Modifying workspace ribbon makes toolbars all hide.

[JamesMaeding]

I've struggled with this for 3 versions and need to get it worked out.

So I typically set up autocad with blank "custom.cuix" as the main menu, then load acad and others as partials.

I do that so I can modify theings like workspaces without modifying the acad OOTB menu.

So I get my toolbars and pulldowns shown how I want. I save that as a workspace and make sure its current in CUI.

I use CUI to add ribbon panels to that workspace, and hit Done, then OK.

The toolbars all dissapear.

If I reshow them, then close acad and reopen, they are there as well as the ribbon.

That is lousy though, as reshowing them is a pain.

Instead, I rename the current profile to junk, then reopen acad with arg path that recreates my previous profile.

Toolbars show fine, but no ribbon.

If I restore the workspace I made, the ribbon and toolbars go away (well, ribbon is blank...).

So that tells you the profile and workspace are somehow fighting with each other.

When I made the workspace, that is stored in my main menu (custom.cuix).

I should be able to restore that anytime and get my toolbars and ribbon.

Its simply broken.

I'm setting things up in a generic way too. Using custom.cuix has been recommended for years.

I can replicate this on all our workstations, its consistent. Anyone can if you start with a blank custom.cuix created in the CUI and set as meain, then load acad menu.

[dgorsman]

So, a couple of things.

First, are you automatically saving workspace changes?  If that's turned "on" then there may indeed be some fighting going on.

Second, I do sometimes see UI content disappearing after making changes to a workspace through the CUI editor.  That's usually cleared up by making the workspace current e.g. selecting it again from the pop-up list in AutoCAD.  No need for junk workspaces, restarting AutoCAD, etc.

Third, are you switching AutoCAD profiles mid-session?

I've *never* seen toolbars disappear after adding Ribbon tabs to a workspace.  Any chance of attaching a Screencast showing this in action?

[JamesMaeding]

I should have mentioned, the automatic workspace saving is off, and my icons and startup do not use WSCURRENT or /w to set a workspace current.

Those are always suspect indeed.

I've always liked the idea of workspaces, they never behaved though so all that is off.

In your experience, have you ever used a blank menu as the main, and no enterprise?

I'll put together a super OOTB test anyone can replicate.

[JamesMaeding]

I figured out the sequence that makes it fail on generic items:

1) open acad and go to cui transfer tab

2) make a new blank menu and save somewhere.

3) make it the main, and load acad as partial.

4) save a workspace, then open cui and show some toolbars.

5) Now that we have some toolbars shown, repeat step 1 to 3, using a different name for the blank main menu.

At this point, we have blank.cuix as main, acad.cuix as partial, and some toolbars shown.

We have not yet made a workspace, and the toolbars are shown because the profile told them to for acad menu.

The ribbon will be blank as it seems that only looks to the workspace, not profile.

6) save a workspace

7) open cui and add ribbon tabs. Hit done and ok and the toolbars disappear. Ribbon is good though.

Why did this happen?

Its because that save you did either did not get the toolbars, or the ribbon mod if wiping them out, hard to tell.

However, I figured out that if you save a workspace as "A", then save another as "B", and switch to B then back to A, the ribbon mod does not close the toolbars.

It seems like that original save just did not really set itself current, even though it says current in the cui.

I bet adesk can solve this now that the pattern is known.

The workaround is not too bad though, just lame it took me three years to finally see it.

I should mention that I set up machines using profiles. I do not set up ugly, then use a workspace to get pretty.

That is why my sessions always had toolbars shown.

This is screwed up though. The profile remembers toolbars, and the workspace remembers ribbon.

I'm sure the profile.aws plays into the mix too, besides with palettes.

The CUI system just got ripped apart back in 2006 when they "improved" it.