How quickly can you access your commands in AutoCAD®? Sounds strange maybe, but with AutoCAD 2009, there are many ways to access your favorite or frequently used commands, which increases your productivity.

Let’s get started!

The Quick Access toolbar stores the frequently used commands in AutoCAD 2009. Better still, this feature is easy to customize and contains a set of commands defined by the workspace. For example, you can add, remove, and reposition the commands on the toolbar. There is no limit on the number of commands you add to it and they roll out to form fly out buttons.

By default the commands New, Open, Save, Plot, Undo, and Redo are available in the Quick Access Toolbar. See below.

Figure 1: The Quick Access Toolbar.

Note: If there are no drawings open, only the New, Open, and Sheet Set Manager icons are displayed on the Quick Access Toolbar.

Note: You can add a Navigation Tool forward and backward option by installing from Autodesk Labs. To learn more, visit http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/acad_navigation_bonus/

Add commands
Let's begin with adding commands to the toolbar. In the Quick Access Toolbar, right-click and select Customize Quick Access Toolbar… as shown below.

Figure 2: Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar.

As you click on Customize Quick Access Toolbar, you will be taken to a new dialog box (Customize User Interface) to select the command, as shown below.

Figure 3: The Customize User Interface selection process.

Now select the command you wish to add to the Quick Access Toolbar, then drag and drop it on the toolbar. You can add any number of commands.

Remove Commands
Removing commands from the Quick Access toolbar is just as easy as adding them. Here is the removal procedure.

At the command prompt, enter CUI. You will be taken to the Customize User Interface. Now select AutoCAD Classic (Current)/MyWorkspace, right-click on "circle" from the workspace contents, and click on Remove from Workspace. Click OK to remove the circle.

Figure 4: Removing commands from the Quick Access Toolbar.

Customizing your Quick Access Toolbar by adding frequently used commands (or removing those which you no longer need) increases your AutoCAD productivity to an even greater extent.

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Submitted by Jaya Christiyan K G, a member of the AUGI India Chapter. Jaya currently works for M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bangalore, India. He has been working with AutoCAD for 11 years. He is a member of SAE and is currently working on a race car project (Formula 1) to be held in Australia this November. He can be contacted at Christiyan.jaya@augi.com.