CADzette - Volume III Issue 35

Larry Dorshkind, from Miliptas, Ca, writes -

Elise – I appreciate your Newsletter very much. One article you wrote was about Customizing the CUI file. I would like to ask you some specific questions about the process. Bear in mind that I am a Single User, and I installed ACAD 2006 yesterday (I am using 2002 until I get 2006 up and running). Now, my particular problem is that I want to both customize the 2006 CUI file the Autodesk way (wherever possible), and I want to customize the CUI file directly (when it is easier) by using a text editor or, if I have to, by using a XML editor.
My current setup is that I do not use any icon toolbars (none). I use a Screen (Side) Menu and custom Pull-Down Menus. I have truncated and re- titled the ACAD Pull-Down Menu titles as follows (for example): Pop1: File/Hlp; Pop 2: Ed/Vw; Pop 3: Ins/Fmt, etc. Then, because I have space for only 16 Pull-Down POP titles, I now have space for 10 unique (custom) Pull=Down Menus. These are organized as GO (Gen Office), Architectural (walls, doors, etc.), Blocks/XRefs, etc. These custom Pull=Down Menus contain: 1) Design Reference Notes and Lists, 2) LISP routines, and 3) commands to insert unique blocks. For instance, the following are two examples of my custom Pull-Down Menu commands: 1) [BLKLIST - Block List and Count in Area (Crossing)]^C^CBLKLIST, and 2)
[->SYS FURN - H MILLER]
[ Panels]^C^C$i=shm-pnls $i=*
**SHM-PNLS
[PANELS]
[shm-pnls(PN-1202)]$S=O ^C^C- insert;e:/blocks/sys/hm/pnls/pn-1202.dwg;int\;;
You must get the point. And the point includes the fact that I have thousands of these types of lines. Ugly, very ugly.
So, my basic question is: “why can’t I open the CUI with a Text Editor and modify or rearrange the “English” parts of the code?” For instance, on Line 17,410, I may want to change the word “DIMENSION” to be “Dim”. Now, if I should make a mistake, I could delete the incorrectly modified CUI file and modify another copy of the base CUI file. So, why not? What harm will I be doing? Will the incorrectly modified CUI file “corrupt” any other ACAD file? Will the incorrectly modified CUI file affect Windows Registry in any manner?
Lastly, I used to compile the 2002 acad.mns file in AutoCAD 2002 and thereby create the acad.mnc file. But, in 2006, I do not note a reference to compile the CUI file, and I therefore assume that it is not required when you use a XML editor and save the modified CUI file. I assume that, if one uses a Text Editor, that compiling is also not required after saving the file.
Please remember, I only want to modify the “English” part of the code, and I want to emulate (not originate) certain lines with similar lines (“Insert Widget 2” as a copy and slight modification to the line “Insert Widget 1”.
I have only skimmed all of the printouts I have made re Customization, but my skimming has not answered the above questions.
I would appreciate it if you could answer my questions or direct me to someone who is not afraid to modify the CUI file. Thank you in advance,

My response -
OK, first off...do not modify the English part of the CUI code in WordPad...you will probably corrupt the file immediately.
The best method I have found is to do a FIND/REPLACE in WordPad. That way is less risky and you do not mess up any of the embedded garbage AutoCAD adds in. Use this when you want to change Insert Widget to Insert Widget 1 and you should be OK.
You no longer need to compile.
If you corrupt your CUI file, worst case scenario is AutoCAD simply won't launch at all. Best case, you lose a couple of menus.
Because you are so menu dependent, I would recommend dividing up your menu into smaller partial menus. You can maintain those separately. Then use the Transfer tab to copy from the smaller menus into your main menu. I am currently using this method and it works pretty well. It makes it easier for me to maintain my menus and things don't seem to get corrupted as often.

Of course, you can all learn more if you come to the February 7 SFAUG meeting.