2006-09-22

This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship

I have decided to start this blog to post my successes and failures with using AutoCAD Mechanical. I find help to be somewhat scarce for this software and I wanted to create a place for others to meet and see what is going on with it.
Well, page 1.
AutoCAD Mechanical 2006 and the CUI. In a word, "I hate it" (oops ... well three words). I guess I can see where Autodesk is headed with this but I find myself like my kids, "Are we there yet"? Maybe I am just set in my old ways but I feel like the waters are so murky here that I am afraid what I am going to step on. I have found that the the best way for me to bring in my old menus and toolbars is to use the base interface and then MENULOAD my custom ones. I retain my icons (buried in a dll I created) and the push-pull process of turning things off and on is easier.
A interesting thing I found out and I have seen posted elsewhere is that the Enterprise Customization CUI is turned on when you add it in the ASSIST>>OPTIONS section. A caveat or note is that you cannot edit it when it is current though. You can edit the Main Customization file and then you can swap the MAIN and ENTERPRISE in the OPTIONS. From that point, you can change the Enterprise one. Once you are finished, swap the two back in the OPTIONS and you can go on with your life again.
Last thing of note is that by default, AutoCAD retains the last button selected on a flyout toolbar. Mechanical does the opposite and that annoys me a little. I remember the days when you could pick which ones did an which ones did not. The CUI has no editable fields I can see (I know, I know, don't touch this file unless you want to give up your left big toe) and the forums at Autodesk are no help.
Enough ranting for today. Get back to work.

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