box for attribute value
entry.
CMDNAMES
Displays the names of the active and transparent commands.
EXPERT
Controls whether certain prompts are issued.
FILEDIA
Suppresses display of file navigation dialog boxes.

Dock, Resize, and Hide the Command Window
Change the position and display of the command window to suit the way
you work.

Dock the Command Window
By default, the command window is docked. The docked command window
is the same width as the AutoCAD window. If text that is entered becomes
longer than the width of the command line, the window pops up in front of
the command line to show the full text of the line.
Undock, or float, the command window by dragging it away from the docking
region. The docking region is an edge of the AutoCAD application window
that allows you to dock a toolbar, palette, or the command window. You can
move the floating command window anywhere on the screen and resize its
width and height with the pointing device.
Dock a floating command window again by dragging it to the docking region
of the AutoCAD window.

Anchoring the Command Window
The command window can be anchored on the left or right side of the
AutoCAD window. By anchoring the command window it remains on screen,
but in a minimized state, which allows you to bring it back up when needed.
This also helps to increase the amount of visible drawing area. The command
window must be floating before an anchoring side can be selected. To anchor

62 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

the command window make sure it is floating, and then right-click over its
title bar and select either Anchor Left or Anchor Right.

Resize the Command Window
You can resize the command window vertically by dragging the splitter bar,
which is located on the top edge of the window when it is docked on the
bottom and at the bottom edge of the window when it is docked at the top.

Hide the Command Window
Hide and redisplay the command line by doing one of the following:
■

Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Command Line.

■

Click Tools menu ➤ Command Line.

■

Press Ctrl+9.

When you hide the command line, you can still enter commands. However,
some commands and system variables return values at the command line, so
you may want to redisplay the command line in those instances.
NOTE For information about display options (such as auto-hide or transparency)
for dockable windows, see “Control the Display of Dockable Windows” in the
topic Set Interface Options on page 109.

To float the command window
■

Click the move handle (the double bars) on the left edge of the docked
command window and drag the command window away from the docking
region until it has a thick outline. Then drop it in the drawing area of the
AutoCAD window.

To make the floating command window transparent
1 In the floating Command window, click the Properties button and select
Transparency.
2 In the Transparency dialog box, move the slider to the left to make the
command window less transparent and to the right to make it more
transparent.
The range is from opaque to transparent. When the Turn Off Transparency
for All Palettes option is selected, the command window cannot be made
transparent.

Dock, Resize, and Hide the Command Window | 63

To dock the command window
■

Click the title bar and drag the command window until it is over the top
or bottom docking region of the AutoCAD window. When the command
window becomes the same width as the AutoCAD window, release the
mouse button to dock it.
The docking region is an edge of the AutoCAD application window that
allows you to dock a toolbar, palette, or the command window.

■

Right-click the title bar of the Command window, and select Allow
Docking.
NOTE You can control whether the command window docks by right-clicking
the title bar of the command window and then clicking Allow docking.

To resize the command window when it is docked
1 Position the cursor over the horizontal splitter bar so that the cursor
appears as a double line and arrows.
2 Drag the splitter bar vertically until the command window is the size you
want it to be.

To hide the command window

■

Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Command Line.

NOTE Some commands and system variables return values at the command line,
so you may want to display the command line in those instances. To display the
command line when it's hidden, press Ctrl+9. Alternate method:

Quick Reference
COMMANDLINE
Displays the Command Line window.
COMMANDLINEHIDE
Hides the Command Line window.

64 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

System Variables
PALETTEOPAQUE
Controls whether palettes can be made transparent.

Shortcut Menus
Display a shortcut menu for quick access to commands that are relevant to
your current activity.
You can display different shortcut menus when you right-click different areas
of the screen. Shortcut menus typically include options to
■

Repeat the last command entered

■

Cancel the current command

■

Display a list of recent user input

■

Cut, copy, and paste from the Clipboard

■

Select a different command option

■

Display a dialog box, such as Options or Customize

■

Undo the last command entered

You can customize right-click behavior to be time-sensitive, so that a quick
right-click acts the same as pressing Enter, and a longer right-click displays a
shortcut menu.
Shortcut menus can be customized using a customization (CUIx) file. The
main CUIx file is called acad.cuix by default.
See also:
■

“Create Submenus” in the Customization Guide

To display a shortcut menu
1 Move the cursor over an area, feature, or icon.
2 Right-click your mouse, or press the equivalent button on your pointing
device.
A shortcut menu relevant to the cursor location is displayed. If one or
more objects are selected when you right-click in the drawing area, an

Shortcut Menus | 65

editing-oriented shortcut menu is displayed. You can also display a
shortcut menu during PAN or ZOOM.

To turn off shortcut menus in the drawing area
1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, User Preferences tab, under Windows Standard
Behavior, clear Shortcut Menus in Drawing Area.
3 To control Default, Edit, and Command shortcut menus individually,
select Shortcut Menus in Drawing Area. Right-Click Customization.
4 In the Right-Click Customization dialog box, under Default Mode or Edit
Mode, select one of the following options to control what happens when
you right-click in the drawing area and no command is in progress:
■

Repeat Last Command. Repeats the last command. Selecting this
option turns off the Default and Edit shortcut menus. Right-clicking
is the same as pressing Enter.

■

Shortcut Menu. Displays the Default or Edit shortcut menu.

5 Under Command Mode, select one of the following options to determine
what happens when you right-click in the drawing area while a command
is in progress:
■

Enter. Turns off the Command shortcut menu. Right-clicking is the
same as pressing Enter.

■

Shortcut Menu: Always Enabled. Displays the Command shortcut
menu.

■

Shortcut Menu: Enabled When Command Options Are Present.
Displays the Command shortcut menu only when options are
currently available in the Command prompt. In a Command prompt,
options are enclosed in square brackets. If no options are available,
right-clicking is the same as pressing Enter.

In addition to turning the Default, Edit, and Command shortcut menus
on and off, you can customize the options that are displayed on them.
For example, you can add options to the Edit shortcut menu that are
displayed only when circles are selected.

To turn on time-sensitive right-click behavior
1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options.

66 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

2 In the Options dialog box, User Preferences tab, under Windows Standard
Behavior, click Right-Click Customization.
3 In the Right-Click Customization dialog box, select Turn on Time-Sensitive
Right-Click.
You can specify the duration of the longer click. The default is 250
milliseconds
4 Click Apply & Close.
5 In the Options dialog box, click OK.

To control the display of recent input
1 At the Command prompt, enter inputhistorymode.
2 Enter a sum of one or more of the following values:
■

0. No history of recent input is displayed.

■

1. History of recent input is displayed at the Command prompt with
access through Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys.

■

2. History of recent input for the current command is displayed in
the shortcut menu.

■

4. History of recent input for all commands in the current session is
displayed in the shortcut menu.

■

8. Markers for recent input of point locations are displayed in the
drawing.

The default value is 15.
3 (Optional) At the Command prompt, enter cmdinputhistorymax.
4 Enter a value to control how many unique values entered at a prompt
are remembered and available to be displayed as recent input.

Quick Reference
COPYCLIP
Copies selected objects to the Clipboard.
COPYHIST
Copies the text in the command line history to the Clipboard.

Shortcut Menus | 67

CUI
Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.
CUTCLIP
Copies selected objects to the Clipboard and removes them from the drawing.
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.
PAN
Moves the view planar to the screen.
PASTECLIP
Pastes objects from the Clipboard into the current drawing.
PROPERTIES
Controls properties of existing objects.
TRAYSETTINGS
Controls the display of icons and notifications in the status bar tray.
U
Reverses the most recent operation.
ZOOM
Increases or decreases the magnification of the view in the current viewport.

System Variables
CMDINPUTHISTORYMAX
Sets the maximum number of previous input values that are stored for a
prompt in a command.
INPUTHISTORYMODE
Controls the content and location of the display of a history of user input.
PICKFIRST
Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you
issue a command.

68 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

SHORTCUTMENU
Controls whether Default, Edit, and Command mode shortcut menus are
available in the drawing area.
TRAYICONS
Controls whether a tray is displayed on the status bar.
TRAYNOTIFY
Controls whether service notifications are displayed in the status bar tray.
TRAYTIMEOUT
Controls the length of time (in seconds) that service notifications are
displayed.

Tool Palettes
Tool palettes are tabbed areas within the Tool Palettes window that provide
an efficient method for organizing, sharing, and placing blocks, hatches, and
other tools. Tool palettes can also contain custom tools provided by third-party
developers.

Create and Use Tools from Objects and Images
You can create a tool by dragging objects from your drawing onto a tool
palette. You can then use the new tool to create objects with the same
properties as the object you dragged onto the tool palette.
Tool palettes are tabbed areas within the Tool Palettes window. The items you
add to a tool palette are called tools. You can create a tool by dragging any of
the following, one at a time, onto your tool palette:
■

Geometric objects such as lines, circles, and polylines

■

Dimensions

■

Blocks

■

Hatches

■

Solid fills

■

Gradient fills

■

Raster images

Tool Palettes | 69

■

External references (xrefs)

NOTE When you drag an object onto a tool palette, you can switch to a different
tab by hovering over the tab for a few seconds.
You can then use the new tool to create objects in your drawing with the same
properties as the object you dragged to the tool palette. For example, if you
drag a red circle with a lineweight of .05 mm from your drawing to your tool
palette, the new tool creates a red circle with a lineweight of .05 mm. If you
drag a block or xref to a tool palette, the new tool inserts the block or xref
with the same properties into your drawing.
When you drag a geometric object or a dimension onto a tool palette, the
new tool is automatically created with an appropriate flyout. Dimension tool
flyouts, for example, provide an assortment of dimension styles. Click the
arrow on the right side of the tool icon on the tool palette to display the flyout.
When you use a tool on a flyout, the object in the drawing has the same
properties as the original tool on the tool palette.

Insert Blocks and Attach References
You can choose to be prompted for a rotation angle (starting from 0) when
you click and place a block or xref. This option ignores the angle specified
under Rotation in the Tool Properties dialog box. The rotation angle prompt
does not display if you drag the block or xref, or if you enter rotate at the
initial insertion Command prompt.
Blocks that are placed by dragging from a tool palette must often be rotated
or scaled after placement. You can use object snaps when dragging blocks
from a tool palette; however, grid snap is suppressed during dragging. You
can set an auxiliary scale for a block or a hatch tool to override the regular
scale setting when you use the tool. (An auxiliary scale multiplies your current
scale setting by the plot scale or the dimension scale.)
Blocks dragged from a tool palette are automatically scaled according to the
ratio of units in both the block and the current drawing. For example, if the
current drawing uses meters as units and a block uses centimeters, the unit
ratio is 1 m/100 cm. When you drag the block into the drawing, it is inserted
at 1/100 scale.
NOTE In the Options dialog box, User Preferences tab, the Source Content Units
and Target Drawing Units settings are used when Drag-and-Drop Scale is set to
Unitless, either in the source block or target drawing.

70 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

Update Block Definitions on Tool Palettes
A block definition in your current drawing does not update automatically
when you modify the block in the source drawing. To update a block definition
in the current drawing, right-click the block tool on the tool palette and click
Redefine on the shortcut menu.
If the Redefine option is unavailable, then the block definition source is a
drawing file rather than a block within a drawing file. To update a block
definition that was created by inserting a drawing file, use DesignCenter. For
more information, see Add Content with DesignCenter on page 97.
NOTE If you move the source drawing file for a block tool to a different folder,
then modify the tool that references it by right-clicking the tool and, in the Tool
Properties dialog box, specifying the new source file folder.
See also:
■

Control Tool Properties on page 78

■

Customize Tool Palettes on page 83

■

Create Task-Based Workspaces on page 148

■

Add Content with DesignCenter on page 97

To open a block on a tool palette in the Block Editor
1 If the Tool Palettes window is not already displayed, click View tab

➤ Palettes panel ➤ Tool Palettes.
2 On the block icon’s shortcut menu, click Block Editor.
NOTE A block on a tool palette may reside in another drawing. The drawing that
contains the block definition is opened in the Block Editor.

To add or remove a tool flyout
1 On a tool palette, right-click the geometric object tool or the dimension
tool whose flyout you want to add or remove. Click Properties.
2 In the Tool Properties dialog box, under Command, click in the Use
Flyout box.

Create and Use Tools from Objects and Images | 71

3 In the drop-down list, select Yes if you want to add a flyout, or select No
if you want to remove one.
4 Click OK.
NOTE If you remove the flyout from a tool but then add the flyout back, the
image, name, and description (the tooltip) that displays on the tool palette
for each tool on the flyout will not be accurate. To correct this, return the
image, name, and description of the flyout tool to the default settings. See
To change the image, name, and description of a flyout tool to the default
settings.

To customize a tool flyout
1 On a tool palette, right-click the geometric object tool or dimension tool
whose flyout you want to customize. Click Properties.
2 In the Tool Properties dialog box, under Command, click in the Flyout
Options box. Click the [...] button.
3 In the Flyout Options dialog box, select the tools that you want to show
on the flyout. Click OK. (You must select at least one tool.)
4 In the Tool Properties dialog box, click OK.

To be prompted for a rotation angle when placing a block or xref from a tool
palette
1 In a tool palette, right-click a block or xref tool. Click Properties.
2 In the Tool Properties dialog box, under Insert, click Prompt for Rotation.
3 In the drop-down list, select Yes.
4 Click OK.
NOTE This option ignores the angle specified under Rotation in the Tool
Properties dialog box. The rotation angle prompt does not display if you drag
the block or xref, or if you enter rotate at the initial insertion Command
prompt.

72 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

Quick Reference
CUSTOMIZE
Customizes tool palettes and tool palette groups.
TOOLPALETTES
Opens the Tool Palettes window.
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE
Closes the Tool Palettes window.
UNITS
Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision.

System Variables
INSUNITSDEFSOURCE
Sets source content units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
INSUNITSDEFTARGET
Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
PALETTEOPAQUE
Controls whether palettes can be made transparent.
TPSTATE
Indicates whether the Tool Palettes window is open or closed.

Create and Use Command Tools
You can create a tool on a tool palette that executes a single command or a
string of commands.
You can add frequently used commands to a tool palette. When the Customize
dialog box is open, you can drag tools from a toolbar to a tool palette or you
can drag tools from the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor to a tool palette.
Once you add a command to a tool palette, you can click the tool to execute
the command. For example, clicking a Save tool on a tool palette saves a
drawing just as the Save button on the Standard toolbar does.

Create and Use Command Tools | 73

You can also create a tool that executes a string of commands or customized
®
commands, such as an AutoLISP routine, a VBA macro or application, or a
script.
NOTE Even though the tools on palettes can be clicked when the Customize User
Interface (CUI) Editor is displayed, the end results might be unpredictable. It is
best to not use any of the tools on a palette while the Customize User Interface
(CUI) Editor is displayed.

To create a command tool from a toolbar button
1 Make sure the toolbar that contains the command you want to add to
the tool palette is displayed.
If the required toolbar is not displayed, click Tools ➤ Toolbars and select
another toolbar from the list.

2 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes.
NOTE Even though you won't make any changes in the Customize dialog
box in this procedure, it must be displayed when you add command tools
to a tool palette.
3 In the program, drag a command (button) from a toolbar to the tool
palette and, without releasing the mouse button, move the cursor to the
place on the tool palette where you want the tool.
The black horizontal line indicates where the tool will be located.
4 Release the mouse button.
5 In the Customize dialog box, click Close.

To create a command tool from the Customize User Interface

1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ User Interface.
If the CUI Editor is covering the Tool Palettes window, then move the
CUI Editor to the side.
2 In the Command List pane, drag a command to the tool palette and,
without releasing the mouse button, move the cursor to the place on the
tool palette where you want the tool.

74 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

The black horizontal line indicates where the tool will be located.
3 Release the mouse button.
4 In the CUI Editor, click Close.

To create a command tool that executes multiple or customized commands
(advanced)

1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes.
2 In the program, drag a command from a toolbar to the tool palette and,
without releasing the mouse button, move the cursor to the place on the
tool palette where you want the tool.
3 Release the mouse button.
4 On the tool palette, right-click the tool. Click Properties.
5 In the Tool Properties dialog box, change the name and description to
an appropriate name and description for the string, AutoLISP routine, or
script.
6 Under Command, in the Command String box, enter a string of
commands or customized commands, such as an AutoLISP routine, a
VBA macro or application, or a script.
7 Click OK.

To use a command tool
1 On a tool palette, click the command tool that you want to use.
2 Follow any Command prompts that are shown.

Quick Reference
CUI
Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.
CUSTOMIZE
Customizes tool palettes and tool palette groups.

Create and Use Command Tools | 75

TOOLPALETTES
Opens the Tool Palettes window.
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE
Closes the Tool Palettes window.

Change Tool Palette Settings
The options and settings for tool palettes are accessible from shortcut menus
that are displayed when you right-click in different areas of the Tool Palettes
window.
You can dock the Tool Palettes window on the right or left edge of the
application window. Press the Ctrl key if you want to prevent docking as you
move the Tool Palettes window.
Tool palette settings are saved with your profile.
These settings include
■

Allow Docking. Toggles the ability to dock or anchor palette windows. If
this option is selected, a window can be docked when you drag it over a
docking area at the side of a drawing. A docked window adheres to the
side of the application window and causes the drawing area to be resized.
Selecting this option also makes Anchor Right and Anchor Left available.

■

Anchor Left or Anchor Right. Attaches the palette to an anchor tab base
at the left or right side of the drawing area. The palette rolls open and
closed as the cursor moves across it. When an anchored palette is open,
its content overlaps the drawing area. An anchored palette cannot be set
to stay open.

■

Auto-hide. Controls the display of the palette when it is floating. When
this option is selected, only the tool palette title bar is displayed when the
cursor moves outside the tool palette. When this option is cleared, the
palette stays open continuously. You can display the tool palette title bar
as either icons or text from the shortcut menu of the title bar.

■

Transparency. Sets the transparency of the Tool Palettes window so it does
not obscure objects under it.

■

Views. Changes the display style and size of the icons in a tool palette.

76 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

To change the rollover behavior of the Tool Palettes window
■

In the Tool Palettes window, at the top of the title bar, click the Auto-Hide
button.

NOTE Rollover behavior is available only when the Tool Palettes window is
undocked.

To change the transparency of the Tool Palettes window
1 In the Tool Palettes window, at the top of the title bar, click the Properties
button. Click Transparency.
2 In the Transparency dialog box, adjust the level of transparency for the
Tool Palettes window. Click OK.
NOTE Transparency is available only when the Tool Palettes window is
undocked.

To change the icon display style in the Tool Palettes window
1 Right-click a blank area inside the Tool Palettes window. Click View
Options.
2 In the View Options dialog box, click the icon display option that you
want to set. You can also change the size of the icons.
3 Click the list box under Apply To, and then select either Current Tool
Palette or All Tool Palettes.

Change Tool Palette Settings | 77

4 Click OK.

Quick Reference
CUSTOMIZE
Customizes tool palettes and tool palette groups.
TOOLPALETTES
Opens the Tool Palettes window.
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE
Closes the Tool Palettes window.

System Variables
PALETTEOPAQUE
Controls whether palettes can be made transparent.
TPSTATE
Indicates whether the Tool Palettes window is open or closed.

Control Tool Properties
You can change the properties of any tool on a tool palette.
Once a tool is on a tool palette, you can change its properties. For example,
you can change the insertion scale of a block or the angle of a hatch pattern.

78 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

To change tool properties, right-click on a tool, and then click Properties on
the shortcut menu to display the Tool Properties dialog box. The Tool
Properties dialog box has the following two categories of properties:
■

Insert or Pattern properties. Control object-specific properties such as
scale, rotation, and angle.

■

General properties. Override the current drawing property settings such
as layer, color, and linetype.

You can expand and collapse the property categories by clicking the arrow
buttons.

Specify a Different Icon for a Tool
You can replace the icon for a tool with an image that you specify. This is
useful when the automatically generated icon is too cluttered to be easily
recognizable.
To replace the image, right-click the tool in the tool palette and click Specify
Image on the shortcut menu.
To restore the default image for a tool, right-click the tool and click Remove
Specified Image.

Update the Icon for a Tool
The icon for a block, xref, or raster image in a tool palette is not automatically
updated if its definition changes. If you change the definition for a block,

Control Tool Properties | 79

xref, or raster image, you can update the icon by right-clicking the tool in the
palette and clicking Update Tool Image. You must save the drawing before
you can update the tool image.
™

Alternatively, you can delete the tool, and then replace it using DesignCenter .

Specify Overrides for Tool Properties
In some cases, you may want to assign specific property overrides to a tool.
For example, you may want a hatch to be placed automatically on a
pre-specified layer, regardless of the current layer setting. This feature can save
you time and reduce errors by setting properties automatically when creating
certain objects.
The Tool Properties dialog box provides areas for each possible property
override.
Layer property overrides affect color, linetype, lineweight, plot style, and plot.
Layer property overrides are resolved as follows:
■

If a layer is missing from the drawing, that layer is created automatically.

■

If a layer to which you are adding content is currently turned off or frozen,
the layer is temporarily turned on or thawed.

To display the properties of a tool on a tool palette
1 On a tool palette, right-click a tool. Click Properties.
2 In the Tool Properties dialog box, use the scroll bar to view all tool
properties.
You can resize the Tool Properties dialog box by dragging an edge, or you
can expand and collapse the property categories by clicking the double
arrow buttons.
3 Click OK.

To change the property of a tool on a tool palette
1 On a tool palette, right-click a tool. Click Properties.
2 In the Tool Properties dialog box, click any property in the list of
properties and specify the new value or setting.
■

Properties listed under the Insert or Pattern category control
object-specific properties such as scale, rotation, and angle.

80 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

■

Properties listed under the General category override the current
drawing property settings such as layer, color, and linetype.

■

Auxiliary scale for a block or a hatch tool overrides the regular scale
setting when the tool is used. (An auxiliary scale multiplies your
current scale setting by the plot scale or the dimension scale.)

You can resize the Tool Properties dialog box by dragging an edge, or you
can expand and collapse the property categories by clicking the arrow
buttons.
3 Click OK.
NOTE If you specify an image, name, or description for a tool that has a
flyout, that image, name, and description are displayed on the tool palette
for each tool on the flyout. To return the flyout tool's image, name, and
description to their default settings, leave the corresponding boxes blank in
the Tool Properties dialog box.

To refresh the image of a block tool on a tool palette
1 On a tool palette, right-click a tool.
2 Click Update Tool Image.
NOTE You must save the drawing before you can update the tool image.

To change the image of a tool on a tool palette
1 On a tool palette, right-click a tool.
2 On the shortcut menu, click Specify Image.
3 In the Select Image File dialog box, locate the image file you want to use.
4 Click Open to insert the new image.
NOTE If you specify an image for a tool that has a flyout, that image is
displayed on the tool palette for each tool on the flyout. To return the flyout
tool images to their default images, see To change the image, name, and
description of a flyout tool to the default settings.

Control Tool Properties | 81

To change the image, name, and description of a flyout tool to the default
settings
1 On a tool palette, right-click a tool. Click Properties.
2 In the Tool Properties dialog box, right-click in the image area. Click
Delete Image.
3 Click in the Name box and delete the text.
4 Click in the Description box and delete the text.
5 Click OK.
NOTE Leaving the Image, Name, and Description boxes blank in the Tool
Properties dialog box will return the flyout tool's image, name, and description
to their default settings.

Quick Reference
CUSTOMIZE
Customizes tool palettes and tool palette groups.
TOOLPALETTES
Opens the Tool Palettes window.
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE
Closes the Tool Palettes window.
TPNAVIGATE
Displays a specified tool palette or palette group.

System Variables
PALETTEOPAQUE
Controls whether palettes can be made transparent.
TPSTATE
Indicates whether the Tool Palettes window is open or closed.

82 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

Customize Tool Palettes
You can add tools to a tool palette with several methods.
You can create new tool palettes using the Properties button on the title bar
of the Tool Palettes window. Add tools to a tool palette with the following
methods:
■

Drag any of the following onto your tool palette: geometric objects such
as lines, circles, and polylines; dimensions; hatches; gradient fills; blocks;
xrefs; raster images.

■

Drag drawings, blocks, and hatches from DesignCenter to the tool palette.
Drawings that are added to a tool palette are inserted as blocks when
dragged into the drawing.

■

Use the Customize dialog box to drag commands to a tool palette just as
you might add them to a toolbar.

■

Use the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor to drag commands to a tool
palette from the Command List pane.

■

Use Cut, Copy, and Paste to move or copy tools from one tool palette to
another.

■

Manage tool palettes by creating new palettes from scratch, renaming,
deleting or moving palettes with the shortcut menu.
NOTE It is not recommended to create or rename tool palettes when the
Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor is displayed.

■

Create a tool palette tab with predetermined content by right-clicking a
folder, a drawing file, or a block in the DesignCenter tree view, and then
clicking Create Tool Palette on the shortcut menu.

Customize Tool Palettes | 83

■

You can associate a customizable tool palette group with each panel on
the ribbon. Right-click the ribbon panel to display a list of available tool
palette groups.

NOTE If the source drawing file for a block, xref, or raster image tool is moved to
a different folder, you must modify the tool that references it by right-clicking the
tool and, in the Tool Properties dialog box, specifying the new source file folder.

Rearranging Tools and Tool Palettes
Once tools are placed on a tool palette, you can rearrange them by dragging
them around or by sorting them. You can also add text and separator lines to
tool palettes.
You can move a tool palette tab up and down the list of tabs by using the tool
palette shortcut menu or the Tool Palettes tab of the Customize dialog box.
Similarly, you can delete tool palettes that you no longer need. Tool palettes
that are deleted are lost unless they are first saved by exporting them to a file.
You can control the path to your tool palettes on the Files tab in the Options
dialog box. This path can be to a shared network location.

84 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

Read-Only Tool Palettes
If a tool palette file is set with a read-only attribute, a lock icon is displayed
in a lower corner of the tool palette. This indicates that you cannot modify
the tool palette beyond changing its display settings and rearranging the icons.
To apply a read-only attribute to a tool palette, right-click the tool palette
(ATC) file in the following location: C:\documents and settings\\application data\autodesk\AutoCAD
2011\r17.2\enu\support\ToolPalette\Palettes. On the shortcut menu, click
Properties. On the General tab, select Read-only, and click OK.

To create a tool palette

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Tool Palettes.
2 In the Tool Palettes window, at the top of the title bar, click the Properties
button. Click New Palette.
3 In the text box, enter a name for the new palette.
4 If necessary, right-click over the tab and select Move Up or Move Down
to change the order in which the tab appears in.

To associate a tool palette group with a ribbon panel

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ Tool Palettes.
2 On the ribbon, right-click a ribbon panel and click Tool Palette Group.
3 Click an available tool palette group from the list.
4 Click Tools menu ➤ Workspaces ➤ Save Current As.
5 In the Save Workspace dialog box, enter a name for the new workspace
or select a name from the drop-down list. Click Save.

To display the tool palette group associated with a ribbon panel
■

Right-click a ribbon panel and click Show Related Tool Palette Group.

To add text to a tool palette
1 Right-click a blank area inside the Tool Palettes window. Click Add Text.

Customize Tool Palettes | 85

2 In the text box, add the text you want to display in the window.
3 If necessary, drag the text to the appropriate location in the window.

To add a separator line to a tool palette
1 Right-click a blank area inside the Tool Palettes window. Click Add
Separator.
2 If necessary, drag the separator to the appropriate location in the window.

Quick Reference
CUSTOMIZE
Customizes tool palettes and tool palette groups.
TOOLPALETTES
Opens the Tool Palettes window.
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE
Closes the Tool Palettes window.

System Variables
PALETTEOPAQUE
Controls whether palettes can be made transparent.
TPSTATE
Indicates whether the Tool Palettes window is open or closed.

Organize Tool Palettes
You can organize tool palettes into groups and specify which group of tool
palettes is displayed.
For example, if you have several tool palettes that contain hatch patterns, you
can use the CUSTOMIZE command to create a new palette group called Hatch
Patterns. You can then add all your tool palettes that contain hatch patterns
to the Hatch Pattern group.
When you set the Hatch Pattern group as the current group, only those tool
palettes you've added to the group are displayed.

86 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

To create or remove a tool palette group

1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes.
2 In the Customize dialog box, under Palette Groups, right-click on the
lower, blank area. Click New Group.
If there are no groups listed in the Palette Groups area, you can create a
group by dragging a tool palette from the Tool Palettes area into the
Palette Groups area.
3 Enter a name for the tool palette group.
4 Click Close.
NOTE To delete a tool palette group, in the Customize dialog box, under Palette
Groups, right-click the tool palette group you want to delete. Click Delete.

To add a tool palette to a tool palette group

1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes.
2 In the Customize dialog box, drag a tool palette from the Tool Palettes
area into a group in the Palette Groups area.
3 Click Close.

To display a tool palette group
1 Right-click on the title bar of a tool palette.
2 Click the name of the tool palette group that you want to display.

To delete all tool palette groups
1 Right-click on the title bar of a tool palette. Click All Palettes.
NOTE You must display all tool palettes so that no tool palette group is set
as the current group.

2 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes.

Organize Tool Palettes | 87

3 In the Customize dialog box, under Palette Groups, right-click a tool
palette group. Click Delete.
4 Repeat step 3 until all tool palette groups are deleted.
5 Click Close.

To copy and paste a tool palette from one group to another

1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes.
2 In the Customize dialog box, under Palette Groups, select the tool palette
that you want to copy.
3 Press Ctrl while you drag the selected tool palette to another group.
When you release the mouse button, a copy of the tool palette is displayed
in the new location.
4 Click Close.

To display all tool palettes
■

Right-click on the title bar of a tool palette. Click All Palettes.

Quick Reference
CUSTOMIZE
Customizes tool palettes and tool palette groups.
TOOLPALETTES
Opens the Tool Palettes window.
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE
Closes the Tool Palettes window.
TPNAVIGATE
Displays a specified tool palette or palette group.

88 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

Save and Share Tool Palettes
You can save and share a tool palette or tool palette group by exporting it or
importing it as a file.
You can save and share a tool palette by exporting it or importing it as a tool
palette file. Tool palette files have an .xtp file extension.
Similarly, you can save and share a tool palette group by exporting it or
importing it as a palette group file. Tool palette files have an .xpg file extension.
In some cases, when you export a customized tool palette, an image folder
with the same name as the exported tool palette is automatically created in
the same location as the XTP file. This image folder contains the icon images
used on the exported tool palette. The folder is created when you export a
tool palette that contains any of the following items:
■

User-created content tools

■

Command tools that contain user-specified (custom) tool palette icons
(images)

When you import a customized tool palette, this image folder must be in the
same location as the imported XTP file in order for the icons to appear on the
tool palette.
Tool palettes can be used only in the version of AutoCAD in which they were
created. For example, you cannot use a tool palette that was created in
AutoCAD 2011 in AutoCAD 2005.
The default path for tool palette files is set on the Files tab of the Options
dialog box under Tool Palettes File Locations.
Tool palette groups are saved in profiles.
If you send tool palettes to someone who uses AutoCAD LT, note that some
tools created in AutoCAD do not behave the same way or work in AutoCAD
LT. Note the following limitations:
■

The color property of tools that use a color other than an AutoCAD Color
Index (ACI) color convert to ByLayer in AutoCAD LT.

■

Gradient fill tools switch to hatch tools in AutoCAD LT.

■

Raster image tools do not work in AutoCAD LT.

Save and Share Tool Palettes | 89

NOTE If a tool palette file is set with a read-only attribute, a lock icon is displayed
in a lower corner of the tool palette. This indicates that you cannot modify the
tool palette beyond changing its display settings and rearranging the icons.
See also:
■

Save and Restore Interface Settings (Profiles) on page 151

To share a tool palette

1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes.
2 In the Customize dialog box, under Palettes, right-click a tool palette.
On the shortcut menu, click Export.
3 In the Export Palette dialog box, enter a file name and click Save.
4 Click Close.

To share a tool palette group

1 Click Manage tab ➤ Customization panel ➤ Tool Palettes.
2 In the Customize dialog box, under Palette Groups, right-click a tool
palette group. Click Export.
3 In the Export Group dialog box, enter a file name and click Save.
4 Click Close.

Quick Reference
CUSTOMIZE
Customizes tool palettes and tool palette groups.
TOOLPALETTES
Opens the Tool Palettes window.
TOOLPALETTESCLOSE
Closes the Tool Palettes window.

90 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

DesignCenter
With DesignCenter, you can organize access to blocks, hatches, xrefs, and
other drawing content. You can drag content from any source drawing to
your current drawing. You can drag drawings, blocks, and hatches to a tool
palette. Source drawings can be on your computer, on a network location, or
on a website. In addition, if you have multiple drawings open, you can use
DesignCenter to streamline your drawing process by copying and pasting
other content, such as layer definitions, layouts, and text styles between
drawings.

Overview of DesignCenter
With DesignCenter, you can
■

Browse for drawing content such as drawings or symbol libraries on your
computer, on a networked drive, and on a web page

■

View definition tables for named objects such as blocks and layers in any
drawing file and then insert, attach, or copy and paste the definitions into
the current drawing

■

Update (redefine) a block definition

■

Create shortcuts to drawings, folders, and Internet locations that you access
frequently

■

Add content such as xrefs, blocks, and hatches to a drawing

■

Open drawing files in a new window

■

Drag drawings, blocks, and hatches to a tool palette for convenient access

Quick Reference
ADCENTER
Manages and inserts content such as blocks, xrefs, and hatch patterns.
ADCNAVIGATE
Loads a specified DesignCenter drawing file, folder, or network path.

DesignCenter | 91

System Variables
ADCSTATE
Indicates whether the DesignCenter window is open or closed.

Understand the DesignCenter Window
You can control the size, location, and appearance of DesignCenter.

The Organization of the DesignCenter Window
The DesignCenter window is divided into the tree view on the left side and
the content area on the right side. Use the tree view to browse sources of
content and to display content in the content area. Use the content area to
add items to a drawing or to a tool palette.
Undocked, the DesignCenter window is displayed as shown.
Below the content area, you can also display a preview or a description of a
selected drawing, block, hatch pattern, or xref. A toolbar at the top of the
window provides several options and operations.

Control the Size, Location, and Appearance of DesignCenter
You can control the size, location, and appearance of DesignCenter. Many of
these options can be set by right-clicking and selecting an option on the
shortcut menu.
■

Resize DesignCenter by dragging the bar between the content area and the
tree view or by dragging an edge of the window.

■

Dock DesignCenter by dragging it over the right or left docking region of
the application window until it snaps into the docked position. You can
also dock the DesignCenter window by double-clicking its title bar.

■

Undock DesignCenter by dragging the area above the toolbar away from
the docking region. Pressing Ctrl while dragging prevents docking.

■

Anchor DesignCenter by choosing Anchor Right or Anchor Left from the
shortcut menu. An anchored DesignCenter window rolls open and closed
as the cursor moves across it. When an anchored DesignCenter window
is open, its content overlaps the drawing area. It cannot be set to stay open.

■

When DesignCenter is floating, use Auto-hide to set it to roll open and
closed as the cursor moves across it.

92 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

The DesignCenter Toolbar
The DesignCenter toolbar controls navigation and display of information in
the tree view and the content area. For information about these buttons, see
the ADCENTER command. The same navigation and display options are
available on the shortcut menu. Right-click in the DesignCenter content area
to display the menu.

To change the DesignCenter rollover behavior

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
2 Right-click the DesignCenter title bar. Click Auto-hide.
When the DesignCenter rollover option is turned on, the DesignCenter
tree view and content area disappear when you move your cursor off the
DesignCenter window, leaving only the title bar. When you move your
cursor over the title bar, the DesignCenter window is restored.

To prevent DesignCenter from docking

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
2 On the DesignCenter title bar, click Propert. Press Ctrl as you move your
mouse.

To display and hide the DesignCenter tree view

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
2 On the DesignCenter toolbar, click Tree View Toggle.

Quick Reference
ADCENTER
Manages and inserts content such as blocks, xrefs, and hatch patterns.
ADCNAVIGATE
Loads a specified DesignCenter drawing file, folder, or network path.

Understand the DesignCenter Window | 93

System Variables
ADCSTATE
Indicates whether the DesignCenter window is open or closed.

Access Content with DesignCenter
The tree view in the left portion of the DesignCenter window and the four
DesignCenter tabs help you find and load content into the content area.

Folders Tab
The Folders tab displays a hierarchy of navigational icons, including
■

Networks and computers

■

Web addresses (URLs)

■

Computer drives

■

Folders

■

Drawings and related support files

■

Xrefs, layouts, hatch styles, and named objects, including blocks, layers,
linetypes, text styles, dimension styles, table styles, multileader styles, and
plot styles within a drawing

Click an item in the tree view to display its contents in the content area. Click
the plus (+) or minus (-) sign to display and hide additional levels in the
hierarchy. You can also double-click an item to display deeper levels.
Right-clicking in the tree view displays a shortcut menu with several related
options.

94 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

Open Drawings, History, and DC Online Tabs
The Open Drawings, History, and DC Online tabs provide alternate methods
of locating content.
■

Open Drawings. Displays a list of the drawings that are currently open.
Click a drawing file and then click one of the definition tables from the
list to load the content into the content area.

■

History. Displays a list of files opened previously with DesignCenter.
Double-click a drawing file from the list to navigate to the drawing file in
the tree view of the Folders tab and to load the content into the content
area.

■

DC Online. Provides content from the DesignCenter Online web page
including blocks, symbol libraries, manufacturer's content, and online
catalogs.

NOTE The DesignCenter Online (DC Online tab) is disabled by default. You can
enable it from the CAD Manager Control utility on page 104.

Bookmark Frequently Used Content
DesignCenter provides a solution to finding content that you need to access
quickly on a regular basis. Both the tree view and the content area include
options that activate a folder called Favorites. The Favorites folder can contain
shortcuts to content on local or network drives as well as in Internet locations.
When you select a drawing, folder, or another type of content and choose
Add to Favorites, a shortcut to that item is added to the Favorites folder. The
original file or folder doesn't actually move; in fact, all the shortcuts you create
are stored in the Favorites folder. The shortcuts saved in the Favorites folder can
®
be moved, copied, or deleted using Windows Explorer.

To change the source of the content displayed in DesignCenter

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
2 On the DesignCenter window, click one of the following tabs:
■

Folders. Lists your local and network drives.

■

Open Drawings. Lists the drawings that are currently open.

■

History. Lists the last 20 locations accessed through DesignCenter.

Access Content with DesignCenter | 95

■

DC Online. Displays online content from the Web.

NOTE The DesignCenter Online (DC Online tab) is disabled by default. You
can enable it from the CAD Manager Control utility on page 104.

To change the folder of the Home button in DesignCenter

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
2 In the DesignCenter tree view, navigate to the folder that you want to
set as home.
3 Right-click on the folder. Click Set as Home.
When you click the Home button, DesignCenter will automatically load this
folder.

To add items to the Favorites folder in DesignCenter

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
2 Right-click the item in the DesignCenter tree view or content area. Click
Add to Favorites.

To display the contents of the Favorites folder in DesignCenter

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
2 In DesignCenter, click the Favorites button.
When you are working in the tree view, you can use the Folders tab to
navigate to the Favorites folder.

To organize your DesignCenter Favorites folder

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
2 In DesignCenter, click the Favorites button.

96 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

3 Right-click the background in the content area. Click Organize Favorites.
Your Autodesk Favorites folder is opened in a window.

Quick Reference
ADCENTER
Manages and inserts content such as blocks, xrefs, and hatch patterns.
ADCNAVIGATE
Loads a specified DesignCenter drawing file, folder, or network path.

System Variables
ADCSTATE
Indicates whether the DesignCenter window is open or closed.

Add Content with DesignCenter
The right portion of the DesignCenter window operates on the content
displayed.
Double-clicking an item in the content area displays successive levels of detail.
For example, double-clicking a drawing image displays several icons, including
an icon for blocks. Double-clicking the Blocks icon displays images of each
block in the drawing.

Add Content to a Drawing
You can add content from the content area into your current drawing using
several methods:
■

Drag an item to the graphics area of a drawing to add it using default
settings, if any.

■

Right-click an item in the content area to display a shortcut menu with
several options.

■

Double-click a block to display the Insert dialog box; double-click a hatch
to display the Boundary Hatch and Fill dialog box.

You can preview graphical content such as a drawing, xref, or block in the
content area, and you can display a text description if available.

Add Content with DesignCenter | 97

Update Block Definitions with DesignCenter
Unlike xrefs, when the source file of a block definition is changed, block
definitions in the drawings that contain that block are not automatically
updated. With DesignCenter, you decide whether a block definition should
be updated in the current drawing. The source file of a block definition can
be a drawing file or a nested block in a symbol library drawing.
From the shortcut menu displayed when you right-click a block or drawing
file in the content area, click Redefine Only or Insert and Redefine to update
the selected block.

Open Drawings with DesignCenter
With DesignCenter, you can open a drawing from the content area using the
shortcut menu, pressing Ctrl while dragging a drawing, or dragging a drawing
icon to any location outside the graphics area of a drawing area. The drawing
name is added to the DesignCenter history list for quick access in future
sessions.

Add Items from DesignCenter to a Tool Palette
You can add drawings, blocks, and hatches from DesignCenter to the current
tool palette.
■

From the DesignCenter content area, you can drag one or more items to
the current tool palette.

■

From the DesignCenter tree view, you can right-click and, from the shortcut
menu, create a new tool palette from the current folder, drawing file, or
block icon.

When you add drawings to a tool palette, they are inserted as blocks when
you drag them into the current drawing.
NOTE You can select multiple blocks or hatches from the content area to add
them to a tool palette.

To create a tool palette containing DesignCenter content

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.

98 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

2 Do one of the following:
■

Right-click an item in the DesignCenter tree view. Click Create Tool
Palette. The new tool palette contains the drawings, blocks, or hatches
from the item you selected.

■

Right-click the background in the DesignCenter content area. Click
Create Tool Palette. The new tool palette contains the drawings, blocks,
or hatches from the DesignCenter content area.

■

Right-click a drawing in the DesignCenter tree view or content area.
Click Create Tool Palette of Blocks. The new tool palette contains the
blocks from the drawing you selected.

You can drag additional drawings, blocks, or hatches from the
DesignCenter content area to the tool palette.

To load the content area from the DesignCenter Search dialog box

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
2 In DesignCenter, use one of the following methods:
■

Drag the item from the search results list into the content area.

■

Double-click the item in the search results list.

■

Right-click the item in the search results list. Click Load into Content
Area.

3 In the DesignCenter content area, double-click the Blocks icon.

To load the content area of DesignCenter with a symbol library

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
2 On the DesignCenter toolbar, click Home.
3 In the content area, double-click the symbol library drawing that you
want to load into the DesignCenter and then double-click the Blocks
icon.
The symbol library you selected is loaded into the DesignCenter content
area.

Add Content with DesignCenter | 99

NOTE You can set your home folder to any folder that contains symbol library
drawings. If your home folder is set to a different path, navigate to a folder that
contains symbol library drawings and right-click on the folder. Click Set as Home.

To load the content area of DesignCenter with hatch patterns

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
2 On the DesignCenter toolbar, click Search.
3 In the Search dialog box, click the Look For box. Click Hatch Pattern
Files.
4 On the Hatch Pattern Files tab, in the Search for the Name box, enter *.
5 Click Search Now.
6 Double-click one of the hatch pattern files that was found.
The hatch pattern file you selected is loaded into DesignCenter.

To open a drawing from DesignCenter

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
2 In DesignCenter, do one of the following:
■

Right-click the drawing icon in the DesignCenter content area. Click
Open in Application Window.

■

Press Ctrl and drag the drawing icon from the DesignCenter content
area to the drawing area.

■

Drag the drawing icon from the DesignCenter content area to a
location anywhere outside the drawing area of the application window.
(If you drag the drawing icon into the drawing area, a block is created
in the current drawing.)

To update a block definition with DesignCenter

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.

100 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

2 Right-click a block in the DesignCenter content area. Click Redefine Only
or Insert and Redefine.
NOTE If the source of the block that you want to update is an entire drawing
file rather than a block definition within a drawing file, right-click the drawing's
icon in the DesignCenter content area. Click Insert as Block.

To open a block from the DesignCenter window in the Block Editor

1 Click View tab ➤ Palettes panel ➤ DesignCenter.
2 On the block icon’s shortcut menu, click Block Editor.

Quick Reference
ADCENTER
Manages and inserts content such as blocks, xrefs, and hatch patterns.
ADCNAVIGATE
Loads a specified DesignCenter drawing file, folder, or network path.

System Variables
ADCSTATE
Indicates whether the DesignCenter window is open or closed.

Retrieve Content from the Web with DesignCenter Online
DesignCenter Online provides access to pre-drawn content such as blocks,
symbol libraries, manufacturers' content, and online catalogs.
NOTE The DesignCenter Online (DC Online tab) is disabled by default. You can
enable it from the CAD Manager Control utility on page 104.

Overview of DesignCenter Online
DesignCenter Online provides access to pre-drawn content such as blocks,
symbol libraries, manufacturers' content, and online catalogs. This content

Retrieve Content from the Web with DesignCenter Online | 101

can be used in common design applications to assist you in creating your
drawings.
To access DesignCenter Online, click the DC Online tab in DesignCenter.
Once the DesignCenter Online window is open, you can browse, search, and
download content to use in your drawing.

NOTE The DesignCenter Online (DC Online tab) is disabled by default. You can
enable it from the CAD Manager Control utility on page 104.
In the DesignCenter Online window, two panes are displayed—a right pane
and a left pane. The right pane is called the content area. The content area
displays the items or folders that you selected in the left pane. The left pane
can display one of the following four views:
■

Category Listing. Displays folders containing libraries of standard parts,
manufacturer-specific content, and content aggregator websites.

■

Search. Searches for online content. You can query items with Boolean
and multiple-word search strings.

■

Settings. Controls how many categories and items are displayed on each
page in the content area as a result of a search or folder navigation.

■

Collections. Specifies the discipline-specific content types that are displayed
in DesignCenter Online.

You choose the view by clicking the heading at the top of the left pane.

102 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

Once you select a folder in the left pane, all of its content is loaded into the
content area. You can select an item in the content area to load it into the
preview area. Items can be downloaded by dragging them from the preview
area into your drawing or tool palette, or by saving the items to your computer.
NOTE If the DC Online tab is not available in DesignCenter and you want to access
DesignCenter Online, see your network or CAD administrator.

DesignCenter Online Privacy
DesignCenter Online is an interactive feature that must be connected to the
Internet to deliver content and information. Each time DesignCenter Online
is connected, it sends information to Autodesk so that the correct information
can be returned. All information is sent anonymously to maintain your privacy.
The following information is sent to Autodesk:
■

Product Name. The name of the product in which you are using
DesignCenter Online

■

Product Release Number. The version of the product

■

Product Language. The language version of your product

■

Random Number Identifier. DesignCenter Online assigns a random number
identifier to each person who uses the feature. This identifier is used to
retain your Collections and your Settings views each time DesignCenter
Online is used.

Autodesk compiles statistics using the information sent from DesignCenter
Online to monitor how it is being used and how it can be improved. Autodesk
will maintain information provided by or collected from you in accordance
with Autodesk's published privacy policy, which is available on
http://www.autodesk.com/privacy.

Turn the DC Online Tab On or Off
The CAD Manager Control utility turns the DC Online tab in DesignCenter
on and off. Information about how to use the utility is available after you
install the utility from the Installation Wizard by running the utility and
clicking Help in the CAD Manager Control Utility window.

Retrieve Content from the Web with DesignCenter Online | 103

To install the CAD Manager Control utility
1 Insert the product DVD, or the first CD, into your computer's drive.
2 In the Installation Wizard, click Install Tools And Utilities.
3 On the Welcome to the Installation wizard page, click Next.
4 Choose Autodesk CAD Manager Tools 4.0 on the Select the Products to
Install page. Click Next.
5 Review the Autodesk software license agreement for your country or
region. You must accept this agreement to procede with the installation.
Choose your country or region, click I Accept, and then click Next.
NOTE If you do not agree to the terms of the license and wish to terminate
the installation, click Cancel.
6 On the Review - Configure - Install page, click Install if you want to accept
the default install location.
If you want the utility installed in a different installation path, click
Configure, set the path and then click Configuration Complete and then
Install.
7 Click Finish when the Installation Complete page is displayed.

Quick Reference
ADCENTER
Manages and inserts content such as blocks, xrefs, and hatch patterns.

Understand DesignCenter Online Content Types
With DesignCenter Online, content is categorized into folders.
In the DesignCenter Online folders, you can retrieve discipline-specific content.
The content that you can retrieve includes the following:
■

Standard Parts. Generic standard parts that are commonly used in design.
These parts include blocks for architectural, mechanical, and GIS
applications.

■

Manufacturers. Blocks and 3D models that can be located and downloaded
by clicking a link to a manufacturer's website.

104 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

■

Aggregators. Lists of libraries from commercial catalog providers can be
searched for parts and blocks.

You use the Collections view to select the categories of online content that
you want to display in the Category Listing view.
NOTE The DesignCenter Online (DC Online tab) is disabled by default. You can
enable it from the CAD Manager Control utility on page 104.

To view online content folders in the Category Listing view
■

In DesignCenter Online, at the top of the left pane, click the heading, and
then click Category Listing.

The category folders are displayed in the left pane of the window.

Retrieve Content from the Web
You can download content from the Web and use it in your drawings.

Browse for Content
When you use the Category Listing view, you can click the folders in the left
pane to view their contents. These folders may contain other folders.

When you click a folder or an item inside a folder, the contents are displayed
in the Content area. When you click a block, graphical and descriptive
information about the block is displayed in the preview area.

Search for Content
When you search for online content with DesignCenter Online, you can query
items with Boolean and multiple-word search strings in the Search view. You

Retrieve Content from the Web with DesignCenter Online | 105

can access Search by clicking the magnifying glass or by choosing Search from
the drop-down heading at the top of the left pane.

Control the Number of Categories and Items in a Page
By using the Settings view, you can control how many categories or items are
displayed on each page in the content area as a result of a search or folder
navigation.

Collections
You can choose the type of content to navigate and search. In the Collections
pane, you can specify the content types that are displayed each time you open
DesignCenter Online. For example, if you use architectural blocks in your
drawings, you select collections that contain architectural items. Once you
make your selection, categories that you specified are displayed.

Download Content
To download content from the Web, locate the folder containing the content
that you want to use. Then, click a thumbnail image of the content in the
content area. The content is displayed in the preview area along with
information about the content. You can drag the block directly from the
preview area into a drawing or tool palette, or you can save it to your computer
to be used later.
See also:
■

Use Autodesk Seek to Add and Share Drawings on page 1984

To search for content in DesignCenter Online
1 In DesignCenter Online, at the top of the left pane, click the heading,
and then click Search.
2 In the Search view, enter a single word or multiple-word strings.
NOTE The Need Help link provides more information about searches,
including examples of Boolean searches.

106 | Chapter 4 Other Tool Locations

To specify content collections
1 In DesignCenter Online, at the top of the left pane, click the heading,
and then click Collections.
2 In the Collections view, click the check boxes of the collections that you
want to use.
3 Click Update Collections.
The categories that you have selected are displayed in the left pane.

To download content to your computer
1 In DesignCenter Online, at the top of the left pane, click the heading,
and then click Category Listing.
2 In the Category folders, click a content item.
3 In the Preview area, under the image of the content item, click Save This
Symbol As.
4 In the Save As dialog box, specify the location on your computer and the
file name.
5 Click Save.
The content is downloaded to your computer.

To download content to your drawing
1 In DesignCenter Online, at the top of the left pane, click the heading,
and then click Category Listing.
2 In the Category folders, click a content item to display it in the Preview
area.
3 Drag the image from the Preview area into your drawing or tool palette.

Quick Reference
ADCENTER
Manages and inserts content such as blocks, xrefs, and hatch patterns.

Retrieve Content from the Web with DesignCenter Online | 107

108

Customize the Drawing
Environment

5

You can change many window and drawing environment settings in the Options dialog box.
For example, you can change how often a drawing is automatically saved to a temporary file,
and you can link the program to folders containing files you use frequently. You can create
workspaces to set up a drawing environment that is specific to your drawing needs. Experiment
with different settings until you create the drawing environment that best fits your needs.

Set Interface Options
You can adjust the application interface and drawing area to match the way
you work.

Set Up the Drawing Area
You can adjust the color and display schemes used in the application and
drawing windows, and control the behavior of general features such as zoom
transitions.
Many of the settings are available from shortcut menus and the Options dialog
box. Some workspace elements, such as the presence and location of toolbars
and palettes, can be specified and saved using the Customize User Interface
dialog box.
Some settings affect how you work in the drawing area:
■

Background Colors (Options dialog box, Display tab). You specify the
background colors used in the layout and Model tabs and the color used for
prompts and crosshairs.

109

■

Color Scheme (Options dialog box, Display tab, Colors). You specify a dark
or light color scheme for the overall user interface. The settings affect the
window frame background, status bar, title bar, menu browser frame,
toolbars, and palettes.

■

Background Colors (Options dialog box, Display tab, Colors). You specify
the background colors used in model space, layouts, and the block editor.
Background colors on the Model tab change to indicate whether you are
working in a 2D design context, 3D modeling (parallel projection), or 3D
modeling (perspective projection).

■

UCS Icon and Crosshairs Cursor (Options dialog box, 3D Modeling tab).
You specify that the 3D display options and labels for the UCS icon can
be set in the 3D Modeling tab of the Options dialog box.

■

Color Assignments for X, Y, and Z (Options dialog box, Display tab, Colors).
In 3D views, any interface elements that are associated with the UCS X, Y,
and Z axis use special color assignments. The X axis is colored or tinted
red, the Y axis is green, and the Z axis is blue. These tints can be turned on
or off in the Drawing Window Colors dialog box.

■

Clean Screen. You can expand the drawing display area to display only
the menu bar, status bar, and command window with the clean screen
button on the application status bar. Click the button again to restore the
previous setup.

■

View Transitions. You can control whether view transitions are smooth or
instantaneous when you pan, zoom, or change from one view to another
(VTOPTIONS command). The default is a smooth transition.

Tooltips
Several types of tooltips provide pop-up information for interaction with
toolbars, object snaps, and drafting operations.
You can view tooltips in toolbars, the menu browser, the ribbon, and dialog
boxes. Initially, a basic tooltip is displayed. If you continue to hover, the
tooltip expands to display additional information. You can customize the
display and content of a tooltip.
See also:
■

Display Tab (Options Dialog Box) in the Command Reference

■

User Interface Customization in the Customization Guide

110 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

■

Rollover Tooltips in the Customization Guide

■

Create Tooltips and Extended Help for Commands in the Customization
Guide

To set options
1 Click the Application button. At the bottom of the Application menu,
click Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, click a tab.
3 Set options as desired.
4 Do either or both of the following:
■

Click Apply to record the current options settings in the system
registry.

■

Click OK to record the current options settings in the system registry
and close the Options dialog box.

To customize the colors of the application window elements
1 Click the Application button. At the bottom of the Application menu,
click Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, Display tab, click Colors.
3 In the Drawing Window Colors dialog box, select context and then the
interface element you want to change.
4 Select the color you want to use from the Color list.
To specify a custom color, select Select Color from the Color list.
5 If you want to revert to the default colors, click Restore Current Element,
Restore Current Context, or Restore All Contexts.
6 Click Apply and Close to record the current option settings in the system
registry and close the dialog box.
7 Click OK to close the Options dialog box.

To change the appearance of view transitions
1 At the Command prompt, enter vtoptions.

Set Up the Drawing Area | 111

2 In the View Transitions dialog box, check one or more of the following
options:
■

Enable Animation for Pan and Zoom. Makes a smooth view transition
during panning and zooming.

■

Enable Animation When View Rotates. Makes a smooth view transition
when the view angle is changed.

■

Enable Animation During Scripts. Makes a smooth view transition
while a script is running.

3 Set the transition speed by moving the slider.
4 To preserve performance, set the minimum frames per second for showing
smooth view transitions. When a smooth view transition cannot maintain
this speed, an instant transition is used.
5 Click OK.

To display hidden message dialogs
1 Click the Application button. At the bottom of the Application menu,
click Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, System tab, under General Options, click
Hidden Messages Settings button.
3 The Hidden Message Settings dialog box is displayed.
4 Check the corresponding dialog name from the tree directory.
5 Click OK.

To turn tooltips on or off
1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, Display tab, under Window Elements, click
Show Tooltips.
3 Click OK.

112 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

Quick Reference
Commands
3DCONFIG
Sets options that affect 3D display performance.
CLEANSCREENON
Clears the screen of toolbars and dockable windows, excluding the command
window.
CLEANSCREENOFF
Restores display of toolbars and dockable windows, excluding the command
window.
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.
VIEWRES
Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport.
VTOPTIONS
Displays a change in view as a smooth transition.

System Variables
APPLYGLOBALOPACITIES
Applies transparency settings to all palettes.
CALCINPUT
Controls whether mathematical expressions and global constants are
evaluated in text and numeric entry boxes of windows and dialog boxes.
CLEANSCREENSTATE
Indicates whether the clean screen state is on or off.
CURSORSIZE
Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of the screen size.
DRAGMODE
Controls the way dragged objects are displayed.

Set Up the Drawing Area | 113

EXTNAMES
Sets the parameters for named object names (such as linetypes and layers)
stored in definition tables.
GLOBALOPACITY
Controls transparency level for all palettes.
GRIPCOLOR
Controls the color of unselected grips.
GRIPHOT
Controls the color of selected grips.
GRIPS
Controls the display of grips on selected objects.
HELPPREFIX
Sets the file path for the Help system.
INSUNITS
Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of blocks, images, or
xrefs when inserted or attached to a drawing.
INSUNITSDEFSOURCE
Sets source content units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
INSUNITSDEFTARGET
Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
INTELLIGENTUPDATE
Controls the graphics refresh rate.
ISAVEBAK
Improves the speed of incremental saves, especially for large drawings.
ISAVEPERCENT
Determines the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing file.
LAYOUTREGENCTL
Specifies how the display list is updated in the Model tab and layout tabs.

114 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

LOCALE
Displays a code that indicates the current locale.
LOCALROOTPREFIX
Stores the full path to the root folder where local customizable files were
installed.
LOCKUI
Locks the position and size of toolbars and dockable windows such as
DesignCenter and the Properties palette.
LOGFILEMODE
Specifies whether the contents of the text window are written to a log file.
LOGFILENAME
Specifies the path and name of the text window log file for the current
drawing.
LOGFILEPATH
Specifies the path for the text window log files for all drawings in a session.
MTEXTED
Sets the application for editing multiline text objects.
OLEQUALITY
Sets the default plot quality for OLE objects.
OLESTARTUP
Controls whether the source application of an embedded OLE object loads
when plotting.
OSNAPCOORD
Controls whether coordinates entered on the command line will override
running object snaps.
PAPERUPDATE
Controls the display of a warning dialog box when attempting to print a
layout with a paper size different from the paper size specified by the default
for the plotter configuration file.

Set Up the Drawing Area | 115

PALETTEOPAQUE
Controls the display of a warning dialog box when attempting to print a
layout with a paper size different from the paper size specified by the default
for the plotter configuration file.
PICKADD
Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or
add to it.
PICKAUTO
Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt.
PICKBOX
Sets the object selection target height, in pixels.
PICKDRAG
Controls the method of drawing a selection window.
PICKFIRST
Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you
issue a command.
PICKSTYLE
Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection.
PSTYLEPOLICY
Controls the plot style mode, Color-Dependent or Named, that is used when
opening a drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000 or
when creating a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
QTEXTMODE
Controls how text is displayed.
RASTERPREVIEW
Controls whether BMP preview images are saved with the drawing.
ROLLOVEROPACITY
Controls the transparency of a palette while the cursor moves over the palette.
ROLLOVERTIPS
Controls the display of rollover tooltips in the application.

116 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

SAVEFILE
Stores the current automatic save file name.
SAVEFILEPATH
Specifies the path to the directory for all automatic save files for the current
session.
SAVETIME
Sets the automatic save interval, in minutes.
SPLINESEGS
Sets the number of line segments to be generated for each spline-fit polyline
generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command.
TDUSRTIMER
Stores the user-elapsed timer.
TOOLTIPMERGE
Combines drafting tooltips into a single tooltip.
TOOLTIPS
Controls the display of tooltips on the ribbon, toolbars, and other user
interface elements.
VISRETAIN
Controls the properties of xref-dependent layers.
VTDURATION
Sets the duration of a smooth view transition, in milliseconds.
VTENABLE
Controls when smooth view transitions are used.
VTFPS
Sets the minimum speed of a smooth view transition, in frames per second.
XLOADCTL
Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls whether it opens the
referenced drawing or a copy.

Set Up the Drawing Area | 117

Set Options for 3D Modeling with Perspective Projection
You can set specific display options when working with 3D models using
perspective projection.
Using the Options dialog box, you can specify the following options when
your 3D model is set to use a perspective view:
■

Ground Plane (Options dialog box, Display tab, Colors). When perspective
projection is turned on, the XY plane of the UCS displays as a ground plane
with a gradient color. The ground plane displays a gradient from the ground
horizon to the ground origin.

■

Sky (Options dialog box, Display tab, Colors). The area not covered by the
ground plane is the sky, which displays a gradient color from the sky horizon
to the sky zenith.

■

Underground (Options dialog box, Display tab, Colors). If the ground
plane is viewed from below ground, the ground plane displays a gradient
from the earth horizon to the earth azimuth.

■

Ground Plane Grid (Options dialog box, Display tab, Colors). When
perspective projection is turned on, the grid displays as a ground plane grid.
Colors are set for major grid lines, minor grid lines, and axis lines.

118 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

Quick Reference
Commands
3DCONFIG
Sets options that affect 3D display performance.
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.
VIEWRES
Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport.

System Variables
APERTURE
Sets the display size for the object snap target box, in pixels.
CALCINPUT
Controls whether mathematical expressions and global constants are
evaluated in text and numeric entry boxes of windows and dialog boxes.
CLEANSCREENSTATE
Indicates whether the clean screen state is on or off.
CURSORSIZE
Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of the screen size.
DCTCUST
Displays the path and file name of the current custom spelling dictionary.
DCTMAIN
Displays the three letter keyword for the current main spelling dictionary.
DEFPLSTYLE
Specifies the default plot style for new objects in a drawing when opening a
drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000, or when creating
a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
DRAGMODE
Controls the way dragged objects are displayed.

Set Options for 3D Modeling with Perspective Projection | 119

EXTNAMES
Sets the parameters for named object names (such as linetypes and layers)
stored in definition tables.
FILLMODE
Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled
in.
GRIPBLOCK
Controls the display of grips in blocks.
GRIPCOLOR
Controls the color of unselected grips.
GRIPHOT
Controls the color of selected grips.
GRIPS
Controls the display of grips on selected objects.
INSUNITS
Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of blocks, images, or
xrefs when inserted or attached to a drawing.
INSUNITSDEFSOURCE
Sets source content units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
INSUNITSDEFTARGET
Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
INTELLIGENTUPDATE
Controls the graphics refresh rate.
ISAVEBAK
Improves the speed of incremental saves, especially for large drawings.
ISAVEPERCENT
Determines the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing file.
LAYOUTREGENCTL
Specifies how the display list is updated in the Model tab and layout tabs.

120 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

LOCALE
Displays a code that indicates the current locale.
LOCALROOTPREFIX
Stores the full path to the root folder where local customizable files were
installed.
LOCKUI
Locks the position and size of toolbars and dockable windows such as
DesignCenter and the Properties palette.
LOGFILEMODE
Specifies whether the contents of the text window are written to a log file.
LOGFILENAME
Specifies the path and name of the text window log file for the current
drawing.
LOGFILEPATH
Specifies the path for the text window log files for all drawings in a session.
MTEXTED
Sets the application for editing multiline text objects.
OLEQUALITY
Sets the default plot quality for OLE objects.
OLESTARTUP
Controls whether the source application of an embedded OLE object loads
when plotting.
OSNAPCOORD
Controls whether coordinates entered on the command line will override
running object snaps.
PAPERUPDATE
Controls the display of a warning dialog box when attempting to print a
layout with a paper size different from the paper size specified by the default
for the plotter configuration file.
PALETTEOPAQUE
Controls whether palettes can be made transparent.

Set Options for 3D Modeling with Perspective Projection | 121

PICKADD
Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or
add to it.
PICKAUTO
Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt.
PICKBOX
Sets the object selection target height, in pixels.
PICKDRAG
Controls the method of drawing a selection window.
PICKFIRST
Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you
issue a command.
PICKSTYLE
Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection.
PSTYLEPOLICY
Controls the plot style mode, Color-Dependent or Named, that is used when
opening a drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000 or
when creating a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
QTEXTMODE
Controls how text is displayed.
RASTERPREVIEW
Controls whether BMP preview images are saved with the drawing.
ROLLOVERTIPS
Controls the display of rollover tooltips in the application.
SAVEFILEPATH
Stores the current automatic save file name.
SAVEFILEPATH
Specifies the path to the directory for all automatic save files for the current
session.

122 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

SAVETIME
Sets the automatic save interval, in minutes.
SPLINESEGS
Sets the number of line segments to be generated for each spline-fit polyline
generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command.
TDUSRTIMER
Stores the user-elapsed timer.
TOOLTIPMERGE
Combines drafting tooltips into a single tooltip.
TOOLTIPS
Controls the display of tooltips on the ribbon, toolbars, and other user
interface elements.
VISRETAIN
Controls the properties of xref-dependent layers.
VTDURATION
Sets the duration of a smooth view transition, in milliseconds.
VTENABLE
Controls when smooth view transitions are used.
VTFPS
Sets the minimum speed of a smooth view transition, in frames per second.
XLOADCTL
Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls whether it opens the
referenced drawing or a copy.

Switch Between Model Space and Layouts
You can control how you change between model space and one or more
layouts.
The classic interface provides a Model tab and one or more layout tabs. To
optimize space in the drawing area, you can turn off these tabs and use the
equivalent buttons on the status bar. The control to change between the two
interface designs is included as an item on the Model and layout tab shortcut

Switch Between Model Space and Layouts | 123

menu, and on the shortcut menu of the Model/Layout button on the status
bar.
NOTE Access to all shortcut menu options is available from the tabs only.

To change the Model and layout tabs to status bar buttons
■

Right-click the Model tab or a layout tab. Click Hide Layout and Model
Tabs.

To turn on the Model and layout tabs
■

On the status bar, right-click the Model or layout button. Click Display
Layout and Model Tabs.

Quick Reference
Commands
DRAGMODE
Controls the way dragged objects are displayed.
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.
VIEWRES
Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport.

System Variables
APERTURE
Sets the display size for the object snap target box, in pixels.
CALCINPUT
Controls whether mathematical expressions and global constants are
evaluated in text and numeric entry boxes of windows and dialog boxes.
CLEANSCREENSTATE
Indicates whether the clean screen state is on or off.
CURSORSIZE
Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of the screen size.

124 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

DCTCUST
Displays the path and file name of the current custom spelling dictionary.
DCTMAIN
Displays the three letter keyword for the current main spelling dictionary.
DEFPLSTYLE
Specifies the default plot style for new objects in a drawing when opening a
drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000, or when creating
a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
DRAGMODE
Controls the way dragged objects are displayed.
EXTNAMES
Sets the parameters for named object names (such as linetypes and layers)
stored in definition tables.
FILLMODE
Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled
in.
GRIPBLOCK
Controls the display of grips in blocks.
GRIPCOLOR
Controls the color of unselected grips.
GRIPHOT
Controls the color of selected grips.
GRIPS
Controls the display of grips on selected objects.
INSUNITS
Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of blocks, images, or
xrefs when inserted or attached to a drawing.
INSUNITSDEFSOURCE
Sets source content units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.

Switch Between Model Space and Layouts | 125

INSUNITSDEFTARGET
Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
INTELLIGENTUPDATE
Controls the graphics refresh rate.
ISAVEBAK
Improves the speed of incremental saves, especially for large drawings.
ISAVEPERCENT
Determines the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing file.
LAYOUTREGENCTL
Specifies how the display list is updated in the Model tab and layout tabs.
LOCALE
Displays a code that indicates the current locale.
LOCALROOTPREFIX
Stores the full path to the root folder where local customizable files were
installed.
LOCKUI
Locks the position and size of toolbars and dockable windows such as
DesignCenter and the Properties palette.
LOGFILEMODE
Specifies whether the contents of the text window are written to a log file.
LOGFILENAME
Specifies the path and name of the text window log file for the current
drawing.
LOGFILEPATH
Specifies the path for the text window log files for all drawings in a session.
MTEXTED
Sets the application for editing multiline text objects.
OLEQUALITY
Sets the default plot quality for OLE objects.

126 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

OLESTARTUP
Controls whether the source application of an embedded OLE object loads
when plotting.
OSNAPCOORD
Controls whether coordinates entered on the command line will override
running object snaps.
PAPERUPDATE
Controls the display of a warning dialog box when attempting to print a
layout with a paper size different from the paper size specified by the default
for the plotter configuration file.
PALETTEOPAQUE
Controls whether palettes can be made transparent.
PICKADD
Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or
add to it.
PICKAUTO
Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt.
PICKBOX
Sets the object selection target height, in pixels.
PICKDRAG
Controls the method of drawing a selection window.
PICKFIRST
Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you
issue a command.
PICKSTYLE
Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection.
PSTYLEPOLICY
Controls the plot style mode, Color-Dependent or Named, that is used when
opening a drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000 or
when creating a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.

Switch Between Model Space and Layouts | 127

QTEXTMODE
Controls how text is displayed.
RASTERPREVIEW
Controls whether BMP preview images are saved with the drawing.
ROLLOVERTIPS
Controls the display of rollover tooltips in the application.
SAVEFILEPATH
Stores the current automatic save file name.
SAVEFILEPATH
Specifies the path to the directory for all automatic save files for the current
session.
SAVETIME
Sets the automatic save interval, in minutes.
SPLINESEGS
Sets the number of line segments to be generated for each spline-fit polyline
generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command.
TDUSRTIMER
Stores the user-elapsed timer.
TOOLTIPMERGE
Combines drafting tooltips into a single tooltip.
TOOLTIPS
Controls the display of tooltips on the ribbon, toolbars, and other user
interface elements.
VISRETAIN
Controls the properties of xref-dependent layers.
VTDURATION
Sets the duration of a smooth view transition, in milliseconds.
VTENABLE
Controls when smooth view transitions are used.

128 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

VTFPS
Sets the minimum speed of a smooth view transition, in frames per second.
XLOADCTL
Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls whether it opens the
referenced drawing or a copy.

Specify Application Fonts
Change the fonts used in the application window and in the text window.
You can specify the font that is displayed in both the application and text
windows. To change the application font, use the Options dialog box, Display
tab.
NOTE This setting does not affect the text in your drawings.

To change the font displayed in the Command window
1 Click the Application button. At the bottom of the Application menu,
click Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, Display tab, under Window Elements, click
Fonts.
3 In the Command Line Window Font dialog box, select the appropriate
Font, Font Style, and Size.
An example of the current choices appears under Sample Command Line
Font.
4 Click Apply & Close to record the current option settings in the system
registry and close the dialog box.
5 In the Options dialog box, click OK.

Quick Reference
Commands
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.

Specify Application Fonts | 129

System Variables
APERTURE
Sets the display size for the object snap target box, in pixels.
CALCINPUT
Controls whether mathematical expressions and global constants are
evaluated in text and numeric entry boxes of windows and dialog boxes.
CLEANSCREENSTATE
Indicates whether the clean screen state is on or off.
CURSORSIZE
Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of the screen size.
DCTCUST
Displays the path and file name of the current custom spelling dictionary.
DCTMAIN
Displays the three letter keyword for the current main spelling dictionary.
DEFPLSTYLE
Specifies the default plot style for new objects in a drawing when opening a
drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000, or when creating
a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
DRAGMODE
Controls the way dragged objects are displayed.
EXTNAMES
Sets the parameters for named object names (such as linetypes and layers)
stored in definition tables.
FILLMODE
Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled
in.
GRIPBLOCK
Controls the display of grips in blocks.
GRIPCOLOR
Controls the color of unselected grips.

130 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

GRIPHOT
Controls the color of selected grips.
GRIPS
Controls the display of grips on selected objects.
INSUNITS
Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of blocks, images, or
xrefs when inserted or attached to a drawing.
INSUNITSDEFSOURCE
Sets source content units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
INSUNITSDEFTARGET
Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
INTELLIGENTUPDATE
Controls the graphics refresh rate.
ISAVEBAK
Improves the speed of incremental saves, especially for large drawings.
ISAVEPERCENT
Determines the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing file.
LAYOUTREGENCTL
Specifies how the display list is updated in the Model tab and layout tabs.
LOCALE
Displays a code that indicates the current locale.
LOCALROOTPREFIX
Stores the full path to the root folder where local customizable files were
installed.
LOCKUI
Locks the position and size of toolbars and dockable windows such as
DesignCenter and the Properties palette.
LOGFILEMODE
Specifies whether the contents of the text window are written to a log file.

Specify Application Fonts | 131

LOGFILENAME
Specifies the path and name of the text window log file for the current
drawing.
LOGFILEPATH
Specifies the path for the text window log files for all drawings in a session.
MTEXTED
Sets the application for editing multiline text objects.
OLEQUALITY
Sets the default plot quality for OLE objects.
OLESTARTUP
Controls whether the source application of an embedded OLE object loads
when plotting.
OSNAPCOORD
Controls whether coordinates entered on the command line will override
running object snaps.
PAPERUPDATE
Controls the display of a warning dialog box when attempting to print a
layout with a paper size different from the paper size specified by the default
for the plotter configuration file.
PALETTEOPAQUE
Controls whether palettes can be made transparent.
PICKADD
Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or
add to it.
PICKAUTO
Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt.
PICKBOX
Sets the object selection target height, in pixels.
PICKDRAG
Controls the method of drawing a selection window.

132 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

PICKFIRST
Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you
issue a command.
PICKSTYLE
Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection.
PSTYLEPOLICY
Controls the plot style mode, Color-Dependent or Named, that is used when
opening a drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000 or
when creating a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
QTEXTMODE
Controls how text is displayed.
RASTERPREVIEW
Controls whether BMP preview images are saved with the drawing.
ROLLOVERTIPS
Controls the display of rollover tooltips in the application.
SAVEFILEPATH
Stores the current automatic save file name.
SAVEFILEPATH
Specifies the path to the directory for all automatic save files for the current
session.
SAVETIME
Sets the automatic save interval, in minutes.
SPLINESEGS
Sets the number of line segments to be generated for each spline-fit polyline
generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command.
TDUSRTIMER
Stores the user-elapsed timer.
TOOLTIPMERGE
Combines drafting tooltips into a single tooltip.

Specify Application Fonts | 133

TOOLTIPS
Controls the display of tooltips on the ribbon, toolbars, and other user
interface elements.
VISRETAIN
Controls the properties of xref-dependent layers.
VTDURATION
Sets the duration of a smooth view transition, in milliseconds.
VTENABLE
Controls when smooth view transitions are used.
VTFPS
Sets the minimum speed of a smooth view transition, in frames per second.
XLOADCTL
Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls whether it opens the
referenced drawing or a copy.

Specify the Behavior of Dockable Windows
Windows such as the ribbon, Properties palette, tool palettes, and DesignCenter
can be docked, anchored, or floated.
Settings for these and other options are often changed on a shortcut menu,
available by right-clicking the title bar of the palette or window.
■

Resize. Drag an edge of the window to change its size. If the window has
panes, drag the bar between panes to resize the panes.

■

Allow Docking. Select this option if you want to dock or anchor a dockable
window. A docked window adheres to one side of the application window,
causing the drawing area to be resized.

■

Anchor. Attach, or anchor, a dockable window or palette to the left or right
side of the drawing area. An anchored window rolls open and closed as
the cursor moves across it. When an anchored window is open, its content
overlaps the drawing area. An anchored window cannot be set to stay
open. The Allow Docking option must be selected before you can anchor
a window.

134 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

■

Auto-hide. A floating window rolls open and closes as the cursor moves
across it. When this option is cleared, the window stays open continuously.
Docked windows with auto-hide show up as a bar inside the application.

■

Transparency. Sets the degree of transparency for the window and on
mouse over. The window becomes transparent so that it does not obscure
objects under it. The window becomes more opaque when it is moused
over. This option is not available for all windows.

You can hide all the palettes at once with HIDEPALETTES and turn on all
hidden palettes with SHOWPALETTES.
NOTE If a palette has been turned back on manually and moved, it is not affected
by SHOWPALETTES.

To anchor a dockable window
1 At the top of the window or palette title bar, click the Propterties button.
Click Allow Docking.
2 Click the Properties button again. Click Anchor Right or Anchor Left.

Specify the Behavior of Dockable Windows | 135

To float an anchored window
Do one of the following:
■

At the top of the window or palette title bar, click the Properties button.
Clear Allow Docking.

■

When the anchored window is open, drag the window title bar away from
the anchor tab base.

■

Double-click the anchor tab.

To dock a window or palette
1 At the top of the window or palette title bar, click the Properties button.
Click Allow Docking.
2 Click and drag the window or palette to a docking location on the right
or left side of the drawing area.
3 When the outline of the window is displayed in the docking area, release
the button.
NOTE To place a toolbar in a docking region without docking it, hold down
the Ctrl key as you drag.

To undock a window or palette
Use one of the following methods:
■

At the top of the window or palette title bar, click the Properties button.
Clear Allow Docking.

■

Double-click the double bars on the side or top of the window.

■

Position the cursor on the double bars at the top or side of the window,
hold down the left button on your pointing device, and drag the window
away from its docked location.

To turn Auto-hide on or off for a floating palette or window
■

At the top of the window or palette title bar, click the Auto-hide button.

If Auto-hide is selected, floating windows roll open and closed as the cursor
moves across them. When this option is cleared, the full window stays open
continuously.

136 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

NOTE This procedure applies to the Tool palette, DesignCenter, the Properties
palette, and several other palettes.

Quick Reference
Commands
DRAGMODE
Controls the way dragged objects are displayed.
HIDEPALETTES
Hides all currently displayed palettes, including the command window.
LOGFILEOFF
Closes the text window log file opened by LOGFILEON.
LOGFILEON
Writes the text window contents to a file.
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.
SHOWPALETTES
Restores the display of hidden palettes.
VIEWRES
Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport.
VTOPTIONS
Displays a change in view as a smooth transition.

System Variables
APERTURE
Sets the display size for the object snap target box, in pixels.
CALCINPUT
Controls whether mathematical expressions and global constants are
evaluated in text and numeric entry boxes of windows and dialog boxes.

Specify the Behavior of Dockable Windows | 137

CLEANSCREENSTATE
Indicates whether the clean screen state is on or off.
CURSORSIZE
Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of the screen size.
DCTCUST
Displays the path and file name of the current custom spelling dictionary.
DCTMAIN
Displays the three letter keyword for the current main spelling dictionary.
DEFPLSTYLE
Specifies the default plot style for new objects in a drawing when opening a
drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000, or when creating
a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
DRAGMODE
Controls the way dragged objects are displayed.
EXTNAMES
Sets the parameters for named object names (such as linetypes and layers)
stored in definition tables.
FILLMODE
Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled
in.
GRIPBLOCK
Controls the display of grips in blocks.
GRIPCOLOR
Controls the color of unselected grips.
GRIPHOT
Controls the color of selected grips.
GRIPS
Controls the display of grips on selected objects.

138 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

INSUNITS
Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of blocks, images, or
xrefs when inserted or attached to a drawing.
INSUNITSDEFSOURCE
Sets source content units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
INSUNITSDEFTARGET
Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
INTELLIGENTUPDATE
Controls the graphics refresh rate.
ISAVEBAK
Improves the speed of incremental saves, especially for large drawings.
ISAVEPERCENT
Determines the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing file.
LAYOUTREGENCTL
Specifies how the display list is updated in the Model tab and layout tabs.
LOCALE
Displays a code that indicates the current locale.
LOCALROOTPREFIX
Stores the full path to the root folder where local customizable files were
installed.
LOCKUI
Locks the position and size of toolbars and dockable windows such as
DesignCenter and the Properties palette.
LOGFILEMODE
Specifies whether the contents of the text window are written to a log file.
LOGFILENAME
Specifies the path and name of the text window log file for the current
drawing.
LOGFILEPATH
Specifies the path for the text window log files for all drawings in a session.

Specify the Behavior of Dockable Windows | 139

MTEXTED
Sets the application for editing multiline text objects.
OLEQUALITY
Sets the default plot quality for OLE objects.
OLESTARTUP
Controls whether the source application of an embedded OLE object loads
when plotting.
OSNAPCOORD
Controls whether coordinates entered on the command line will override
running object snaps.
PAPERUPDATE
Controls the display of a warning dialog box when attempting to print a
layout with a paper size different from the paper size specified by the default
for the plotter configuration file.
PALETTEOPAQUE
Controls whether palettes can be made transparent.
PICKADD
Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or
add to it.
PICKAUTO
Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt.
PICKBOX
Sets the object selection target height, in pixels.
PICKDRAG
Controls the method of drawing a selection window.
PICKFIRST
Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you
issue a command.
PICKSTYLE
Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection.

140 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

PSTYLEPOLICY
Controls the plot style mode, Color-Dependent or Named, that is used when
opening a drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000 or
when creating a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
QTEXTMODE
Controls how text is displayed.
RASTERPREVIEW
Controls whether BMP preview images are saved with the drawing.
ROLLOVERTIPS
Controls the display of rollover tooltips in the application.
SAVEFILEPATH
Stores the current automatic save file name.
SAVEFILEPATH
Specifies the path to the directory for all automatic save files for the current
session.
SAVETIME
Sets the automatic save interval, in minutes.
SPLINESEGS
Sets the number of line segments to be generated for each spline-fit polyline
generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command.
TDUSRTIMER
Stores the user-elapsed timer.
TOOLTIPMERGE
Combines drafting tooltips into a single tooltip.
TOOLTIPS
Controls the display of tooltips on the ribbon, toolbars, and other user
interface elements.
VISRETAIN
Controls the properties of xref-dependent layers.

Specify the Behavior of Dockable Windows | 141

VTDURATION
Sets the duration of a smooth view transition, in milliseconds.
VTENABLE
Controls when smooth view transitions are used.
VTFPS
Sets the minimum speed of a smooth view transition, in frames per second.
XLOADCTL
Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls whether it opens the
referenced drawing or a copy.

Control the Display of Toolbars
Similar to dockable windows, you can control the behavior of toolbars.
To display or hide toolbars, right-click any toolbar to display a list of toolbars.
A check mark next to a toolbar name indicates that it is displayed. Click a
toolbar name in the list to display or clear the check mark.
A toolbar can be docked or floating. A docked toolbar is attached to any edge
of the drawing area. A toolbar docked at the top edge of the drawing area is
located below the ribbon. Undock a toolbar by clicking the double bars and
dragging it into the drawing area. You can click the title bar and drag it to a
new location or dock it. Resize a floating toolbar by dragging an edge.

Lock the Position of Toolbars and Dockable Windows
Once you have arranged toolbars and docked, floating, or anchored windows
the way you want them, you can lock their position. Locked toolbars and
windows can still be opened and closed and items can be added and deleted.
To unlock them temporarily, press and hold Ctrl.

To lock the position and size of toolbars and dockable windows
■

Do one of the following:
■

Click View tab ➤ Windows panel ➤ Window Locking ➤ Floating
Toolbars/Panels.

■

Click View tab ➤ Windows panel ➤ Window Locking ➤ Docked
Toolbars/Panels.

142 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

■

Click View tab ➤ Windows panel ➤ Window Locking ➤ Floating
Windows.

■

Click View tab ➤ Windows panel ➤ Window Locking ➤ Docked
Windows.

A lock icon in the system tray indicates whether toolbars or dockable windows
are locked. To unlock them temporarily, hold down Ctrl.

Quick Reference
Commands
CLEANSCREENON
Clears the screen of toolbars and dockable windows, excluding the command
window.
CLEANSCREENOFF
Restores display of toolbars and dockable windows, excluding the command
window.
DRAGMODE
Controls the way dragged objects are displayed.
HIDEPALETTES
Hides all currently displayed palettes, including the command window.
LOGFILEOFF
Closes the text window log file opened by LOGFILEON.
LOGFILEON
Writes the text window contents to a file.
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.
SHOWPALETTES
Restores the display of hidden palettes.
VIEWRES
Sets the resolution for objects in the current viewport.

Control the Display of Toolbars | 143

VTOPTIONS
Displays a change in view as a smooth transition.

System Variables
APERTURE
Sets the display size for the object snap target box, in pixels.
CALCINPUT
Controls whether mathematical expressions and global constants are
evaluated in text and numeric entry boxes of windows and dialog boxes.
CLEANSCREENSTATE
Indicates whether the clean screen state is on or off.
CURSORSIZE
Determines the size of the crosshairs as a percentage of the screen size.
DCTCUST
Displays the path and file name of the current custom spelling dictionary.
DCTMAIN
Displays the three letter keyword for the current main spelling dictionary.
DEFPLSTYLE
Specifies the default plot style for new objects in a drawing when opening a
drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000, or when creating
a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
DRAGMODE
Controls the way dragged objects are displayed.
EXTNAMES
Sets the parameters for named object names (such as linetypes and layers)
stored in definition tables.
FILLMODE
Specifies whether hatches and fills, 2D solids, and wide polylines are filled
in.
GRIPBLOCK
Controls the display of grips in blocks.

144 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

GRIPCOLOR
Controls the color of unselected grips.
GRIPHOT
Controls the color of selected grips.
GRIPS
Controls the display of grips on selected objects.
INSUNITS
Specifies a drawing-units value for automatic scaling of blocks, images, or
xrefs when inserted or attached to a drawing.
INSUNITSDEFSOURCE
Sets source content units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
INSUNITSDEFTARGET
Sets target drawing units value when INSUNITS is set to 0.
INTELLIGENTUPDATE
Controls the graphics refresh rate.
ISAVEBAK
Improves the speed of incremental saves, especially for large drawings.
ISAVEPERCENT
Determines the amount of wasted space tolerated in a drawing file.
LAYOUTREGENCTL
Specifies how the display list is updated in the Model tab and layout tabs.
LOCALE
Displays a code that indicates the current locale.
LOCALROOTPREFIX
Stores the full path to the root folder where local customizable files were
installed.
LOCKUI
Locks the position and size of toolbars and dockable windows such as
DesignCenter and the Properties palette.

Control the Display of Toolbars | 145

LOGFILEMODE
Specifies whether the contents of the text window are written to a log file.
LOGFILENAME
Specifies the path and name of the text window log file for the current
drawing.
LOGFILEPATH
Specifies the path for the text window log files for all drawings in a session.
MTEXTED
Sets the application for editing multiline text objects.
OLEQUALITY
Sets the default plot quality for OLE objects.
OLESTARTUP
Controls whether the source application of an embedded OLE object loads
when plotting.
OSNAPCOORD
Controls whether coordinates entered on the command line will override
running object snaps.
PAPERUPDATE
Controls the display of a warning dialog box when attempting to print a
layout with a paper size different from the paper size specified by the default
for the plotter configuration file.
PALETTEOPAQUE
Controls whether palettes can be made transparent.
PICKADD
Controls whether subsequent selections replace the current selection set or
add to it.
PICKAUTO
Controls automatic windowing at the Select Objects prompt.
PICKBOX
Sets the object selection target height, in pixels.

146 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

PICKDRAG
Controls the method of drawing a selection window.
PICKFIRST
Controls whether you select objects before (noun-verb selection) or after you
issue a command.
PICKSTYLE
Controls the use of group selection and associative hatch selection.
PSTYLEPOLICY
Controls the plot style mode, Color-Dependent or Named, that is used when
opening a drawing that was created in a release prior to AutoCAD 2000 or
when creating a new drawing from scratch without using a drawing template.
QTEXTMODE
Controls how text is displayed.
RASTERPREVIEW
Controls whether BMP preview images are saved with the drawing.
ROLLOVERTIPS
Controls the display of rollover tooltips in the application.
SAVEFILEPATH
Stores the current automatic save file name.
SAVEFILEPATH
Specifies the path to the directory for all automatic save files for the current
session.
SAVETIME
Sets the automatic save interval, in minutes.
SPLINESEGS
Sets the number of line segments to be generated for each spline-fit polyline
generated by the Spline option of the PEDIT command.
TDUSRTIMER
Stores the user-elapsed timer.

Control the Display of Toolbars | 147

TOOLTIPMERGE
Combines drafting tooltips into a single tooltip.
TOOLTIPS
Controls the display of tooltips on the ribbon, toolbars, and other user
interface elements.
VISRETAIN
Controls the properties of xref-dependent layers.
VTDURATION
Sets the duration of a smooth view transition, in milliseconds.
VTENABLE
Controls when smooth view transitions are used.
VTFPS
Sets the minimum speed of a smooth view transition, in frames per second.
XLOADCTL
Turns xref demand-loading on and off, and controls whether it opens the
referenced drawing or a copy.

Create Task-Based Workspaces
Workspaces are sets of menus, toolbars, palettes, and ribbon control panels
that are grouped and organized so that you can work in a custom, task-oriented
drawing environment.
When you use a workspace, only the menus, toolbars, and palettes that are
relevant to a task are displayed. In addition, a workspace may automatically
display the ribbon, a special palette with task-specific control panels.
For more information about using the ribbon, see The Ribbon.
You can easily switch between workspaces. The following task-based workspaces
are already defined in the product:
■

2D Drafting & Annotation

■

3D Modeling

■

AutoCAD Classic

148 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

For example, when you create 3D models, you can use the 3D Modeling
workspace that contains only 3D-related toolbars, menus, and palettes.
Interface items that you do not need for 3D modeling are hidden, maximizing
the screen area available for your work.
When you make changes to your drawing display (such as moving, hiding,
or displaying a toolbar or a tool palette group) and you want to preserve the
display settings for future use, you can save the current settings to a workspace.

Switch Workspaces
You can switch to another workspace whenever you need to work on a different
task from the Workspace icon on the status bar.
NOTE Saved workspaces are also accessible from the Quick Access toolbar.

Create or Change a Workspace
You can create your own workspaces and modify the default workspaces. To
create or change a workspace, use either of the following methods:
■

Display, hide, and rearrange your toolbars and windows, modify your
ribbon settings, and then save the current workspace from t Workspaces
icon in the status bar, Workspaces toolbar or the Window menu, or use
the WORKSPACE command.

■

For more extensive changes, open the Customize User Interface dialog box
to set up the workspace environment.

You can control the display order of your saved workspaces and other options
in the Workspace Settings dialog box.
NOTE For more information about creating or modifying workspaces, and how
toolbars and menus interact with workspaces, see Customize Workspaces in the
Customization Guide.

Select a Sample Workspace
You can experiment with the sample workspace included with the product.
This predefined workspace demonstrates how you might use a workspace to
streamline your work tasks.
You can find the sample workspace in the following location:
:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD
2011\\\Support\acadSampleWorkspaces.cuix

Create Task-Based Workspaces | 149

To use the sample workspace, you must first transfer it to your main
customization (CUIx) file. To learn more about transferring a workspace, see
Transfer and Migrate Customization in the Customization Guide.

Workspaces and Profiles
Workspaces work with and complement the control over your drawing
environment that profiles provide.
Workspaces control the display of menus, toolbars, and palettes in the drawing
area. When you use or switch a workspace, you change the display of your
drawing area. You manage your workspaces from the Customize User Interface
dialog box.
Profiles save environment settings including many of your user options, drafting
settings, paths, and other values. Profiles are updated each time you make a
change to an option, setting, or other value. You can manage your profiles
from the Options dialog box.
NOTE When you make changes to the drawing display, the changes are stored
in your profile and are displayed the next time you launch the program, regardless
of your workspace settings. The profile changes are not automatically saved to a
workspace unless you select the Automatically Save Workspace Changes option
in the Workspace Settings dialog box. To preserve profile settings in a workspace,
click Save Current As from the shortcut menu of the workspace icon on the status
bar.
For more information about profiles, see Save and Restore Interface Settings
(Profiles) on page 151.

To switch workspaces
1 On the status bar, click Workspace Switching.
2 From the list of workspaces, select the workspace you want to switch to.
The workspace with a check mark is your current workspace.

To change workspace settings
1 Click Tools menu ➤ Workspaces ➤ Workspace Settings.
2 In the Workspace Settings dialog box, change workspace settings as
needed.
3 Click OK.

150 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

To save a workspace
1 Tools ➤ Workspaces ➤ Save Current As.
2 In the Save Workspace dialog box, enter a name for the new workspace
or select a name from the drop-down list.
3 Click Save.

Quick Reference
Commands
WORKSPACE
Creates, modifies, and saves workspaces and makes a workspace current.
WSSAVE
Saves a workspace.
WSSETTINGS
Sets options for workspaces.

System Variables
WSAUTOSAVE
Saves changes you made to a workspace when you switch to another work
space.
WSCURRENT
Returns the current workspace name at the Command prompt and sets a
workspace to current.

Save and Restore Interface Settings (Profiles)
Profiles store drawing environment settings. You can create profiles for different
users or projects, and you can share profiles by importing and exporting them
as files.
Profiles store settings such as the following:
■

Default search and project file paths

■

Template file locations

Save and Restore Interface Settings (Profiles) | 151

■

Initial folder specified in file navigation dialog boxes

■

Default linetype and hatch pattern files

■

Printer defaults

Profile information is typically set on the Files tab of the Options dialog box,
stored in the system registry, and can be exported to a text file (an ARG file).

Use Profiles for Shared Computers or Different Projects
Use the Profiles tab in the Options dialog box to create and save your drawing
environment settings as a profile. If you share your workstation with other
users who use the same login name, you can restore your options by making
the profile current. You can also create and save profiles to use with different
projects. By default, your current options are stored in a profile named
<>. The current profile name, as well as the current drawing
name, are displayed in the Options dialog box.

Transfer Profiles between Computers
Once you save a profile, you can export or import the ARG file to and from
different computers. This is useful for copying, restoring, or standardizing
project-oriented work environments over a network.
If you make changes to your current profile during a work session and you
want to save those changes in an ARG file, you must re-export the profile.
When you export the profile with the current profile name, the ARG file is
updated with the new settings.
For more information about profiles, see OPTIONS in the Command Reference.

Customize the Default Profile with Initial Setup
When using Initial Setup, a new profile is created based on the profile named
<>, or the current profile if <> does
not exist. The new profile created is named Initial Setup Profile, and is assigned
the industry or default drawing template selected from Initial Setup. For more
information on Initial Setup, see Customize AutoCAD with Initial Setup in
the Stand-Alone Installation Guide.

To make a profile current
1 Click the Application button. At the bottom of the Application menu,
click Options.

152 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

2 In the Options dialog box, Profiles tab, select the profile you want to
make current.
3 Click Set Current.
4 Click OK.

To save a profile
1 Click the Application button. At the bottom of the Application menu,
click Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, Profiles tab, click Add to List.
3 In the Add Profiles dialog box, enter a Profile name and Description.
4 Click Apply & Close to record the current option settings in the system
registry and close the dialog box.
5 Click OK.

To make a profile current before starting the program
1 On the Windows desktop, right-click the program icon. Click Properties.
2 In the AutoCAD Properties dialog box, Shortcut tab, under Target, enter
/p currentprofile after the current target directory. For example, to make
the profile User12 current, enter the following in Target:
"c:\Program Files\\acad.exe"/p user12
3 Click OK.
The profile name you enter is the current profile each time you start the
program.

Quick Reference
Commands
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.

System Variables
CPROFILE
Displays the name of the current profile.

Save and Restore Interface Settings (Profiles) | 153

Customize Startup
Command line switches can specify a separate startup routine for each project.
You can use command line switches to specify several options when you start
the program. For example, you can run a script, start with a specified drawing
template, and display a specified view when a drawing is opened. With
command line switches, you can also set up several program icons, each with
different start-up options.
Command line switches are parameters you can add to the acad.exe command
®
®
line associated with a Microsoft Windows shortcut icon or the Windows
Run dialog box. You can include several switches within a single command
line. Valid switches are listed in the following table.
/b

Script name

Designates a script to run after you start the
program (b stands for batch process). Scripts
can be used to set up drawing parameters
in a new drawing file. An SCR file type is assumed.

/t

Template file name

Creates a new drawing based on a template
or prototype drawing. A DWT file type is
assumed.

/c

Configuration folder

Specifies the path for the hardware configuration file that you want to use. You can
specify a directory or a particular file. A CFG
file type is assumed.
If you don't set the /c switch, the executable
directory is searched and the ACADCFGW
or ACADCFG environment variable is used
as a way to define the configuration file and
directory location.

/v

View name

Designates a particular view of the drawing
for display at startup.

/ld

ARX or DBX application

Loads a specified ARX or DBX application.
Use the following format:
\.ARX
If the path or file name contains spaces, then
the path or file name should be wrapped in

154 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

double quotes. If no path information is included, the program search path is used.
/s

Support folders

Designates support folders other than the
current folder. Drawing support files include
text fonts, menus, AutoLISP files, linetypes,
and hatch patterns. The maximum number
of folders you can specify in the path is 15.
Each folder name is delimited by semicolons.

/r

Default system pointing
device

Restores the default system pointing device.
It creates a new configuration file
(acad2010.cfg) and renames the previous
configuration file to acad2010.bak.

/nologo

No AutoCAD logo screen

Starts the program without first displaying
the logo screen.

/p

User-defined registry
profile for starting the
program

Specifies a user-defined registry profile for
starting the program. The selected profile is
in effect only for the current session of the
program, unless you make another profile
current in the Options dialog box during
that session.
You create or import profiles on the Profiles
tab in the Options dialog box. With the /p
switch, you can specify the name of a profile
that is listed in the Options dialog box or
the file name of an exported profile (ARG)
file. If the profile does not exist, the current
profile is used.

/nohardware

Disables hardware
acceleration

Disables hardware acceleration on startup.

/nossm

No Sheet Set Manager
window

Suppresses the display of the Sheet Set
Manager window on startup.

/set

Sheet set

Loads the named sheet set on startup. Use
the following format:
\.DST

Customize Startup | 155

/w

Default workspace

Designates which workspace in the loaded
CUIx files should be restored on startup.

/pl

Background plotting/publishing

Publishes a drawing set descriptions (DSD)
file in the background. Use the following
format:
\.DSD

The syntax for using command line switches is
"drive:pathname\acad.exe" ["drawingname"] [/switch "name"]
When using a switch option, you must follow the switch with a space and
then the name of a file, path, or view within quotation marks. For example,
the following entry starts the program from a folder named AutoCAD 2011
with the drawing template arch1.dwt, restores a named view PLAN1, and
executes a script file startup.scr.
"d:\AutoCAD 2011\acad.exe”/t "d:\AutoCAD 2011\template\arch1" /v "plan1"
/b "startup"
The environment settings are resolved in the following way:
■

If you use a command line switch to specify an environment setting, the
command line switch overrides the settings specified in either the Options
dialog box or the environment variable.

■

If a command line switch is not set, the corresponding value set in the
Options dialog box is used.

■

If neither a command line switch nor an Options value is set, the
environment variable value is used.

NOTE Command line switches and environment variables override values set in
the Options dialog box for the current session only. They do not alter the system
registry.

To start the program with a command line switch
1 Right-click the program icon on the Windows desktop. Click Properties.
2 In the AutoCAD Properties dialog box, Shortcut tab, in the Target box,
edit the parameters for the switch using the following syntax:
"drive:pathname\acad.exe" ["drawing name"] [/switch "name"]

156 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

Valid switches are as follows:
/b

Script name (b stands for batch process)

/t

Template file name

/c

Configuration folder

/v

View name

/s

Support folders

/r

Default system pointing device

/nologo

No AutoCAD logo screen

/nohardware

Disables hardware acceleration

/p

User-defined registry profile

/nossm

No Sheet Set Manager window

/set

Sheet Set name

/w

Default workspace

/pl

Background plotting/publishing for a Drawing Set Descriptions (DSD) file

For example, enter "d:\AutoCAD 2011\acad.exe" /t "d:\AutoCAD
2011\template\arch1" /v "plan1" /b "startup"
3 Click OK.

Play Back an Action Macro
After an action macro is recorded with the Action Recorder, you can play back
the series of recorded commands and input values.
You play back an action macro from the Action Recorder panel. You can also
enter the name of the action macro at the Command prompt. As an action
macro is played back, you might be paused for input or requested to respond
to a message or requested to insert a base point.

Play Back an Action Macro | 157

Based on the current action or request for user interaction in the action macro,
an icon near the cursor is displayed to indicate when the action macro needs
input in order to continue. A dialog box may be displayed where you enter a
value or use the recorded value.
As an action macro is played back, the series of commands are performed one
after the other until playback is complete or an error is encountered. Some of
the reasons for the playback to stop or fail are as follows:
■

Invalid command. The command that is defined in the action macro is
unknown to AutoCAD. The action macro might have been recorded in a
different product or contains custom commands or macros that are not
loaded.

■

Empty selection. The current action expected a selection set of objects, but
no objects were selected.

■

Macro cancelled. The Cancel button in one of the dialogs boxes was clicked.

Location of Action Macros
When you record an action macro, it is saved to the path defined by the system
variable ACTRECPATH. For playback, paths are defined by the system variable
ACTPATH.
Both sets of paths are used when loading and playing back an action macro.
In the Action Recorder Settings node on the Files tab of the Options dialog
box, you can to set the paths used for both recording and reading action macro
files.

Record and Modify Action Macros
Recording and modifying action macros is done with the Action Recorder
panel on the ribbon. To learn how to record and modify action macros, see
Record and Modify Action Macros in the Customization Guide.
See also:
■

Record and Modify Action Macros

To play back an action macro from the Action Recorder panel
1 On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➤ Action Recorder panel. Click the
down arrow next to the Action Macro list and select the action macro to
play back.

158 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

2 Click Play.
3 Follow any Command prompts and dialog boxes displayed to complete
the action macro.

To play back an action macro from the Command prompt
■

At the Command prompt, enter the name of the action macro that you
want to play back and press Enter.
For example, if the action macro command name is DRAWLINE, enter
drawline at the Command prompt and press Enter.

To provide user input during playback
1 Start the playback on an action macro.
2 Follow the prompts displayed at the Command prompt.

To change the location used to search for recorded action macros
1 Click the Application button. At the bottom of the Application menu,
click Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, in the list of nodes, click the plus
sign (+) next to Action Recorder Settings.
3 Click the plus sign (+) next to Additional Actions Reading File Locations,
and specify a folder path.
4 Click OK

Quick Reference
Commands
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.
RIBBON
Opens the ribbon window.

Play Back an Action Macro | 159

System Variables
ACTPATH
Specifies the additional paths to use when locating available action macros
for playback.
ACTRECPATH
Specifies the path used to store new action macros.

Migrate and Specify Initial Setup
Migrating from an older release or getting started with AutoCAD for the first
time present different challenges.
Migrate Custom Settings allows you to copy your custom settings and files
from a previous release of AutoCAD to the latest release, making it easier to
start using the new release. Initial Setup helps you to perform some basic
customization of AutoCAD.

Migrate Custom Settings and Files
One of the challenges when moving from a previous release of AutoCAD to
the latest release is getting the new release to look and behave like the previous
release. You can use Migrate Custom Settings and the Customize User Interface
(CUI) Editor to transfer many of your custom settings and files to the latest
release.

Initial Setup
You can perform some basic customization of AutoCAD with Initial Setup
which makes it easier to access specific tools and start a new drawing. Initial
Setup is accessed from the Options dialog box. The following can be done
with Initial Setup:
■

Specify an industry that best describes your work to help search for related
content to use in drawings and companion products developed by partners.

■

Add task-based tools to your default workspace.

■

Specify a drawing template to use when creating new drawings.

For more information on Initial Setup, see Customize AutoCAD with Initial
Setup in the Stand-Alone Installation Guide.

160 | Chapter 5 Customize the Drawing Environment

See also:
■

Migrate Custom Settings and Files from Previous Releases in the Stand-Alone
Installation Guide

■

Basic Customization in the Customization Guide

■

User Interface Customization in the Customization Guide

Migrate and Specify Initial Setup | 161

162

Part 3: Start and Save
Drawings

163

164

Start a Drawing

6

All drawings start from either a default drawing template file or a custom drawing template
file that you create. Drawing template files store default settings, styles, and additional data.

Overview of Starting a New Drawing
Before you start to draw, you need to decide what system of drawing units that
you will use in the drawing, and then choose a drawing template file appropriate
for those drawing units.

Choose Drawing Units
A drawing unit can equal one inch, one millimeter, or any other system of
measurement. For more information about drawing units, see Determine the
Units of Measurement on page 167.

Choose a Drawing Template File
When you start a new drawing, AutoCAD accesses a drawing template file to
determine many default settings such as unit precision, dimension styles, layer
names, a title block, and other settings. Many of the settings are based on
whether the drawing template file is intended for use with a drawing created
in inches, feet, millimeters,centimeters, or other unit of measurement.

165

Customize a Drawing Template File
By customizing your own drawing template file, you save yourself a lot of
work changing settings, and you also ensure that the settings are standardized.
Choose a drawing template file

Start a new drawing, choose a drawing template
----- file similar to what you need for your discipline
and units of measurement.

Specify units and precision

----- Specify a unit format and precision.

Define various styles

----- Specify values and settings for text, dimensions,
and other styles.

Specify additional settings

----- Determine other settings, including layers, grid
spacing, linetypes, and layouts.

Save the drawing template file

----- Save the file in the Template folder using a DWT
file extension.

You can create several drawing template files for different projects, and you
can choose one when you click New.

166 | Chapter 6 Start a Drawing

Quick Reference
Commands
NEW
Creates a new drawing.
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.
SAVEAS
Saves a copy of the current drawing under a new file name.

System Variables
MEASUREMENT
Controls whether the current drawing uses imperial or metric hatch pattern
and linetype files.

Specify Units and Unit Formats
Before you start to draw, you decide on the units of measurement to be used
in the drawing, and set the format, precision, and other conventions to be
used in coordinates and distances.

Determine the Units of Measurement
Before you start to draw, you must decide what one drawing unit represents
based on what you plan to draw. You can convert a drawing between systems
of measurement by scaling it.
Every object you create is measured in drawing units. Before you start to draw,
you must decide what one drawing unit will represent based on what you
plan to draw. Then you create your drawing at actual size with that convention.
For example, the objects in the illustration might represent two buildings that
are each 125 feet long, or a section of a mechanical part that is measured in
millimeters.

Specify Units and Unit Formats | 167

Convert Drawing Units
If you start a drawing in one system of measurement (imperial or metric) and
then want to switch to the other system, use SCALE to scale the model
geometry by the appropriate conversion factor to obtain correct distances and
dimensions.
For example, to convert a drawing created in inches to centimeters, you scale
the model geometry by a factor of 2.54. To convert from centimeters to inches,
the scale factor is 1/2.54 or about 0.3937.
See also:
■

Set the Scale for Dimensions on page 1461

To convert a drawing from inches to centimeters

1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Scale.
2 At the Select Objects prompt, enter all.
All objects in the drawing are selected for scaling.
3 Enter a base point of *0,0.
Scaling will be relative to the world coordinate system origin and the
location of the drawing origin will remain at the WCS origin.
4 Enter a scale factor of 2.54 (there are 2.54 centimeters per inch).
All objects in the drawing are now 2.54 times larger, corresponding to
the equivalent distance in centimeters.

To convert a drawing from centimeters to inches

1 Click Home tab ➤ Modify panel ➤ Scale.

168 | Chapter 6 Start a Drawing

2 At the Select Objects prompt, enter all.
All objects in the drawing are selected for scaling.
3 Enter a base point of *0,0.
Scaling is performed relative to the world coordinate system origin, and
the location of the drawing origin will remain at the WCS origin.
4 Enter a scale factor of 0.3937 (the inverse of 2.54 centimeters per inch).
All objects in the drawing are now smaller, corresponding to the
equivalent distance in inches.

Quick Reference
Commands
UNITS
Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precision.
SCALE
Enlarges or reduces selected objects, keeping the proportions of the object
the same after scaling.

System Variables
LUNITS
Sets linear units.
LUPREC
Sets the display precision for linear units and coordinates.
MEASUREINIT
Controls whether a drawing you start from scratch uses imperial or metric
default settings.
MEASUREMENT
Controls whether the current drawing uses imperial or metric hatch pattern
and linetype files.
UNITMODE
Controls the display format for units.

Determine the Units of Measurement | 169

Set the Unit Format Conventions
You can set the format and the number of decimal places to be used when
you enter and display linear and angular units.

Set Linear Units
You can choose from several common conventions to represent the format
and the precision of linear distances and coordinates displayed in the Properties
palette, dynamic input, the status bar, and other locations.
For example, here are three variations of dynamic input.

Set Angular Units
You can specify that positive values of angles are measured either clockwise
or counterclockwise, and the direction of angle 0 (usually East or North). You
can enter angles using grads, radians, or surveyor's units or using degrees,
minutes, and seconds.
If you use surveyor's angles when specifying polar coordinates, indicate whether
the surveyor's angles are in the north, south, east, or west direction. For
example, to enter the relative coordinates for a property line that is 72 feet,
8 inches long with a bearing of 45 degrees north, 20 minutes, 6 seconds east,
enter @72'8"