Customizing the AutoCAD RibbonPresented by: Mark Lancaster

Laying the groundwork…

• Customizing the AutoCAD Ribbon2

Customizing the AutoCAD Ribbon

• Demonstrating in AutoCAD Mechanical 2015

• Works the same in vanilla AutoCAD and basically any AutoCAD Vertical product

• Same steps for AutoCAD 2012, 13, and 14. Or any version using the ribbon

interface.

• Allows the user to customize the ribbon for his/her needs

• Responsibility of the user to maintain the file and protect it from being

corrupted.

• There are many different ribbon functionalities, this presentation only

covers making your own ribbon tab, panels, panel rows, and sub-panels.

• Possible future presentations/workshops on customization may be provided if

there is a demand for it.

• Customizing the AutoCAD Ribbon3

Why create another ribbon when there is already one established in

AutoCAD?

• Keeps the original information intact

• Easier to migrate when the next version of AutoCAD is released

• Makes sharing a breeze…

• Simple to maintain and keeps your customization simple

• Future growth

• Unlikely to happen… But there is no need to worry if Autodesk updates the

original ribbon in a service pack or hot fix.

Creating a new (blank) ribbon file

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Access the user interface

Alternative method is to type CUI on

the command line

Step #1: Create & load our blank ribbon file

Create your (first) Ribbon tab

Expand Ribbon and right mouse click on “Tabs” and select “New Tab”

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Enter ribbon tab name

Step #1: Create & load our blank ribbon file

Save (creating) the new ribbon file

Name and place your new (blank) ribbon file.

By default the main AutoCAD ribbon file is located in

c:\users\<user profile>\appdata\roaming\autodesk\<Autocad Product & Ver>\<Rel version>\enu…

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Step #1: Create & load our blank ribbon file

Load our menu

Right mouse click on “Partial

Customization Files” and select

“Load partial customization file”.

Navigate to your menu and select it.

Toggle back over to “ALL”

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Step #2: Add new ribbon tab to AutoCAD screen

Confirm your ribbon is checked

Customize Workspace

Either select an existing one or create a new

workspace

[by right mouse click]

Confirm its in the workspace

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Step #2: Add new ribbon tab to AutoCAD screen

Relocate ribbon tab in workspace

Left mouse, hold and drag to location

(OPTIONAL)

Exit customizing workspace

Select the “Done” and “OK” button

Ribbon appears

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Ribbon Terminology

Panel Name

Ribbon Panel

Panel Row

Panel icon (button style)

Panel Drop Down

Panel Slideout

Ribbon Panel

Ribbon Panel Layout

Ribbon Sub-Panel Layout

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Step #3: Creating a ribbon panel

Create new panel

Select your ribbon, type CUI on the

command line, right mouse click on

“Panels” and select “New Panel”

Enter panel name

New panel should appear in the listing

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Step #4: Adding first command

The setup…

Confirm All

Commands Only is

selected

Locate command and

drag/drop to applicable

row

View all the

requirements

Perform command

searches

Drag command to Row 1

Select the Apply button

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Step #4: Adding first command

Ribbon is still blank!!!!

How come my first command did not

appear on the ribbon?

Up to this point you have only

defined the ribbon panel layout

in the customized menu.

The actual (customized) ribbon

in AutoCAD does not contain

any of the defined panel

information

Add new panel to ribbon tab

Left mouse click on panel, hold and

drag to ribbon tab.

Select the OK button

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Step #5: Adjust the look of our first command

Button properties

Access button style

Small with text example

Small without text example

(default setting)

Large with text (horizontal) example

Large with text (vertical) example

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Laying out the ribbon

Drop-down option

Right mouse click on our row, select

“New Drop-down”, and enter name of

drop-down

Drag n drop commands

Performed a search of my command

and then dragged it to my drop-down

section

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Laying out the ribbon

Sub-panel option

Right mouse click on our row and

select “New Sub-Panel”

First row is automatically created

Drag n drop commands

Performed a search of my command

and then drag them to my sub-panel

row

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Laying out the ribbon

Sub-panel/more rows option

Right mouse click on our sub-panel and

select “New Row”

Drag n drop commands

Performed a search of my command

and then drag them to my sub-panel

row

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Laying out the ribbon

Panel slide-out option

Right mouse click on <SLIDEOUT> and

select “New Row”

Drag n drop commands

Performed a search of my command

and then drag them to my slideout row

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Q & A Session