Autodesk AutoCAD AutoCAD - 2012 Customization Guide
AutoCAD 2012
Customization Guide
February 2011
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2011 Autodesk, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Except as otherwise permitted by Autodesk, Inc., this publication, or parts thereof, may not be
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Contents
Chapter 1 Basic Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Overview of Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Organize Program and Support Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Overview of File Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Multiple Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Multiple Drawing Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Locate Customized Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Locate Data Link Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Locate Plot Style Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Locate Plotter Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Locate the PMP File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Locate Support Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Locate Drawing Template Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Locate Texture Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Customize a Publish to Web Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Define Custom Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Define External Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Create Command Aliases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Record and Modify Action Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Overview of Action Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Work with the Action Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Record an Action Macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Record an Action Macro with the Action Recorder . . . . . . 29
Action Node Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
iii
Work with User Interface Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Manage and Modify Action Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Manage Action Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Insert User Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Pause for User Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Work with Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Insert Base Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Work with Object Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Tips for Using the Action Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Examples of Action Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Create a New Layer and Draw Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Insert a Block and Change a Dynamic Property
Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Modify Circles with the Properties Palette . . . . . . . . . . 60
Chapter 2 Custom Linetypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Overview of Linetype Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Simple Custom Linetypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Text in Custom Linetypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Shapes in Custom Linetypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Chapter 3 Custom Hatch Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Overview of Hatch Pattern Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Hatch Patterns with Dashed Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Hatch Patterns with Multiple Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Chapter 4 User Interface Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Understand User Interface Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Overview of the Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Use the Customization Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Overview of the Customize User Interface (CUI)
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Work with the Customizations In Pane . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Work with the Command List Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Work with the Dynamic Display Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
How Customization Has Changed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Customization Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Work with the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor . . . . . . . . . 106
Create a Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Create User Interface Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Create a Quick Access Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Customize the Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Create a Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Create a Pull-Down Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
iv | Contents
Create a Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Customize Shortcut Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Create a Double Click Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Create a Mouse Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Create and Modify Workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Create a Workspace from the User Interface . . . . . . . . 119
Create a Workspace with the CUI Editor . . . . . . . . . . 120
Create and Manage Customization Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Basics of Customization Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Create and Load a Partial CUIx File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Create an Enterprise CUIx File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Find and Replace Commands and Text in a CUIx File . . . . . . 135
Customize Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Overview of Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Create, Edit, and Reuse Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Create Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Overview of Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Use Special Control Characters in Macros . . . . . . . . . . 154
Pause for User Input in Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Provide International Support in Macros . . . . . . . . . . 158
Use Built-in Commands in Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Repeat Commands in Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Use Single Object Selection Mode in Macros . . . . . . . . 160
Use Macros to Swap User Interface Elements . . . . . . . . 160
Use Conditional Expressions in Macros . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Use AutoLISP in Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Control the Display of Command Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Assign Search Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Create Tooltips and Extended Help for Commands . . . . . . . . 174
Create Status Line Help Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Create and Manage Images for Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Assign Images to a Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Create Custom Images for Commands . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Manage, Import, and Export Custom Images . . . . . . . . 186
Customize User Interface Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Quick Access Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Ribbon Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Ribbon Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Ribbon Contextual Tab States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Create and Edit Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Add Flyouts to a Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Add, Remove or Switch Toolbar Controls . . . . . . . . . . 265
Pull-down and Shortcut Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Overview of Pull-Down and Shortcut Menus . . . . . . . . 270
Contents | v
Create a Pull-Down Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Create a Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Create Submenus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Reference Pull-Down or Shortcut Menus . . . . . . . . . . 288
Swap and Insert Pull-Down Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Quick Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Rollover Tooltips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Shortcut Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Temporary Override Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Double Click Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Overview of Double Click Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Double Click Action Object Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Examples of Double Click Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Mouse Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Overview of Mouse Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Accept Coordinate Entry in Button Menus . . . . . . . . . 334
Legacy Interface Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Create Tablet Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Customize Tablet Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Create Image Tile Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Load an AutoLISP File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Customize Workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Overview of Workspace Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Control User Interface Elements Outside the CUI Editor . . . . . 357
Control User Interface Elements in the CUI Editor . . . . . . . . 360
Control the Appearance of Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Transfer and Migrate Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor FAQs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Chapter 5 DIESEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Customize the Status Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Overview of the MODEMACRO System Variable . . . . . . . . . 387
Set MODEMACRO Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Set MODEMACRO with AutoLISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
DIESEL Expressions in Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Catalog of DIESEL Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
+ (addition) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
- (subtraction) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
* (multiplication) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
/ (division) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
= (equal to) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
< (less than) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
> (greater than) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
!= (not equal to) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
<= (less than or equal to) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
vi | Contents
>= (greater than or equal to) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
angtos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
edtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
eq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
eval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
fix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
getenv . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
getvar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
if . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
nth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
rtos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
strlen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
substr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
upper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
xor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
DIESEL Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Chapter 6 Slides and Command Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Create Slides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Overview of Slides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
View Slides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Create and View Slide Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Create Command Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Overview of Command Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Run Scripts at Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Run Slide Shows from Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Chapter 7 Introduction to Programming Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
ActiveX Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Overview of ActiveX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Define a Command to Start Your Application . . . . . . . . . . 427
Start an Application from a Menu or Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . 427
AutoCAD VBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Overview of AutoCAD VBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Use AutoCAD VBA Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
Automatically Load and Execute VBA Projects . . . . . . . . . . 431
AutoLISP and Visual LISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
Overview of AutoLISP and Visual LISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
Use AutoLISP Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Automatically Load and Run AutoLISP Routines . . . . . . . . . 436
Overview of AutoLISP Automatic Loading . . . . . . . . . 436
The ACAD.LSP File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
Contents | vii
The ACADDOC.LSP File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
The MNL File for an AutoLISP Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
Prevent AutoLISP Errors When Loading Startup Files . . . . 441
S::STARTUP Function: Postinitialization Execution . . . . . 442
ObjectARX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Overview of ObjectARX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Use ObjectARX Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Automatically Load ObjectARX Applications . . . . . . . . . . . 446
.NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
Overview of .NET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
Loading Managed Applications in AutoCAD . . . . . . . . . . . 447
Install and Uninstall Plug-In Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
PackageContents.xml Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
ApplicationPackage Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
CompanyDetails Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Components Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
Supported Locale Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Example of Basic .bundle Folder Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . 462
Example of Using Folders to Organize Components . . . . . . . 464
Chapter 8 Shapes and Shape Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
Overview of Shape Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
Create Shape Definition Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469
Shape Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469
Vector Length and Direction Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470
Special Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
Use Special Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
Codes 0, 1, and 2: End of Shape and Draw Mode
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
Codes 3 and 4: Size Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Codes 5 and 6: Location Save/Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Code 7: Subshape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
Codes 8 and 9: X-Y Displacements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
Code 00A: Octant Arc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Code 00B: Fractional Arc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Codes 00C and 00D: Bulge-Specified Arcs . . . . . . . . . . 479
Code 00E: Flag Vertical Text Command . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Text Font Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
Sample Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483
Extended Simplex Roman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
Extended Standard Font for UNICODE . . . . . . . . . . . 512
Big Font Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532
Define a Big Font . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532
Define an Extended Big Font File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
Use Big Font Text in a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539
Use a Big Font to Extend a Font . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540
viii | Contents
Unicode Font Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542
Superscripts and Subscripts in SHX Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543
Chapter 9 Migrate and Transfer Custom Settings and Files . . . . . . . . 547
Migrate Custom Settings and Files from Previous Releases . . . . . . . 547
Migration Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 548
Determine How to Migrate Custom Settings . . . . . . . . . . . 549
Migrate Custom Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551
View the Migration Log File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Restore Profiles After Migrating Files from an Earlier
Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558
Reset Settings to Default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558
Export and Import Custom Settings from the Same Release . . . . . . 560
Export Custom Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 563
Import Custom Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 564
Migration and Customization FAQs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565
What are the benefits of selecting task-based tools? . . . . . . . 565
What is a workspace? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566
How do I make changes to a workspace at a later time? . . . . . 566
What is a drawing template file? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566
How do I modify drawing templates at a later time? . . . . . . . 566
What are the benefits of customizing AutoCAD? . . . . . . . . . 567
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569
Contents | ix
x
Basic Customization
1
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 create a custom title block to use on a layout. If you want
to change the interface further, you can edit the CUIx file and use DIESEL
statements to create custom 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 drawing templates (DWTs). You can create custom drawing
templates to use when creating a new drawing. Drawing templates are used
to store the layers, blocks, and styles that you might use across all your
drawings.
■ Create custom publishing templates. Use templates to define common
parameters when you publish a drawing using the Publish to Web wizard.
1
■ 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.
■ 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.
2 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
Introduction to Programming Interfaces on page 425 briefly describes these
APIs and provides cross-references to more information.
See also:
■ “Organize Program and Support Files”
■ “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 ScriptsCommand 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.
Overview of Customization | 3
System Variables
TOOLTIPS
Controls the display of tooltips on the ribbon, toolbars, and other user
interface elements.
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
See also:
■ Overview of AutoLISP Automatic Loading on page 436
■ “Specify Search Paths and File Locations” in the User's Guide
AutoCAD uses support files for purposes such as storing customization
definitions, loading AutoLISP and ObjectARX applications, and describing
text fonts.
AutoCAD® uses support files for purposes such as storing customization
definitions 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.
NOTE 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.
4 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
The following LISP script creates the CUSTFILES command, which launches
Windows® Explorer in the correct folder.
(defun c:custfiles ()
(command "shell"
(strcat "explorer \"" (getvar "roamablerootprefix") "\"")
)
(princ)
)
Library Search Path
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.
■ 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.
Overview of File Organization | 5
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.
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 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
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.
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
See also:
■ “Customize Startup” in the User's Guide
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.
Multiple Configurations | 7
The default location of the acad2012.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 Command
Reference.
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.
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
8 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
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.
You can use a batch program to 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:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2012\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:
acad jobname
where jobname is the name of the job directory to make current.
Multiple Drawing Folders | 9
Quick Reference
System Variables
CMDECHO
Controls whether prompts and input are echoed during the AutoLISP
command function.
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.
■ Local profiles. Local profiles are used to log on a computer and they store
settings and files that are not available when roaming. Some files, such as
materials and drawing templates are stored under your local profile because
of their size, they do not follow you from computer to computer.
■ 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.
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\Application
Data\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
Locate Customized Files on page 10.
10 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
To locate your data link files
1 Do one of the following:
■ (Windows XP) Click Start menu ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
■ (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.
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
Locate Customized Files on page 10.
To locate your plot style files
1 Do one of the following:
■ (Windows XP) Click Start menu ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
■ (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.
Locate Customized Files | 11
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
Customized Files on page 10.
To locate your plotter files
1 Do one of the following:
■ (Windows XP) Click Start menu ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
■ (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 Printer Configuration Search Path.
5 Under Printer Configuration Search Path, click the path name to view
the location of your plotter files.
NOTE You can also locate your plotter files by entering plottermanager on the
AutoCAD command line.
Locate the PMP File
Beginning with AutoCAD 2004, the default location of your PMP file has
changed. For information about the default location of this file, see Locate
Customized Files on page 10.
To locate your PMP file
1 Do one of the following:
■ (Windows XP) Click Start menu ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
12 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
■ (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.
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 (acad*.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, gdt.shx,
inches.pss, and mm.pss)
To find the default location of the configuration file
1 Do one of the following:
■ (Windows XP) Click Start menu ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
■ (Windows Vista) Click Start menu ➤ All Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
2 Click application menu ➤ Options.
Locate Customized Files | 13
3 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, click the plus sign (+) to the left of
Help and Miscellaneous File Names.
4 Click the plus sign (+) to the left of Configuration File.
5 Under Configuration File, click the path name to view the location of
your configuration file.
To find the default location of the customization files
1 Do one of the following:
■ (Windows XP) Click Start menu ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
■ (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
1 Do one of the following:
■ (Windows XP) Click Start menu ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
■ (Windows Vista) Click Start menu ➤ All Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
14 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
2 Click application menu ➤ Options.
3 In the Options dialog box, Files tab, click the plus sign (+) to the left of
Customization Files.
4 Under Custom Icon Location, click the path name to view the location
for the custom button image files used with your customization files.
To find the default location of the Help and miscellaneous files
1 Do one of the following:
■ (Windows XP) Click Start menu ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
■ (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
Help and Miscellaneous File Names to expand the list.
4 Click the plus sign (+) to the left of the file you want to locate, and then
click the path name to view the location of the files.
To find the default location of the font mapping file
1 Do one of the following:
■ (Windows XP) Click Start menu ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
■ (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
Text Editor, Dictionary, and Font File Names.
4 Click the plus sign (+) to the left of Font Mapping File.
5 Under Font Mapping File, click the path name to view the location of
your font mapping file.
Locate Customized Files | 15
To find the default location of the alternate font file
1 Do one of the following:
■ (Windows XP) Click Start menu ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
■ (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
Text Editor, Dictionary, and Font File Names.
4 Click the plus sign (+) to the left of Alternate Font File.
5 Under Alternate Font File, click the path name to view the location of
your alternate font file.
To find the default location of the support path files
1 Do one of the following:
■ (Windows XP) Click Start menu ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
■ (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.
16 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
To locate your drawing template files
1 Do one of the following:
■ (Windows XP) Click Start menu ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
■ (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.
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
Customized Files on page 10.
To locate your texture files
1 Do one of the following:
■ (Windows XP) Click Start menu ➤ Programs ➤ Autodesk ➤
<AutoCAD> ➤ <AutoCAD>.
■ (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.
Locate Customized Files | 17
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
■ 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.
18 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
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).
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 19.
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.
Customize a Publish to Web Template | 19
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.
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.
20 | Chapter 1 Basic Customization
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