Introduction to template creation

You will learn to create a comprehensive

template file.

o Creating a solid foundational template

Learning objectives:

• Identify the items to include in a

template file.
• Recognize how layers, linetypes, blocks,
styles, and layouts function in a
template. The completed exercise
• Understand how national CAD standards
are represented in layers.

1. Start a new drawing (Application menu

> New > Drawing) and choose the
acad.dwt template file or use the
provided template file, acad.dwt. It is Figure 1. The acad.dwt file shown in the
important to use a completely blank AutoCAD file tabs
template to create a properly
constructed template file.

2. Review the layers in the template by

clicking the pull-down menu in the
Layers panel. The layers in the
template are NCS compliant and are
indicated by codes within the layer
name.

Figure 2. The layers in the template file

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3. Open the X-Site-New.dwg file. Click a
line in the drawing and identify the
layer name as the selected layer in the
Layers panel.

Figure 3. The layer name in the Layers

panel

4. Open the Civil.dwt file. Type LINETYPE

into the command line. Review the
linetypes within the Linetype Manager
dialog.

Figure 4. The Linetype Manager in

AutoCAD

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5. In the Insert tab, Block panel, click
Insert to review the blocks that can be
added to the template file.

Figure 5. Blocks that can be added to the

template file

6. In the Annotate tab, you can bring

other types of content in such as styles
and system variables.

Figure 6. Other types of content in the

Annotate tab

7. Click the layout in the lower-left

corner. You can also bring layouts into
a template file.

Figure 7. Layout tabs in the lower-left

corner

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