CAD System Variables
System Variables are settings that AutoCAD checks before carrying out certain actions. Each System Variable has a set of values you can assign to it, which will cause AutoCAD to behave in different ways according to the value that's currently assigned to a given System Variable. In this article, we've compiled a number of important System Variables, described what they do, and included our recommendation for which value you should assign to each one.
Variable
Recommended Value
What It Controls
ATTDISP
On
Displays the attributes in blocks you've placed in your drawing (such as plant labels).
ATTIPE
1 (On)
Controls which Text Formatting toolbar is displayed with the in-place editor for modifying multiline attributes. A value of 1 (recommended) displays the full Text Formatting toolbar with the in-place editor, allowing access to full text editing tools when editing attributes. A value of 0 displays the abbreviated Text Formatting toolbar with the in-place editor.
CECOLOR
ByLayer
Allows you to draw by layer (by color).
DIMASSOC
1
Controls whether dimension objects (such as Site and Detail Dimensions) are associative. A value of 1 (on) causes dimensions to be placed as a single object rather than as exploded linework.
FILEDIA
1
Controls whether dialog boxes display within CAD. A value of 1 displays dialog boxes, while a value of 0 causes dialog boxes not to display.
FILETABTHUMBHOVER
According to your preference.
This variable is set to 1 by default, but set it to 0 if you don't want the system to change tabs when hovering over the file preview tabs at the top of the workspace.
HPDLGMODE
1
Controls whether the Hatch and Gradient and Hatch Edit dialog boxes display within CAD. A value of 1 causes these dialog boxes to display.
IMAGEFRAME
According to your preference.
Determines whether image framing is enabled or disabled in your drawings and when you plot. A value of 0 will make image frames invisible. A value of 1 will make image frames visible in your drawings and when you plot. A value of 2 will make image frames visible in your drawings but visible when you plot.
ISAVEBAK
1
A value of 1 allows CAD to create a backup file each time you save. For more information, see our Autosave article.
LOCKUI
According to your preference.
A value of 0 allows you to move the tool panels (e.g., the Properties or Layers panel) and the ribbon panels to the location of your choice. A value of 1 locks the ribbon panels into place. A value of 15 locks both types of panels into place. (See our Unable to Move Tool Panels article for images and more details.) A value of 13 prevents you from resizing your dialog boxes unless you have the CTRL key held down. (See our Unable to Resize Dialog Boxes page.)
MBUTTONPAN
1
Allows you to pan using the middle wheel of your mouse.
MEASUREMENT
Depending on the system of measurement you're using.
Set this variable to 0 for a drawing where you're using the Imperial measurement system (i.e., inches or feet), or 1 for a drawing where you're using the metric measurement system (i.e., meters or centimeters).
MTEXTED
NONE (Internal)
Setting this variable to anything other than NONE may interfere with your ability to place text in your drawing.
PICKADD
According to your preference.
Controls your ability to select multiple objects. A value of 0 means only your last selection will be valid. A value of 1 (the most common setting) means you can keep adding objects to the current selection. A value of 2 is similar to 1, except the objects will remain selected when the Select command is no longer active.
PICKFIRST
1
Controls the selection of objects in your drawing before or after you start a command. A value of 1 allows you to select objects either before or after you start a command.
SAVEFIDELITY
0
Retains the visual fidelity of annotative objects so they can be seen and used in AutoCAD products from 2007 or earlier. Having this system variable enabled can cause delays in saving drawing files and can also cuse CAD to crash. A value of 0 turns this variable off.
SECURELOAD
0 or 2, according to your preference.
Enables or disables the Unsigned Executable File dialog box, giving you a safeguard against loading executable files from an untrusted source. A value of 1 or 2 enables the dialog box. A value of 0 disables it.
Note: If you have SECURELOAD set to anything other than 0, you may need to add paths manually to your Trusted Paths in order to get Land F/X to load and update without issue. You'll have some added protection against untrusted site, but you'll also have to carry out some extra steps.
SELECTIONCYCLING
-2
A value of 0 turns Selection Cycling off. The Selection Cycling variable opens a selection dialog box each time you take actions such as placing a Land F/X object or piping to irrigation equipment. Although it can be a helpful tool in extremely complex drawings with many overlapping objects, it's not a necessary tool in landscape or irrigation design. Avoid the tedium of having to close this dialog box repeatedly – turn Selection Cycling off.
STARTUP
According to your preference.
Controls which screen you see when you start CAD – the Startup dialog box, a blank drawing, or the CAD startup screen, which shows thumbnail images of your recently open drawings. For details, see our STARTUP System Variable article.
TRANSPARENCYDISPLAY
1
Allows you to view transparent objects. A value of 1 enables this setting. For more information on viewing transparency in your drawings, see our Transparent Objects article.
VISRETAIN
1
Affects the saving of changes made to Xref-dependent layers in the current drawing. When this value is set to 1, changes made in the current drawing to layers from Xrefs (such as the freezing of layers or the changing of layer colors) will remain in place when the drawing is saved and closed.
Contact
- Land F/X
Our software tailors AutoCAD® to the needs of landscape architects, irrigation designers, and other professionals. We automate your most tedious tasks and ensure accuracy, giving you more time to design.