Quickly add to custom palette??

[cadman_meg]

So I am familiar with palettes, just not in the process of adding a ton of items with varied tabs. What I mean is, I have about 300 blocks that I want to initially add but I want them split up depending on what group they belong to. Each one of these blocks is currently its own drawing. So what I am after is a quick way to accomplish this? While I am at it, I am curious, are people forced to use just the dashboard and no palettes now with 2008 and up? If so, how do I get the palettes for blocks? Anything you all can provide will be much appreciated!

[lpseifert]

Using Design Center navigate to the folder that has your blocks, Rt-click on the folder and there is an option 'Create Tool Palette of Blocks'. Select it and it will create a new ToolPalette tab with all the blocks in the folder.
I use 2008 and use ToolPalettes all the time.

[cadman_meg]

Okay... so I guess I just overlooked the TP's. So now, how do I get a fresh blank TP that I can start adding stuff to?

Thanks much!

[lpseifert]

You don't really need a fresh blank TP, just create new ToolPalette tabs. If you rt-clk on the ToolPalette menu bar and select Customize Palettes, you can make palette groups, and display just the tabs you want, also accomplished by rt-clicking the menu bar.

[cadman_meg]

I need to be able to set this up though so that I can add it to the custom company cui that runs on other peoples machines and therefore think I would be better off with a blank fresh one. Wouldn't you agree? With that said, what is recommend in leui of or added to? Thanks much!

[lpseifert]

Create a folder on your network and put it in acad's search path. Options > Files > Tool Palettes File Locations. That will start you off with a clean palette.

[cadman_meg]

Now that was nice and easy! Thanks!

I am curious though, is there a way to have a whole nother palette? I ask because on one palette I want a group of certain blocks and then I would like other palettes with other groupings of blocks. How would I set it too so that my users can quickly switch through them?

Thanks again!

[lpseifert]

See post #4

[cadman_meg]

Not another palette group within the one palette, but rather a whole new palette.

[lpseifert]

I suppose you could create different palettes in different folders and use the undocumented command/system variable *_TOOLPALETTEPATH to switch folders. I can't see the advantage over my prior suggestion though.

[Norton_cad]

Start a blank drawing, then add all the blocks that you want to appear on a pallet, then save the file to a network location. Do not rename or move this file, otherwise your pallet won't work. While still in the drawing, invoke Designcenter, and select the Open Drawings tab. Expand the file tree, and right click on the blocks. Select Create Tool Pallet & your pallet is done. Consider adding discriptor text and seperators via a right click on the pallet to organise your pallet. Once your happy with the pallet right click the pallet again & select Customise pallet, which will launch a dialogue box. Find your pallet on the left window & right click it and select Export, and save it to your network.
There are lots of different ways of auto-loading the pallet for all users, but the simplist method is to save an archive, and send an email describing how to import.
I hope this helps. Let me know how it goes, and if you want the other methods of auto-loading, just ask.