Creating and Using Tools from Tool Palettes
You can create tools from the following entities:
- Geometric entities
- Hatches and fills
- Dimensions, Leaders, and MultiLeaders
- Text entities
- Tables
- Blocks
- Dynamic Blocks
- CustomBlocks
- Referenced drawings and images
You can create new tools on a tool palette using the following methods:
- Dragging specified entities from the graphics area onto the palette
- Copying and pasting entities from the graphics area to the palette
- Copying and pasting tools from one palette to another
- Using the Design Resources context menu to create a palette with Blocks
- Using the command list from the Commands page of the Customize dialog box
Some tools are automatically created with a flyout. The tools from the flyouts let you create entities with the same properties as the original entity. To display the flyout, click the arrow on the tool. You can enable or disable the flyout and you can specify the tools to display on the flyout from the Tools Properties dialog box.
Save the palette once you have modified it, otherwise the changes will be lost.
Example:
Dragging a red line from the graphics area onto the palette creates a new tool for creating lines having the same properties as the original line: red color. The tool has a flyout that groups tools for drawing other geometric entities. Tools from the flyout let you create entities with the same properties. For example, the Ellipse tool from the flyout draws red ellipses.
To use tools from a tool palette, click the tool and perform the corresponding steps.
Press Enter or Space to repeat command associated with the last used tool.
To add a tool from existing geometry on a palette:
Note: Before starting, make sure the Tool Palettes is displayed.
- Create the entity from which to create the tool.
- On the Tool Palettes, display the palette on which to place the tool. If necessary, create a new palette.
- In the graphics area, specify the entity from which to create the tool.
- Press and hold the mouse button and drag the specified entity onto the new palette.
The new tool appears on the palette.
- On the palette toolbar, click Save all
.
To use the tool, on the Tool Palettes, click the new tool. The new entity has the properties from the original entity (the red line, in this case).
You can change the properties of the tool. Right-click on the tool and select Properties from the context menu. The Tool Properties dialog box
To create a tool from existing geometry on a palette:
Note: Before starting, make sure the Tool Palettes is displayed.
- On the Tool Palettes, display the palette on which to place the tool. If necessary, create a new palette.
- In the graphics area, specify the entities from which to create the tool.
Note: The tool automatically includes only valid entities.
- Press and hold the mouse button and drag the specified entities onto the new palette.
The new tool appears on the palette.
- On the palette toolbar, click Save all .
To use the tool, on the Tool Palettes, click the new tool. The new entities have the properties from the original entities. For example, each newly created entity has the same color as the corresponding original entity.
You can change the properties of the tool. Right-click on the tool and select Properties from the context menu. The Tool Properties dialog box
To add a tool based on an existing hatch:
Note: Before starting, make sure the Tool Palettes is displayed.
- Create the hatch from which to create the tool.
- On the Tool Palettes, display the palette on which to place the tool. If necessary, create a new palette.
- In the graphics area, select the hatch from which to create the tool.
- Press and hold the mouse button and drag the specified hatch onto the palette.
The tool for creating hatches appears on the Tool Palettes.
- On the palette toolbar, click Save all .
To apply the new hatch, on the Tool Palettes, click the new hatch tool and specify a point within a closed boundary. The following options are available when you use the tool to hatch closed boundaries.
To add a tool from a command:
- On the Tool Palettes, display the palette on which to place the tool. If necessary, create a new palette.
- Do one of the following:
- Click Tools > Customize Interface on the menu.
- Click Manage > Customization > Interface on the ribbon.
- Type Customize.
- In the Customize dialog box, click Commands.
- In the command list, right-click the command to add on the Tool Palette and select Add to Tool Palette from the context menu.