Use the Land F/X Toolbars F/X CAD or AutoCAD 2020 or Newer (Newer Than 2019)
Issue
You want to use the Land F/X toolbars in a version of F/X CAD or AutoCAD newer than 2019.
You may have tried to pull up the Land F/X toolbar submenu from the Tools menu in your CAD installation but saw no option for the Land F/X toolbars.
Caution: The toolbars won't be around much longer!
Autodesk is in the process of phasing out the toolbars. Since introducing the ribbons in 2009, Autodesk has engaged in a transitioning period as toolbars across all CAD platforms have slowly dropped support. (AutoCAD Map completely dropped toolbars in 2018, for example.) We highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the ribbons – they're much easier to use, and they may be your best option in the event that support for toolbars is discontinued in other versions of CAD.
That's why we've included the Strategies to switch to the ribbons that actually work below.
Solution
Each time you install a new version of CAD and configure it to work with Land F/X, our F/X Workstation installer creates a folder named for the year of that version at the path C:\Program Files\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\landfx.bundle\Contents\Resources.
Within that folder path, Land F/X installs a file named landfx.cuix, which allows your Land F/X plugin to work with CAD. Because Autodesk stopped supporting the toolbars, we decided to also drop support for them after version 2019. As a result, the landfx.cuix file in the 2019 folder at this path is the last one that includes the toolbars.
If you want to use the toolbars with your newer version of CAD, you'll need to copy the landfx.cuix file from the 2019 folder into the folder named for your year version of CAD and overwrite the existing landfx.cuix file in that folder.
For example, if you have F/X CAD or AutoCAD 2022, you'll need to copy the landfx.cuix from the 2019 folder into the 2022 folder.
You'll be notified that the destination folder already contains a file named landfx.cuix. Select the option to Replace the file in the destination.
Now, when you open your version of CAD, you'll see the Land F/X option available in the Toolbars submenu. You can now select each toolbar you want to enable on your screen.
Do you plan to customize Land F/X? If so, read this.
If you customize Land F/X in any way, it's important to make a copy of the landfx.cuix file you just copied over. (In our example, you'd make a copy of the landfx.cuix file in the 2022 folder).
Here's why: If you ever need to re-run our F/X Workstation installer, it will overwrite the landfx.cuix files. To keep using the toolbars, you'll need to either:
- Repeat the process outlined above to copy the cuix file from the 2019 folder, or
- Restore your custom backed-up cuix copy file.
We understand how tedious it can be to have to repeat either of these processes each time you run our F/X Workstation installer. That's one reason we recommend switching to the ribbons. We offer the Strategies section below on how to switch to the ribbons so you no longer need to make these customizations to your installation.
Another reason to get to know the ribbons as soon as possible
While the 2019 landfx.cuix is updated for the latest ribbon tools, we no longer maintain the toolbars at all. They are simply there with the same toolset they've included since 2019. You'll be missing newer Land F/X tools in these old toolbars.
We'll be discontinuing the option to use toolbars entirely beginning when we are no longer able to support the 2019 version of CAD (most likely the end of December 2023).
Strategies to switch to the ribbons that actually work*
*Tested and approved by other toolbar holdouts
Many users who still access Land F/X features via the toolbars frequently do so simply because of familiarity – it's fast for them! We understand and want to help make the ribbons just as fast of an option for you. Here are some strategies that many users in this same situation have followed to successfully learn to use the ribbons instead.
1. Purchase a larger monitor. Arguments for the toolbars usually focus on screen real estate, but this reasoning is now dated by the larger screen size for monitors and laptops. Consider a larger screen size when upgrading your hardware if this is still a concern. Also, larger screen sizes are critical for multitasking in general.
2. Enable the ribbons and the toolbars. Many toolbar users have agreed that this practice was the perfect "safety net" that made it much easier for them to get used to the locations of the tools on the ribbons. In a crunch, you can fall back on the toolbars, but try to use the ribbon on a day-to-day basis.
If your ribbons aren't already showing, type RIBBON in the Command line and press Enter to turn them on. The Land F/X ribbons look like this (F/X Admin ribbon pictured):
3. Make use of your Quick Access Toolbar. Start adding your most-used tools here, and make it work like the best toolbar you've ever had.
4. Learn the default shortcut keys for your most-used tools, or add your own. There is no method, toolbar or ribbon, that's faster than memorizing quick 1- to 3-letter shortcuts – for example, REC for RECTANGLE and DI for DISTANCE. Just use the ribbons and Quick Access Toolbar for the odd tool you use less frequently, and you'll hardly spend any time searching for the right icon.
5. Set up your right-click button mouse preferences. Our usage technicians prefer right-click with nothing selected to be Repeat last command, and with something selected to pull up the context menu. This setting saves time vs. finding the icon or typing the shortcut again, and then makes it faster to find more complicated tools in the selection context menu.
6. Collapse the ribbon, which has a default setting to allow it to auto-hide and be smaller. Click the arrow at the right side of the ribbon to change its view from full, to versions with varying degrees of space taken. Hover over the sections or click on them to un-hide when needed.
How to change your view of the ribbons
7. Make a custom ribbon that looks like a toolbar. Ribbons can be as small as toolbars, but even better. You can use small icons and short names to help you find what you need, and it all comes with tooltip capabilities.
How to create a floating ribbon panel
8. Finally, understand why Autodesk moved away from the toolbars in favor of the ribbons. It's been proven that the ribbons make AutoCAD easier to learn for newbies. You want this for new hires! The ribbons offer tooltip dropdowns, F1 help support, and the names of tools included with their icons. With the strategies listed above, people using the ribbons become faster than those who used the toolbars for clicking icons. You can get to this point too, and be a faster drafter than you were before who's able to train someone new to the software, who can then help you!