Tipster Maria Tzanetakou shares a tip that allows access to company standards folders when using AutoCAD.

“To foster collaboration, it is a good idea to define a company’s network folders within AutoCAD itself. This allows users to easily access the same set of CAD standards. An easy way to implement this is for your standards to be kept in the company's network in read-only folders and tell AutoCAD where they are located. You can accomplish that by using the Options command in AutoCAD.

"At the Command line, type Options. Select the Files tab, then the support file search path, then Browse. Finally, select the path of the company's server where the standards have been stored.

"Sometimes, AutoCAD suddenly refuses to read specific line drawings, text pen, etc. The computer then states that Windows has lost contact with the network. So be careful: Before you start AutoCAD, always check the server's network connection of your company."

Notes from Cadalyst tip reviewer Brian Benton: The three most important concepts to remember when implementing CAD software across a company are: CAD standards, CAD standards, and CAD standards. AutoCAD has many tools within it to help you do this. Setting up standard folders on your company server is a great thing to do. You can tell AutoCAD where these folders are. Doing so will help AutoCAD to automatically load CTB files, template files, custom linetype files, tool palettes, blocks, etc.