Installing a Custom AutoCAD Toolbar

If you intend to plot shadow data to AutoCAD drawings then you will need to load and run scripts from within AutoCAD. It is not essential to install a Toolbar to load and plot the scripts, as the same commands which it uses, are already available on the existing AutoCAD drop down menus. However, it does save a lot of time and makes the process much simpler. It is also only necessary to create the toolbar once as it automatically loads when you open AutoCAD.

The following process applies to Pre-2006 AutoCAD versions.

You have AutoCAD open and can now start by selecting the Customise Toolbar/Menu dialogue window from the Tools drop down menu. Now select the Toolbars tab and click on the NEW button (see below).

Now give the new toolbar a name, I am calling this one Script! Click OK.

A new toolbar appears on the screen (see below). At this stage it doesn't have any buttons, so that's the next step.

 

First click the Commands tab on the window and then scroll down the category list and select All Commands. A list of all available buttons will appear in the commands window (uncheck the Show Image and Name selector to see then as below). You must now choose any button you like which you wish to use to represent the Script Plot process (we will change its commands and name later). If you want to draw your own style then you can still choose a stock icon from the list and redraw it later.

In the following example I have chosen the filled circle in a rectangle. To use it, I must first grab it with the mouse and move it to my new toolbar. Do this by clicking and holding down the mouse over the button and moving it to the toolbar.

 

 

And I have my first button. Now click the mouse on the new button within your new toolbar. Its properties will appear. These properties relate to the stock button and are no good for our purpose. So we must now enter our command macros and also change its name and description. You can also edit the image if you wish.

 

 

The essential text to enter is the Macro. The name and description text can be anything you like. You must get the Macro correct and can copy and paste the following line if you prefer (it is critical you use these exact letters without modification).

^C^Cid \-osnap;none;script;

 

The above macro first cancels any current unfinished AutoCAD commands. Then it requests you to pick an ID point. It then cancels any object snap settings. And finally opens the script selection window. In the following image I have inserted the important macro text. Now I click Apply and Close.

 

I could stop now and keep the toolbar as it is. But it looks a little pathetic on its own so will add 2 more buttons which i use a lot for plotting tree related data. These are the snap to circle centre and snap to node. You could add more and build a toolbar with you favourite command.

Adding more buttons is simple. Simply open the customise window again, select the button list as before. And transfer the buttons you wish to use. In the following image I have already moved the Snap to Centre button to the toolbar and are now clicking on the Snap to Node button.

 

Once finished I have a 3 button toolbar called Script which I can hide, move and select like any conventional toolbar.