opening a new drawing

[zfoland20]

Is there a system variable that sets whether the initial drawing when you start AutoCAD closes once you open a different drawing?

[mjfarrell]

SETVAR
SDI

Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0

Controls whether AutoCADruns in single- or multiple-document interface. Helps third-party developers update applications to work smoothly with the AutoCAD multiple-drawing mode.


0 Turns on multiple-drawing interface.

1 Turns off multiple-drawing interface.

2 (Read-only) Multiple-drawing interface is disabled because AutoCADhas loaded an application that does not support multiple drawings. SDI setting 2 is not saved.

3 (Read-only) Multiple-drawing interface is disabled because the user has set SDI to 1 and AutoCAD has loaded an application that does not support multiple drawings. (SDI was set to 1 before the application was loaded.) SDI setting 3 is not saved.


If SDI is set to 3, AutoCAD switches it back to 1 when the application that doesn't support multiple drawings is unloaded.

[BrenBren]

SETVAR
SDI

Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 0

Controls whether AutoCADruns in single- or multiple-document interface. Helps third-party developers update applications to work smoothly with the AutoCAD multiple-drawing mode.


0 Turns on multiple-drawing interface.

1 Turns off multiple-drawing interface.

2 (Read-only) Multiple-drawing interface is disabled because AutoCADhas loaded an application that does not support multiple drawings. SDI setting 2 is not saved.

3 (Read-only) Multiple-drawing interface is disabled because the user has set SDI to 1 and AutoCAD has loaded an application that does not support multiple drawings. (SDI was set to 1 before the application was loaded.) SDI setting 3 is not saved.


If SDI is set to 3, AutoCAD switches it back to 1 when the application that doesn't support multiple drawings is unloaded.
Note that if you set this to 1, which will solve your problem, you will not be able to have multiple drawings open in one session of AutoCAD