AutoCAD Tip – Enhance Productivity with Templates

by Dennis Collin

A users’ AutoCAD experience is greatly enhanced if provided a template file with all the company’s required standards, views, annotation styles, patterns and sheets.  All preloaded and ready for use at one’s fingertips.

Fig 1. Any office using AutoCAD should have a template created and set to improve efficiency and productivity.

AutoCAD has some very basic ‘clean’ templates from which a custom template file can be derived. For most users in the world the acadiso.dwt file is the template file to start from as it is based on metric millimetre units and has some starting annotation styles all initially configured to print out reasonable 1:1 annotation on a sheet. This template is configured for colour-based plot styles, although a named plot style equivalent is available if preferred! There are also options should users need to model in 3D.

Fig 2. AutoCAD template files can be identified with the DWT extension.

Once a custom template file has been created. It should be stored at a suitable shared location which all users can access.

By running AutoCAD’s’ Options command custom user templates and content locations can be specified so that they are accessed by default when creating new drawings or when page setups need to be imported into current drawings.

The files tab enables users to set and determine key file locations such as templates.

Under templates section

1. Specifies the location when the templates are stored. Typically, this is a centralised network location.
2. Specifies the location of the Sheet sets templates which will be accessed via the Sheet set manager
3. The default template file accessed via the QNEW command (Quick new drawing)
4. The template file to be accessed when importing printing page setup configurations into new or existing drawings.

Fig 3. Configuring AutoCAD’s template options, locations and default template files via the Options command.

Once set, when creating a new drawing, the company’s custom template will be selected as a default, this will ensure users are using company approved title sheets, schedules, and annotation styles that comply with specified company CAD standards.

Fig 4. Using create new drawing commands will direct users to a preprepared company AutoCAD template!

I have also posted on some components to include in a full or LT AutoCAD template here:

Creating templates, block libraries and configuring AutoCAD are just some of the topics that we cover on our Arkance follow-on AutoCAD training courses. For more information and to talk to one of the team click here.