topic Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11 in AutoCAD Forum

How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

tcharbonneau — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 13:20:56 GMT

Autocad Mechanical 2024, Windows 11. Unfortunately once switching to Windows 11, the taskbar display of drawings just makes a big mess, so I have to run the drawing switching tabs at the top of the drawing.

When the pointer is over a tab, it shows a choice for model and layout. This makes the selection very jumpy, and most of the time it gives me the one I didn't want.

Can I just get rid of the model/layout choice on the tabs? And make it so the tabs are strictly for selecting drawings and that's it?

@tcharbonneau Your post title was modified to add the product name and version and to increase findability - CGBenner

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs?

AllenJessup — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 13:18:18 GMT

SPACESWITCH Controls whether model space can be accessed by double-clicking in a layout viewport. I don't know if it will help in your case.

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

imadHabash — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 13:44:25 GMT

Hi,

>> This makes the selection very jumpy

try Ctrl+PageUp and Ctrl+PageDown to go from model to layouts and back again to model tab.

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

pendean — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 13:50:12 GMT

@tcharbonneau Is your MECH2024 fully updated? Confirm using ABOUT command inside the program, you want this

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

tcharbonneau — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 13:52:12 GMT

I actually don't even have the SPACESWITCH variable available, perhaps it's a 2025 or later thing. But double clicking in the drawing area to change between Layout and Model is something I do often. I also have the toggle next to the coordinates on the status bar. And I can type MS or PS. And the next reply showed another way to switch between spaces. There is no shortage of ways to switch.

I just want to get rid of the layout/model chooser in the drawing selection tab. Is that possible?

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

tcharbonneau — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 13:56:48 GMT

I just updated it recently.

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

imadHabash — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:03:48 GMT

you can use the FILETABPREVIEW system variable and set it to (0). This will change the file tab display from large thumbnails to a list of names only.

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

DGCSCAD — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:02:49 GMT

Look into FILETABPREVIEW and FILETABTHUMBHOVER.

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

TheCADnoob — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:10:23 GMT

This doesn't get rid of the popup, but it may help your situation; try setting FILETABPREVIEW and FILETABTHUMBHOVER to 0 and see if it improves.

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

tcharbonneau — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:13:56 GMT

Thanks, it looks like FILETABPREVIEW is going to be the best thing. While it still has the Layout/Model chooser, it's text based and cleans up the area a lot. It no longer displays the big pictures and isn't so jumpy. It's a lot more manageable this way.

FILETABTHUMBHOVER doesn't seem to change anything.

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

imadHabash — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:19:20 GMT

If you also don’t want to see the file tabs themselves, you can disable them completely by typing FILETABCLOSE and to get it back type FILETAB.

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

tcharbonneau — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:29:34 GMT

I actually hate using the tabs. Been drawing for 30 years and always used the taskbar for switching. Mechanical 2024 on Windows 10 still supported this well. But since Windows 11, there is no consistency in how it behaves and it makes a mess. Like I can't choose which monitor they display on, and I can no longer have a multiple row taskbar.

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

pendean — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:35:50 GMT

@tcharbonneau wrote:
I actually don't even have the SPACESWITCH variable available..

We all have it, just ensure you are not limiting yourself to just the MECH2024 HELP file

https://help.autodesk.com/view/AMECH_PP/2024/ENU/?guid=GUID-02F517B0-441C-439A-9406-A251465E1992

Switching to Windows 11 should be no cause for what you describe: did you actually get a new PC, or just install Win11 over Win10 and hope for the best?

New mouse too? Mouse driver needs to be set to slow down perhaps?

May I ask, why can you not still use the taskbar? Did you actually set TASKBAR command to something you want yet

What does your I.T. person think is the issue(s)?

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

tcharbonneau — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:56:35 GMT

IT gave us new computers for Win 11. Same mouse, keyboard, displays. I keep my mouse speed turned down. We don't have a dedicated IT person, just a busy salesman who can set up computers and networking as needed. We are all left to figure out the rest.

I tried the TASKBAR command, which condenses everything down to one taskbar item. But what I used to do was have all my apps on one screen's taskbar. And have all my Autocad drawings on the other screen's taskbar. And set up the taskbar for 2 rows to have space for all the drawings to display in the taskbar. Now once you open multiple drawings, it crams them all into the side with all the other computer apps. And a "feature" of Windows 11 is you can no longer have a multiple row taskbar, or so I've read.

All I want to do is see all the open drawing names at a glance. The drawings tabs is the only way to do this, though sometimes I still run out of space.

Re: How to eliminate model/layout switching on tabs? - AutoCAD Mechanical 2024, Windows 11

pendean — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 15:12:26 GMT

@tcharbonneau wrote:
...All I want to do is see all the open drawing names at a glance. ...

Much like in Win10, Right click on the Windows Taskbar, select TASKBAR SETTINGS, then TASKBAR BEHAVIORS, change the setting for COMBINE TASKBAR BUTTONS options. Experiment and discover what you want Windows to do

Your I.T. should be doing all of this for you folks, I guess you get what you pay for sadly.