AutoCAD Platform Customization: User Interface and Beyond (2014)
Chapter 5. Customizing the AutoCAD User Interface for Windows
The Autodesk® AutoCAD® user interface provides you with one of the best opportunities to
increase your productivity without learning a programming language. Many of the user-
interface elements that allow you to start a command or toggle a system variable with a click of a button or the press of a key can be customized. By customizing the user interface, you can reorganize it to better fi t the way you work, add the commands that you frequently use, and even remove those commands that you do not use.
You customize the user interface through a combination of direct manipulation and the
Customize User Interface Editor—or CUI Editor, as it is commonly known. Direct manipulation can make it fast and easy to reorganize elements, but there are limitations, as not all elements are supported and new user-interface elements can’t be added. The CUI Editor provides the most control over the elements of the user interface.
As you make changes to the user interface, the changes are stored as part of the Windows
Registry or in the main customization (CUIx) fi le. CUIx fi les contain the defi nitions for many of the elements that are displayed in the AutoCAD application window, such as the buttons on a ribbon panel, items on the menu bar, or even shortcut key combinations.
Getting Started with the CUI Editor
The CUI Editor is the tool that you will need to become familiar with to customize the
AutoCAD user interface. Figure 5.1 shows the CUI Editor and highlights some of the areas that I will discuss. The editor might appear a bit overwhelming at fi rst—and to be honest it can be because of everything it does—but there is nothing to be afraid of; I will guide you one step at a time. The CUI Editor is a much better solution for those new to customizing the AutoCAD
user interface than what was available in the releases prior to AutoCAD 2006. In those versions, a dialog box offered only limited customization options. You needed to use an ASCII text editor like Notepad to customize all available elements.
Not that I have anything against Notepad; it just does not know what needs to be done to
create a toolbar, add a toolbar button, or defi ne a pull-down menu with a series of items. If you forget a character, attempting to load the miscoded menu/customization fi le often results in a cryptic message from AutoCAD. The CUI Editor lowers the learning curve for creating and modifying user-interface elements.
Figure 5.1
Customizations In pane
Th
e CUI Editor
lets you create and
modify user-
interface elements.
Command List pane
Dynamic pane
You can display the CUI Editor using one of the following methods:
◆ On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
◆ Right-click a button on the Quick Access toolbar or a standard toolbar and click Customize Quick Access Toolbar or Customize, respectively.
◆ At the command prompt, type cui and press Enter.
When the CUI Editor is displayed, notice that there are two tabs. Each tab is divided into areas called panes. The two tabs in the CUI Editor and their purpose are as follows: Customize Tab Use the Customize tab to create, modify, and organize the user-interface elements that come with AutoCAD or those that you create. You will also use this tab to create workspaces that allow you to control when and where specifi c user-interface elements are displayed. This tab is divided into three panes:
Customizations In Pane Here you will fi nd a listing of the CUIx fi les that are currently loaded and the user-interface elements that they contain. When a user-interface element
is expanded, you see each of the items that make up that particular element, such as
the buttons on a ribbon panel or the items on a pull-down menu. When you select a
user-interface element, command, or control in this pane, its properties can be changed
in the Dynamic pane.
Command List Pane Here you’ll fi nd a list of the commands and controls that you can add to the user-interface elements in the Customizations In pane. New custom commands
for use in the user-interface are created in this pane. Selecting a command from this pane displays its properties in the Dynamic pane, where you can change the image, name,
macro, and other settings that defi ne how a command appears in the user interface.
Dynamic Pane Displays the properties of an item selected from either the
Customizations In or Command List pane. Based on the item selected, one or more of
eight different subpanes could be displayed. I cover each of these panes later in this chapter as I explain how to customize the elements of the user interface.
Transfer Tab Use the Transfer tab to copy user-interface elements between customization (CUIx) fi les, migrate user-interface elements from an earlier release, and create new or save existing CUIx fi les.
TIP You can resize a pane by positioning the cursor between two panes and dragging when the cursor changes to two arrows that point in opposite directions. Th
e panes on the Customize
tab can also be collapsed by clicking a pane’s title bar.
Creating Commands and Defi ning Command Macros
Commands are the primary component of elements in the AutoCAD user interface, and they
are created in the Command List pane of the CUI Editor. The properties of a command in a
CUIx fi le defi ne the sequence of AutoCAD commands and options that will be executed when the command is used, and how the command should appear on a user-interface element. The
sequence of AutoCAD commands and options that are assigned to a command are contained
in a macro. The macro is the most signifi cant property of a command in a CUIx fi le.
Understanding the Basics of a Command Macro
A macro defi nes the input that is sent to the AutoCAD command prompt when a user-interface element is used; it can, but does not necessarily need to, start and complete a command in a single command macro. You could start a command with one macro and then click another
button to send an expected value to the active command. An example might be where one
macro starts a custom AutoLISP® routine that prompts you for a bolt or window size, and
rather than typing a size each time, you use a second macro to pass a value to the routine.
For the most part, a macro is similar to the input that you enter at the command prompt to start and complete an AutoCAD command, but it can also contain special characters that control its execution. For example, the following might be what you normally would do to draw a circle with a diameter of one-eighth of an inch:
1. At the command prompt, type circle and press Enter.
2. At the Specify center point for circle or [3P/2P/Ttr (tan tan radius)]:
prompt, specify a point with the input device or type a value at the command prompt.
3. At the Specify radius of circle or [Diameter] <0.1875>: prompt, type d and press Enter.
4. At the Specify diameter of circle <0.3750>: prompt, type 0.125 and press Enter.
An example of a command macro using the same input as the previous example might look
something like this:
^C^C._circle;\_d;0.125;
As you can see, I used fi ve special characters in the example macro that were not present as part of the original input entered at the command prompt: ^ (caret), . (period), _ (underscore),
; (semicolon), and \ (backslash). Table 5.1 explains the signifi cance of each macro component.
Table 5.1:
Meaning of macro components
Macro
Component
Description
^C^C
Simulates the pressing of the Esc key twice.
._circle
Passes the circle command to the command prompt.
;
Simulates the pressing of the Enter key to start the circle command.
\
Pauses for the user to specify the center point of the circle.
_d
Indicates that the Diameter option of the circle command will be used.
;
Simulates the pressing of the Enter key to accept the Diameter option.
0.125
Specifi es the value for the Diameter option.
;
Simulates the pressing of the Enter key to accept the diameter value. Since this is
the last expected value, the circle command ends too.
Table 5.2 lists the most common special characters used in a command macro.
Table 5.2:
Special characters that can be used in macros
Special
Character
Description
^C
Equivalent to pressing Esc.
;
Equivalent to pressing Enter.
[blank space]
Equivalent to pressing Enter or spacebar based on the expected input of the
current prompt.
Table 5.2:
Special characters that can be used in macros (continued)
Special
Character
Description
\
Allows the user to provide input.
.
Instructs AutoCAD to use the command’s standard defi nition even when a com-
mand might have been undefi ned with the undefine command.
_
Instructs AutoCAD to use the global command name or option value instead of the
local name or value provided. Th
is allows the macro to function as expected when
used with a diff erent language of the AutoCAD release.
*
Repeats the AutoCAD command after the asterisk character until the user cancels
the command.
Example macro from the Point, Multiple Point command in the acad.cuix fi le:
*^C^C_point
$M=
Indicates the start of a DIESEL expression.
Example expression from the UCS Icon, On command in the acad.cuix fi le:
$M=$(if,$(and,$(getvar,ucsicon),1),^C^C_ucsicon _off,^C^C_ucsi-
con _on)
TIP To learn about other special and control characters that can be used in a command macro, search the AutoCAD Help system using the keywords characters in macros.
When combining multiple commands into a single menu macro, you will want to fi rst step
through the sequence at the command prompt. Doing this can help you identify which com-
mands, options, and values you want to use. The following example demonstrates the com-
mands and options you might use to create and set as current a layer named Notes and then draw a multiline text object:
1. At the command prompt, type -layer and press Enter.
2. At the Enter an option prompt, type m and press Enter.
3. At the Enter name for new layer (becomes the current layer) <0>: prompt, type Notes and press Enter.
4. At the Ente0r an option prompt, type c and press Enter.
5. At the New color [Truecolor/COlorbook]: prompt, type 8 and press Enter.
6. At the Enter name list of layer(s) for color 8 <Notes>: prompt, press Enter.
7. At the Enter an option prompt, press Enter.
8. At the command prompt, type -mtext and press Enter.
9. At the Specify first corner: prompt, specify a point in the drawing area.
10. At the Specify opposite corner or [Height/Justify/Line spacing/Rotation/
Style/Width/Columns]: prompt, type j and press Enter.
11. At the Enter justification [TL/TC/TR/ML/MC/MR/BL/BC/BR] <TL>: prompt, type tl and press Enter.
12. At the Specify opposite corner or [Height/Justify/Line spacing/Rotation/
Style/Width/Columns]: prompt, type h and press Enter.
13. At the Specify height <0.2000>: prompt, type 0.25 and press Enter.
14. At the Specify opposite corner or [Height/Justify/Line spacing/Rotation/
Style/Width/Columns]: prompt, type r and press Enter.
15. At the Specify rotation angle <0>: prompt, type 0 and press Enter.
16. At the Specify opposite corner or [Height/Justify/Line spacing/Rotation/
Style/Width/Columns]: prompt, type w and press Enter.
17. At the Specify width: prompt, type 7.5 and press Enter.
18. At the MText: prompt, type NOTE: ADA requires a minimum turn radius of and press Enter.
19. At the MText: prompt, type 60" (1525mm) for wheelchairs. and press Enter.
20. Press Enter again to end the mtext command and leave the command-line window open.
What’s That Hyphen?
As I discussed earlier, commands that display dialog boxes or palettes should be avoided in macros when you want to use specifi c values. Adding a leading hyphen to many commands that normally display a dialog box or palette starts an alternate command that displays a series of prompts instead.
For example, use -layer instead of layer when you want to create a layer from a command macro, or -insert instead of insert to insert a block. See Chapter 8, “Automating Repetitive Tasks,”
for a listing of alternative commands and system variables that allow you to avoid opening dialog boxes and palettes.
After you’ve worked through the process at the command prompt, you can use that informa-
tion to convert the process to a macro. The next steps walk you through the process of converting input entered at the command prompt into a command macro:
1. Press F2 to expand the command-line history or display the AutoCAD Text Window.
2. In the History area, select the command prompts that were displayed and input that you entered (see Figure 5.2). Right-click and click Copy.
3. At the command prompt, enter notepad and press Enter twice to launch Notepad.
4. In Notepad, click in the editor window and press Ctrl+V to paste the copied text from the command-line history.
Figure 5.2
Command-line
history of the
input you previ-
ously entered
5. From the pasted text, remove the two informational lines Current layer: and Current text style: and their values.
6. Replace the Specify first corner: prompt with a \ (single backslash character).
7. Remove all the other prompts before the input you entered.
8. After each line, add a ; (semicolon), with the exception of the line that contains the backslash. After this and the previous three steps you should have the following left in
Notepad:
-layer;
m;
Notes;
c;
8;
;
;
-mtext;
\
j;
tl;
h;
0.25;
r;
0;
w;
7.5;
NOTE: ADA requires a minimum turn radius of;
60" (1525mm) diameter for wheelchairs.;
;
9. Enter ^C^C before the fi rst line to make sure no other command is active when the macro is used.
10. Place the cursor at the end of each line and press Delete to move all input to a single line.
Your fi nished macro should look like this:
^C^C-layer;m;Notes;c;8;;;-mtext;\j;tl;h;0.25;r;0;w;7.5;
NOTE: ADA requires a minimum turn radius of;60" (1525mm) for wheelchairs.;;
11. Click File ➢ Save As.
12. In the Save As dialog box, browse to the MyCustomFiles folder that you created under the Documents (or My Documents) folder, or the location where you want to store the text fi le.
13. In the File Name text box, type mynotemacro.txt and click Save.
14. Do not close Notepad; you will use the macro you just created in the next section, when you create a command for use in the user interface.
TIP Add the text ._ (period underscore) in front of each command name and an _ (underscore) in front of the values that represent an option name. This ensures that your macro works correctly
if a command is undefi ned or the command macro is used on a non-English AutoCAD release.
Here’s how the macro you just created would look after prefi xing commands with ._ and options with _:
^C^C._-layer;_m;Notes;_c;8;;;._-mtext;\_j;_tl;_h;0.25;_r;0;_w;7.5;
NOTE: ADA requires a minimum turn radius of;60" (1525mm) for wheelchairs.;;
Creating and Modifying Commands
Before you can use your macro, you fi rst need to learn how to create a new command in a CUIx fi le. Commands are created under the Command List pane of the CUI Editor. You can also locate and modify existing commands in the CUIx fi les that are currently loaded.
The following example explains how to create a command for the macro that you created in
the previous section in a current CUIx fi le. If you did not complete the steps for the previous example, you can open the NoteMacro.txt exercise fi le that is available for download from www
.sybex.com/go/autocadcustomization. If you did complete the previous example but closed
Notepad, launch Notepad and open the fi le MyNoteMacro.txt from the MyCustomFiles sub-
folder under the Documents (or My Documents) folder, or the location you used.
1. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface (or at the command prompt, type cui and press Enter).
2. In the CUI Editor, from the Command List pane select Create A New Command.
NOTE When you create a new command, it is added to the customization (CUIx) fi le that is selected from the drop-down list at the top of the Customizations In pane. If you want to add a command to a partial customization fi le, make sure it is selected before creating the command. I discuss the types of customization fi les later in this chapter in the “Working with Customization Files” section.
3. In the Properties pane (see Figure 5.3), type Wheelchair Note in the Name fi eld. The Name fi eld is used to identify the command in the Command List pane and is part of the
tooltip (shown in Figure 5.12, later in this chapter) that is displayed when the cursor hovers over the command in the user interface.
Figure 5.3
Defi ning the
properties of a
command
4. Click in the Macro fi eld and then click the ellipsis […] button. In the Long String Editor, clear the current value in the text box. Enter the macro that you created in the previous exercise or copy/paste the contents of the MyNoteMacro.txt or NoteMacro.txt fi le into
the text box. Click OK. The macro defi nes the actions that AutoCAD will perform when
the command is used from the user interface.
5. Optionally, in the Description fi eld enter ADA Wheelchair minimum radius note. The text entered in this fi eld helps to describe what the command is used for and is part of the tooltip that is displayed when the cursor hovers over the command in the user interface.
6. Optionally in the Extended Help File fi eld, specify an XAML fi le that contains additional text and images that describe what the command does. I do not cover creating extended
help fi les in this book; search on the keywords extended help in the AutoCAD Help system to learn more.
7. Optionally in the Command Display Name fi eld, enter -LAYER, TEXT. The text entered in this fi eld helps the user to identify which AutoCAD commands are used as part of the
macro, and is part of the tooltip displayed when the cursor is over the command in the
user interface.
8. Optionally, click in the Tags fi eld and then click the ellipsis […] button. In the Tag Editor, click in the Tags text box and enter Wheelchair,Note. Click OK.
NOTE Tags make it easier to locate a command without looking for it in the user interface. You can search for a command that is assigned a tag using the Search fi eld of the Application menu; the Search fi eld is accessed by clicking the Application button located near the upper-left corner of the AutoCAD application window.
9. Click Apply to save the changes you made to the properties of the new command (see Figure 5.4).
Figure 5.4
Th
e properties
of the completed
command
A command can be edited by selecting it from the Command List pane and then making
changes to it in the Properties pane, just as you did when you created the new command.
TIP Click the Filter Th e Command List By Category drop-down list under the Command List pane and select Custom Commands to list only the custom commands that have been added to
any of the loaded CUIx fi les.
Creating and Assigning an Image to a Command
While using images with your commands is optional, you should consider adding an image to each of the commands that you create in a CUIx fi le to provide the most fl exibility. Although not all user-interface elements display an image, most of the common user-interface elements do.
AutoCAD provides a basic image editor that allows you to create images for your commands
right inside the CUI Editor. However, if you or someone else in your company has experience with a different image editor, you can use that software.
Here are the basic requirements your images need to meet:
◆ Small images should be 16×16 pixels in size.
◆ Large images should be 32×32 pixels in size.
◆ Images need to be in the BMP fi le format.
If an image is created using the Button Editor inside the CUI Editor, that image is saved as part of the CUIx fi le. You can export an image fi le if you want to edit the image outside of AutoCAD. You also can import into a CUIx fi le images that you created or edited outside of AutoCAD and then assign those images to a command. An alternative to importing images
into the CUIx fi le is to create a resource DLL fi le that has the same name as the CUIx fi le being loaded into AutoCAD. This method is more common with third-party utilities that use CUIx
fi les for their user-interface elements.
The following example explains how to create a custom image for the Wheelchair Note com-
mand you created in the previous section:
1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the CUI Editor, from the Command List pane select the Wheelchair Note command.
3. Under the Button Image pane, select one of the images from the Image list. It does not matter which image you select unless there is an image that is similar to the image you
want to create. If there is a similar image, select it.
4. Under the Apply To section, select Both.
5. Click Edit.
6. In the Button Editor (see Figure 5.5), click Clear.
Figure 5.5
Creating a custom
image
7. Click the Grid check box to display a grid of pixel squares over the image canvas.
8. Click the Pencil drawing tool located above the image canvas to edit the image.
9. Click one of the color swatches from the left side or click More to display the Select Color dialog box. If you click More, choose a color that is different from the standard colors.
10. Click (or drag over) the image canvas to create your image. Draw an image that you feel conveys the idea of a Wheelchair Note. Figure 5.6 shows an example of an image that I
created. It can be found in the fi les available for download from this book’s web page; the fi le is named WheelchairNote.bmp.
Figure 5.6
Example custom
image
11. After you have created your image, click Save.
12. In the Save Image dialog box, in the Image Name text box enter WheelchairNote.
Click OK.
13. Click Close to return to the main dialog of the CUI Editor. The image you created should now be assigned to both the Small Image and Large Image fi elds of the command.
14. Click Apply to save the changes to the command.
If you have an externally saved fi le that you want to use for a command, you can do the
following:
1. In the CUI Editor, from the Command List pane select the command that you want to assign a button image to.
2. In the Button Image pane, right-click the Image list, and then click Import Image.
3. In the Open dialog box, browse to and select the image to import. Click Open.
4. In the Apply To section, select Both.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the Image list and select the image you just imported. The image you selected should now be assigned to both the Small Image and Large Image fi elds of
the command.
6. Click Apply to save the changes to the command.
As I mentioned earlier, the images used for your commands are stored in the CUIx fi le. You can manage the images stored in a CUIx fi le using the CUI Editor - Image Manager (see
Figure 5.7). Click the Image Manager button in the Customizations In pane to display the CUI Editor - Image Manager. Here you can perform the following tasks:
◆ View the images and their sizes
◆ Import externally stored BMP fi les
◆ Export selected images in the CUIx fi le and save them as individual BMP fi les
◆ Remove the images that you are not currently using
Figure 5.7
Managing images
in the loaded
CUIx fi les
Customizing User-Interface Elements
Out of the box, the AutoCAD user interface is designed for everyone, but not to accommodate the needs of any specifi c industry or any one single company’s workfl ow. Many of the common user-interface elements in the AutoCAD application window can be customized, and you
should take the time to customize them to get the most out of AutoCAD. You can add new elements that execute command macros and custom applications you create, remove or hide those that you do not use, or reorganize those that you use frequently to make them easier to access.
You use the CUI Editor to modify the elements defi ned in a CUIx fi le.
The following elements of the user interface can be edited with the CUI Editor:
◆ Quick Access toolbar (QAT)
◆ Ribbon; panels and tabs
◆ Pull-down and shortcut menus
◆ Toolbars
◆ Double-click actions
◆ Shortcut and temporary override keys
◆ Mouse buttons
◆ Properties displayed as part of the Quick Properties palette or rollover tooltips
◆ Legacy elements; tablet menus and buttons; image tile and screen menus
Quick Access Toolbar
The Quick Access toolbar (QAT), shown in Figure 5.8, is part of the AutoCAD title bar area along the top of the application window. The tools commonly placed in the toolbar are for managing drawing fi les, plotting or publishing layouts, undoing or redoing recent actions, and setting a workspace current that is defi ned in the main CUIx fi le.
You can customize the QAT using one of the following methods:
QAT Customize Menu Clicking the Customize button on the far right side of the QAT displays the Customize menu. From this menu, you can toggle the display of several additional select commands, click More Commands to display the CUI Editor, or click Show Below/
Above The Ribbon to change the placement of the QAT.
QAT Shortcut Menu Right-clicking a command or control on the QAT displays a shortcut menu that allows you to remove the element below the cursor, add a vertical separator bar to the right of the element under the cursor, click Customize Quick Access Toolbar to display the CUI Editor, or click Show Quick Access Toolbar Below/Above The Ribbon to change its
placement.
Ribbon Button Right-clicking a command on the ribbon displays a shortcut that contains the Add To Quick Access Toolbar item. This item adds the command to the QAT.
CUI Editor The CUI Editor provides you with the same functionality that is found on the QAT’s Customize and shortcut menus, and a few additional options as well. With the CUI
Editor, you can choose to customize the default QAT or create a new one, and you can also change the order in which commands and controls are displayed.
Figure 5.8
Quick Access toolbar
Customize button
Accessing the
customization
options for the
Quick Access
toolbar
Customizing the Default QAT
The next example explains how to customize the default QAT. You will add the Wheelchair Note command that you created earlier in this chapter.
1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the Customizations In pane of the CUI Editor, expand the Quick Access Toolbars node.
Expand the Quick Access Toolbar 1 node, or any other QAT you want to customize.
3. In the Command List pane, select Custom Commands from the Filter The Command List By Category drop-down list.
4. From the Command list, drag the Wheelchair Note command below the Ribbon Combo Box - Workspace control. Release the mouse button when the horizontal bar is displayed
below the control (see Figure 5.9). After a command or control is added to the QAT, you
can change how it is displayed by changing its properties under the Properties pane.
Figure 5.9
Adding a com-
mand to the QAT
5. Click Apply to save the changes.
Now that the Wheelchair Note command has been added, let’s add a separator and Layer
controls to the QAT that we are customizing in this exercise:
1. Use the command-list fi lter to access the Ribbon Control Elements. In the Command List pane, open the Filter The Command List By Category drop-down list and select Ribbon
Control Elements (see Figure 5.10).
Figure 5.10
Accessing the
controls that can
be placed on the
QAT
2. In the Search Command List text box (located just above the Filter The Command List By Category drop-down list), type layer.
3. In the command list, right-click Layer List Combo Box and select Copy.
4. In the Customizations In pane, right-click the Wheelchair Note command you added in Step 4. Click Paste. The Layer List Combo Box control is added to the QAT.
5. Right-click the Ribbon Combo Box - Workspace control under the QAT node and click Insert Separator. A separator element is added to the end of the toolbar.
6. Click Apply to save the changes.
There will be times when you want to remove access to particular commands. The next steps in this exercise explain how to remove the SaveAs command from the QAT and how to test the customized QAT:
1. Right-click the SaveAs element under the QAT and click Remove. In the message box, click Yes to remove the element.
2. Click and drag the Layer List Combo Box above the Wheelchair Note command in the tree view to reorder it on the QAT.
3. Click Apply to see the changes in the application window. The QAT and the elements under the QAT node in the CUI Editor should now look like Figure 5.11.
Figure 5.11
Results of the
customization to
the QAT
4. Click OK to save the changes to the CUIx fi le and return to the drawing window.
5. On the QAT, position the cursor over Wheelchair Note. Notice the contents of the tooltip, shown in Figure 5.12; you should see the information you entered when you created the
command earlier in this exercise.
Figure 5.12
Tooltip for
the custom
Wheelchair Note
command
6. Click Wheelchair Note and specify a point in the drawing window. The layer Notes is created and set as current, and two single-line text objects are created with the note (see Figure 5.13).
Figure 5.13
Th
e results
of using the
Wheelchair Note
command
NOTE You can create drop-down menus on the QAT that allow you to group multiple commands, not controls, into a single button. To create a drop-down menu, right-click the node of the QAT
to which you want to add a drop-down menu in the CUI Editor and click New Drop-Down.
Then, add commands to it from the Command List pane just as you did when you added commands to the QAT itself.
Creating a New QAT
While AutoCAD can display only a single QAT at a time, you could create your own QAT that contains the commands and controls you want to use instead of modifying the default toolbar that is defi ned in the acad.cuix fi le. Not only could you create your own new QAT, but you could defi ne multiple QATs that contain different commands and controls for each department in your company or for each discipline of drawings that you work on. If you create a new QAT, you must assign it to a workspace to display it in the user interface.
These steps explain the overall process for creating a new QAT and displaying it within a workspace:
1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the Customizations In pane of the CUI Editor, right-click the Quick Access Toolbars node and select New Quick Access Toolbar.
3. Enter a name for the new QAT or press Enter to accept the default name.
4. Customize the QAT as needed using the techniques introduced in the “Customizing the Default QAT” section.
5. Click OK to save the changes made. The new QAT must be added to a workspace before it can be displayed in the application window; see the “Organizing the User Interface with
Workspaces ” section later in this chapter for details on how to customize a workspace.
Ribbon
The main AutoCAD user-interface feature that you most likely have interacted with is the ribbon. The ribbon follows Microsoft’s design concept called “fl uent user interface” (or FUI) and is similar in concept to the one found in the Microsoft Offi ce products. The idea behind the design is that it makes it easier to discover and access the commands and options that a user is looking for with a rich visual user experience.
Pull-down menus and toolbars, which most applications still use to this day, provide a tried-and-true user experience, but they work best with a somewhat limited selection of commands.
Pull-down menus and toolbars can handle hundreds of commands, but these elements lack
the ability to start an operation and then give you additional choices while the operation is active.
Sure, you could show and hide menus and toolbars dynamically, but that introduces an ele-
ment of inconsistency in the design. Where those items might appear this or next time becomes unpredictable. Dialog boxes are also a great way to allow the user to control the way a command or control might function, but that does not mean a user will always discover the most helpful settings. Instead of hiding useful settings and options, the design of the ribbon makes it easier to place them adjacent to a command or on a contextual tab. There is no doubt that the ribbon introduces an initial learning curve, but what doesn’t when you are new to using it or after something you have done for a decade or two changes?
Commands and controls on the ribbon are organized by task through the use of tabs and
panels, as shown in Figure 5.14. Each task is represented by a tab, which can hold different panels. A ribbon tab can be static—displayed all the time—or contextual, which means the tab is displayed only when a specifi c condition is met. If you have created a hatch or multiline text object in AutoCAD, chances are you worked with the Hatch Creation and Text Editor tabs that are displayed while you were using the hatch and mtext commands. Those tabs are contextual and are available only while the commands are active; ending the commands hides the tabs
once again.
Figure 5.14
Ribbon tabs
Contextual tab
Minimize Ribbon button
Command and
control organiza-
tion using the
ribbon
Pin
Panel title bar
Expandable
Panel dialog
panel indicator
box launcher
The ribbon is divided into panels, which are used to organize and display commands and
controls to the user. Panels have two different display states: normal and expanded. Not all panels are confi gured to be expanded, but when a panel offers additional commands or controls that are not displayed by default, you see a down arrow to the right of the ribbon’s title. Clicking the panel’s title bar expands the panel.
When a panel is expanded, it can be pinned (forced to remain expanded until you switch tabs or unpin it) using the Pin button, shown in Figure 5.14. Some panels show a panel dialog-box launcher button, also shown in Figure 5.14, which can start a command that commonly displays a dialog box or palette that is related to the commands and controls on the ribbon panel.
When customizing the ribbon, you can control the display of ribbon tabs with a workspace.
Workspaces are also used to control the order in which tabs appear on the ribbon in the user interface. For more information on workspaces, see the section “Organizing the User Interface with Workspaces” later in this chapter. From the AutoCAD application window, you can also show and hide ribbon panels and tabs by right-clicking a panel or tab on the ribbon. Then, from the shortcut menu, click the element you want to show or hide. You can also modify the order in which ribbon panels and tabs are displayed by clicking and dragging an element on the ribbon.
Ribbon Panels
Ribbon panels are containers for the commands and controls that you eventually want to display on the ribbon. Each ribbon panel is divided into two areas; the upper area is always displayed, and the lower area is displayed only when the panel is expanded by clicking a panel title bar. The lower area is known as the slideout.
The commands and controls on a panel must be placed in a row. A panel can contain more
than one row, but a panel must always have at least one row in order to contain commands or controls. A row can be divided into one or more rows with the use of a subpanel. A row can also contain a Fold panel, which can contain commands and controls as well. A fold panel differs from a subpanel in that it can’t contain any rows; however, it can be assigned a collapse priority and resizing considerations. Separators and drop-down menus allow you to further organize related commands and controls on the panel. Figure 5.15 shows the Draw panel on the ribbon and how it is defi ned in the CUI Editor using rows and a single subpanel.
Figure 5.15
Structure of the
Home 2D - Draw
panel
The following example explains how to create a new panel named My Tools:
1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the Customizations In pane of the CUI Editor, expand the Ribbon node.
3. Right-click the Panels node and select New Panel.
4. In the in-place text editor, type My Tools for the name of the panel and press Enter.
5. Click Apply to save the new ribbon panel.
Now, let’s add structure to organize commands and controls:
1. Right-click the My Tools panel and click New Row. The new row is added below
<SLIDEOUT>, which is the element that separates the rows that are displayed by default and those that are displayed when the panel is expanded.
2. Right-click Row 1 under the My Tools panel node and click New Sub-Panel.
3. Right-click Sub-Panel 1 under the Row 1 node and click New Row.
4. Under Sub-Panel 1, right-click the fi rst row node and click New Drop-Down. Your ribbon panel should now look like Figure 5.16.
Figure 5.16
Structure for the
new My Tools
panel
5. Select the New Drop-Down node under Row 1 of Sub-Panel 1, and in the Properties pane, click the Button Style fi eld. Select SmallWithText from the drop-down list that appears.
Once a command or drop-down menu is added to a ribbon panel, you can customize how
it will look using the properties available in the Properties pane.
The next steps explain how to add commands and controls to the rows of the ribbon panel:
1. In the Command List pane, click the Filter The Command List By Category drop-down list and select All Commands Only.
2. Locate the Wheelchair Note command and add it to Row 1 under the My Tools panel.
(Type Wheelchair in the Search Command List text box to make it easier to locate the command.) Click and drag the Wheelchair Note command to the My Tools panel. When
the cursor is over Row 1, release the mouse button. Then, drag the command so it is
placed above Sub-Panel 1 and under Row 1.
3. Select the Wheelchair Note command under Row 1, and in the Properties pane, click the Button Style fi eld. Select Large With Text (Vertical) from the drop-down list that appears.
Once a command is added to a ribbon panel, you can customize how it will look using
the new properties available in the Properties pane.
4. In the Command List pane, locate and add the Multileader, Multileader Edit, and Multileader Edit Remove commands to the New Drop-Down node under Row 1 of SubPanel 1. Remember, you can use the Search Command List text box to fi lter the Command
List pane.
TIP You can press and hold the Ctrl key to select multiple commands. Th e order in which the commands are selected determines the order in which they are added to the panel.
5. Add the Multileader Style Manager command to the Panel Dialog Box Launcher node under the My Tools panel.
6. Add the other fi ve multileader-related commands to Row 2 (located under the
<SLIDEOUT> item).
7. Click the Filter The Command List By Category drop-down list and select Ribbon Control Elements. Add the Ribbon Combo Box - Multileader Style control to Row 2 under SubPanel 1.
8. Add some of your favorite commands and controls that you use often to the ribbon panel, if you want.
9. Click Apply to save the new panel. The new panel should appear in the CUI Editor, as shown in Figure 5.17.
Figure 5.17
Th
e completed My
Tools panel
Once you have created a panel, you must add it to a tab in order for it to be displayed on the ribbon. I cover customizing ribbon tabs in the next section. You can modify an existing panel by selecting it from the Panels node under the Ribbons node of the Customizations In pane. The process for modifying a panel is similar to the process you used when you created the My Tools panel.
Ribbon Tabs
Ribbon tabs are used to control the display and organization of ribbon panels in the user interface. You can add and remove ribbon panels to or from one of the standard ribbon tabs or create your own. Often, if you create your own panels you will want to create your own ribbon tabs as well. Several conditions determine whether a tab displays in the user interface:
◆ Is the tab part of the current workspace?
◆ Is the tab enabled?
◆ Has the tab been assigned to a contextual state?
◆ Has a contextual condition been met?
Creating a New Ribbon Tab
The following example explains how to create a new tab named Favorites and how to add several ribbon panels to the new tab:
1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the Customizations In pane of the CUI Editor, expand the Ribbon node.
3. Right-click the Tabs node and select New Tab.
4. Using the in-place text editor, type My Favorites Tab for the name of the new tab and press Enter.
5. Select the My Favorites Tab from the Ribbon ➢ Tabs node, and in the Properties pane, change the value in the Display Name fi eld to Favorites. The Display Name fi eld controls the text that appears in the user interface as the tab label.
6. In the Customizations In pane, go to the Ribbon node and expand Panels. Select the My Tools node and right-click. Click Copy.
7. Under the Tabs node, select the Favorites node and right-click. Click Paste. A reference to the My Tools panel is added to the Favorites tab. Figure 5.18 shows what the Favorites tab should look like in the Customizations In pane, and the tab’s settings in the Properties pane.
Figure 5.18
Favorites tab
with the My Tools
panel
8. Click Apply to save the new tab. The new tab is not added to the ribbon until it has been added to a workspace or a contextual tab state.
Displaying Ribbon Tabs
After a ribbon tab has been created, you have two options for displaying it in the user interface:
◆ Add the ribbon tab to a workspace
◆ Add the ribbon tab to a contextual tab state
When you choose to add it to a workspace, you can control the location in which the tab
appears on the ribbon and its default display state: shown or hidden. If you add the tab to a contextual tab state, you can control the tab’s display type: full or merged.
Use the following steps to add the Favorites tab to the ribbon for the current workspace: 1. In the Customizations In pane, expand the Workspaces node and select the workspace that ends with the text (current).
2. In the Workspace Controls pane, click Customize Workspace, as shown in Figure 5.19.
Figure 5.19
Customizing the
current workspace
3. In the Customizations In pane, expand Ribbon ➢ Tabs and click My Favorites Tab (shown in Figure 5.20). The My Favorites Tab check box should be selected.
Figure 5.20
Adding the ribbon
tab to the current
workspace
4. In the Workspace Contents pane, click Done.
5. Expand the Ribbon Tabs node and drag Favorites above Home - 2D (shown in
Figure 5.21).
6. Click OK to save the changes and close the CUI Editor.
7. On the ribbon, click the Favorites tab (shown in Figure 5.22). Test the various parts of the ribbon panel; click the panel’s title bar to expand the panel and display the dialog box
launcher button.
Figure 5.21
Controlling the
order of the rib-
bon tab with the
workspace
Figure 5.22
Th
e Favorites tab
displayed on the
ribbon
Any ribbon tab can be added to a contextual tab, but typically the scope of the commands
and controls on the panels of the tab are limited to editing objects only. Contextual tab states are not workspace specifi c, so there is no need to add contextual tabs to a current workspace.
The following example explains how to create a new ribbon tab that contains the Annotate -
Text panel, and adds the new ribbon tab to the Text, Multiline Selected contextual tab state.
1. In the drawing window, use the mtext command to create a multiline text object. Now, select the text object. Notice that no contextual tab is displayed unless the multiline text object is being edited in the in-place text editor.
2. In the CUI Editor, create a new ribbon tab named Text Contextual tab.
3. Select the Text Contextual tab from the Ribbon ➢ Tabs node, and then in the Properties pane, change the value of the Display Text fi eld to Edit Text.
4. Click the Contextual Display type fi eld, and select Full from the drop-down list. Full designates that the panels associated with the tab are displayed on their own tab, while
Merged designates that the panels associated with the tab are displayed no matter which
ribbon tab is current.
5. In the Customizations In pane, go to the Ribbon node and expand Panels. Select and then right-click the Annotate - Text panel. Click Copy.
6. Under the Ribbon ➢ Tabs node, select the Text Contextual tab and right-click. Click Paste.
7. In the Customizations In pane, expand Ribbon ➢ Contextual Tab States.
8. From the Ribbon ➢ Tabs node, drag the Text Contextual tab to the Text, Multiline Selected contextual tab state.
9. Click OK to save the changes and close the CUI Editor.
10. In the drawing window, select the multiline text object. The Edit Text tab is displayed with the Text panel, as shown in Figure 5.23. By default, tabs that are assigned to contextual tab states are added to the right side of the ribbon, but in Figure 5.23 the Edit Text tab was dragged to the left side directly in the application window.
Figure 5.23
Th
e custom Edit
Text tab displayed
when the multi-
line text object
was selected
Pull-Down Menus
The menu bar is an area commonly found along the top of an application window. It contains a number of menus, which are also referred to as pull- down menus. You click a label on the menu bar to display the associated pull-down menu. When displayed, you can click one of the items on the pull-down menu to start a command. A pull-down menu can contain separators and submenus to group related commands together.
The menu bar and pull-down menus were the primary method for accessing commands
before the introduction of the ribbon. They are still used for corporate customization and are displayed by default with the AutoCAD Classic workspace. It is possible to display both the ribbon and menu bar. When the menubar system variable is set to 1, the menu bar is displayed just below the title bar of the AutoCAD application window.
Like the QAT and ribbon, you can customize the pull-down menus that come with AutoCAD
or create your own. Pull-down menus can contain the commands that can be added to other
user-interface elements but can’t contain a drop-down list, check box, text box, or other common Windows controls that can be found on the ribbon or some toolbars. You can, however, use DIESEL to enable, disable, and/or display a check mark next to a menu item. For information on DIESEL and how to use it, refer to the AutoCAD Help system.
As you have seen with other user-interface elements, workspaces are also used to control the display of a pull-down menu on the menu bar and in which order all pull-down menus should be displayed. For more information on workspaces, see the “Organizing the User Interface with Workspaces” section later in this chapter.
The following explains how to create a new pull-down menu, add commands, and organize
the commands with a separator and submenu:
1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the Customizations In pane of the CUI Editor, right-click the Menus node and select New Menu.
3. In the in-place text editor, type Favorites for the name of the new pull-down menu and press Enter.
4. In the Command List pane, locate the Wheelchair Note command. (Type wheelchair in the Search Command List text box.) Click the command name and then drag the
Wheelchair Note command to the Favorites pull-down menu under the Menus node in
the Customizations In pane. When the cursor is over Favorites, release the mouse button.
5. In the Customizations In pane, under the Menus node, right-click the Favorites pull-down menu and click New Sub-menu. In the in-place text editor, type Annotation Tools
for the name of the new submenu and press Enter.
6. In the Command List pane, locate the Multiline Text and Single Line Text commands and drag them to the Annotation Tools submenu. (If you have diffi culty fi nding the commands, type line text in the Search Command List text box.)
7. In the Customizations In pane, under the Menus node, right-click the Annotation Tools submenu under the Favorites pull-down menu and click Insert Separator.
8. In the Command List pane, locate the Multileader command and drag it below the separator on the Annotation Tools submenu. (If you have diffi culty fi nding the command,
type multileader in the Search Command List text box.)
9. Click Apply to save the new pull-down menu. Figure 5.24 shows what the completed pull-down menu should look like under the Menus node.
Figure 5.24
Structure of the
Favorites pull-
down menu in the
CUI Editor
While a new pull-down menu is added to all the workspaces currently defi ned in the main
customization (CUIx) fi le, you will want to make changes to each workspace to ensure the pull-down menu is in the correct position on the menu bar.
Use the following steps to add the pull-down menu if it is not displayed in the current workspace. I will also show you how to change the menu’s position.
1. In the Customizations In pane, expand the Workspaces node and select the workspace that ends with the text (current).
2. In the Properties pane, click the Menu Bar fi eld and select On from the drop-down list.
Enabling this property ensures that the menu bar is displayed when the workspace is set
as current; this sets the menubar system variable to a value of 1.
3. In the Workspace Contents pane, click Customize Workspace.
4. In the Customizations In pane, expand Menus and click Favorites if it is not already checked.
5. In the Workspace Contents pane, expand the Menus node and drag Favorites above Window. Click Done.
6. Click OK to save the changes and close the CUI Editor.
7. On the menu bar, click Favorites. Test the various menu items and the subpanel pull-down menu. Figure 5.25 shows what the Favorites pull-down menu looks like on the
menu bar.
Figure 5.25
Favorites pull-
down menu on
the menu bar
Shortcut Menus
Shortcut menus make it easy to access the commands that you need when you need them—and
near the cursor, so you don't have to leave the drawing area. You display a shortcut menu by right-clicking or secondary-clicking on the input device. The commands that you can access from a shortcut menu are often determined by the context in which the menu is displayed,
which is why shortcut menus are sometimes referred to as context or contextual menus. Table 5.3
lists the shortcut menus that you can customize and the contexts in which they are displayed.
Table 5.3:
Customizable shortcut menus
Context
Description
Hot Grip
Displayed when a grip has been selected and is ready for editing, and you
right-click in the drawing area
Object Snap
Displayed when the Shift key is held and you right-click in the drawing area
Default Mode
Displayed when no command is active, an object is selected, grip editing is
not active, and you right-click in the drawing area
Command Mode
Displayed when a command is active and you right-click in the drawing area
Edit Mode
Displayed when an object is selected and you right-click in the drawing area
NOTE Th e shortcutmenu system variable controls the display of the shortcut menus related to the Default, Command, and Edit modes. Th
ese settings can also be controlled from the Windows
Standard Behavior section of the User Preferences tab in the Options dialog box (options command). In addition to controlling which menus are displayed, you can control the duration for which the right pointer device button needs to be held before the shortcut menu is displayed.
You can change the duration by using the Options dialog box or the shortcutmenuduration
system variable.
Shortcut menus are customized with the CUI Editor using techniques that are nearly identical to those used for customizing pull-down menus. You add commands to the shortcut menu
and use separators and submenus to organize related commands. Shortcut menus are not
displayed as part of the main user interface, but are called on based on the current context.
AutoCAD uses a special property value called an alias to determine which shortcut menu
should be displayed. Each alias must be unique inside a customization (CUIx) fi le.
Table 5.4 lists the unique aliases and alias naming conventions that AutoCAD uses for displaying specifi c shortcut menus.
Table 5.4:
Aliases and alias naming conventions for shortcut menus
Alias
Description
GRIPS
Hot Grip Cursor menu
SNAP,POP0
Object Snap Cursor menu
CMDEFAULT
Default Mode menu
CMCOMMAND
Command Mode menu
CMEDIT
Edit Mode menu
COMMAND_ cmdname
Command-specifi c menu; cmdname represents the name of the command that
the shortcut menu should be associated with.
OBJECT_objectname
Single or multiple selected objects menu; objectname represents the type of the
or
object that the shortcut menu should be associated with.
OBJECTS_objectname
The next example explains how to create a new object shortcut menu that adds items to the Edit Mode menu when a line is selected:
1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the Customizations In pane in the CUI Editor, right-click the Shortcut Menus node and select New Shortcut Menu.
3. In the in-place text editor, type Line Objects Menu for the name of the new shortcut menu and press Enter.
4. Select the Line Objects Menu from the Shortcuts Menus node, and then go to the Properties pane and click the Aliases fi eld. Click the ellipsis […] button to display the Aliases dialog box. Click after the alias in the text box and press Enter. Type OBJECTS_
LINE and click OK. For information on defi ning command- and object-related shortcut menus, see the “Command Mode Shortcut Menus ” and “Object Mode Shortcut Menus”
sections later in this chapter.
5. In the Command List pane, locate the Stretch, Trim, and Extend commands and drag them to the Line Objects Menu item in the Shortcut Menus node.
6. Click OK to save the new shortcut menu.
7. In the drawing window, create a few lines.
8. Select the lines you create and right-click. The shortcut menu with the CMEDIT alias is displayed and the items in the Line Objects Menu shortcut menu are merged with it, as you
can see in Figure 5.26.
Figure 5.26
Line Objects
Menu in the draw-
ing window
Command Mode Shortcut Menus
Command-specifi c menus insert additional items into the shortcut menu with the CMCOMMAND
alias. You use the COMMAND_ cmdname alias to specify which command the shortcut menu should be associated with. cmdname must match the name of a command defi ned with ObjectARX® or Managed .NET, not one that has been defi ned with AutoLISP. For example, to associate items with the LINE command’s shortcut menu you would create a shortcut menu with the alias
COMMAND_LINE.
Object Mode Shortcut Menus
Single or multiple selected object menus insert additional items into the shortcut menu with the CMEDIT alias. You use the OBJECT_ objectname and OBJECTS_ objectname aliases to specify which object type the shortcut menu should be associated with. OBJECT_ objectname is used when you select a single object of a specifi c object type and right-click in the drawing area; OBJECTS_ objectname is used when multiple objects of a single object type are selected.
For example, to associate items with the Edit Mode shortcut menu when a single arc object is selected, you would create a shortcut menu with the alias OBJECT_ARC.
If a shortcut menu with the alias OBJECT_ objectname is not defi ned but a shortcut menu with the alias OBJECTS_ objectname is, OBJECTS_ objectname applies to the context of when one or more objects of the specifi ed object type are selected. objectname must match a valid DXF Code 0 value.
You can search the product Help system on the keywords DXF Entities to locate a listing of values for standard AutoCAD objects.
There are some additional names, though, that do not match a DXF Code 0 value. These
exceptions apply to block references that have the value INSERT. Table 5.5 lists the additional names that are used to identify types of block reference objects.
Table 5.5:
Special names used to identify types of block reference objects
Name
Description
ATTBLOCKREF
Block reference containing attribute references
ATTDYNBLOCKREF
Dynamic block reference containing attribute references
BLOCKREF
Block reference without attribute references
DYNBLOCKREF
Dynamic block reference without attribute references
XREF
External drawing reference (xref)
TIP If you are unsure what the DXF Code 0 value is for an object, place the object in the drawing window and enter the AutoLISP expression (cdr (assoc 0 (entget (car (entsel)))))
at the AutoCAD command prompt. When prompted, select the object and the DXF name and
the entity will be displayed.
Toolbars
Toolbars can be found in most Windows applications. Before the ribbon or even the dashboard, which was the predecessor to the ribbon, toolbars were one of the earliest visual user-interface elements. Buttons on a toolbar can be clicked to start a command or pressed and held to display a fl yout. A fl yout on a toolbar is similar to a submenu on a pull-down menu or even a drop-down menu on the ribbon, but fl youts are based on other toolbars, as defi ned in a loaded customization (CUIx) fi le. Toolbars can also contain controls, such as drop-down lists or text boxes, and separators to organize commands and controls.
While toolbars for the most part are no longer one of the primary user-interface elements in AutoCAD, they are still useful for corporate customization and are displayed by default with the AutoCAD Classic workspace. It is possible to display toolbars and the ribbon at the same time; this can be helpful if you want access to specifi c commands and controls no matter which ribbon tab is active. For example, you might consider displaying the Layers toolbar so you can change the current layer without switching to the Home tab on the ribbon.
Workspaces are used to control the display of toolbars, as well as their position in the user interface. For more information on workspaces, see the “Organizing the User Interface with Workspaces ” section later in this chapter.
The following example explains how to create a new toolbar and add an existing toolbar as a fl yout:
1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the Customizations In pane of the CUI Editor, right-click the Toolbars node and select New Toolbar.
3. In the in-place text editor, type Favorites for the name of the new toolbar and press Enter.
4. In the Command List pane, locate and add the Wheelchair Note command to the
Favorites toolbar. (Type wheelchair in the Search Command List text box to make it easier to fi nd the command.) Click and drag the Wheelchair Note command to the Favorites
toolbar under the Toolbars node in the Customizations In pane. When the cursor is over
Favorites, release the mouse button.
5. Locate and add the Multileader command below the Wheelchair command. (Type
multileader in the Search Command List text box to make it easier to fi nd the
command.)
6. In the Customizations In pane, under the Toolbars node click and drag the Text toolbar between the Wheelchair and Multileader commands in the Favorites toolbar. This creates
a fl yout on the Favorites toolbar containing the commands of the Text toolbar. A toolbar can contain controls, but when used as a fl yout, the controls are not displayed.
7. Click Apply to save the new toolbar. Figure 5.27 shows what the completed toolbar should look like under the Toolbars node.
Figure 5.27
Structure of the
Favorites tool-
bar in the CUI
Editor and how
it appears in the
user interface
When a toolbar is created, it is added to all the workspaces currently defi ned in the customization (CUIx) fi le. Use the following steps to add the Favorites and Layers toolbars to the current workspace:
1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the Customizations In pane, expand the Workspaces node and select the workspace that ends with the text (current).
3. In the Workspace Contents pane, click Customize Workspace.
4. In the Customizations In pane, expand Toolbars and click Favorites if it is not already checked. Click Layers as well if it is not already checked.
5. In the Workspace Controls pane, expand the Toolbars node and select Favorites.
6. In the Properties pane, you can edit the Orientation, Location, and Rows properties of the toolbar. Click Done.
TIP Rather than controlling the orientation and location of toolbars using the CUI Editor, you can drag and position toolbars in the application window. Once the toolbars are positioned, use the wssave command to save the changes to a workspace.
7. Click OK to save the changes and close the CUI Editor.
8. Click the Wheelchair Note and Multileader to start the command macros. Click and hold the mouse button over the Text button in the middle of the toolbar that represents the
Text toolbar you added in the previous exercise. Then drag the cursor on the fl yout and
release the mouse button when it is over the button of the macro to start.
Shortcut and Temporary Override Keys
Shortcut and temporary override key combinations are used to execute a command macro. A
temporary override key combination can also execute a second macro when the key combina-
tion is released. Both key types require you to defi ne a key combination that includes at least the Shift, Ctrl, or Alt key and, in almost all combinations, one or more of the standard and virtual keys on the keyboard.
Discovering Existing Shortcut and Temporary Override Keys
The CUI Editor allows you to print or copy a list of all the shortcut and temporary override keys to your default printer or the Windows Clipboard. Both of these operations can be helpful to let users know which key combinations are available to them and can be performed by doing the following: 1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the Customizations In pane of the CUI Editor, select the Keyboard Shortcuts node.
3. In the Shortcut Keys pane, click the Type drop-down list and choose the type of keys you want to list:
◆ All keys
◆ Accelerator (shortcut) keys
◆ Temporary Override Keys
4. Click the Status drop-down list and choose the status of the keys you want to list:
◆ All
◆ Active
◆ Inactive
◆ Unassigned
5. Do one of the following:
◆ Click Copy To Clipboard to copy a tab-delimited list of all the keys currently displayed in the list.
◆ Click Print to output a list of all the keys currently displayed in the list.
6. Click OK to exit the CUI Editor.
Not all key combinations are included in the list. Those that are common Windows shortcut keys
are not defi ned as part of a customization (CUIx) fi le. You can search the product’s Help on the keywords shortcut keys reference and temporary keys reference to locate listings of both keyboard-shortcut types.
The following example explains how to create a shortcut key that starts the Wheelchair Note command created earlier in this chapter:
1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the Customizations In pane of the CUI Editor, expand the Keyboard Shortcuts node.
3. Go to the Command List pane, locate the Wheelchair Note command, and drag it to the Shortcut Keys node in the Customizations In pane. (If you have diffi culty locating the
command, type wheelchair in the Search Command List text box.)
4. With the Wheelchair Note command highlighted under the Shortcut Keys node in the Properties pane, and click in the Key(s) fi eld. Click the ellipsis […] button to display the Shortcut Keys dialog box. Click in the Press The New Shortcut Key text box, and then
press and hold the Ctrl, Shift, and N keys. CTRL+SHIFT+N should now appear in the text box. Click OK.
5. Click OK to save the changes and close the CUI Editor.
6. In the drawing window, press the key combination Ctrl+Shift+N.
7. When prompted, specify a point in the drawing.
You can use these steps to create a new temporary override key that toggles the current setting of the osnapz system variable:
1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the Customizations In pane, right-click the Keyboard Shortcuts node and click New Temporary Override.
3. In the in-place text editor, type Object Snap Z Toggle as the name of the new temporary override and press Enter.
4. Select the Object Snap Z Toggle temporary override under the Temporary Override Keys node in the Properties pane, and click in the Key(s) fi eld. Click the ellipsis […] button to display the Shortcut Keys dialog box. Click in the Press The New Shortcut Key text box, and then press and hold the Shift and F keys. SHIFT+F should now appear in the text box.
Ctrl and Alt cannot be used when defi ning the key combination for a temporary override key. Click OK.
5. Click in the Macro 1 (Key Down) fi eld and replace the default text by typing the following: ^P'_.osnapz $M=$(if,$(and,$(getvar,osnapz),1),0,1). The macro toggles the
current value of the osnapz system variable when the key combination is held and then
changes it again when the key combination is released.
6. Click OK to save the changes and close the CUI Editor.
7. In the drawing window, draw a 3D box with the box command.
8. Enable the Endpoint running object snap.
9. Start the line command and position the crosshairs close to the top corner of the 3D box.
The Endpoint marker should appear. Click, and the line should start from that endpoint.
Cancel the line command.
10. Start the line command again. This time press and hold the key combination Shift+F and position the crosshairs close to the top corner of the 3D box. The Endpoint object snap
marker should appear on the work plane. If the toggle does not seem to work correctly,
you might need to disable Dynamic UCS in order for the temporary override key to work
properly.
TIP Th e tempoverride system variable needs to be set to a value of 1 in order to use temporary override keys.
Double-Click Actions
Double-click actions, as the name implies, are actions performed when you double-click something; in this case, that something happens to be a drawing object in the drawing window.
While a double-click action starts a command macro that is defi ned in the Command List pane, all of the commands assigned to the default double-click actions edit the drawing object that was double-clicked.
When possible, a specifi c object-related editing command is started. For example, mtedit is started when you double-click a multiline text object, or pedit is started for a polyline object. If an object does not have a double-click action defi ned in the main customization (CUIx) fi le, the Properties palette is displayed. As a double-click action is defi ned, you must specify the type of object that the double-click action should be performed on using the object’s DXF Code 0 value.
You can fi gure out the DXF 0 Code value for an object by using the information I mentioned earlier, in the “Object Mode Shortcut Menus” section.
The following explains how to create a double-click action for an RTEXT object that is created with the rtext command that is part of Express Tools:
1. On the ribbon, click Express Tools tab ➢ Text panel, click the panel’s title bar, and then click Remote Text. You can also enter rtext at the command prompt and press Enter.
2. At the Enter an option [Style/Height/Rotation/File/Diesel] <Diesel>: prompt, enter d and press Enter.
3. In the Edit RText dialog box, type Filename: $(getvar,dwgname) and click OK.
4. At the Specify start point of RText: prompt, specify a point in the drawing window.
5. At the Enter an option [Style/Height/Rotation/Edit]: prompt, press Enter to exit the command.
6. Double-click the new remote text object; you should see the Properties palette displayed even though there is a command named rtedit that allows you to edit remote text.
7. At the command prompt, enter (cdr (assoc 0 (entget (car (entsel))))) and press Enter. Select the remote text object, and the text RTEXT is returned. RTEXT is the object name of a remote text object; this will be needed to create the double-click action.
8. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
9. In the CUI Editor, from the Command List pane select Create A New Command.
10. In the Properties pane, type Remote Text Edit in the Name fi eld.
11. In the Macro fi eld, type ._rtedit;_e; . If you opened the Long String Editor, click OK.
12. In the Customizations In pane, right-click the Double Click Actions node and click New Double Click Action.
13. In the in-place text editor, type Rtext for the name of the new double-click action and press Enter.
14. Select the Rtext item under the Double Click Actions node; in the Properties pane, click in the Object Name fi eld and type RTEXT.
15. In the Command List pane, locate the Remote Text Edit command and then add it to the new Rtext item under the Double Click Actions node. (Type remote text edit in the
Search Command List text box.) Click and drag the Remote Text Edit command to the
Rtext item under the Double Click Actions node. When the cursor is over the Rtext item,
release the mouse button.
16. Click OK to save the changes and close the CUI Editor.
17. Double-click the remote text object that you created in the fi rst fi ve steps. The Edit RText dialog box is displayed with the DIESEL expression that was added to the remote text object.
Other Elements
The AutoCAD user experience has changed and evolved over the years, and so have the ele-
ments of the user interface. The ribbon and Quick Access toolbar (QAT) for the most part have replaced the use of pull-down menus and toolbars that were the primary ways of accessing
commands for over a decade. The user-interface elements that I have covered in this chapter are the main user-interface elements that are most frequently used and customized. There are a few others that are not as frequently customized or are basically retired from the product. These other user-interface elements include the following:
Mouse Buttons You can specify the actions assigned to each button on your pointing device, with the exception of the left or primary mouse button, which is always the pick button. In addition to customizing the basic click event performed by a mouse button, you can customize the click action taken when the Shift and Ctrl keys are held while pressing a mouse button.
Tablet Buttons and Menus You can specify the actions assigned to each button on your tablet’s pointer device, with the exception of the primary mouse button, which is always the pick. Some tablet pointer devices support up to 16 buttons. In addition to customizing the basic click event performed by a mouse button, you can customize the click action taken when the Shift and Ctrl keys are held while pressing a mouse button.
Tablet menus allow you to map which area of the tablet represents the digitizing and drawing areas, in addition to where you can click to start a command. To help users identify each of the areas and commands, you create an overlay that sits on top of the tablet.
Image Tile Menus Image tile menus (also known as icon tile menus) allow you to associate a slide image with a command macro. The image tile menu was one of the fi rst user interfaces that allowed you to associate an image with a command macro. The images used for the
menus were created with the mslide command. Multiple slide images can be combined into
a slide library and used with the image tile menu. It is common to see image tile menus used to insert blocks, but they can be used to pass values to an AutoLISP or other custom program.
Screen Menus The screen menu is a user interface that is kind of like a stack of papers.
Clicking an item on the screen menu can execute a command macro or jump to a differ-
ent page in the screen menu. Until recently, the screen menu was one of the oldest active user-interface elements that you could use and customize, but it has recently been retired.
The screen menu can be displayed and customized after the screenmenu system variable
has been redefi ned using the redefine command in AutoCAD 2014. Earlier releases do not
require you to redefi ne the screenmenu system variable.
Dashboard Panels The Dashboard palette was removed from the product in AutoCAD
2009. If you are migrating from an earlier release, you can convert a dashboard panel to a
ribbon panel. Dashboard panels, if they exist in a customization fi le, can be converted on the Transfer tab of the CUI Editor.
Refer to the product Help system for additional information on how to customize these user-interface elements or migrate them from a previous release so they can be used in the latest release.
Setting Up Rollover Tooltips and the Quick Properties Palette
Rollover tooltips and the Quick Properties palette, shown in Figure 5.28, allow you to quickly query and change the property values of an object. Instead of having to select an object to view its properties, you can position the cursor over an object to see the current value of several properties for an object in a tooltip. Which properties are displayed for the rollover tooltip can be customized using the CUI Editor.
Figure 5.28
Quick Properties palette
Rollover tooltip
and Quick
Properties panel
displaying the
Rollover tooltip
properties for
an arc
The Quick Properties palette (quickproperties command) is also a convenient way to query
the property values of an object, but also to be able to edit values. You can specify which properties are displayed on the Quick Properties palette by using the CUI Editor, and you can control the appearance and behavior of the palette using the Quick Properties tab (see Figure 5.29) of the Drafting Settings dialog box (dsettings command).
NOTE Some of the settings on the Quick Properties tab of the Drafting Settings dialog box can also be changed using the qpmode and qplocation system variables.
Use the following steps to customize the properties displayed on the rollover tooltip (or Quick Properties palette) for a Hatch object:
1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the Customizations In pane of the CUI Editor, select the Rollover Tooltips (or Quick Properties) node.
3. In the Dynamic pane, select Hatch from the Object Type list (see Figure 5.30). If Hatch is not displayed, click Edit Object Type List at the top of the Object Type list. In the Edit Object Type List dialog box, click Hatch and then click OK.
Figure 5.29
Controlling the
appearance and
behavior of the
Quick Properties
palette
Figure 5.30
Modifying the
properties dis-
played on the
rollover tooltip for
a Hatch object
4. In the Properties list, to the right of the Object Type list, click Area under the Geometry category.
5. Click OK to save the changes made.
6. Create a closed area and apply a hatch pattern to it.
7. Position the cursor over the hatch object, and you should see Area as a property on the rollover tooltip. If you customized the properties for the Quick Properties palette, select the hatch object and right-click. Click Quick Properties to display the Quick Properties
palette if it is not already displayed.
TIP You can synchronize the properties set between rollover tooltips and the Quick Properties palette. Right-click over the Quick Properties or Rollover Tooltips nodes in the Customizations In pane of the CUI Editor, and click Synchronize With Rollover Tooltips or Synchronize With Quick properties. In the task dialog box that is displayed, click the link that represents the direction of the synchronization you want to perform.
Organizing the User Interface with Workspaces
Workspaces are used to control which user-interface elements are displayed and where they are positioned in the AutoCAD user interface. You can create and modify a workspace using the CUI Editor or directly manipulate elements in the user interface. If you show/hide user-interface elements or change their position from the AutoCAD user interface, you can save the changes to the current workspace or a new workspace with the wssave command. Directly manipulat-ing user-interface elements is often easier than using the CUI Editor, but not all elements can be directly manipulated.
After you create a new element in the CUI Editor, you can control how and where that ele-
ment is displayed with the Workspace Contents pane. Earlier in this chapter, I explained how to add a ribbon tab, pull-down menu, and toolbar to the current workspace. In earlier sections, I had you working with the current workspace only, but you can modify any workspace in the main customization (CUIx) fi le, create a new workspace, or even duplicate a workspace.
It is not uncommon to create multiple workspaces. For example, AutoCAD comes with sev-
eral workspaces that are designed for people who are doing 2D drafting or 3D modeling. You could create separate workspaces for those who work on mechanical, architectural, or civil drawings within your company. You might also encourage users to create their own workspaces with their favorite tools, following your company standards.
These steps explain how to create a new workspace based on the Drafting & Annotation
workspace that is defi ned in the acad.cuix fi le:
1. Display the CUI Editor if it is not open. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the Customizations In pane of the CUI Editor, expand the Workspaces node and select the Drafting & Annotation workspace.
3. Right-click over the Drafting & Annotation workspace node and select Duplicate.
4. In the Properties pane, enter Custom Workspace in the Name fi eld.
5. Optionally, in the Properties pane, change any of the other available properties for the workspace as needed.
6. In the Workspace Contents pane, click Customize Workspace.
7. In the Customizations In pane, select the user-interface elements you want to display or deselect those you do not want displayed.
8. In the Workspace Contents pane, do any or all of the following, and then click Done:
◆ Select the Quick Access Toolbar node and specify if you want to display the QAT above or below the ribbon.
◆ Expand the Toolbars node and select the fi rst toolbar. Change the settings in the Properties pane as needed. Do this for each toolbar that is under the Toolbars node.
◆ Expand the Menus node and drag to reorder the pull-down menus for the menu bar.
◆ Expand the Palettes node and select the fi rst palette. Change the settings in the Properties pane as needed. Do this for each palette that is under the Palettes node.
◆ Expand the Ribbon Tabs node and select the fi rst tab. Change the settings in the Properties pane as needed. Do this for each tab that is under the Ribbon Tabs node.
◆ Expand the fi rst ribbon tab node under Ribbon Tabs, and select the fi rst panel.
Change the settings in the Properties pane as needed. Do this for each panel that is
on the selected ribbon tab, and then do this for each tab that is under the Ribbon Tabs
node.
9. Click OK to save the changes to the workspace.
You can also change the display state and position of user-interface elements from the
AutoCAD user interface and update a workspace by doing the following:
1. With the CUI Editor closed, do any of the following:
◆ Quick Access toolbar: Right-click over a command or control, and then click Show
Quick Access Toolbar Below/Above The Ribbon to move the QAT above or below the
ribbon.
◆ Ribbon tabs: Right-click over a tab and click Show Tabs, and then click the tab you
want to show/hide that is associated with the current workspace. You can also click
and drag a tab on the ribbon to change its display order.
◆ Ribbon panels: Click a tab to set it as current and then right-click over the tab. Click
Show Panel and then click the panel you want to show/hide that is associated with
the tab. You can also click and drag a panel on the ribbon to change its display order,
or even drag the panel outside of the ribbon to fl oat the panel. When fl oating, the
panel remains displayed even upon switching tabs.
◆ Toolbars: On the ribbon, click View tab ➢ User Interface panel ➢ Toolbars drop-down
menu ➢ <Customization Group Name> and then the name of the toolbar you want to show or hide. After a toolbar is displayed, drag it on the screen and along the inner
edges of the application window to dock it.
◆ Pull-down menus: On the Quick Access toolbar, click the Customization menu but-
ton located on the right side. Click Show/Hide Menu Bar to control the display of the
menu bar and pull-down menus. The menubar system variable can also be used to
display or hide the menu bar. You can’t add or remove pull-down menus from the
user interface unless you load a partial menu or use AutoLISP or a custom program.
◆ Palettes: On the ribbon, click View tab ➢ Palettes and click the palettes you want to
display as part of the workspace. After a palette is displayed, drag it on screen and
along the edges of the application window to dock it.
◆ Status bar: On the status bar, click the Application Status Bar Menu button and click
Drawing Status Bar to control the state of the application and drawing-window sta-
tus bars. You can also control the state of the status bar with the statusbar system
variable.
2. On the QAT, from the Workspace drop-down list select Save Current As (or at the command prompt, type wssave and press Enter).
3. In the Save Workspace dialog box, select a workspace from the drop-down list to update an existing workspace or enter a name to create a new workspace. Click Save. If you
selected a workspace name, click Replace.
TIP Th e process for placing toolbars and palettes just where you want them can be tedious. After you fi nalize the position, use the Lock Toolbar/Window Positions control on the status bar to lock their position so they are not accidentally moved. You can also use the lockui system variable to lock toolbars and palettes in place.
After you have created a workspace, you must set it as current before the changes to the user interface will take place. Use any of the following methods to set a workspace as current:
◆ Select a workspace from the Workspace drop-down list on the QAT, or choose one from the Workspace Switching icon on the status bar.
◆ In the Customizations In pane of the CUI Editor, expand the Workspaces node and select the workspace you want to set as current. Right-click the workspace and select Set Current.
◆ On the Workspace toolbar, select a workspace from the Workspace drop-down list.
◆ Prior to launching AutoCAD, you can use the /w command-line switch with a Desktop
shortcut to set a specifi c workspace as current. For more information on command-line
switches, see Chapter 4, “Manipulating the Drawing Environment.”
◆ While AutoCAD is running, you can use the wscurrent system variable to see which
workspace is current and even switch workspaces.
TIP If you want to retain any changes to the workspace that you make through the user interface before switching to a diff erent workspace, make sure you change the When Switching Workspaces setting in the Workspace Settings dialog box (wssettings command). Th
is dialog
box also lets you specify the order in which workspaces appear on drop-down lists in the user interface.
Working with Customization Files
Customization (CUIx) fi les are used to store the defi nitions of the elements that make up most of the AutoCAD user interface. acad.cuix is the default customization fi le that ships with AutoCAD, and it’s the fi le that you have been customizing throughout this chapter if you’re using the default AutoCAD installation. You can create and load additional customization
(CUIx) fi les that contain just your customization with the CUI Editor. I explain how to create and load CUIx fi les later in the “Creating CUIx Files ” and “Loading CUIx Files” sections. When a CUIx fi le is loaded, you can also load any AutoLISP fi les that might be required for the command macros defi ned in the fi le. I discuss loading AutoLISP fi les that are related to a CUIx fi le later in this chapter in the “Loading AutoLISP Files ” section.
Earlier AutoCAD releases shipped with fi les named acad.mnu and acad.cui, which were
used to store the element defi nitions of the user interface. You can migrate user-interface elements from earlier releases using the Transfer tab of the CUI Editor. I explain how to transfer elements between two customization fi les in the “Transferring User-Interface Elements between CUIx Files ” section.
The AutoCAD user interface supports three types of customization fi les:
Main The main CUIx fi le should be writeable and typically contains most of, if not all, of the default AutoCAD user-interface elements. In most confi gurations, this is the acad.cuix fi le that ships with AutoCAD.
Enterprise The enterprise CUIx fi le is read-only by design and typically contains your corporate customization, but it could also be the acad.cuix fi le that ships with AutoCAD. When the acad.cuix fi le is designated as the enterprise CUIx fi le, then your corporate customization is often designated as your main CUIx fi le. The enterprise CUIx fi le itself might not be marked as read-only, but the CUI Editor does not allow you to make changes to it.
Partial Partial customization fi les, as the name implies, do not contain all of the elements that you might fi nd in the standard AutoCAD user interface. The user-interface elements
used by third-party utilities and plug-ins, and even the Express Tools user-interface elements, are often implemented with partial CUIx fi les. These typically contain a few toolbars, ribbon tabs and panels, and pull-down menus, but they can also contain dozens of additional user-interface elements.
No matter whether you use all three types of customization fi les or just a main CUIx fi le, consider storing your CUIx fi le in a centralized location so it can be shared with others. I recommend that you use a partial CUIx fi le at least for your personal and corporate customization so that you can share it with others in your company, and to make it easier to back up and transition to the latest release.
TIP You can edit the elements of the enterprise CUIx fi le by setting it as the main customization fi le and by setting the main customization fi le as the enterprise CUIx fi le. To make this easier, you can create two diff erent user profi les that invert the paths for the main and enterprise CUIx fi les.
Creating CUIx Files
No matter whether you are creating a main, enterprise, or partial CUIx fi le, the process is exactly the same. The contents and how the fi le is being loaded are what differentiate one
from another. While you can copy and rename a CUIx fi le through Windows Explorer or File Explorer, you should avoid doing so because it does not change the customization group name inside the fi le.
The following steps show how to create a new CUIx fi le named myui.cuix:
1. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the CUI Editor, click the Transfer tab.
3. In the Customizations In pane, on the right click Create A New Customization File.
4. Click Save The Current Customization File.
5. In the Save As dialog box, browse to the folder that you created for this book and type myui in the File Name text box. Click Save.
If you want to create a new CUIx fi le from an existing CUIx fi le, you will want to open the fi le and then save it with a new name. Use these steps to open and save a CUIx fi le with a different name:
1. On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface.
2. In the CUI Editor, click the Transfer tab.
3. On the right side of the Customizations In pane, click Open Customization File.
4. In the Open dialog box, browse to and select the CUIx fi le you want to open. Click Open.
5. Click Save The Current Customization File.
6. In the Save As dialog box, browse to the folder that you want to save the new fi le to and enter a new name in the File Name text box. Click Save.
Loading CUIx Files
After you create a CUIx fi le or obtain a CUIx fi le from a third-party developer or consultant, you must load it so the elements defi ned in the fi le can be accessed from the AutoCAD user interface. How you plan to use a CUIx fi le determines how the fi le needs to be loaded. You can load a CUIx fi le using one of the following options:
Main Customization File Click the Application Menu button and then click Options. In the Options dialog box, select the Files tab and expand the Customization Files node. Expand the Main Customization File node and select the path to the CUIx fi le. Click Browse. In the Select A File dialog box, browse to and select the CUIx fi le you want to load as the main customization fi le. Click Open, and then click OK to close the Options dialog box.
Enterprise Customization File Click the Application Menu button and then click Options.
In the Options dialog box, select the Files tab and expand the Customization Files node.
Expand the Enterprise Customization File node and select the path to the CUIx fi le. Click Browse. In the Select A File dialog box, browse to and select the CUIx fi le you want to load as the enterprise customization fi le. Click Open, and then click OK to close the Options dialog box.
Partial Customization File On the ribbon, click Manage tab ➢ Customization panel ➢ User Interface. In the CUI Editor, select the Customize tab, and in the Customizations In pane, click Load Partial Customization File. In the Open dialog box, browse to and select the CUIx fi le that you want to load. Click Open. The CUIx fi le is added to the Partial Customization Files node of the main customization fi le.
Transferring User-Interface Elements between CUIx Files
The CUI Editor not only allows you to create and modify elements for the user interface and manage CUIx fi les, but also lets you copy or migrate elements between two CUIx fi les or an earlier menu source (MNS) or customization (CUI) fi le. You transfer elements between fi les using the Transfer tab. Load the fi les that you want to work with, and then drag elements between the available nodes in the Customization In panes. Transferring an element also transfers any associated commands, ribbon panels, and toolbars. When transferring elements, you can only drag and drop elements of the same type. So, there’s no dragging ribbon tabs to a Quick Access toolbar (QAT).
Loading AutoLISP Files
It is not uncommon that the commands in your CUIx fi les might use functions or commands
defi ned in an AutoLISP fi le. There are a few different methods that you can use to make sure that the AutoLISP programs your user-interface elements rely on are loaded for use by your CUIx fi le. The following outlines the methods you can use to load an AutoLISP fi le for use with a CUIx fi le:
◆ AutoCAD searches for an AutoLISP Menu (MNL) fi le that has the same name as a CUIx fi le that is being loaded. If the MNL fi le is located, AutoCAD loads it along with the CUIx fi le into each drawing that is created or opened while the CUIx fi le is loaded.
◆ Using the CUI Editor, you can add AutoLISP (LSP) fi les to the LISP Files node. These fi les are loaded when the CUIx fi le is loaded and a new drawing is created or opened.
◆ Using the Load/Unload Applications dialog box (appload command), you can manually
load an AutoLISP (LSP) fi le or add it to the Startup Suite. The Startup Suite loads the fi les that are listed when a new drawing is created or an existing drawing fi le is opened.
Controlling the Tools on the Status Bars
AutoCAD supports two status bars: drawing and application window. By default, both are combined into a single bar and displayed along the bottom of the application window. While you can control which tools are displayed, you can’t create and place new tools on the status bar.
Even though you can’t add new tools, it can be helpful to hide those that you do not use, such as 3D Object Snap and Allow/Disallow Dynamic UCS if you do not work on 3D models.
Unlike other user-interface elements, the settings that control the display of the tools on the toolbar are not stored in the CUIx fi le or controlled by the current workspace, with the exception of the current status-bar state (statusbar system variable). To control which tools are displayed on the status bar, do one of the following:
Application Status Bar Menu Click the Application Status Bar Menu button (see
Figure 5.31) to control the display of the coordinates area and drafting aids on the status bar.
You can also access controls related to layers, drawing views, workspaces, and display locking, among others. This menu allows you to display the Tray Settings dialog box and toggle the display of the drawing status bar.
Figure 5.31
Drawing Status
Controlling the
Bar Menu
display of tools on
the status bar
Application Status
Bar Menu
Drawing Status Bar Menu When the drawing status bar is displayed, it contains the controls related to annotation scaling and the system tray. Click the drawing status-bar menu to toggle which annotation scaling tools you want to display.
Tray Settings Dialog Box Controls the display of icons and notifi cations for services that are running in the application or current drawing. You can also specify the duration that a notifi cation is displayed for, or whether it is displayed until you close it. The actual enabling or disabling of a service is not handled in this dialog box; you must do that on a feature-by-feature basis. For example, you can use the xrefnotify system variable to control the display of xref notifi cations or the layernotify system variable to display alerts for unreconcil ed new layers.