The incredible shrinking floating command line

[Anonymous]

Has anyone solved the receding command line? It appears to have been a problem since 2013?? I have only just migrated to 2015 from release 2011, and I have not been able to locate any success stories in the forums. I like the extra real estate you get by using the floating command line, but every time I start/open a dwg, it's length gets reduced, until finally it is so short the command prompts/history starts to wrap. This makes it distracting and difficult to read. I tried using acad.pgp to setvar workspace, which seems to reset the command length every time you reset the workspace, but when opening a dwg, it forces the dwg to a sheet tab even if it was saved on the model tab. So now I have two identical workspaces defined using different names, so I can toggle between them when the command line gets too short. Cheers!

[Victoria.Studley]

Hi Doug,

Thanks for posting this. Have you migrated settings from 2011?

If you reset the program to defaults, can you reproduce the issue on your machine in 2015 (without any custom settings, workspaces, etc.) or does it only happen once your customizations are applied?

This forum thread also has some good suggestions. It looks like some users have resolved this by making sure the program is in full-screen mode.

[Anonymous]

Hi Victoria. Thanks for the reply. I did migrate settings from 2011. I do run the program in full screen. Also in single drawing mode. Until now I have had no experience with workspaces. I am more than a little reluctant to reset back to default, as there is always a handful of things that seem to get left behind when migrating settings. I may try going default if I can find some spare time in the next few days. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I think I have a workaround figured out:

Using acad.lsp (NOT acad.pgp as I mistakenly mentioned in the original post) set "wscurrent" to your workspace.  Be sure to load acad.lsp into every drawing opened ( set ACADLSPASDOC=1)

Under CUI:

workspace > display > start on = DO NOT CHANGE

workspace > palettes > command line > width = "x" where x = the width you want your command line to be (for me it's 1835)

Under "workspace settings...." select DO NOT SAVE CHANGES TO WORKSPACE.

With these settings, I am able to open drawings without them automatically switching to a paper layout regardless of whether there is only modelspace linework.  And the command line remains full width from drawing to drawing.

So far so good.....   Hopefully this solution will stick.

Cheers!

[Cre9engr]

Dmarsters,

Have you had any success with this issue?  I recently installed Civil 3D 2015 service pack 2, no customizations except a couple aliases in the pgp file, and my floating command line keeps getting smaller and smaller and smaller...................

[nestly2]

If the Command Line is snapping into place above the Statusbar, it's sorta "docked" even though it's also "floating, and it can have a mind of it's own.  Try dragging the Command line well above the status bar, so it's definitely "detached" then drag the bottom edge of the Command line down to the top of the Status bar.  (This will make the Command line more than one line high)  Now grab the top edge of the Command line and drag it down until the Command line is only one line high.  Visually, it will appear just as it did before but this time it's truely floating.  Save the Workspace and test.

Related topic   (see posts #15 & 16)

[Cre9engr]

That didn't work.  The command line still keep bouncing all around the bottom of the screen.

[sam.lucido]

Hello, thought I would jump in and offer a suggestion. It may have been mentioned previously but when I need to have the command line a different color and location I typically create a new workspace (or select from status bar). Put your command line where you want it floating on the screen. Type-Workspace-SAveas then My Workspace or your name. Get out of AutoCAD and then back in change workspaces by typing or selecting the image as shown. Select the 2D drafting and Annotation then flip back to yours. If you set yours as default  the command line will remain in that position when you load AutoCAD. Your workspace will remain current as long as you do not change when closing AutoCAD.

You can also startup AutoCAD with a command line switch of /w in the shortcut to launch the program. 

"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD version\acad.exe" /w "MyWorkspace"

[Cre9engr]

At our office, it's normal practice for everyone to create their own workspace during the install process.

I don't know what I did, but the command line suddenly stopped shrinking.  Unfortantly, it now bounces around like a water on a hot skittle.  I swear this thing has a mind of it's own.

[sam.lucido]

Sounds like it does have a mind of it's own. Have your tried altering your settings in the CUI?  See this article from the knowlege network. Make sure you are in your workspace and select the settings as shown. 

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-civil-3d/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticle...

[sam.lucido]

Test the settings out and save your workspace.

[BrianBenton]

Have you tried the system variable LOCKUI

Locks the position and size of toolbars and dockable windows such as DesignCenter and the Properties palette.

Type: Bitcode
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0
Locked toolbars and windows can still be opened and closed and items can be added and deleted. To unlock them temporarily, hold down Ctrl.
A lock icon in the status bar tray indicates whether toolbars and windows are locked. Right-click the icon to display locking options.
The setting is stored as a bitcode using the sum of the following values:
0 Toolbars and windows not locked
1 Docked toolbars locked
2 Docked or anchored windows locked
4 Floating toolbars locked
8 Floating windows locked

When I set mine to 8 I couldn't change my command line.

[sam.lucido]

Thanks Brian. I made a mistake and was trying to respond to another post but accidently posted a question.  Thanks for the informaton it is helpful.

[BrianBenton]

Glad we figured it out.

[Cre9engr]

In one of the above posts, someone mentioned trying the to lock the user workspace.  So far, I locking the user workspace seems to be working.  I want to thank everyone for their help.

[Cadguru42]

I was on a support call for something else relating to C3D and brought this up to the support person. He acknowledged it as a bug that is reproducible on his end and is going to turn it over to development. 

In 2016, the easiest way to see how this works is to open a drawing up and also have the Start tab. When you switch to the Start tab, because the UI is changed to remove docked pallets and the command line, and then return back to the drawing you'll notice that the command line shrinks a bit. If you repeat this it'll keep shrinking until it gets to the smallest size possible.

If you switch between drawings tabs (not the Start tab) you won't notice it because the UI isn't changing. It's when the UI is changed, either through switching to the Start tab or other means, that the command line shrinks.

[Cre9engr]

Thanks! 

Despite the previous suggestions, the shrinking command line has returned to my computer with a vengenance.  Engrtech, after reading through your post, I can confirm that it happens in Civil 3D 2015 everytime I change tabs, start a new drawing, open a drawing, or restart Autocad.  I'm not computer expert, but it appears the UI is changing during each of the above instances. I suspect there are other times when the UI changes that I'm not aware of, and the command line shrinks a little bit everytime.

[Cadguru42]

Here's a screencast I did showing the command line shrinking.

[Cre9engr]

EngrTech,

That's exactly what's going on with my computer! 

So far, the only way I can truly prevent it from shrinking was docking the command line to the bottom of my screen.  Unfortantly, I have a large monitor and I like to show five lines of past commands on the command line.  This combination, to me, feels like a lot of wasted space.  Combined with the ribbon (which I don't like), the toolspace for Civil 3D, the inquiry tool, and the properties palette, I end up with a very tiny drawing window.  I feel like I'm looking through the port hole on a submarine at my model.

[pendean]

You can shrink the command line down to one line if needed, when docked: I like three myself. And consider docking and autohiding the palettes too. You dedicate too much screen space to things other than the drafting screen. Dare I say it you may actually benefit from running dual screens instead of that look.