Workspaces in AutoCAD

Name: Workspaces in AutoCAD
Author: Patti Scully-Lane

Continue your engineering layout creation journey with this intermediate course

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Course: On-Demand

Hello in this chapter we are going to discuss workspaces in AutoCAD. And in this particular lesson, is where I would like to introduce you to what an actual workspace is. But before we get started, I'd like to make sure you have the AutoCAD application open. Right now I have AutoCAD 2022 opened up on my screen. Once you have application open let's go ahead and create a brand new blank drawing. So to do this, I'm just gonna click on the new button here from the start tab. And once you have a brand new blank drawing open, I'd like for you to follow along with me. Now, a workspace in AutoCAD is a saved configuration of the display and positions of many of AutoCAD's interface elements. Those elements whose display in positions that can be controlled with the workspace include palettes, quick access toolbar, ribbons, and panels. The legacy pull down menus and toolbar, and a workspace can also control the display of layout tabs and the status bar. Let's show you an example of what a workspace will control. To get started, I'd like for you to come down to the status bar, click on this button for a customization, and I'd like for you to make sure that you have the workspace setting toggled on. That's over here for workspace switching. Make sure there's a check mark next to it. Minus checked. I'm gonna uncheck it. And once you've done that, let's go ahead and hit the escape key on our keyboard. And click away to get out of here. With the workspace switching option enabled on our status bar. Let's come over here and click on the dropdown arrow. And we can see that there are a few different workspaces already set up on our screen. Right now we're in the default drafting and annotation workspace. In the AutoCAD version, you have the 3D basics and 3D modeling workspaces by default. And this is a custom one that I created. We're gonna create one in this course. So don't worry about if you don't have this displayed. Right now, I'm going to switch to the 3D modeling workspace and watch how my screen reacts. You can see my ribbon across the top has changed. I have many different tools that I did not have displayed before. I have solids, I have surface, mesh, visualization, and so forth. These are all tools geared more towards the 3D modeling environment. Let's switch workspaces again. I'm gonna go to 3D basics and watch my ribbon change. My ribbon change to display a few different panels this time. There's visualization, manage, output. I'm gonna change back to drafting and annotation. Click here. And now I'm back in the default drafting and annotation workspace. Now we can create workspaces so that we can quickly switch from one configuration to another. So if these workspaces that are default to AutoCAD doesn't fit your needs. Let's go ahead and create a workspace. I want you to follow along with me. Up here on our ribbon, click on view and over here on the palettes panel, I'd like for you to click on properties. That turns on the properties. I'd also like for you to click on the calculator one. Over here, this button for a quick calculator. I'm gonna enable that as well. Now the location of these on my screen will not necessarily be the same as it will be on yours. For instance, I'm gonna drag out my properties to a palette. And what I did to get my properties to a palette to dock over to the left hand side, I right clicked, and I went to anchor left. And then I came over and I changed this button for auto hide. So it's always gonna be displayed. For my calculator, I have the auto hide turned off. And it is docked to the right. Now let's say that this is how I would like for this workspace to be displayed. To create our own custom workspace, we're gonna click back down here on the workspace switching. And this time we're gonna say save current as. The save workspace dialogue box displays. And we just need to give this workspace a name. We're gonna call this one my custom workspace. And I'm gonna press enter to save it. And there you have it. You've just created your first custom workspace. To test this out, let's go over to workspace switching and let's switch back to one of the other workspaces. I'm gonna switch back to drafting and annotation, and my interface should change back to the drafting and interface workspace. And I'm gonna come back over here and switch again. I'm gonna choose my custom workspace that I just created. And my interface changes how I customize it, displaying the quick calculator on the right and the properties over on the left. AutoCAD's workspaces allow you to customize your interface to better fit the way you work. Thanks for watching this lesson. In the next lesson we will look at workspace settings.

Intermediate Provider : Patti Scully-Lane 5 Lessons · 28m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Urdu, Chinese

Course Description

Understanding the tools, settings, and interfaces in AutoCAD workspaces These lessons introduce AutoCAD workspaces and what can be saved within a workspace. You’ll examine the quick access and status bar settings and how they work within your workspace. This chapter will also teach you about the CUI (customize user interface) command, and a few of the ways you can use this interface to manipulate your workspace and AutoCAD interface.

What You'll Learn

Understand the key settings available within AutoCAD workspaces
Manipulate and configure workspaces to suit your needs
Customize the AutoCAD interface using the CUI (customize user interface) command
Configure the Quick Access Toolbar and Status Bar settings within your workspace
Recreate the classic AutoCAD workspace
Customize the workspace using the workspace editor

Key Takeaways

AutoCAD workspaces store tools, settings, and interface configurations that can be saved within a workspace.
The Quick Access Toolbar and Status Bar settings work within your workspace and can be adjusted.
The CUI (customize user interface) command provides ways to manipulate your workspace and the AutoCAD interface.
It is possible to recreate the classic AutoCAD workspace as part of customizing your environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this course cover?

This course introduces AutoCAD workspaces and what can be saved within a workspace, examines the Quick Access and Status Bar settings, and teaches the CUI (customize user interface) command and ways to use it to manipulate your workspace and AutoCAD interface.

What are the learning objectives of this course?

The learning objectives are to understand key settings, manipulate workspaces, and customize interfaces.

What topics are included in the lessons?

The lessons cover Introducing Workspaces, Workspace Settings, Quick Access Toolbar and Status Bar, Recreating the Classic Workspace, and Customizing the Workspace Editor.

What skills does this course relate to?

This course relates to skills including AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, and Autodesk AutoCAD Certified User.