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Standard Implementation with Tool Palettes
Tip# 3694 By Danny Korem On 31-Jul-2011
5
Rated By 1 users
Categories : Tool Palettes
Software type : AutoCAD 2012
Rename File To : No Files to download.
Tool palettes are easy to make, and worth the effort.

Frequent tipster Danny Korem likes to create a standard implementation format in AutoCAD. He does so by using tool palettes.

"Of all of the customization environments in AutoCAD, I tend to prefer the tool palettes for several reasons:

  1. The palettes make it easy when upgrading to the next version.
  2. They are very simple to use.
  3. They offer a high level of return on your effort.

"When a feature (such as a block, Content Library component, or a linear dimension) is dragged and dropped, no matter which layer is current, you may opt for a pre-defined layer (or style/scale/linetype/etc.). This makes standard implementation much easier for the end user. Every tool has its own properties, and these will be transferred to any DWG file through the palettes — it's a great feature!

"It doesn't happen very often, but you might need to help AutoCAD if some newer annotative features are introduced. Regardless, this method delivers the goods better than many others, and it is much easier than writing, installing, loading, and using code. (As you may know from my other tips, I prefer out-of-the-box solutions over tailor-made options whenever possible.)"

Notes from Cadalyst Tip Patrol: Danny is right: Tool palettes are very simple to implement and require little effort to make. Just drag and drop items in a file to be added. You can add most anything to a tool palette: blocks, hatch patters, commands, and even routines. Keep in mind that when you drag and drop a block to a tool palette, the palette will reference that file where the block is stored. If the file moves or is deleted, then there is nothing for the tool palette to refer to. I suggest you create a block file in a centrally located place that will give everyone access to it. Open it, then drag and drop your blocks to it from there.

 

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