Customize the User Interface

Topics in this section

• Overview of Customize User Interface

  Using AutoCAD's customization tools, you can tailor your drawing environment to suit your needs.

• Work with Customization Files

  Customization (CUI) files are used to store commands, user interface elements, and references to partial CUI files and AutoLISP files. CUI files can be designated as main, partial, or enterprise. The CUI file designation determines the order the file is loaded. User interface elements can be transferred between CUI files, which helps to make the migration process easier.

• Customize Commands

  You can easily create, edit, and reuse commands. The Customize tab of the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor displays a master list of commands that are loaded in the product. You can add any commands from this list to toolbars, menus, and other user interface elements.

• Create Macros

  A macro defines the action that results when an interface element is selected. A macro accomplishes a drawing task that would otherwise take a series of actions by a user. A macro can contain commands, special characters, DIESEL (Direct Interpretively Evaluated String Expression Language) or AutoLISP programming code.

• Customize Quick Properties

  With the Quick Properties panel, for a selected object, you can access a sub-set of the properties that are accessible from the Properties palette.

• Customize Rollover Tooltips

  Rollover tooltips display the current values of selected properties.

• Customize Toolbars

  Toolbar customization can be as easy as placing or resizing a toolbar in a drawing area to gain the most drawing efficiency or space. You can also create and modify toolbars and flyout toolbars, add commands and control elements, and reposition and remove toolbar buttons.

• Customize the Quick Access Toolbar

  The Quick Access toolbar is located to the right of the menu browser and provides direct access to a defined set of commands.

• Create Pull-Down and Shortcut Menus

  Pull-down menus are displayed as a list under a menu bar or as part of the menu browser. Shortcut menus (also called context menus) are displayed at or near the crosshairs or cursor when you right-click in the drawing window, text window, command window, in toolbar areas, or the ribbon.

• Customize Ribbon Panels and Tabs

  You can customize the ribbon by creating and modifying ribbon panels and organizing ribbon panels into groups of task based tools with ribbon tabs.

• Add Shortcut Keys and Temporary Override Keys

  You can assign shortcut keys (sometimes called accelerator keys) to commands you use frequently, and temporary override keys to execute a command or change a setting when a key is pressed.

• Create a Double Click Action

  Double click actions are used to make editing commands accessible when the cursor is positioned over an object in a drawing and a double-click is registered from a pointing device. The double click actions are object type sensitive, allowing you to set up a specific command to use for a specific object type.

• Customize Mouse Buttons

  You can change the standard behavior of pointing devices in the program.

• Customize Legacy Interface Elements

  The term “legacy” refers to those user interface elements that are not commonly used with the current version of the program, but are still supported because some users prefer them to alternative user interface elements that are now provided.

• Load an AutoLISP File

  AutoLISP (LSP or MNL) files contain scripts that add customization actions and behaviors to the interface. You can load AutoLISP files into a CUI file using the Customize tab of the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor.

• Customize Workspaces

  You can customize workspaces to create a drawing environment that displays only those commands on the Quick Access toolbar, toolbars, menus, ribbon tabs, and palettes that you select.

• Customize User Interface FAQs

  FAQs will help you to find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about using the Customize User Interface (CUI) Editor.