About Tool Palettes

Palettes are tabbed areas that provide quick access to various tools, commands, properties, and resources.

Along with existing palettes, you can create new tool palettes and use them to group frequently used commands according to their functionality. For example, you can group on palettes tools for creating Blocks, Hatches, Tables, and Dimensions. Separators and headers let you organize tools within a palette.

The Tool Palettes groups all tools for creating and managing tool palettes. For a list of all palettes available in the application, see Palettes Reference.

Use the ToolsPalette command to display the Tool Palettes.

Palette Groups

Palette groups are saved sets of tool palettes. The Tool Palettes displays only one palette group at a time. By organizing your tool palettes in groups, you can limit the number of tools displayed in the Tool Palettes so that you can quickly access the necessary tools.

Palette and Group Files

By default, tool palettes are stored in the Tool Palettes folder located in the application data roaming folder:

\Users\<user_profile>\AppData\Roaming\<application_name>\<application_version>\Tool Palettes

You can change the path to the Tool Palettes folder with the Options command. In the Options dialog box, click File Locations, expand Interface, then Tool Palettes File Locations. Click Browse to specify a new location for the folder.

You can save tool palettes and palette groups by exporting them as external files:

• XTP files store tool palettes
• XPG files store palette groups.

Copy the folder containing .xtp files on a shared drive or network location to allow your colleagues to work with the tool palettes.

Locked Palettes

Lock tool palettes to prevent accidental modifications. You cannot change, add, or delete items from a locked tool palette. Locked palettes have a lock symbol () in front of their name. Their corresponding palette file is automatically set as read-only.

Note: Setting a palette file as read-only locks the tool palette.

Use the Unlock Palette option if you want to change the set of tools on the tools palette.

To protect multiple tool palettes from accidental modifications, you can set a folder as read-only.

To lock a tool palette:

1. On the Tool Palette, select the tool palette.
2. On the toolbar area, click Options and select Lock Palette.

   A lock symbol () appears in front of the tool palette name. The corresponding palette file is automatically set as read-only.

Creating Tool Palettes

The basic workflow for creating tool palettes includes the following steps:

1. Create an empty palette.

   From the Tool Palettes, click Options and select New Palette.

2. Add tools to the palette.

   Add tools to the palette. See Creating and Using Tools from Tool Palettes.

3. Organize tools on the palette.

   Rearrange the tools by dragging them in the desired place, add headers and separators for more clarity. See Reorganizing Existing Tool Palettes.

4. Save the palette.

To create an empty palette:

1. On the Tool Palettes, do one of the following:
   • On the toolbar area, click Options and select New Palette.
   • Right-click an existing palette and select New Palette.
2. Type the name of the new palette and press Enter.

   You can add tools, headers, and separators.

   You can move the palette tab up and down.