AutoCAD Platform Customization. Ambrosius Lee

current value is displayed between the angle brackets. Pressing Enter without providing a new value ends the command and does not change the value of the system variable.

      TIP

      The name of a system variable can also be entered directly at the command prompt just like any other command. Doing so avoids having to first start the setvar command.

      You can list all supported variables by doing the following:

      1. At the command prompt, enter setvar and press Enter.

      2. At the Enter variable name or [?]: prompt, enter ? and press Enter.

      3. At the Enter variable(s) to list <*>: prompt, press Enter to list all supported system variables or enter a wildcard search string.

      For example, you can enter the wildcard search string DIM* to list all the system variables that start with the letters DIM.

      All the system variables that match the previous entered value are returned.

      If the message Press ENTER to continue: is displayed in the command-line window, it indicates that there are additional results that have not yet been displayed. Press Enter to continue paging through all the returned system variables. Continue pressing Enter until you reach the last page of the results returned, or press Esc when you are done paging through the system variables.

      Managing Drawing Template Files

      After you spend the time creating and customizing your drawing template (DWT) files, you will want to make sure that all users in your company have access to them. By default, AutoCAD looks in a local folder on each workstation for the DWT files it can use. This local folder is specified in the Options dialog box (Windows) or Application Preferences dialog box (Mac OS).

      Using a local folder is not ideal for maintaining these files; it is best to change the location AutoCAD looks in to a folder on a networked drive. A networked folder makes it easy to update your drawing template files; post the files once, and then everyone always has access to the latest version.

      If you need to use a local folder for your DWT files – when you have remote users, for example – it is good practice to keep your customized files separate from those that come with AutoCAD. Doing so makes it easy to back up your custom files and also removes the temptation to stray from your company's CAD standards. The recommended process for managing local DWT files is to first create a company folder on the local drive, and then create a Template subfolder and add your DWT files to the Template folder. Keeping the files synchronized from a network or remote server can be done using a batch (BAT) or BASH script (SH), Windows Task Scheduler event, or login script to synchronize the files from a network or remote server.

      Follow these steps to specify a different folder for AutoCAD on Windows to look in for DWT files:

      1. In Windows Explorer or File Explorer, browse to the folder that you created for this book under My Documents (or Documents) or create a new folder that you will use to store your DWT files.

      • On the keyboard, press the Windows+E key combination, or right-click in the lower-left corner of the screen (not the AutoCAD application window) and click Windows Explorer or File Explorer, based on your operating system.

      • In Windows Explorer or File Explorer, navigate to the folder where you want to store your DWT files.

      • Right-click in an empty area in the Folders/Files list and click New Folder. Enter the name Templates or the name you want to use. Press Enter to accept the new name.

      2. Click the Application button ➢ Options.

      3. In the Options dialog box, click the Files tab.

      4. Expand the Templates Settings node, and then expand the Drawing Template File Location node.

      5. Double-click the folder path listed under the Drawing Template File Location node.

      6. In the Browse For Folder dialog box, browse to and select the folder that contains or will contain your DWT files. Click OK.

      7. Click OK to return to your drawing.

      8. Click the Application button ➢ New. Click Cancel.

      You should notice that the Select Template dialog box now opens to the location you specified in step 6.

      If you are using AutoCAD on Mac OS, use these steps:

      1. In Finder, browse to the folder that you created for this book under Documents or create a new folder that you will use to store your DWT files.

      • In the Mac OS Dock, click Finder or from the desktop click File ➢ Computer.

      • In Finder, navigate to the folder where you want to store your DWT files.

      • Ctrl-click or secondary-click in an empty area in the Folders/Files list and click New Folder. Enter the name Templates or the name you want to use. Press Enter to accept the new name.

      2. Click AutoCAD <release> menu ➢ Preferences.

      3. In the Application Preferences dialog box, click the Application tab.

      4. Expand the Templates Settings node, and then expand the Drawing Template File Location node.

      5. Double-click the folder path listed under the Drawing Template File Location node.

      6. In the Open dialog box, browse to and select the folder that contains or will contain your DWT files. Click Open.

      7. Click OK to return to your drawing.

      8. Click File ➢ New Drawing. Click Cancel.

      You should notice that the Select Template dialog box now opens to the location you specified in step 6.

      In addition to specifying the location of the Select Template dialog box, you can specify the default DWT file that is used with the qnew (Quick New) command. You specify the DWT file for the qnew command using the Options dialog box (Windows) or Application Preferences dialog box (Mac OS).

      Use these steps to specify which DWT file should be used when the qnew command is executed in AutoCAD on Windows:

      1. Click the Application button ➢ Options.

      2. In the Options dialog box, click the Files tab.

      3. Expand the Templates Settings node, and then expand the Default Template File Name for QNEW node.

      4. Double-click the filename listed under the Default Template File Name For QNEW node.

      5. In the Select A File dialog box, browse to and select the DWT file that you want to use with the qnew command. Click Open.

      6. Click OK to return to your drawing.

      7. On the Quick Access toolbar, click New. A new drawing file is created based on the DWT file you selected in step 5.

      If you are using AutoCAD on Mac OS, use the following steps:

      1. Click AutoCAD <release> menu ➢ Preferences.

      2. In the Application Preferences dialog box, click the Application tab.

      3. Expand the Templates Settings node, and then expand the Default Template File Name For QNEW node.

      4. Double-click the filename listed under the Default Template File Name For QNEW node.

      5. In the Open dialog box, browse to and select the DWT file that you want to use with the qnew command. Click Open.

      6. Click OK to return to your drawing.

      7. At the command prompt, enter qnew and press Enter. A new drawing file is created based on the DWT file you selected in step 5.

      Choosing a File Format for Your Drawings

      Out of the box, AutoCAD saves all the drawings you create or open to the latest file format. This is done to ensure that any of the objects you create are properly stored and can be restored when the drawing is opened later. Using the current drawing file format is not always the best choice; perhaps you are working with another department that needs access