Ribbons - customising

[neilknowles6510]

We have Autocad 2015, recently upgraded from 2014.

As an old user of AutoCAD (since r9) i use the classic view. I like it, it works for me. But 2015 does not have this option, and i am struggling with the ribbon.

It does not come with the normal set of commands that i use. For example it has MLEADER and in our office we use QLEADER for this function.

In autocad classic, to delete a button on the bars across the top was easy. Right click, select customize, pull the unwanted button off the top, find new one, drag and drop.

i don't seem to be able to do this with the ribbon set up. I've had a good look around the forums and theres a lot of stuff about creating new tabs or new ribbons .. really i don't want it to be that complicated. Just add a few buttons that i commonly use. How do i do this?

[pendean]

Old user since R9-DOS here too, it's not that hard to figure out 🙂 QLEADER has always been QL if typed, still is. or you can type the full word. it's till there. So is LEADER command. Worth exploring all the shortcuts, R9 didn't require using butons much and LT2015 still doesn't in much the same way.

You can still turn on toolbars in 2015, and you can still import additional ones from 2014 if you still have it using CUI command's TRANSFER tab.
And you can recreate the 'classic' workspace to boot.

Like 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 and all the way back:
- Start CUI command
- Right-click over the WORKSPACE cetegory and select NEW
- Give it a name (classic I presume).
- Select it. The right-side of the CUI changes. Click on the CUSTOMIZE WORKSPACE button.
- The left-side of the CUI is a TOOLBARS category. Expand it, and click on the boxes next to each toolbar you want.
- When you are done, expand the RIBBON category and do the reverse of the above, uncheck all the boxes you never want to see.
- Where the CUSTOMIZE WORKSPACE button used to be you see a button with the word DONE. click on it.
- Now click the APPLY then the OK buttons at the bottom of the CUI pop-up.
- Run RIBBONCLOSE command.
- If needed, turn on MENUBAR command.
- Run WORKSPACE command and save your current workspace.

Enjoy. Remember, you're not the only old-timer here, most of us answering questions have been around even longer and used older versions that R9.

[neilknowles6510]

Thanks Pendean

I know you can type QL instead. It just makes it hard and slow - remove both hands from where they are, type QL, put hands back on mouse. Easier to click and point. Or would be easier if i could make QLeader a button  !

Your answer does not state, but implies, that actually customising the ribbon is not possible. Correct ?

If i understand the principle of your reply, what you are suggesting is to restore the appearance of a classic view by closing all the ribbons and locking the toolbars in their place instead? Ingenious !

Neil

[dgorsman]

Customizing the Ribbon is possible.  Its a little different than older pre-CUIx versions but once you understand it the process will make sense.  Learning the basics of this really is a good time investment.

Commands in the CUIx system work like XREF drawings - define once, reference everywhere (menu, toolbar, Ribbon, Quick Access Toolbar, etc.).  So you don't want to use the MLEADER?  Change the command definition in the CUIx editor *once* to call QLEADER and everwhere in the UI which uses that command definition will be calling QLEADER, without needing to hunt them down.

[neilknowles6510]

OK, but supposing i want to add a command like Purge which is not anywhere on the ribbon at all?

[pendean]

You need to learn how to use CUI command, 90% of all commands are ready for you to place anywhere you want in the commands list on the CUI command pop-up:
http://www.cad-notes.com/5-autocad-customization-cui-tutorial/

PS: PURGE is found under the big red A button, Drawing Utilities section. Click it and explore what else is there.

[dgorsman]

Yes, in some cases you need to create your own CUIx commands (although using the command search in the CUI editor first is prudent).  But the process is quite simple and once created it will behave like all the other commands.