CAD Options Settings

Manage ribbon, Options button

type Options in the Command line

right-click in the Command line and select Options from the menu

Tools pull-down menu

The Printer Support Search Path will store your Plotter Configuration (PC3) Files.

For more information on PC3 files, see our Create Plotter Configuration Files (PC3) documentation page.

Click Add to add a new CTB plot style.

For more information on CTB Plot Styles, see our About New CTB Plot Styles articl.

Your automatic backups will be saved to the Automatic Save File Location.

Click Browse to set a new automatic backup location.

Select Light to have light-colored ribbons.

Select Dark to have dark-colored ribbons.

The Display tab includes an option to Display scroll bars in drawing window.

Select the option that suits your preference.

The Display tab also includes the option to display your Model and Layout tabs.

Selecting this option will display your Model and Layout tabs, as pictured below.

With your Model and Layout tabs displayed, you'll be able to switch quickly between Model Space and Paper Space.

The Xref Display setting (under Fade Control) determines how dark the linework from your Xrefs will display.

This setting works on a scale of 0 (no fading, or full darkness of linework) to 100 (transparent liework).

You can type your preferred value in the text field (example: 50) or use the slide.

The Open and Save tab includes a few especially important settings for optimal Land F/X use under the OpjectARX Applications heading, as shown below.

• Demand load ObjectARX apps: Select Command invoke from the menu.

• Proxy images for custom objects: Select Do not show proxy graphics from the menu.

• Show Proxy Information dialog box: Check this box.

• We also recommend leaving the Display digital signature information option unchecked.

Under the Plot and Publish tab, we recommend unchecking both the Plotting and Publishing boxes under Enable Background plot when:

Under the System tab, click the Security Options button to configure your security settings.

In previous versions, this utility was known as Executable File Settings.

1. Use the slide to set the Security Level to Medium.

2. When searching for executable files: Select Exclude the Start In or drawing folders.

3. Choose the method to load acad.lsp.: Select Load acad.lsp once at the start of the session.

Click OK to save your changes.

We recommend taking a look at the Right-Click Customization settings.

1. Default Mode: We recommend selecting Repeat Last Command. Under this setting, right-clicking when no objects are selected will repeat the most recent command you have executed in CAD.

2. Edit Mode: We recommend selecting Shortcut Menu. Under this setting, right-clicking when one or more objects are selected will cause a shortcut menu to appear.

3. Command Mode: We recommend selecting ENTER.

Many of our commands have a default action that you can specify by right-clicking – such as right-clicking to end a command, select the defaut destination, etc. The ENTER option minimizes the number of clicks for these purposes. (The other two options will result in a minimum of two clicks, which can add up quickly!)

We also recommend setting both Insertion Scale menus to Unspecified - Unitless.

This setting will prevent scaling issues with files you Xref into your drawing.

We don't have any specific recommendations for the Drafting tab. You can review the available options and make any adjustments according to your preferences.

Display the Viewcube: Uncheck both options.

Display the Viewport Controls: Uncheck this option.

Selection modes: Check the box next to Noun/verb selection.

Selection Preview: Check the box next to When no command is active.

In addition, we recommend taking a look at the Visual Effects Settings.

Of particular significance is the list of Selection Preview Filter settings. Here, you can select which objects are excluded from a selection preview – the highlighting of objects in your drawing when you hover over them.

A Selection Preview provides a visual indication of which objects you're about to select in your drawing by clicking with your mouse.

Your settings for the majority of these options will depend on your personal preferences. However, we recommend checking the box next to Hatches. This setting will exclude hatches from unnecessary selection previews.

Once you've configured your Options settings, you can save them as a profile using the options in the Profiles tab.

You can even save several different settings profiles in the Available Profiles list.

In this way, you can switch between settings quickly for projects with different needs, different users on your computer, etc.

Clicking Export allows you to export your settings as an ARG file.

To apply one of your Options settings profiles to your current work, highlight the profile in the list and click Set Current.

Once you've created a profile, make sure to back it up as described below. For more information on profiles, see our AutoCAD Profile documentation.

To delete a profile, highlight it and click Delete.