Loading Partial Menus

[visualmatrix]

Is there any way to avoid having all the menus from a partial menu (.mnu) being loaded into each of the defined workspaces in the CUI by default?

[Norton_cad]

Open the MNU file with Notepad <right click> menu.
In the start of the mnu, are the headers.
Delete the supurflous headers you don't want, and save.
Load the mnu file.

[visualmatrix]

Thanks for your response but you misunderstand my problem.
Lets say I have two workspaces defined e.g PLAN & SECTION
Workspace PLAN references menus defined in PLAN.mnu while workspace section refereneces menus defined in SECTION.mnu

When I unload and reload PLAN.mnu, workspace PLAN shows the correct menus but the problem is that workspace SECTION now also contains all the menus from PLAN.mnu

The problem is of course that with this arrangement you cannot just update your intended workspace by reloading an associated partial .mnu because the menus in all your other workspaces also contain the menus from the .mnu after reloading. So every time you reload a partial mnu the unwanted menus need to be manually removed from all the other workspaces. (- A pretty dumb arrangement if this is by design.)

[dgorsman]

Don't think I've seen this behavior, but don't do much with menus from partial CUIx files. Is there an MNL for the partial that controls adding the menu POP items? Is the workspace set to automatically save changes?

Rather than constantly reloading different partial CUIx files with each workspace, load them all and use the workspace to control what gets shown. Partially loaded CUIx files should be for "once in a blue moon" applications like tools specific to a certain client.

[Tom Beauford]

For some plugin software like AutoTURN I'll create a seperate profile to save resourses by not loading the program into memory. Workspaces should take care of your situation though. PLAN & SECTION sound like parts of the Civil menus. Save them as workspaces or better yet try using the Ribbon. In 2011 & 2012 the ribbon is the easiest way to work in Civil 3D.

[visualmatrix]

The CUI is ok if you use menus that are static or require ocasional changes.I use a dynamic menu generation system that integrates project specific standards, blocks, specifications etc into modular .mnu files that are automatically updated on a daily basis from folders and project definition files.

Unfortunately this does not play well with the CUI loading algorythm which I suspect is an anomaly (bug) rather than a feature.

I should confess that I have been using a pre-CUI legacy Autocad version and have only recently upgraded to LT 2012. Given that the CUI has been arround for a while I have to accept it is going to be one of those fringe issues that will not be fixed, I will have to find another workarround, maybe via the full version CUI API.

[Norton_cad]

I will have to find another workarround, maybe via the full version CUI API.

How about a script to launch the process of updating the CUI. You could even schedule it to run in half hour intervals automatically?

[Tom Beauford]

The CUI is OK if you use menus that are static or require occasional changes.I use a dynamic menu generation system that integrates project specific standards, blocks, specifications etc into modular .mnu files that are automatically updated on a daily basis from folders and project definition files.

Curious, could you give an example of what changes you would need to make on a daily basis? Someone here might have a suggestion for you, shame you don't have a full version a lisp would probably be the best fix.