James Branagan | Applications Expert
If you find yourself using a few tools on your Tool Palette regularly, why not make a favorites tab for them?
Making a custom tab in your AutoCAD Tool Palette is very straight forward. To open the Tool Palette, on the Home Tab > Palettes, click Tool Palettes (or Ctrl +3). This will open the Tool Palettes. If you are in Civil 3D it will default to the Civil Subassemblies, imperial or metric depending on which version of the program you are in. Right-clicking on the name bar for the Tool Palette will allow access to the other Tool Palettes available within AutoCAD. Also in this right-click menu is the ability to add a New Palette, Customize Palettes, and Customize Commands, along with various other options.
Clicking on New Palette will open a new blank palette. Right-clicking the tab of the new palette will allow you to move the palette up or down in the list of palettes, view the options, as well as delete or rename the palette.
Right-clicking in the main body of the palette will allow you to add text and separators to better organize your palette.
Now that we know how to set up a new palette, how do we get content on to it? If there are items that already exist on another palette, locate the item, right-click and select Copy. Next, in the new Tool Palette, right-click and select Paste. It really is as simple as just copying and pasting. You can also import subassemblies using the Import Subassemblies tool in the right-click menus shown above. The Tool Palette doesn’t just have to contain one type of item, subassemblies, blocks, visual styles, etc. can all be placed on the same palette.
One of the best things about Autodesk AutoCAD and AutoCAD-based programs is its ability to be customized to meet specific user’s needs. This customization ability allows designers to leverage the power of the program to be highly productive by putting the tools needed quickly and easily accessible.