5 UI Tips to Start Navigating in AutoCAD Mechanical 2009

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  5 UI Tips to Start Navigating in AutoCAD Mechanical 2009
  April 29, 2008, 07:00 PM Jarred Osborne

  1.     Ribbon
  You may have noticed that typing RIBBON in the command line brings up the Dashboard and configuration nodes for the Ribbon in the CUI editor edits the Dashboard instead. This is because the Ribbon is based on the Dashboard. The Ribbon is not available in AutoCAD Mechanical 2009 but the Dashboard still is. The Dashboard can be used in the vertical orientation.
  2.     Menus
  Menus in AutoCAD Mechanical 2009 have been reorganized. For AutoCAD users, you will find the menu items in AutoCAD Mechanical 2009 familiar. Mechanical-specific commands can be found within the new menu items.
   
   
  The big, red A button you see on the left is the Menu Browser button. The menu hierarchy is the same in there. A Search box is added to let you quickly find a command if you need.
   
  
  3.     Toolbars
  Along with the menus, the toolbars are also reorganized. They are in 2 lists, Mechanical and AutoCAD. All Mechanical toolbars, including main toolbars and flyout toolbars are in the Mechanical list. You should be able to find all the toolbars you need here.
   
   
  
   
  The AutoCAD list gives the toolbars from AutoCAD so you will find many toolbars and toolbuttons overlapping those in the Mechanical list. Usually, the Mechanical toolbars are comprehensive and will provide all the tools you need. E.g. Use the Mechanical Dimension toolbar instead of the AutoCAD’s for Power Dimensions and enhanced mechanical tools.
   
  4.     Status Bar
  The status bar buttons are now shown as icons. These icons give more space in case if you prefer to turn them all on. They can also be toggled to their former text versions via the right-click menu.
  
   
  For Structure users, do note that the Top Down/Bottom Up, R-Lock and S-Lock status bar buttons are turned off by default now. You can turn them on through the status bar options. Do note that they currently do not have an icon version.
   
  
   
  5.     Workspaces
  Like in AutoCAD Mechanical 2008, there are 4 workspaces:
  ·         Classic (Default) – Classic AutoCAD Mechanical interface with a minimal set of tools. This will give you mainly the Drawing and Modify tools. This workspace is also meant to look a lot like the AutoCAD classic UI to help AutoCAD users to get use to AutoCAD Mechanical quickly.
   
  ·         AutoCAD Classic – For users who need to use tools from the AutoCAD classic layout quickly, this workspace provides the same UI in AutoCAD Mechanical.
   
  ·         Essential – This gives a more comprehensive set of tools, especially with the Dashboard turned on, for all the tasks required in AutoCAD Mechanical. This is recommended if you are familiar with the tools in AutoCAD Mechanical.
   
  ·         Structure – Tailored for Structure users, this workspace is targeted at expert users. The Dashboard is also turn on here. Note that changing to this workspace does not turn the drawing into Structure, nor turn on the Top Down/Bottom Up, R-Lock and S-Lock status bar buttons automatically.

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Comments

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  May 9, 2008 06:42 PM Clinton Hill

  Were the Ribbon Bars planned to be released in Mechanical 2009? Will the Ribbon Bars be included in the next release of Mechanical (2010)? As a serious Mechhead since 2000, I like what I see in Mechanical 2k9; making the subentities in the Standard Parts and Mechanical Objects' properties available for adjusting and making it more seamless for the new Mechanical user/convert from AutoCAD vanilla. Clint Hill

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  May 21, 2008 12:52 PM Jarred Osborne

  Ribbon Bars are not available for AutoCAD Mechanical, but depending on their success in standard AutoCAD, you may see them show up in the future. Our goal is to allow all users to easily make the transition from standard AutoCAD to vertical AutoCAD products. You'll see more and more of these enhancements in the coming releases.

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  August 27, 2008 01:59 PM Dennis Jeffrey

  Images starting at 2. Menus and following are not visible in this post.