AutoCAD 2010 Contextual Tab States 101

Please Click the Pic ,you can see Quality Photos

In a previous post, I described contextual ribbon tabs and I listed the default editing modes for which context-sensitive ribbon tabs are displayed including blocks, text, meshes, in-place references, section planes, and tables. The context-sensitive behavior is controlled by contextual tab states, which you can view and modify in the Customize User Interface (CUI) dialog box.

1. Use the CUI command to access the Customize User Interface dialog box
2. Expand the Ribbon node
3. Expand the Contextual Tab States node

A long list of contextual tab states is displayed. Most of them relate to object selection (Arc selected, Attribute selected, Block selected). Others relate to editing modes (Block Editor Mode, Reference Editing Mode). The contextual tab states that are already defined can be expanded to show which tabs will display in those modes.

For example, the Block Editor Contextual Tab and the Block Editor – Close Contextual Merged Tab automatically displays when you enter the Block Editor.

The DGN Underlay Contextual Tab automatically displays when you select a DGN underlay.

While the contextual tab states indicate which tabs to display under what conditions, they do not define the tabs themselves. The tabs are defined, just as they’ve always been, under the Ribbon>Tabs node in the CUI editor.

See More Articles

• 3D Printing (1)
• 3D Visualization (4)
• Advanced solid modeling: Loft (1)
• Animate your 3D models (1)
• Animate your 3D models with AutoCAD (1)
• Asian Concept (1)
• Auto CAD 2008 Lessons (10)
• Autocad 2008 (2)
• AutoCAD 2009 (17)
• AutoCAD 2009 Rollover Tooltips (1)
• AutoCAD 2009… A closer look at Quick Properties (1)
• AutoCAD 2010 (5)
• AutoCAD Design Challenge (1)

AutoCAD 2010... a closer look at the New Features Workshop

If you’re like me, when you install a new version of AutoCAD you want to jump right in and try it out! I quickly dismiss all the windows that pop up (Initial Setup, New Features Workshop) so that I can start using the new tools.

Suddenly I find myself staring at a blank AutoCAD drawing with no idea what to do. Oh, if I had only taken the time to view the New Features Workshop (NFW), I would know what’s new and where to start! Well, lucky for me (and you), the NFW is available anytime… even if you hastily dismissed it initially!
Instead of staring helplessly at the blank AutoCAD drawing, select New Features Workshop from the Help menu in the upper right corner of the display.

The NFW is an interactive Flash-based tool that introduces you to what’s new in AutoCAD. And, it isn’t only what’s new in AutoCAD 2010. If you’re upgrading from AutoCAD 2007, AutoCAD 2008, or AutoCAD 2009, you can use the NFW to get a quick overview of what’s new to YOU!

For example, if you just upgraded from AutoCAD 2008, select the AutoCAD 2009 option in the NFW to view a list of functionality that was added in AutoCAD 2009, such as the Action Recorder. You can read a brief description and view a demonstration video. Although the demo videos were created in that particular release and it may vary slightly from the AutoCAD 2010 interface, the general idea is the same and will help guide you in the right direction.

And, of course, you’ll want to check out the new AutoCAD 2010 functionality. Did I mention this is my FAVORITE release EVER? Use the NFW to learn about free-form modeling, parametrics, PDF support, and more!

Only a few more weeks until you can get your hands on this awesome release of AutoCAD!

AutoCAD 2010... A closer look at the Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access toolbar, which was introduced in AutoCAD 2009, has been enhanced in AutoCAD 2010. The changes from 2009 (left) to 2010 (right) are subtle but significant.

The Quick Access Toolbar in AutoCAD 2010 offers increased flexibility as well as consistency with other Windows® applications. The Undo and Redo tools include history support and the right-click menu includes new options that enable you to easily remove tools from the toolbar, add separators between tools, and display the Quick Access toolbar above or below the ribbon.

In addition to the right-click menu, the Quick Access toolbar includes a new flyout menu, which displays a list of common tools that you can select to include in the Quick Access toolbar. The flyout menu provides easy access to additional tools using the Command List pane in the CUI Editor. Other options enable you to show the menu bar or display the Quick Access toolbar below the ribbon.

You can further customize the Quick Access toolbar using the new Quick Access toolbars node in the CUI Editor. Create multiple versions of the Quick Access toolbar and then add them to the appropriate workspaces.

AutoCAD 2010…. A closer look at the Ribbon

The AutoCAD ribbon, introduced in AutoCAD 2009, was a dramatic change from the traditional user interface. It was a new concept to many people, especially those that weren’t yet using Office 2007. Well, a year later, the shock seems to be wearing off and many AutoCAD users are embracing the ribbon! In fact, a recent survey of AutoCAD 2010 beta participants indicates that the ribbon is one their FAVORITE tools. Granted, the ribbon in AutoCAD 2010 offers some significant improvements over the original AutoCAD 2009 version. In AutoCAD 2010, the ribbon provides greater flexibility, easier access to tools, and consistency across Autodesk applications.

You can drag a ribbon panel off the ribbon to display it as a sticky panel. Sticky panels display until you choose the option to Return Panels to Ribbon. They remain visible even if you select a different tab!

The vertical ribbon, which can be displayed by undocking the ribbon from its horizontal position, has been updated to show the tab names along the side. The panel titles are displayed by default and those with additional tools include slide-out panels. When resizing the vertical ribbon, buttons automatically flow to the next or previous row and other elements, such as slider bars, automatically shorten or lengthen.

In addition to these enhancements, the AutoCAD 2010 ribbon provides more customization options. Using the CUI (Customize User Interface) editor, you can import a customized dashboard and define contextual ribbon tab states.

AutoCAD 2010… a closer look at the Application Menu

AutoCAD 2010 includes a new Application Menu, which is accessible from the big “A” in the upper left corner of the AutoCAD display. At first glance, you might think the Application Menu is just a minor variation of the Menu Browser, which was introduced in AutoCAD 2009. There are many similarities, but there are plenty of differences as well. Let’s take a look at them side-by-side.

The most noticeable difference is the menu list on the left side. In AutoCAD 2009, all of the former drop-down menus (File, Edit, Draw, etc) are listed vertically. None of those menus are listed in the AutoCAD 2010 Application Menu. Instead, the AutoCAD 2010 Application Menu includes tools that are common across software applications.

For example, compare the application menus from Microsoft Office Word 2007 (left) and AutoCAD 2010 (right). A notable difference between these two menus is the Recent/Open documents toggle at the top of the AutoCAD 2010 Application Menu.

Using the Recent/Open Documents toggle you can display a list of recently accessed documents (left) or open documents (right).

AutoCAD 2010… a closer look at Initial Setup

The first time you launch AutoCAD 2010, you’re presented with the Initial Setup window. The Initial Setup enables you to tailor the AutoCAD environment to meet your needs. You can specify an industry as well as workspace and drawing template preferences.

If you’re not ready to specify the setup options or if you just can’t wait to see the new AutoCAD, you can skip the initial setup and then access it later from the User Preferences tab of the Options dialog box.

When you specify Initial Setup options, AutoCAD automatically creates a new workspace based on your choices and sets it active.