Advice please - setting up a custom ribbon for the company

Just after a little advise really as I wouldn't know where to start.

 

The suggestion has been raised that we set up a company tool bar/ ribbon to include the more common used tool and a few custom tool.

 

my concern is we have 75 LT 2010 uses and 10 full 2014 uses so can a custom ribbon be saved centrally to be accessed by all users?

my concern is we have 75 LT 2010 uses and 10 full 2014 uses so can a custom ribbon be saved centrally to be accessed by all users?

Yes, the key is to map the custom CUIx file in a Profile, but put it under the Enterprise Search Path. This way you don't tamper with the user's local CUIx files, leaving the feeling of micro-management off the table.

 

But CUIx files are basically arranging the already-available tools. This is interface type stuff and not necessarily "company standard" content such as blocks, LISP routines and other things. Tool Palettes may be the better ticket, or maybe a combo of both (which is how we had it at my last company).

 

-Tannar

Yes - I have a custom empty menu that is the main user menu (A). To this I add a copy of the main ACAD menu (B) as an enterprise menu, which has my custom commands loaded as a partial menu ©.

 

CUI's B & C are located on the network - I have a version for both LT & Full, as LT can't handle LISP, while some DIESEL macros don't work in the full version.

 

I save as one of the default ACAD menu workspaces from B to A, then add the custom stuff from C.

 

All the users get a copy of menu A, which can then be tweaked to suit the users preferences as required, while allowing me to alter partial menu C at my whim. ACAD menu B remains untouched, allowing an easy update when we move to a new version.

 

Confused?

 

Edit: Just read Tanners post - I would agree that tool palettes are a more straightforward option, especially as they can be on the network as well & separated or joined seamlessly between ACAD versions.

Definatly like the guys we have only 1 location for our custom menu's and thats on the server, if you make changes to the menu reload an save then the next time others fire up autocad they have the new menu, you can force a update but its easier just exit and restart Autocad the users dont need more than that. For our guys its generally that they may be 24 hrs out of date. Do what TZframpton says about setting up profiles.

 

Heres a custom toolbar that has been made to use a lot of common commands rather than about 3 toolbars its source MNU so you can see how to make, feel free to edit. Just Menuload it.

 

***MENUGROUP=ALANSTOOLBAR
***TOOLBARS
**ALANSTOOLS
ID_TbModify  [_Toolbar("Alans", _Right, _Show, 0, 0, 1)]
AECC_ShowTS  [_Button("Show Toolspace", RCDATA_16_IMAGE, RCDATA_16_IMAGE)]^C^C^C^P_ShowTS
ID_Matchprop [_Button("Match Properties", RCDATA_16_MATCH, RCDATA_16_MATCH)]^C^C_matchprop
ID_Erase     [_Button("Erase", RCDATA_16_ERASE, RCDATA_32_ERASE)]^C^C_erase
ID_Copy      [_Button("Copy", RCDATA_16_COPYOB, RCDATA_32_COPYOB)]$M=$(if,$(eq,$(substr,$(getvar,cmdnames),1,4),GRIP),_copy,^C^C_copy)
ID_Mirror    [_Button("Mirror", RCDATA_16_MIRROR, RCDATA_32_MIRROR)]$M=$(if,$(eq,$(substr,$(getvar,cmdnames),1,4),GRIP),_mirror,^C^C_mirror)
ID_Offset    [_Button("Offset", RCDATA_16_OFFSET, RCDATA_32_OFFSET)]^C^C_offset
ID_Array     [_Button("Array...", RCDATA_16_ARRREC, RCDATA_32_ARRREC)]^C^C_array
ID_Move      [_Button("Move", RCDATA_16_MOVE, RCDATA_32_MOVE)]$M=$(if,$(eq,$(substr,$(getvar,cmdnames),1,4),GRIP),_move,^C^C_move)
ID_Rotate    [_Button("Rotate", RCDATA_16_ROTATE, RCDATA_32_ROTATE)]$M=$(if,$(eq,$(substr,$(getvar,cmdnames),1,4),GRIP),_rotate,^C^C_rotate)
ID_Scale     [_Button("Scale", RCDATA_16_SCALE, RCDATA_32_SCALE)]$M=$(if,$(eq,$(substr,$(getvar,cmdnames),1,4),GRIP),_scale,^C^C_scale)
ID_Stretch   [_Button("Stretch", RCDATA_16_STRETC, RCDATA_32_STRETC)]$M=$(if,$(eq,$(substr,$(getvar,cmdnames),1,4),GRIP),_stretch,^C^C_stretch)
ID_Trim      [_Button("Trim", RCDATA_16_TRIM, RCDATA_32_TRIM)]^C^C_trim
ID_Extend    [_Button("Extend", RCDATA_16_EXTEND, RCDATA_32_EXTEND)]^C^C_extend
ID_BreakSele [_Button("Break at Point", RCDATA_16_BREAKATPT, RCDATA_32_BREAKATPT)]^C^C_break \_f \@
ID_Break     [_Button("Break", RCDATA_16_BRE2PT, RCDATA_32_BRE2PT)]^C^C_break
ID_Join      [_Button("Join", RCDATA_16_JOIN, RCDATA_32_JOIN)]^C^C_join
ID_Chamfer   [_Button("Chamfer", RCDATA_16_CHAMFE, RCDATA_32_CHAMFE)]^C^C_chamfer
ID_Fillet    [_Button("Fillet", RCDATA_16_FILLET, RCDATA_32_FILLET)]^C^C_fillet
ID_Explode   [_Button("Explode", RCDATA_16_EXPLODE, RCDATA_32_EXPLODE)]^C^C_explode
ID_LAYFRZ    [_Button("Layer, Layer Freeze", RCDATA_16_FRZLAY, RCDATA_32_FRZLAY)]^C^C_layfrz
ID_LAYOFF    [_Button("Layer Off", RCDATA_16_OFFLAY, RCDATA_32_OFFLAY)]^C^C_layoff
ID_LAYISO    [_Button("Layer Isolate", RCDATA_16_LAYISO,RCDATA_32_LAYISO)]^C^C_layiso
MM_LAYUNISO  [_Button("Layer Unisolate", RCDATA_16_LAYUNISO, RCDATA_32_LAYUNISO)]^C^C_Layuniso
ID_LAYDEL    [_Button("Layer, Layer Delete", RCDATA_16_LAYER_DELETE,RCDATA_32_LAYER_DELETE)]^C^C_laydel
ID_Line      [_Button("Line", RCDATA_16_LINE,RCDATA_32_LINE)]^C^C_line
MM_1608      [_Button("Circle", RCDATA_16_CIRRAD,RCDATA_32_CIRRAD)]^C^C_circle
MM_1607      [_Button("Arc", RCDATA_16_ARC3PT,RCDATA_32_ARC3PT)]^C^C_arc
ID_Pline     [_Button("Polyline", RCDATA_16_PLINE,RCDATA_32_PLINE)]^C^C_pline
ID_Pedit     [_Button("Polyline Edit", RCDATA_16_PEDIT, RCDATA_32_PEDIT)]^C^C_pedit
ID_DrawordeB [_Button("Draw Order, Send to Back", RCDATA_16_SN2BCK,RCDATA_32_SN2BCK)]^C^C^P_ai_draworder _Back ^P
ID_Appload   [_Button("Load Application...", RCDATA_16_LOAD_APPLICATIONS,RCDATA_16_LOAD_APPLICATIONS)]^C^C_appload