AutoCAD 14

[Anonymous]

I am assisting one of our customers who has an old XP laptop with AutoCAD 14. We installed his software on a Windows 7 laptop, but he wants us to transfer his profile settings (custom buttons, etc.).

I see that newer versions have an Export/Import option, but I'm not finding that in version 14.0.

Can anybody help me with this? They are in the middle of a build and it is quite urgent.

Thanks in advance....

[Bob_Zurunkle]

Do you mean AutoCAD R14, from the late 1990s? I don't know if they even had those capabilities back then. If he had any customization that would have been in the MNC, MNR and MNU files, which you'd have to read up on to understand which to copy and which to not copy. Profiles might be another story altogether.

[Anonymous]

Yes! From the last century. 🙂

I have learned so much about AutoCad in the last few days... I'll probably never use it again. I do realize that the ease of export/import is a newer-version functionality. I'm just looking to help him set it up to the same as before (or close to it).

He said that he had a student of his set up several preset buttons for him (one of his buttons sets his fonts, background, and other various settings) which he has used for 30-40 years!  He has 4-5 "buttons" down the side of his screen that he uses for his initial setup - would the fact that they are buttons help me to determine which files to copy over?

I appreciate your input and will do some reading on these.  Any further direction would be helpful!

[pendean]

Dang, we are all relying on 20-year-ago memories to help you out, hope we all remember it all.

First thing you need to identify is where those custom buttons are stored and which file is being used: ACAD.MNU, ACAD.MNS and ACAD.MNC files are all possibilities.

Then you we need to know more about all the other "various settings" to help us help you find them. Then what else the user wants to move.

[scot-65]

Release 14.

I will speculate most files to transfer over can be found in
the "support" folder. Another directory to explore is the "icon".

A .MNU file can be transferred without problem. When command
MENU points to the .MNU file, a .MNS file is created (the MNS file
is the same as the MNU except all comments are stripped out).

The MNR file is a placeholder for UI layout and is optional if
you want to transfer or not. If so, the UI just *might* look the
same as before.

The icon directory must be part of the Support File Search Path
in order for the toolbar icons to display. If question marks, provide
a SFSP to the icon folder, shut down AutoCAD and in your favorite
file manager delete the MNR.
Restart AutoCAD and the MNR is rebuilt.

pendean is correct in that this is challenging our failing memory...

And welcome to these forums.

???

[Anonymous]

Wow! All of you have been very helpful!  I had a delay because I had to wait for multiple things to happen first here.

So, I have the old computer and I have the "new" computer.  I replaced the MNU files (old ones to the "new" computer). 

I had:  acad.mnu, aclt.mnu, bob.mnu (the man's name...) inet.mnu, and ac_bonus.mnu.

What I am seeing is toolbars in the OLD that are NOT in the new.  I believe that you mentioned this, but when I look in the list of files I see LOTS of ICONxxxxx.bmp files of various names.

Is it as simple as copying these over? Does the MNU file know what to associate with them?

This is, I believe, the last piece of the puzzle. The icons are what he says he is missing. But, obviously, I need the "programming" behind them. I see that he has specially-named toolbars.

THANKS to all who have helped thus far!

[jeff_rivers]

Yes, the names of the icons for each custom button are embedded right in the MNS/MNU files.  So copying the icon bitmaps over is all you have to do.  If you don't get them in the right directory, the icons will all display as question marks.  (Who remembers the days when missing icons displayed as cool smiley faces w/ shades?)

Here's a snippet from an old MNS file I still have around for reference.  This is the toolbar for the INSERT commands, and I've put boldface on the names of the icons (there are two icons called out because, if I recall correctly, you could set it to use large or small icons).  

And yeah, you're making us all dredge way back in our memories for how this all works.  

**TB_INSERT
**INSERT
ID_TbInsert [_Toolbar("Insert", _Floating, _Hide, 100, 190, 1)]
ID_Content [_Button("Content Explorer", "ICON_16_CONTENT", "ICON_24_CONTENT")]^C^C_content
ID_Ddinsert [_Button("Insert Block", "ICON_16_DINSER", "ICON_24_DINSER")]^C^C_ddinsert

[scot-65]

The toolbar section of the MNU should have the names of the BMP files declared

(without the file extension).

There will be 2 sizes - 16 and 24. If by chance only one size, the 16 can be used as

a substitute for the 24 but not the other way around.

Yes, copy over all the BMP's and provide a support path to that directory.

I believe the support path is in the acad.CFG file for R14? Not sure.

Look for this file and open it up using notepad.

If there is a "ACAD=" entry, and it shows a path to the icon directory, then

this file shall also be moved from old to new. [Note: The new install should

have a clean OOTBox copy of acad.CFG - Rename this file before copying over

the old - acad_OOTB.CFG]

Try (getenv "ACAD") at the command prompt and see if there is such an animal.

[WinXP Second Edition and up] - the registry.

(getvar "ACAD") should point you to the same object in the registry.

If no luck, try (getcfg "ACAD") at the command prompt. Again, not sure...

[Pre-XPSE] - this is the acad.CFG file - an INI file.

Associations are

getenv --> setenv.

getvar --> setvar.

getcfg --> setcfg.

A string with each path separated by a semi-colon. Example:

"ACAD"="X:\\Acad Blocks 16;X:\\Acad Patterns;X:\\Acad Blocks;L:\\Blocks;"

Example using setvar at the command prompt:

(setvar "ACAD" "X:\\Acad Blocks 16;X:\\Acad Patterns;X:\\Acad Blocks;L:\\Blocks;")

Once the toolbar icons are read, and the question mark surrounded by a cloud

goes away, the BMP definitions are written inside the MNR - Resource file and

technically, the BMP's are no longer needed.

If by chance did you also copy over the MNR? Replace what is there is OK.

???