Overview

In this lesson you learn to navigate the AutoCAD user interface. You begin by learning
about the Quick Access toolbar and the commands that it makes available. Next you learn
about the Ribbon anels and status bar controls! and finally you modify the aearance of
interface elements.
"nderstanding the user interface #"I$ and ho% to &uickly access imortant
commands is imortant to becoming roductive in the soft%are.
'b(ectives
After comleting this lesson! you %ill be able to)
Describe the urose and controls of the Quick Access *oolbar.
Describe the function of the ribbon control anels and tools.
+ocate and identify the status bar controls.
Ad(ust the dislay roerties of various user interface ob(ects.
Navigate the user interface.
,rere&uisites
-efore taking this lesson! you should be able to)
+aunch the AutoCAD +*. soft%are.
Aly basic AutoCAD +*. skills.
Introduction to the Quick Access Toolbar
*he Quick Access *oolbar gives you access to the commands and tools that you
use most fre&uently such as Ne%! 'en! /ave! ,lot! "ndo! and Redo.
You can define different commands to aear on the Quick Access *oolbar for
each %orksace. If you create %orksaces to streamline your %orkflo%! you can
otimi0e the commands on the Quick Access *oolbar by adding! removing! and
reositioning them to fit your needs.
Quick Access Toolbar
Quick Access Toolbar
*he follo%ing commands are available on the Quick Access *oolbar %hen the soft%are is
first installed.
Icon Description
New: Dislays the /elect *emlate dialog box. /elect the desired temlate to
create a ne% dra%ing.
Open: Dislays the 'en dialog box. /elect the desired dra%ing to oen it.
Save: /aves the current dra%ing using the Q/A12 command.
Plot: Dislays the ,lot dialog box.
Undo: Reverses the most recent oeration.
Redo: Reverses the effects of the revious undo command.
Quick Access Toolbar Shortcut enu
*he follo%ing otions are available on the Quick Access *oolbar shortcut menu)
You can move the cursor over any tool on the Quick Access toolbar to dislay a toolti
%ith the name! shortcut key! descrition! and command information for the tool.
You can secify %hich tooltis are dislayed and ho% long you %ait before they
are dislayed. You do this on the Dislay tab of the 'tions dialog box as sho%n belo%.
Introduction to the Ribbon
Option

Description
!usto"i#e
Quick Access
Toolbar$$$
Dislays the Customi0e "ser Interface #C"I$ dialog box %here
you can add tools to the toolbar.
Show enu %ar Dislays or removes the 3enu -ar from the screen.
Toolbars Accesses the AutoCAD! 2xress! and Imression toolbars.
*he ribbon rovides easy access to AutoCAD tools through a collection of tabs and
anels. 2ach tab contains multile anels and each anel contains multile tools and
controls similar to toolbars. /ome anels can be exanded to access additional tools.
-y default! the ribbon is docked at the to of the AutoCAD %indo%. 4o%ever! a right5
click menu enables you to control the dislay and behavior of the ribbon to maximi0e the
dra%ing sace and increase roductivity. You can also undock anels from the ribbon
allo%ing it to behave like free floating toolbars.
Ribbon
*he follo%ing otions are available on the ribbon.
Click each callout area for its definition.
*ab) Dislays anels that are groued together in the selected tab.
,anels) Dislay a collection of tools. You can drag and dro a ribbon anel to change its
location on the ribbon tab.
2xansion Node) 2xands the secified anel to dislay additional tools
2xanded ,anel) Dislays additional tools %ithin an individual anel. You can click on
the in to lock the anel in the exanded osition or click on the in again to collase the
anel.
,in) +ocks or unlocks the exanded anel into lace. You can click on the in to lock the
anel in the exanded osition or click on the in again to collase the anel.
,anel *itle) Dislays the title of each individual anel.
2xanded ,anel) Dislays additional tools %ithin an individual anel. You can click on
the in to lock the anel in the exanded osition or click on the in again to collase the
anel.
,anel *itle) Dislays the title of each individual anel.

*he dislayed ribbon is sensitive to the task being erformed or to ob(ect selection. 6or
examle! %hen you start the 3text command! edit mtext! or %hen you edit a table! the
ribbon changes to the 3ultiline *ext 2ditor as sho%n in the follo%ing illustration.
Ribbon Shortcut enus
7hen you right5click any%here on a ribbon anel or tab! the follo%ing otions are
available from the ribbon shortcut menu)
Ribbon panel shortcut "enu Ribbon tab shortcut "enu
Option Description
Show Related Tool
Palette &roup
Dislays only the tool alette grou#s$ that is selected from the *ool
,alette 8rou otion. If None is selected in the *ool ,alette 8rou!
this otion is faded out and cannot be selected.
Tool Palette &roup +ists the tool alette grous that are available. *ool alette grous
are defined by %orksaces and can be customi0ed to suit your
needs.
Note) *he 9D Drafting and Annotation %orksace does not have any
tool alette grous defined %hen the soft%are is first installed.
ini"i#e Controls the dislay of the docked ribbon. *he dislay otions are
3inimi0e to *abs! 3inimi0e to ,anels! and /ho% 6ull Ribbon.
Note) You can also cycle through these otions by double5clicking
on any tab or %ith the 3inimi0e icon sho%n next to the tabs.
Tabs +ists the tabs that are available to dislay. 2ach tab listed can be
turned on or off to suit your needs.
Panels +ists the anels that are available for each individual tab.
Show Panel Titles Dislays the anel titles.
Undock Removes the ribbon from the docked osition.
!lose Closes the ribbon. After you close the ribbon! you can turn it back
on by reselecting the current %orksace.
!usto"i#e Dislays the Customi0e "ser Interface #C"I$ dialog box! %here you
can customi0e the ribbon tabs and anels to suit your needs.
'elp Dislays the 4el dialog box.
7hen the ribbon is floating! you can right5click on the ribbon title to access the
follo%ing otions.
*itle shortcut menu on floating ribbon
Ribbon Tooltips
7hen you move your cursor over a tool on a ribbon anel! a toolti dislays the
name! descrition! and command information.
You can hold your cursor over the tool for a fe% seconds to automatically exand
the toolti! %hich dislays additional textual and grahical information about the
command.
*he follo%ing illustration sho%s the exanded toolti for the 3ove command on the
3odify anel.
You can secify %hich tooltis are dislayed and ho% long you %ait before they
are dislayed. You do this on the Dislay tab of the 'tions dialog box.
Introduction to Status %ar
*he status bar aears at the base of the alication %indo%. *he left side
includes icons to access and control dra%ing aids such as 8rid! 'sna and Dynamic
Inut. *he right side of the status bar contains dislay tools such as 3odel and +ayout!
Quick 1ie% and several dislay tools.
You can activate the otional Dra%ing /tatus -ar %hich aears at the base of the
dra%ing %indo%. 7hen the Dra%ing /tatus -ar is toggled on! dra%ing status controls
such as Annotation /cale and 1isibility move from the Alication /tatus -ar to the
resective Dra%ing /tatus -ar.
Status %ar Displa( Options
A shortcut menu enables you to easily s%itch the status bar dislay bet%een icons
and the traditional text labels. 7hen the "se Icons setting is selected! all the status bar
tools are dislayed as icons.
7hen "se Icons is not selected! a ortion of the /tatus -ar tools is dislayed as
text.
Status %ar
*he follo%ing tools are available on the /tatus -ar)
Option Description
odel: Dislays model sace in the dra%ing screen.
)a(out: /%itches the dra%ing screen from model sace to a layout sheet in
aer sace.
Quick *iew )a(outs: A tool that allo%s you to revie% and s%itch bet%een
layouts in a dra%ing.
Quick *iew Drawin+s: A tool that allo%s you to revie% and s%itch
bet%een oen dra%ings and layouts.
Pan: /tarts the ,an command to an %ithin a dra%ing.
,oo": /tarts the :oom command.
Steerin+ -heel: A tool that allo%s you to maniulate the vie% of the current
model.
Showotion: Allo%s you to visually navigate bet%een named vie%s in the
current dra%ing.
Annotation Scale: Dislays the current annotation scale.
Note) *he vie%ort scale is locked to the annotation scale! so only the
annotation scale is dislayed.
Annotation *isibilit(: Controls ho% annotative ob(ects are dislayed.
AutoScale: "dates annotative ob(ect to reflect the annotation scale %hen the
scale changes.
-orkspaces: Allo%s you to s%itch %orksaces and customi0e %orksace
settings.
Displa( )ockin+: +ocks the current osition of the toolbars and %indo%s.
Application Status %ar enu: Activates the alication status bar menu
%here you can secify %hat otions %ill aear on the status bar. You can
also configure notifications that aear in the tray.
!lean Screen: 3aximi0es the dra%ing screen by removing all toolbars! tool
alettes and ribbons from the %indo%.
Drawin+ Status %ar Option
You can toggle the dra%ing status bar to control the dislay location of the
annotation tools from the Alication /tatus -ar 3enu. *he follo%ing illustration sho%s
the dra%ing status bar toggled on.
Click each callout area for its definition.
You can toggle the dra%ing status bar to control the dislay location of the annotation
tools from the Alication /tatus -ar menu. *he follo%ing image sho%s the Dra%ing
/tatus -ar toggled on.
Dra%ing /tatus -ar) Contain annotation tools.
Alication /tatus -ar) A tool that at allo%s you to revie% and s%itch bet%een layouts
in a dra%ing.
Alication /tatus -ar) A tool that at allo%s you to revie% and s%itch bet%een layouts
in a dra%ing.
Introduction to odi.(in+ the User Inter.ace
You customi0e and modify the user interface to increase your roductivity and to
maximi0e the sace that is available to you in the dra%ing area. You can use %orksaces
to globally define and control the dislay of the user interface. You can also use the
shortcut menus on the Quick Access toolbar and status bar to customi0e individual
comonents of the dislay to suit your needs.
,rocedure) /%itching 7orksaces
*he follo%ing stes give an overvie% of s%itching %orksaces.
/$ 'n the status bar! click 7orksace /%itching.
0$ In the 7orksace /%itching menu! click the desired %orksace.
,rocedure) 3odifying 3enu -ar Dislay
*he follo%ing stes give an overvie% of modifying the dislay of the menu bar.
/$ *o sho% the menu bar on the screen! right5click the Quick Access *oolbar and
click /ho% 3enu -ar.
0$ *o clear the menu bar from the screen! right5click the Quick Access *oolbar and
clear /ho% 3enu -ar.
,rocedure) 3odifying *oolbar Dislay
*he follo%ing stes give an overvie% of modifying the dislay of the toolbars.
/$ *o dislay a toolbar! right5click the Quick Access *oolbar. Click the *oolbar menu
and the desired toolbar.
0$ *o clear a toolbar! right5click the toolbar and clear the desired toolbar.
,rocedure) Changing the /tatus -ar Dislay
*he follo%ing stes give an overvie% of changing the status bar dislay.
/$ *o sho% the status bar buttons as text! right5click the left side of the /tatus -ar
and ensure that "se Icons is not selected.
0$ *o sho% the status bar buttons as icons! right5click the left side of the /tatus -ar
and ensure that "se Icons is selected.
4aving comleted this lesson! you can)
Describe the urose and controls of the Quick Access *oolbar.
Describe the function of the ribbon control anels and tools.
+ocate and identify the status bar controls.
Ad(ust the dislay roerties of various user interface ob(ects.
Navigate the user interface.