Explore the various user interface functions of AutoCAD, from showing hidden tabs and panels to engaging layer properties and managing settings. This article guides you through the process to enhance your experience with AutoCAD and to ensure you're not missing any vital tools or features.
Key Insights
- The article provides a comprehensive guide to revealing hidden tabs and panels in AutoCAD, ensuring users can access all the necessary tools for their designs. Not all tabs and panels are displayed by default, but can be revealed by right-clicking and selecting 'show'.
- Layer properties is another essential function in AutoCAD explored in the article. This feature allows users to read and manage layers in their designs more effectively, and can be docked or undocked to suit the user's preference.
- The article also discusses how to manage settings in AutoCAD, such as turning off new layer notifications and activating the auto hide feature for layer properties and XREFs. This allows for a more streamlined and efficient user interface, tailored to the individual's needs and preferences.
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I would like for us to spend a few minutes working on a few more user interface functions. You can see at the very top, I have my Home ribbon and the Draw panel, the Modify panel, Annotate, and so on and so forth. If I hover over where the word says Draw, and if I right-click, you can see that not all of the tabs are displayed by default.
So I'm going to say show the 3D Tools, and I'm also going to say show the Visualization panels. So you can see that my Visualization panels are up here, and changes have occurred. So I'm showing all these tabs, show the panels—they're all showing right there.
If I go to Insert, again, hover over the label, show tabs—everything is showing here; show panels—they're all there. Annotate, show tabs—they're all on. Show panels—they're all on.
Parametric, right-click, show tabs—they're all on. The panels are all on. 3D Tools, right-click, show tabs—they're all on.
Show panels—they're all on. So what's happening is I'm just trying to make it so that when people are using the program, they're not missing any of the tabs or the panels. Again, not everything shows by default.
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When I'm in AutoCAD, I'm going to turn on Views here and see it pop up. Turn on Visual Styles. Turn on Coordinates.
Turn on Navigate. So again, things are showing up over here. I'm going to go to Manage, right-click, show tabs—they're all showing.
Show panels—they're all showing. Output, right-click, show tabs—they're all showing. Panels—everything's showing.
Add-Ins—you can see we can import SketchUp files. All the tabs and panels are showing. Autodesk 360, which is again cloud-based applications.
Express Tools, which are a lot of fun to explore. Show tabs, show panels. BIM 360, all tabs and panels are showing.
Featured Apps, and everything—show panels, show tabs. Go back to the Home tab, and we're there. And I'm going to press CTRL+S to save.
Now again, these functions were saved in the CUIX file, the custom user interface file. Another one I'd like to show you is the Layer Properties. So I'm going to go and engage Layer Properties.
When we first introduced AutoCAD, you can see that it's hard to read everything. If any of your users drag and dock it on the left, you can see it has been docked. If I want to undock it, I hold down CTRL, go onto the gray bar, and I can pick it up and move it.
So it's no longer docked. If I want to see more of these, I simply stretch the bar over here. I'd like to see the words On, Freeze, Lock, Color, Linetype, and Lineweight.
I'd like to see Transparency, and Plot Style.
Many of these are commands we use in AutoCAD 301 and 302, including the new viewport Freeze and Thaw. This way it's easier for the people.
You can see that I have Layer 0 already here. Defpoints is a layer that does not initially ship with AutoCAD. For example, if I create a linear dimension from here to here and place it here, when I zoom in to the bottom, you can see this little dot that's showing up.
That's essentially the definition point. Definition points never plot.
Since they don't plot, many of us tend to use that layer for no-plot purposes.
I'm just using Zoom Previous. So I've brought my zoom back. Now, over here is the Settings dialog.
I'm going to click on the Settings dialog. I'm going to turn off New Layer Notification.
I think you remember from way back in CAD 201 that we created user workspace environments and settings to restore the foundation plan configuration for layers, electrical plan configuration layers, and so on—the Layer Manager settings. However, you might have noticed that when you XREF one drawing into another, you always get a notification in the bottom right corner saying, 'Hey, there are layers that are not reconciled.' Do you want to reconcile them?
This basically means mapping the layers to layout configuration, Layer Manager settings, and layer configurations.
So I'm just going to turn that notification off. I'll confirm by clicking OK. Then I can close this window.
Now, what some people do for Layer Properties and XREFs is go into the Settings bar here and enable Auto Hide.
Auto Hide causes the panel to collapse as soon as I move away from it, keeping it accessible but out of the way.
For example, if I go to Insert > Reference > Attach, the XREF Manager will show up, and I can set it to auto hide as well.
So, again, it will disappear shortly after I move away.
Many users prefer to keep these panels on the left side, where they expand when hovered over.
So I'm going to hold down CTRL, drag it to the left, and release.
Now it will auto hide. Again, some people prefer having some of their pop-up menus over here in auto hide mode.
That is another customization some people like to include in their CUIX file.
I will save the drawing again. Next, when we return, we'll start working on the status bar options—the icons down here in the bottom right.
