Going Home with DesignCenter in AutoCAD

Many people I speak with have not used or forget about the power behind DesignCenter in AutoCAD. DesignCenter can be used to capture objects from template and drawing files and quickly drag into your current drawing file.  The key is setting the home button to the location of your standards and templates.

DesignCenter can be found on the View tab of the Ribbon under the palettes panel as shown. You can also type ADC or ADCENTER at the command prompt.

Many other capabilities are listed below and can be found in the Autodesk Help.

With Designcenter, you can

1. Browse for drawing content such as drawings or symbol libraries on your computer, on a networked drive, and on a web page
2. View definition tables for blocks and layers in any drawing file and then insert, attach, or copy and paste the definitions into the current drawing
3. Update (redefine) a block definition
4. Create shortcuts to drawings, folders, and Internet locations that you access frequently
5. Add content such as xrefs, blocks, and hatches to a drawing
6. Open drawing files in a new window
7. Drag drawings, blocks, and hatches to a tool palette for convenient access
8. Copy and paste content, such as layer definitions, layouts, and text styles between open drawings

One thing that is important is to set your HOME status on Designcenter to where your templates are or the files you need to locate.

To do this open designcenter (ADC) and look at the toolbar on the top and notice the home button.  First, navigate to your standards folder and follow these 3 steps.

1. Locate your template folder in Designcenter.
2. Right-click and select set as home.
3. Put all of your template files in that folder for quick access

The next time you launch Designcenter, select the home button and you will be taken to the default location of your template and standard files.

Just a quick tip to help you make you more productive.

The schedule for #AU2020 was just announced and I’ll be recording two sessions! Check out my classes on Sheet Sets and CAD standards and consider attending my Q&A—registration is free!

Looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones virtually in November at Autodesk University.

Stay safe and healthy, Sam