Options in AutoCad

AutoCad has a wide selection of options which allow the user to customize their experience. These options range from how the drawing area looks to the support functions for your particular organization.

There are several ways to enter the "Options" command. At the command line, type "options" then hit enter. Or, in the menu bar clock on "Tools" then click "Options". The third way is to right click on the command line and select "Options".

Once the Options Dialog Box opens, there will be 10 tabs. Listed below is a screenshot of each tab and a description of each one's functions:

Files

Lists the folders in which the program searches for support, driver, menu, and other files. Also lists optional, user-defined settings such as which dictionary to use for checking spelling:

Display

Controls the display settings specific to the drawing environment, options for existing and new layouts, the size of the crosshairs, display settings that affect performance and the quality of the display of objects:

Open and Save

Controls settings related to saving a file, assists in avoiding data loss and in detecting errors, controls settings that relate to recently used files and open files, controls the settings that relate to editing and loading external references, Runtime Extension applications and proxy graphics, and controls the number of recently used files listed in the menu browser’s Recent Documents quick menu:

Plot and Publish

Specifies the default location for plot to file operations, controls default plotting settings for new drawings or drawings created in AutoCAD Release 14 or earlier, specifies whether drawings are published automatically to DWF, DWFx, or PDF files, specifies options for background plotting and publishing, Controls options for saving a plot and publish log file and controls options that relate to the general plotting environment:

System

Controls settings that relate to configuration of the 3D graphics display system, the pointing device, database connectivity, system settings, specifies whether the program checks for object enablers and specifies how the display list is updated in the Model and layout tabs:

User Preferences

Controls keystroke and right-click behavior, the default scale for inserting blocks and drawings into a drawing, how the program responds to input of coordinate data, settings that relate to the display properties of hyperlinks, whether associative dimension objects or legacy-style, nonassociative dimension objects are created, sets preferences related to fields and controls Undo and Redo for Zoom and Pan:

Drafting

Controls settings that relate to AutoSnaps, sets the display size for the AutoSnap marker, specifies options for object snaps, controls the settings that relate to AutoTrack behavior, controls the method of displaying alignment vectors in a drawing, controls the color, size, and transparency of drafting tooltips and sets the display size for the AutoSnap aperture:

3D Modeling

Controls settings for the display style of the crosshairs pointer in 3D operations, controls the display of the ViewCube and the UCS icon, the display of dynamic input fields for coordinate entry, controls settings for the display of 3D solids, surfaces, and meshes, and sets walk, fly, and animation options for displaying 3D models:

Selection

Controls the display size of the pickbox, the settings that relate to object selection methods, setttings for object selection for the display of ribbon contextual tabs and controls the display size of grips and the settings that relate to grips:

Profiles

Controls the use of profiles, which are a configuration you define:

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