Can I use toolbars with 2015

[RChalmers2]

Can I use toolbars with 2015 and minimize the ribbon as can be done in 2014?

Also, are the color options other than the dark interface?

[nrz13]

Yes.

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-2013-2014-2015/AutoCAD-2015-Classic-workspace-GONE/m-p/4902270...

Colors:  OPTIONS > Display Tab > Window Elements > Color Scheme > Choose Light or Dark

Close the Ribbon:  RIBBONCLOSE

[LyleHardin]

You can.... but ... 

In all honesty, try to get used to the Ribbon. Or at least don't turn it off.  It's very useful.

Of course if you have some custom toolbars from the past, you'll probably want to turn those on.

Previous replies have answered that question.

[LeafRiders]

The Ribbon isn't the end answer to everything. I currently use a some of each. When you are in a selection set a contextual ribbon state can hinder one's speed workflow. In which case I have some common toolbars handy for in the middle of a selection or partial selection I have access to my commands, instead of finding it in a ribbon.

You can always turn on toolbars by going -TOOLBAR (type name of toolbar)... This will give you 1 toolbar available, drag to your main screen, then you can click on the grey area beside the toolbar to add additional toolbars.  

To be a real power user, you should type, toolbar, and ribbon your way to pefection, IMO.

[pendean]

A real power user does NOT clutter up their screen: they only type shortcuts for regularly used commands, then completely modify the Ribbon (or toolbars) to only display their less frequent commands needs.

If you're doing anything else with the Ribbon or toolbars, or you still leave them exactly as Autodesk provides them, you are cluttering your screen needlessly. It shows a lack of confidence.

[RChalmers2]

I've installed an been using 2015 for a couple of weeks now and here's what I've found:

I use a certain set of tools for about 90% of my work, as most people probably do.  For those tools I've created toolbars and/or keyboard shortcuts. They are always right there and I don't have to wade through ribbons and pulldowns to find them.  During that time I minimize the ribbon so it's not even showing.  When I need some tool not on the ribbon then I turn it on.  

It works and my screen is as uncluttered as I can make it.

I do think the ribbon, in both AutoCAD and other software, is just someone else's idea of how a work space and workflow should go.  Customizing for one's specific needs is the way to go.

I do wish they had more color options for the interface and not just the light and dark.

[pendean]

You've got a good workflow. Nothing sadder that a user, Ribbon or Toolbars, who clutters the screen and spends their day roaming the screen looking for "that button" to push to do anything all day long.

The Ribbon is nothing more than than a tab-organized toobar: nothing to fear or force down everyone's throat either. It's as good as and as terrible as toolbars, but both are better than pulldown menus IMHO.

[RChalmers2]

Pulldowns are the worst.

[braudpat]

Hello

Don't forget the nice video (done by Nestly) "How to go back to Classic Interface" : 

http://www.screencast.com/t/YWFPgBPgt8

[LyleHardin]

Well, IMHO, the ultimate in efficiency was the good ol' tablet with the 16 button puck and tablet user area all customized to perfection!

But, alas, with multiple screens and the wheeled mouse, those days are over.  At least I've not tried a tablet for about 10 years or so...

The Razer Naga Mouse is a good alternative to the 16 button puck in case anyone is looking for a multiple button mouse with more than 12 buttons.

I like the contextual ribbons. When someone asks for help doing something and I go to help them, my first instinct is to show them the contextual part of the ribbon when they pick on text or a hatch or something. If they don't have the ribbon on, it takes a while to figure out how to help them. Most people here have learned to like the ribbons but still keep a few old toolbars up on the screen. We have several custom toolbars from days gone by that we still use.

We even still use our company's custom Pulldowns (which I developed about 20 years ago). Those are mainly for intial drawing setup or repairs, loading layers, creating and repairing dimstyles, etc. The pulldowns aren't used much in production anymore.

Customizing the Ribbon, Toolbars, and menus can really boost efficiency if you know what you're doing.

[braudpat]

Hello Hardin

I agree 100% with you >>>

" ... the ultimate in efficiency was the good ol' tablet with the 16 button puck and tablet user area all customized to perfection !  "

Because I am using ACAD since R1.4 in 1984 so the good old EFFICIENT period with my Summagraphics (or Calcomp) Tablet is OVER ...

[LeafRiders]

pendean - "A real power user does NOT clutter up their screen"...  Last time I checked power users use the right tool out of the toolbox. Screen utilization has nothing to do with the quickest path from A-Z. Unless that millisecond to scroll the wheel on your mouse to zoom in is an issue. 

There's been many articles that suggest the use of all types of "methods" to get to your end result is what concludes a power-user. Using drop-downs and pull-downs are clearly the slower of any method out there, and I'm sure there are somethings that are obvious to a slow process. Depending on the complexity of the task, you may need to incorporate the use of the "Ribbon". Civil3D and the contextual tools within it, are an absolute must. As some items only exist in the contextual ribbon in some situations. Turning off / on Ribbon throughout the day is not something that should be in ones "Workflow".

Either way we're talking about personal preferences, in a thread where the user has asked how to access "Toolbars". Toolbar's might be old school but you can keep the ones you use frequently off to the side or create a custom toolbar with a drag and drop to give you back that 1/4" band if you have too many toolbars. It's a little comedic to hear someone say "Searching around for things looking at toolbars and ribbon"... it's your interface, you use it daily, set it up for how it works best for the repetitive tasks at hand. If you're still using the "classic" setup, it's likely you've lost some functionality of the handy new school items Autodesk has worked so hard on to add.

[hencoop]

Hmm... "Can I use toolbars with 2015?". I never expected to see an attempt at psychological analysis as a result of a question posted here.

"... shows a lack of confidence" Really?

I learned early on that CAD users (like me) are an opinionated bunch.  I got so tired of getting angry back in the day while reading the flames that TT would write personally attacking other contributors that I quit the old autocad newsgroup alltogether.  I just didn't have time to waste on useless and unhelpful comments or on how riled they would make me.

Pendean, your comment seems to be an uncharacteristic slip in that direction.

Screen space used to be at a real premium back when you could probably only afford to have one monitor and when it cost up to a few thousand dollars to have "a really big monitor" (24" CRT 1280x1024) and the video card to drive it.  These days, with multiple and much much cheaper monitors, screen space is not so much of a premium.  And, it is only clutter if it serves no purpose; however, "serves no purpose" is determined on an individual basis and not globally.

My answer for the OP is to use the CUI interface and customize the current workspace (or another) to display the toolbars.  You can find them in the "Toolbars" tree of the top left pane of the CUI.  You must first select a workspace and then select "Customize Workspace" before you can turn its toolbars on or off.  They are turned on/off by checking or unchecking the box next to them.  For custom toolbars look under the "Partial customization Files" tree at the bottom of the top left pane.

I came here today hoping to find an answer to my problem with custom toolbars in AutoCAD 2015.  I cannot get my custom toolbars (from 2014) to display in 2015 no matter what I do.  The custom menus display but no toolbars.  I have turned them on in the CUI but they just do not appear. The AutoCAD toolbars will appear but not my custom toolbars.

My custom toolbars were developed as a replacement for custom popup menus after autodesk forced me to give those up. I did figure out how to have my custom popup menus in spite of autodesk but I found that toolbars were an improvement over popups so I rarely use popups any more.  I like the ribbon more than I used to, especially for Civil 3D context stuff since that is the only way you can get to some C3D tools, but I don't want to customize it.  I still prefer my custom toolbars for my customizations because they are compact, to the point, and I know exactly where the tool that I need is.

As for "opinionated"...

IMHO, Customizations that only give you another way to invoke existing AutoCAD commands are a waste of time.  Customizations serve me best by providing a simple interface for presetting variables, layers, and conditions and then invoking custom lisp commands or functions (all under one button, menu selection, or command).  I may invoke a customization using command-line input, toolbar, popup or all of these (so far no ribbon).   If you find yourself doing the same set of actions over and over again you should create a custom tool that reduces those actions to just one if possible and make that tool available wherever it is most convenient to you.  If you can't speak VisualLisp or .NET it may be harder for you to create your own customizations but you can get some fine help from the Autodesk Community here and from places like The Swamp, etc. Heck, somebody may just give you an app that does exactly what you need.

[nestly2]

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@hencoop wrote:
...

I came here today hoping to find an answer to my problem with custom toolbars in AutoCAD 2015.  I cannot get my custom toolbars (from 2014) to display in 2015 no matter what I do.  The custom menus display but no toolbars.  I have turned them on in the CUI but they just do not appear. The AutoCAD toolbars will appear but not my custom toolbars.

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Is this of any help?

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-2013-2014-2015/Still-hope-for-AutoCAD-quot-Classic-quot-users/...

[Anonymous]

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Pendean, your comment seems to be an uncharacteristic slip in that direction.

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It seems that Dean is going that direction more and more in the last few months.  I think that too much time spent in an online forum combined with some sense of value derived from a number located close to ones username have caused Deans posts to delve into spreading opinion as if it is fact.  There have been multiple occasions around here that a simple question has been asked only to have the thread turn into argument/belittling rants.  He needs to take a vacation from here.  

[hencoop]

It turns out that I am responsible for the toolbars not showing.  I loaded the .cuix file compiled by 2014 and not the .cui file.  I realized the error this morning when I had another look at it.