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Your dealer can offer you independently developed applications that can further tailor
AutoCAD to your needs.
Overview of Customization
AutoCAD can be customized in simple ways. For example, you can change the
directory structure or move a button from one toolbar to another. If you want
to change the interface further, you can edit the CUIx file and use DIESEL code
to create customizations with your own commands.
You can also use a number of powerful application programming interfaces
(APIs) to add to and modify AutoCAD to suit your needs.
The list that follows is arranged from least to most complex:
■ Organize files. You can organize program, support, and drawing files. For
example, you can make a separate folder for each project that includes only
the support files that project needs.
■ Customize Tool Palettes. You can create a tool by dragging objects from
your drawing onto a tool palette. You can create a tool palette by
right-clicking on the Tool Palettes title bar and selecting New Palette. For
information about customizing tool palettes, see “Customize Tool Palettes”
in the User's Guide.
■ Create custom templates. Use templates to define common parameters when
you publish a drawing using the Publish to Web wizard.
■ Run external programs and utilities from within AutoCAD. You can, for
example, copy a disk or delete a file from within AutoCAD by adding the
appropriate external command to the program parameters (PGP) file,
acad.pgp.
1
■ Define command aliases. You can define simple abbreviations, or aliases,
for frequently used commands from within AutoCAD by adding the
command to the PGP file acad.pgp. For example, you might want to start
the BLOCK command by entering b.
■ Create custom linetypes, hatch patterns, shapes, and text fonts. You can
create linetypes, hatch patterns, shapes, and text fonts that conform to
your company standards and working methods.
■ Customize the user interface. The CUIx file controls many aspects of the
user interface, including the behavior of your pointing device buttons and
the functionality and appearance of pull-down, tablet, and image tile
menus, toolbars, and accelerator keys. You can edit or create a CUIx file
to add commands or combine commands and assign them to a menu,
toolbar, or other location.
■ Customize the status line. You can use the DIESEL string expression
language and the MODEMACRO system variable to provide additional
information at the status line, such as the date and time, system variable
settings, or retrievable information using AutoLISP®.
■ Automate repetitive tasks by writing scripts. A script is an ASCII text file
containing commands that are processed like a batch file when you run
the script. For example, if a set of drawings needs to be plotted a certain
way, you can write a script that opens each drawing, hides and displays
various layers, and issues PLOT commands. You can use scripts with slides
to create automated presentations like those used at trade shows. A slide
is a “snapshot” of the drawing area that cannot be edited. Slides can also
be used in image tile menus and dialog boxes.
■ Record action macros. Action macros are files that contain a series of
commands and command options that allow you to perform repetitive
tasks. Action macros are created using the Action recorder and are similar
in concept to script files. Unlike some of the other methods of customizing
AutoCAD, you do not need to learn a special syntax or programming
language to record action macros.
In addition to the methods described in the Customization Guide, there are
application programming interfaces (APIs) available for customizing AutoCAD.
Introduction to Programming Interfaces on page 429 briefly describes these
APIs and provides cross-references to more information.
See also:
■ “Organize Program and Support Files”
2 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
■ “Toolbars”
■ “Customize a Publish to Web Template”
■ “Create Command Aliases”
■ “Custom Linetypes”
■ “Custom Hatch Patterns”
■ “User Interface Customization”
■ “DIESEL”
■ “Customize the Status Line”
■ “Introduction to Programming Interfaces”
■ “Slides and Command Scripts”
Quick Reference
Commands
CUI
Manages the customized user interface elements in the product.
CUSTOMIZE
Customizes tool palettes and tool palette groups.
REDEFINE
Restores AutoCAD internal commands overridden by UNDEFINE.
UNDEFINE
Allows an application-defined command to override an internal command.
System Variables
TOOLTIPS
Controls the display of tooltips on the ribbon, toolbars, and other user
interface elements.
Overview of Customization | 3
Organize Program and Support Files
You can change the default directory structure for the program and support
files to suit your needs.
Overview of File Organization
AutoCAD uses support files for purposes such as storing customization
definitions, loading AutoLISP and ObjectARX applications, and describing
text fonts.
The default directory structure for the AutoCAD program and support files is
designed to efficiently organize those files into logical groups. If this
organization does not suit your needs, you can change it. However, some
applications look for certain files in specific locations, and you should verify
that your modifications do not conflict with the requirements of those
applications. Without the full path, including drive and directory, AutoCAD
can locate only those files that are found in the library search path.
The location of the support folder changed in AutoCAD 2004. The location of
local customizable files is stored in the LOCALROOTPREFIX system variable.
The location of roamable customizable files is stored in the
ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX system variable. If a network supports roaming,
customizable files in the user's roaming profile are available on the machine
the user is logged onto.
The following LISP script creates the CUSTFILES command, which launches
Windows® Explorer in the correct folder.
The library search path specifies where the program searches for files when
you do not specify a full path name, as follows:
■ Current directory. (This is typically determined by the “Start In” setting
in your shortcut icon.)
■ Directory that contains the current drawing file.
4 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
■ Directories listed in the search path specified on the Files tab in OPTIONS.
(See Specify Search Paths and File Locations in the User's Guide.)
■ Directory that contains the AutoCAD program files.
Depending on the current environment, two or more directories may be the
same.
If a file is not in this search path, you must specify both its path name and
file name before AutoCAD can find it. For example, if you want to insert the
part5.dwg drawing into your current drawing and it is not in the library search
path, you must specify its full path name, as shown here:
Command: insert
Enter block name or [?]: /files2/olddwgs/part5
If the drawing exists in that location, AutoCAD prompts you to finish the
INSERT command in the usual manner.
Directory Structure
AutoCAD uses tree-structured directories and subdirectories. It is recommended
that you keep supplemental files (such as AutoLISP applications and
customization files) separate from the AutoCAD program and support files.
This makes it easier to track possible conflicts and to upgrade each application
without affecting the others.
The default location for AutoCAD is in the Program Files folder. You can create
a new directory on the same level (for example, /AcadApps) and store your
custom AutoLISP and VBA macros, customization files, and other third-party
applications in subdirectories on the next level. If you want to maintain
multiple drawing directories (for separate job files), you can create a directory
such as /AcadJobs with subdirectories for each job.
Command Search Procedure
When you enter a command, AutoCAD goes through a series of steps to
evaluate the validity of the command name. A command can be a built-in
command or system variable, an external command or alias defined in the
acad.pgp file, or a user-defined AutoLISP command. Commands can also be
defined by ObjectARX applications or a device driver command. You can enter
a command on the command prompt or choose a command from the
appropriate menu. Commands can also be entered from a script file or by an
AutoLISP or ObjectARX application.
The following list describes the search order AutoCAD uses to validate a
command name.
Overview of File Organization | 5
1 If the input is a null response (SPACEBAR or ENTER), AutoCAD uses the
name of the last command issued. HELP is the default.
2 AutoCAD checks the command name against the list of built-in
commands. If the command is in the list and is not preceded by a period
(.), AutoCAD then checks the command against a list of undefined
commands. If the command is undefined, the search continues.
Otherwise, the command is run, unless another reason prevents it from
doing so. Running it transparently or in Perspective mode might be
impossible.
3 AutoCAD checks the command name against the names of commands
defined by a device driver, and then by those defined by the display
driver.
4 AutoCAD checks the command name against the external commands
defined in the program parameters file (acad.pgp). If the command name
corresponds to a defined external command, that command runs, and
the search is complete.
5 AutoCAD checks the command name against the list of commands
defined by AutoLISP or ObjectARX applications. At this point, an
autoloaded command is loaded.
6 AutoCAD checks the command name against the list of system variables.
If the command name is in the list, AutoCAD executes the SETVAR
command, using the input as the variable name.
7 If the command name corresponds to a command alias defined in the
program parameters file, AutoCAD uses the expanded command name
and continues the search, starting a new search against the list of built-in
commands.
8 If all the preceding steps fail, the search terminates with a warning
message about illegal command names.
See also:
■ Overview of AutoLISP Automatic Loading on page 440
■ “Specify Search Paths and File Locations” in the User's Guide
6 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
Quick Reference
Commands
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.
System Variables
LOCALROOTPREFIX
Stores the full path to the root folder where local customizable files were
installed.
ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX
Stores the full path to the root folder where roamable customizable files were
installed.
Multiple Configurations
If you use more than one pointing device or use different plotters, you can
set up more than one configuration file to make it easy to switch between
devices.
When you configure AutoCAD for a pointing device and plotter drivers, the
information you supply is recorded in a configuration file.
The default location of the acad2011.cfg configuration file is listed in the
Options dialog box, Files tab, under Help and Miscellaneous File Names, but
you can specify an alternative path or file name.
Typically, only a single configuration is necessary, but you may need multiple
configurations. For example, if you use a mouse for most of your work but
occasionally require a large digitizing tablet, you can set up your system to
handle multiple configurations rather than reconfiguring each time you change
a device.
The configuration file stores the values of many AutoCAD system variables
and the configuration options defined in the Options dialog box. If you want
different settings for these system variables and operating parameters, you
can save those values to different configuration files. For a list of the system
variables and where they are stored, see System Variables in the CommandReference.
Multiple Configurations | 7
To take advantage of multiple configurations, you must set up AutoCAD to
use different configuration files. Use the /c switch to specify alternative
configuration files at startup.
See also:
■ “Customize Startup” in the User's Guide
Quick Reference
Commands
OPTIONS
Customizes the program settings.
Multiple Drawing Folders
Keeping your drawing and other associated files in separate directories makes
it easier to perform basic file maintenance.
Keeping your drawing files and other associated files in separate directories
makes it easier to perform basic file maintenance. The scenario described in
this topic is based on the sample directory structure described in Overview of
File Organization on page 4, but you can expand or alter it to meet your
needs.
You can set up the /AcadJobs directory to contain your drawing subdirectories.
The drawing subdirectories can contain other subdirectories that hold related
support files for a particular drawing type or job. The /AcadJobs/Job1/Support
directory can contain blocks and AutoLISP files specific to the drawing files
in /AcadJobs/Job1. Specifying support (with no path prefix) in the Support path
adds the support directory within the current directory to the Support path.
Notice that if you use the Options dialog box to specify a directory, AutoCAD
creates a hard-coded path to that directory. To use the relative naming
convention previously described, you must specify the Support path with the
/s switch on the command line. See “Customize Startup” in the User's Guide.
To make sure that the required drawing directory is the current directory when
you start AutoCAD, and that all files and subdirectories in that directory are
easily accessible, you can create a program icon or a Start menu item that
specifies the correct working directory for each job. This functionality works
only if you set the AutoCAD system variable REMEMBERFOLDERS to 0.
8 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
You can use a batch program as an alternative to using icons or menus. With
batch programs you can create new job directories automatically. The following
batch program verifies that a specified directory exists, sets that directory to
be current, and then runs AutoCAD.
@echo off
C:
if exist \AcadJobs\Jobs\%1 goto RUNACAD
echo.
echo *** Creating \AcadJobs\Jobs\%1
echo *** Press Ctrl+C to cancel.
echo.
pause
mkdir \AcadJobs\Jobs\%1
:RUNACAD
cd \AcadJobs\Jobs\%1
start C:\ AutoCAD\acad.exe
Using an ASCII text editor (such as Notepad), save the batch program to a file
named acad.bat. Be sure to change the drive and directory names to match
those on your system. Place this file in a directory that is on your system search
path (for example, C:\winnt). You can run this batch program using the Run
command on the Start menu or by double-clicking the file in Explorer. If you
saved the file as acad.bat, use the following syntax:
acadjobname
where jobname is the name of the job directory to make current.
Quick Reference
System Variables
CMDECHO
Controls whether prompts and input are echoed during the AutoLISP
command function.
Multiple Drawing Folders | 9
Locate Customized Files
Beginning with AutoCAD 2004, the location of some of your customized files
has changed. The reasons for the file location changes include the following:
■ Limited user rights on a workstation. You can run AutoCAD as a limited
user. This means that you no longer need power user or Administrator
permissions to run AutoCAD once it is installed.
■ Roaming profiles. Roaming profiles allow you to log on to any computer
within a network and retain your user settings. Some files, such as your
personal settings and documents, follow you from computer to computer,
while other files, such as templates (including Publish to Web templates),
reside only on your system.
If roaming profiles are allowed on your network, your “roamable” files are
located in the \Application Data\Autodesk\<Product Version> folder, and
your “nonroamable” files are located in the \Local Settings\ApplicationData\Autodesk\<Product Version> folder.
NOTE In some operating systems, the folders that are located under your profile
are hidden by default. To display these files, you may need to change your display
settings. On the Start menu, click Control Panel ➤ Folder Options. In the Folder
Options dialog box, on the View tab, click Show Hidden Files and Folders.
Locate Data Link Files
Beginning with the 2004 products, the default location of your data link files
has changed. For information about the default location of these files, see
■ (Windows Vista) Click Start menu ➤ All Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
2 Click application menu ➤ Options.
3 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, click the plus sign (+) to the left of
Data Sources Location.
10 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
4 Under Data Sources Location, click the path name to view the location
of your data link files.
NOTE The changes you make do not take effect until you restart the program.
Locate Plot Style Files
Beginning with the AutoCAD 2004, the default location of your plot style files
has changed. For information about the default location of these files, see
■ (Windows Vista) Click Start menu ➤ All Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
2 Click application menu ➤ Options.
3 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, click the plus sign (+) to the left of
Printer Support File Path.
4 Click the plus sign (+) to the left of the Plot Style Table Search Path file.
5 Under Plot Style Table Search Path, click the path name to view the
location of your plot style files.
NOTE You can also locate your plot style files by entering stylesmanager on the
AutoCAD command line.
Locate Plotter Files
Beginning with AutoCAD 2004, the default location of your plotter files has
changed. For information about the default location of these files, see Locate
■ (Windows Vista) Click Start menu ➤ All Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
2 Click application menu ➤ Options.
3 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, click the plus sign (+) to the left of
Printer Support File Path.
4 Under Printer Description File Search Path, click the path name to view
the location of your PMP file.
12 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
Locate Support Files
Beginning with AutoCAD 2004, the default location for some of your support
files has changed. For information about the default location of these files,
see Locate Customized Files on page 10.
Support files include the following:
■ Configuration file (acad2011.cfg)
■ Customization file (acad.cuix)
■ Custom icon files
■ Help and miscellaneous files
■ Font mapping file (acad.fmp)
■ Alternate font file (simplex.shx)
■ Support path files (acad.dcl, acad.lin, acad.mnl, acad.pat, acad.pgp, acad.psf,
acad.unt, acadiso.lin, acadiso.pat, ase.dcl, base.dcl, doshelp.dcl, and gdt.shx)
To find the default location of the configuration file
■ (Windows Vista) Click Start menu ➤ All Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
2 Click application menu ➤ Options.
3 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, click the plus sign (+) to the left of
Customization Files.
4 Click the plus sign (+) to the left of Main Customization File.
5 Under Main Customization File, click the path name to view the location
of your main customization file.
6 Click the plus sign (+) to the left of Enterprise Customization File.
7 Under Enterprise Customization File, click the path name to view the
location of your enterprise customization files.
NOTE By default, the path to an enterprise customization file is empty until
you define the file. For more information about defining a customization file,
see “Customize the User Interface” in the Customization Guide.
To find the default location of the custom icon files
■ (Windows Vista) Click Start menu ➤ All Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
2 Click application menu ➤ Options.
3 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, click the plus sign (+) to the left of
Support File Search Path.
4 Under Support File Search Path, click a path name to view the location
of your support files.
Locate Drawing Template Files
Beginning with AutoCAD 2004, the default location of your drawing template
files has changed. For information about the default location of these files,
see Locate Customized Files on page 10.
■ (Windows Vista) Click Start menu ➤ All Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
2 Click application menu ➤ Options.
3 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, click the plus sign (+) to the left of
Template Settings.
4 Under Template Settings, click the plus sign (+) to the left of Drawing
Template File Location.
16 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
5 Under Drawing Template File Location, click the path name to view the
location of your drawing template files.
Locate Texture Files
Beginning with AutoCAD 2004, the default location of your texture files has
changed. For information about the default location of these files, see Locate
■ (Windows Vista) Click Start menu ➤ All Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
2 Click application menu ➤ Options.
3 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, click the plus sign (+) to the left of
Texture Maps Search Path.
4 Under Texture Maps Search Path, click the path name to view the location
of your texture files.
Customize a Publish to Web Template
You can create customized templates to use in the Publish to Web wizard by
modifying one of the Publish to Web template (PWT) files provided. Use any
HTML editor or text editor.
To create a custom template, add or modify any of the following elements:
■ Images
■ Text
■ Hyperlinks
■ Color
■ Title
Customize a Publish to Web Template | 17
■ Video, animation, and so on
There are four default Publish to Web templates that you can customize:
■ Array of Thumbnails. Creates a web page containing an array of thumbnail
images.
■ Array Plus Summary. Creates a web page containing an array of thumbnail
images and summary information about each image.
■ List of Drawings. Creates a web page containing a list of drawings and an
image frame.
■ List Plus Summary. Creates a web page containing a list of drawings, an
image frame, and summary information about a selected image.
NOTE You must be familiar with HTML syntax to customize the Publish to Web
templates.
You can make changes or additions to the look and feel of a template, but
you cannot change the arrangement of images within it. For example, in the
Array of Thumbnails template, the images are presented across the page in rows.
You cannot alter the presentation of the images, but you can wrap text and
graphics around the table of images.
WARNING To ensure that you do not overwrite the default Publish to Web
template files, back up those files before you make any changes to them.
To create quick access to the Publish to Web templates
1 Click Tools menu ➤ Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, click the plus sign (+) next to
Template Settings. Then click the plus sign next to Drawing Template
File Location.
3 Move the cursor to the path name that is displayed and click inside it,
and press F2, and press CTRL+C to copy it.
4 Click OK or Cancel to close the Options dialog box.
5 Click File menu ➤ Open.
6 In the Select File dialog box, right-click an empty area in the vertical
panel on the left side, and click Add on the shortcut menu.
7 Enter a name in the Item name box (for example, Templates).
18 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
8 Press CTRL+V to paste the path into the Item Path box, and click OK.
You can now access the Template folders by clicking the button in the
left panel of the Select File dialog box.
To customize a Publish to Web template
1 Browse to the Publish to Web template folder, click File menu ➤Open.
See To create quick access to the Publish to Web templates on page 18.
2 Double-click the PTWTemplates folder to open it. The following folders
are displayed. Each contains a Publish to Web template and preview
images (BMP) that you see when you run the Publish to Web wizard.
■ Template1. Contains the Array of Thumbnails template and a preview
image
■ Template2. Contains the Array Plus Summary template, a preview image,
and HTML frames
■ Template3. Contains the List of Drawings template, a preview image,
and HTML frames
■ Template4. Contains the List Plus Summary template, a preview image,
and HTML frames
3 Right-click the folder you want to use, and click Copy.
4 Press ALT+2, right-click the PTWTemplates folder, and click Paste.
5 Reopen the PTWTemplates folder, and right-click the new folder and
rename it.
6 Right-click the new folder and click Open to display its contents.
7 Rename the Publish to Web template (PWT) file with an .htm or .html file
extension.
8 Open the template file in an HTML editor or a text editor.
The template file contains comments that help you determine which
areas of the code you can modify to create your new web page.
9 Review the comments and make changes to the parts of the template
you want to customize.
10 Save the template with a .pwt file extension. Make sure you save the file
to the template folder you created in step 3.
Customize a Publish to Web Template | 19
NOTE Each template folder can contain only one PWT file. If you create a
new PWT file, make sure you delete any other PWT files that exist in the same
folder.
When you run the Publish to Web wizard, the new template is displayed
in the list of templates.
Quick Reference
Commands
PUBLISHTOWEB
Creates HTML pages that include images of selected drawings.
Define Custom Commands
You can define external commands that run from within AutoCAD. You can
also create command aliases for AutoCAD commands in the acad.pgp file, an
ASCII text file that stores command definitions.
Define External Commands
External commands start other programs or utilities while AutoCAD is running.
While AutoCAD is running, you can invoke other programs or utilities, such
as the following:
■ Windows system commands and utilities, such as start, type, dir, or copy
■ Applications such as text editors or word processors
■ Database managers, spreadsheets, and communications programs
■ User-supplied programs, such as batch files or VBA macros
When you enter an external command, AutoCAD looks for the command in
acad.pgp. The first section of acad.pgp defines external commands. You can
add command definitions by editing acad.pgp in an ASCII text editor (such
as Notepad). In addition to command aliases in acad.pgp, you will also find
comment lines which are preceded by a semicolon (;). Comment lines allow
you to add textual information to acad.pgp, such as when or who revised the
file last.
20 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
NOTE Before you edit acad.pgp, create a backup file so that you can restore it
later, if necessary.
When you define an external command, you specify a command name to be
used at the command prompt and an executable command string that is
passed to the operating system. Each line in the external commands section
has five comma-delimited fields, as follows:
command The command that is entered at the command prompt. If the
name is an internal AutoCAD command name, it is ignored. The name is not
case-sensitive.
executable The constant string sent to the operating system when you enter
a command name. It can be any command that you can execute at the
operating-system prompt. The string can include switches or parameters. The
case-sensitivity of this string depends on the application you are running.
flags A required bitcoded parameter. Add these integer values in any
combination to achieve the result you want.
0 Start the application and wait for it to finish.
1 Don't wait for the application to finish.
2 Run the application in Minimized mode.
4 Run the application “hidden.”
8 Put the argument string in quotes.
Bit values 2 and 4 are mutually exclusive; if both are specified only the 2 bit
is used. Using value 2 or 4 without value 1 should be avoided, because
AutoCAD becomes unavailable until the application has completed.
Bit value 8 allows commands like del to work properly with file names that
have embedded spaces. This eliminates the possibility of passing a
space-delimited list of file names to these commands. If you prefer multiple
file support, do not use the bit value 8.
prompt An optional field. It specifies the prompt to display on the AutoCAD
command line or for the dynamic input tooltip. The response to this prompt
is appended to the string supplied in the executable field. If the first character
of the prompt field is an asterisk (*), the response can contain spaces and the
user must press ENTER to terminate it. Otherwise, the response is terminated
by either SPACEBAR or ENTER. If no prompt is specified, no input is requested;
however, you must add a comma if a return code is to be supplied or if you
want the prompt to have a trailing space.
Define External Commands | 21
return_code An optional bitcoded parameter. You can add these integer
values together in any combination to achieve the result you want. For
example, if values 1 and 2 are required, you use 3 as the return code. The values
are defined as follows (codes 0 and 4 are meaningless in a windowed
environment and are therefore not included):
1 Loads a DXB file. AutoCAD loads the DXB file named $cmd.dxb into the
drawing after the command is terminated. After the DXB file is loaded, the
$cmd.dxb file is deleted. This action produces the same result as the DXBIN
command.
2 Constructs a block definition from a DXB file. AutoCAD creates a block
definition from the DXB file named $cmd.dxb. The response to the prompt
field is used as the block name. This name must be a valid block name that
does not currently exist in the drawing; therefore, this mode cannot redefine
a previously defined block. After AutoCAD loads the DXB file, the $cmd.dxb
file is deleted. The default name for the INSERT command is set to the newly
defined block.
The file can also contain comment lines preceded by a semicolon (;).
Windows System Commands
The start and cmd Windows system commands are very useful when defining
external commands. If you specify an executable string that does not use the
start or cmd command, AutoCAD is unavailable until that window is closed.
The start command starts a separate window and runs a specified program or
command. If start is used without any parameters, it opens a new command
prompt window. The start command has many command line switches that
affect the display of the new window. To launch a Windows application, use
start without any switches. The start command is also very useful for starting
a document that is associated with an application. For example, you can use
start to directly open a document created with a word processor or an HTML
file.
The cmd command opens a command prompt window that acts as a shell of
AutoCAD. This window must be closed before control returns to the AutoCAD
command prompt. Two command line switches, /c and /k, are useful for
external commands. The /c switch carries out the specified command and
then stops (the window closes). The /k switch carries out the specified
command and then continues (the window remains open). When using the
/k switch, you must close the command window (with the exit command).
In general, use start to start a new window or application that is to be a separate
process from AutoCAD. Use cmd to run a batch file or command script that
does not create a separate window, or to create a window that must be closed
22 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
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