Drawing1

Hi,

AutoCAD opens with Drawing1.dwg
loaded up in the application...
is there a setting, where it will open up
just the application itself, without any document
loaded into it.
forcing the user to create new, w./ a template
or open an existing drawing.

TIA

 

File > Save As (save to the folder you want with the name you want)

Keep going

 

the default template name does that,
(in the options/ files/ default template file name)
what i need is autocad to open without
a drawing loaed up in the application.

i was thinkig of closing the active doc at startup,
if the drawing name is Drawing1.dwg,
since all the subsequent ones are Drawing2 3 etc.

am i making sence?

thanks

 

In Options, under System, select "show startup dialog box." This will start
AutoCAD without a drawing loaded, and give you the choice to open an
existing drawing or start a new one.

 

If your users have to manually open a specified drawing anyway what's the difference?
As long as they don't try to save the default drawing1 to anything.

Bill

 

thanks, i think i can live with it...

mark

 

If your users have to manually open a specified drawing anyway what's the
difference?

A session opens faster without the unwanted empty document, and you don't
have an extra window to close. They'll still get the default drawing1 if
they cancel out of the startup dialog.

 

I personally like it opening a drawing. I use it as a scrapbook for the
days work.

Daniel.

 

The reason that AutoCAD always opens a drawing is because this is needed
to fully initialise the program. For one, ACAD.LSP (or ACADDOC.LSP) is
only executed when a drawing is opened so if no drawing is opened, then
routines that might be necessary for a particular system to operate as
desired will not be loaded.

If you make no changes to the unnamed drawing with the suggested name of
Drawing1.dwg, and open an existing drawing, it will be discarded and you
will be left with the existing drawing you have opened.

 

Hi Ian,

The original poster (mark) never said what version AutoCAD he was referring to.

Posted by: mark
Date: Apr/08/04 - 11:06 (CDT) NEW!

Hi,

Then Tom said he'd have an extra window to close.

Reply From: Tom Smith
Date: Apr/08/04 - 15:03 (CDT)

Then you said.

Reply From: Ian A. White

And I just want to say you are both correct depending on the version in question. R14, created multiple sessions and therefore you had an extra window to close. R2000 and above acts as you describe it.

I encounter this situation often as I am constantly switching between R14 and 2002. But it is so fast either way that it really is not an annoyance.

 

I personally like it opening a drawing.

Fine, but the post didn't ask for opinions, it asked how to open Acad
without a drawing open.

 

The reason that AutoCAD always opens a drawing is

As I told the poster, if the startup dialog is enabled, AutoCAD starts with
no drawing loaded, and the dialog will prompt the user to open an existing
drawing or start a new one. If you cancel the dialog, a default drawing1
will open, and at that point it's the same as if the dialog wasn't enabled.

Enabling the dialog doesn't "force" the user to avoid drawing1, but it does
encourage the user to choose from the dialog's options.

 

As stated, this has been true since A2K. The behavior was different before the multiple document interface -- but that was five versions ago. I would think it's safe to assume that anyone posting in the customization group is asking about a near-cuurent version, and would specify if the question goes that far back.

 

Hi Tom,

re: your 5th post;

Reply From: Tom Smith
Date: Apr/12/04 - 20:36 (CDT)

Re: Drawing1

But your 2nd post does ONLY apply to R14 and earlier.

Reply From: Tom Smith
Date: Apr/08/04 - 15:03 (CDT)

Re: Drawing1

Why is this R14 or earlier? Because R14 opens MULTIPLE sessions where R2000 and above opens one session with MULTIPLE dwgs. With R14, you do have an extra dwg to close, but R2000 you don't. When you initially open a dwg in in 2000+, you get the blank generic, drawing 1. When you open any other dwg, the drawing 1 is OVER-WRITTEN. There is no extra dwg to close.

Then I replied with;

So Tom, why would I assume .... anything here?

And here is your 1st reply;

Reply From: Tom Smith
Date: Apr/08/04 - 12:59 (CDT)

Re: Drawing1
Is there anything wrong with this? Absolutely not, it's a matter of personal preference. I don't use it as it takes longer and as I stated before, I normally dblclick to open a dwg. I use the 'new' very infrequently.

Tom, I know you know what you are talking about. I am only spelling out the differences between R14 and higher.

 

I'm sorry if I've confused you. I've been speaking about ONLY the multiple
document interface, and only about launching Acad from the icon, not by
double-clicking a drawing. And I've been speaking only in response to the
original question, not stating my personal preferences. Go back and read
what he asked for.

He says Acad starts with an empty drawing, and he wants to skip that and go
straight to choosing "open" or "new." So I told him how. In terms of speed,
2004 and previous MDI versions will get you into an AutoCAD session
faster -- after clicking the icon -- by using the startup dialog, because
you don't have to wait for the unwanted empty draing to load, with all
lisps, menus, etc., before you can make the choice of "open" or "new." If
that's where you are heading anyway, it saves time to go straight to the
dialog and skip the emtpy drawing load. This isn't relevant if you start
Acad by double-clicking a file, as I often do.

 

Didn't confuse me Tom. But I must have confused you. People don't read carefully enough. All I did was explain the difference between 14 and NDI as you call it. Ians' post was the best as far as clarity goes.

Reply From: Ian A. White
Date: Apr/09/04 - 16:57 (CDT)

Re: Drawing1

If you make no changes to the unnamed drawing with the suggested name of Drawing1.dwg, and open an existing drawing, it will be discarded and you will be left with the existing drawing you have opened.<<

 

what i ended up doing is...
1- if the drawing is existing, no problem, the open option was used
2- if the user selects cancel, then immediately set sdi to 0 and close
Drawing,1.dwg
3- if the user selects a valid template, then all is OK, but of course i
have
to go into the trouble of SAVEAS the drawing to a new name.

interesitngly enough in the case 2 above, any subsequent cancels, will
actually be a cancel (nothing happens) and not AutoCAD opening a
Drawing1.dwg

i wish there was an option where one would type the new
drawing name in the new dialog box, the equivalent of
new-drawing-name=template name
like the good old days R12 and below

thanks for your help
BTW i am on A2k4/5