HELP! Unknown Command "HELP". Press F1 for Help

The other day I was working in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 when, shockingly, it crashed. The interesting part was that it didn't fully crash the program.  Instead it just stopped working.  Civil 3D was still there.  The file was still opened, but nothing would work.  Every time I tried to enter a command, in any way, an error message was displayed:  

Unknown Command "whatever the command was". Press F1 for Help.

Customizing AutoCAD to Fit Your Needs

Customizing AutoCAD to Fit Your Needs

It is my personal preference not to customize AutoCAD too much. I feel that it can cause too many problems later on. The first is when you go and work somewhere else. Nothing is where or how it should be, and when you update your system it can be a huge pain. Fortunately these two factors are rare, so maybe I don’t have a valid issue here. Ok I don’t, but when they happen they are a pain. My biggest argument against customizing AutoCAD comes from a CAD Managers perspective. It is a night mare for CAD Managers to maintain everyone’s workstations if they have customized it. I think that is my real issue. I speak from my own personal experience that having to fix problems caused by users customizing their workspace. If everyone has a different workspace it also becomes more difficult to train, maintain, update and standardize.

Regardless of my own personal fears of maintaining different customized workstations, the ability to customize AutoCAD is fantastic feature! What? I know what you are thinking, “Didn’t you start this post by ranting about not customizing?” Yes I did, but nobody listens to me anyway! My train of thought is to go ahead and customize AutoCAD, but be limited in those customizations. There is a time and a place for each application of customization. Don’t do it just because you can. Do you really need it? Will it really increase your efficiency? Will it slow you down when you update? Migrate? Or take on other tasks? What if your computer crashes? Can you easily restore your settings? Maintaining AutoCAD’s settings can be a full time job all in itself. Make sure to keep it organized in a simple manner so that you can easily add on to your customizations and update with little effort.

Tool Pallets

I feel tool pallets are under rated by many users. I feel (did you notice that I am talking about my feelings a lot today?) that tool pallets are often underrated by many users because they simply aren’t used to using them yet even though they have been around since AutoCAD 2004. They really took shape in AutoCAD 2005 though. Many are still used to adding things in the pull down menu. I recommend staying away from the pulldown menu. I remember when I was customizing commands in the Menu Screen. I’m glad I stopped that practice! If you work with standard blocks, hatch patterns, or template files, try using tool pallets. They are very easily maintained and migrated. Set up a master block file that contains your blocks to be shared with your users. Update/maintain the block in the file; make a tool pallet referencing that block; then you only have to update the block to make sure every user has the latest block. You don’t even have to tell them, unless they need to update that block in a current file.

Toolbars/Ribbon

Toolbars are going the way of the dodo. In AutoCAD 2009 the interface was changed to a Ribbon style. Toolbars and the menubar are turned off OOTB (out of the box.) They can be turned back one though. I recommend sticking with the ribbon so that you can become more accustomed to its style of interface. However, I like toolbars. They are small, easily placed on the workspace, and easily customizable. I would recommend using them. You can use the Ribbon like toolbars, but I’ll get into that later. Toolbars can be created in the CUI and transferred easily enough through a migration. They can also be set up easily enough. The best part about them is that you can create one (or two, or three) and place them at a good spot on your screen. They are always there and don’t move. One Problem I have with the ribbon is that you have to click a tab to get to a panel to get to a command. With toolbars, you just move to it and click. That being said, you can pull out Ribbon Panels and use them like toolbars, so really you don’t need toolbars anymore, just the ribbon. I have two recommendations for using the ribbon; pick the one that best suits your needs.

My first recommendation (not in any particular order) is to create a custom TAB that has all of the commands you use every day. If you use it every day put it there. The HOME tab is meant to serve this purpose but it might not fit your exact needs. That’s ok. If you only need to add a few commands, then add them. Don’t bother making a new panel. The Quick Access Toolbar is also a great spot for everyday commands, though I would be careful not to make it too bulky.
My second recommendation is to collapse the Ribbon to its smallest size and pull out the panels containing the commands you need most as if they were toolbars. Customize them if you want or need to, but again keep all of the customization to a minimum. A hybrid customization of these two methods may even be appropriate. Make a Ribbon TAB that has your commands in it and pull them out. This will make maintenance easier. You only have to go to one TAB to update. You won’t have to go from tab to tab to panel to panel to try and find each command that needs changing. Keep your custom panel in one place, that way you only have to search in one place.

CONCLUSION

The ability to customize AutoCAD can be very complicated, but highly beneficial. Do so with care and with the future in mind. Adding a little custom tool here and adding one there will eventually create a giant sized custom interface that can be difficult to maintain. Keep it simple and you will find that you are working at your best.

Happy CADDING!

Chagning Display Colors in AutoCAD

We all see things differently. It's a matter of taste. As with all tings AutoCAD, all things are customizable. So are the colors of nearly each item in AutoCAD. One of the most common questions I receive here at CAD-a-Blog about AutoCAD is "How do I change the background color?" It's a good question. It is one of the first things I do when I load AutoCAD on a machine. I can't stand the white background.

To adjust the colors in AutoCAD, open the OPTIONS window. Type in OP at the command line to start the OPTIONS window.

Go the DISPLAY tab.

On the left of the window, near the center, there is a button with text in it labeled COLORS. Click it to edit the colors of AutoCAD.

This will open the color settings.

On the left side of that window, under the CONTEXT area, click the SHEET/LAYOUT option. This will bring up (on the right) the options that you can change for the layout/paper space area.

In the center of the window is the INTERFACE ELEMENT option. Pick the UNIFORMED BACKGROUND. That is the background. On the right, top, under COLOR, (obviously I guess) is where you pick the color.

Once you find the right button to push, and where Autodesk has hidden it!!! it's a rather easy thing to change.

Happy cadding.

How to be more Efficient in AutoCAD - Part 8

How to be More Efficient at AutoCAD

- Part 8 -

CAD-a-Blog has a theory, in order to get done more quickly in AutoCAD, do less work. I know, sounds stupid at first. Of course it will take me less time to do less work, duh!! (insert the proverbial slap to the forehead.) But I really mean it. We have all heard the mantra, “Work smarter, not harder.” That’s what I mean here. There are a plethora of tools in AutoCAD that can help us make drawings more accurately and at a quicker pace, so why aren’t we using them?

Part One talks about "double fisted" cadding. I call it Double Fisted because the theory takes advantage of both of the users hands to input commands and data. One hand works the keyboard while the other manipulates the mouse. This way time is saved by eliminating mouse movements across the screen to invoke commands.

Part Two discuses Template Use. Starting a file with a template provides a file that is already set up and ready to use. Users will not have to tale the time to get the file where it needs to be in order to draw. Another time saver.

Part Three looks at referencing files. Referencing files means that users can create a data source that can be used in multiple files. Change the model, or base file, and the sheet files are instantly updated. We also, briefly, discusses referencing OLE objects, sharing data between reports, letters, and drawings.

Part Four demonstrates how Sheet Sets can be used to manage your drawing sets, files, data management and batch plotting.

Part Five saw how fields can be used to maintain data in text, reduce revision time, share data between files. Again, going with the less is less theory.

In Part Six CAD-a-Blog talked about Dynamic block's ability to decrease the amount of blocks users need to create and maintain and their ability to change through grip edits.

Part Seven pointed out that Tool Pallets can be a place to store and mange blocks, hatch patterns, routines, and commands. Not to mention materials and much much more.


Now, in part 8 of this series, I want to talk about customization. AutoCAD became the industry standard many years ago for several reasons. One of those reasons is the fact that users can customize AutoCAD until it is unrecognizable anymore. That’s good and bad. That’s good because users can set their working environment in such a comfortable way that they are in drafting bliss. However, that form of bliss is based on one person’s perspective and familiarity.

Here is my advice for customization. Less is more. Do it, of course, but do as little of it as possible. The more you do it, the more you will have to do when you change work stations. When you update to a newer version, the less you have to port over, the easier, and quicker, it will port. When the interface system changes (like adding a ribbon and removing the toolbars and dashboard in AutoCAD 2009) the easier it will be to adapt.
Bottom line; use the interface that is available out of the box. Turn on what you need, turn off what you don’t. Create tool pallets because they are easily carried through. So are templates. Toolbars are a device of the past, whether any of us like it or not, the way to do things now is with a ribbon. It’s not just for Microsoft Office and AutoCAD; other software producers are using it and have been using it too. Be ready for change, expect change, and anticipate user interface change.

Create a profile in the options that can hold your basic settings (I “need” my crosshairs to extend the full length/height of the screen). I also hate Blipmode, and I want my right-click to act as the enter key. Beyond that I don’t change too much. Set up the ACAD.lsp file to establish some settings for you if you want to, that is very easy to port over regardless of the interface.

When it comes to Customization, in order to work more efficiently, do it, but go with the KISS method (Keep It Simple Stupid). Besides maintenance issues, the more complex you customize your system, the more difficult it is to navigate and the point to this is to make everything simpler.

If you insist on customizing, then use workspaces. Customize your workspace to have an environment that provides the tools you need to do a specific job. Perhaps it provides one or two tabs on the ribbon for annotation, if you are dimensioning a drawing. If you need to create a parking layout for a building, create a workspace with design tools for that type of project. This type of specific workspace customization will create a working environment that limits the tools on your screen thus giving you more screen real estate. This can improve efficiency.

How does customization of your working environment go along with CAD-a-Blog’s theory of doing less means getting done quicker? Well, if you set up your tools to be in a position to be easily accessible to you due to familiarity, then you will need to move your mouse less, you will have to think less about were a tool is, and therefore you will move more quickly and get done sooner.

AutoCAD 2009 – Customize Ribbon Panels

The AutoCAD 2009 Ribbon panels can be customized. If you are familiar with the CUI, then this should be easy enough for you. If not, it is still quite simple. Let’s go.

Open the CUI (type in CUI or right click a panel, toolbar, etc. and click the CUSTOMIZE item.) Make sure you are working on the workspace you want to customize. Scroll down the CUI until you get to the Ribbon Panels. Expand the Ribbon Panel list. Now you can edit an existing panel, or make a new one.

Editing a Panel. Expand the panel you want to customize. To remove an item in the panel, select it, right click and pick the remove option. To add a new (well, anything new really) panel, row, sub-panel, flyout, or separator, right click the panel name and select the item you want to add. To add a command, go to the command list, find the command you want to add, click and drag it to the desired location on the panel. Easy enough.

Creating a New Panel. Right click a panel, and then pick the NEW PANEL option. Name the panel and start adding your items just like you did when editing an existing panel.

Most of the items in a panel are pretty obvious, like Panel Separator. It provides a space that separates items in the panel. Flyout creates a flyout, similar to the flyouts in tool bars. A ROW, is just that. It provides a place for your commands to go. You can have one row or more, just add them. When adding a command to a row, drag it to the side of the row and drop it there.

Sub-Panels are a little different. A sub-panel has to go into a row. You can’t place them directly into the panel like you do a row. The sub-panel creates an area in a row to group commands in. Take a look at some of the existing panels to get a good idea of how they work. Sub-panels can have rows in them too.

When you are finished customizing your panel, make sure you put it in a TAB, otherwise it won’t show up anywhere in the ribbon.

Happy CADDING

AutoCAD 2009 – Customize the Ribbon

How can I customize the Ribbon in AutoCAD 2009? Easy enough. Start the CUI. You can do this many ways. I suggest you type in CUI at the command line. Or, you can right-click anywhere on the ribbon and then click on Customize.

Expand the CUI window, if it isn’t already. Activate the Workspace you want to customize the Ribbon for. Scroll down to the RIBBON TABS list. Each TAB is listed there. Here you can create a new tab, or edit the existing tabs. All you can really change here are the Panels that are in the tab.

Go to the TAB you want to edit and expand that list. To remove a panel, go to the Panel you want to remove, right-click it and select the remove option. To add a tab, scroll down to the RIBBON PANELS list. Find the panel you want to add, click and drag it to the proper tab and drop it. You can change the order of the panels by dragging them to where you want them. You can also change the order of the panels while working in AutoCAD, and not in the CUI. Just drag the panel tab to the location you want it to be in.

While you are in the Ribbon Tabs list, you can also duplicate a tab. Right click the tab you want to duplicate, and click the duplicate button. Ingenious concept right? Did you notice the COPY option when you right-clicked the tab? The difference between duplicate and copy are simple. Duplicate will make a copy of the tab and place it in the list. The COPY option makes a copy of the tab and places it in your clipboard so you can paste it somewhere.

That is how you customize the Ribbon tabs. Later on I will post about customizing the Ribbon Panels.

Happy CADDING!!

AutoCAD 2009 – Quick Access Toolbar

Hello and welcome to CAD-a-Blog. Here is another AutoCAD 2009 tip about the Quick Access toolbar. This is a nice new feature that will help a user do things quickly. It doesn’t speed or slow up time so you can get more work done, it does provide easy access to buttons that will enable frequently used commands.

Earlier I blogged about AutoCAD 2009 has revamping the user interface. One of those changes, or additions in this case, is the Quick Access Toolbar. I like to call it the QAT!

The QAT resides in the upper left corner of the Application Window, in AutoCAD 2009. Out of the box it has six icons on it: qnew, open, save, plot, undo, and redo. No more FILE, OPEN, etc. No more looking for the standard toolbar and clicking NEW. Just go up to the QAT and click the appropriate button. If you don’t like these commands, or if you feel the QAT is lacking, right click it (the QAT that is) and select the “CUSTOMIZE QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR” option. It will open a CUI window. Find the command you want and drag it to the QAT. This customization is saved in the workspace so if you change your workspace, the QAT will change.

For those of you suffering from toolbar and menu bar withdrawal, right click the QAT and turn those bad boys back on!!! Yay!!! I suggest you don’t, give the poor ribbon a chance will ya? If there is just one icon (toolbar) that you can’t live without, put that command in the QAT.

I hope this helps. Happy CADDING!!!

Subscribe in a reader