Topic: Make CUIX file Public

[novice]

I'm brand new to working with the CUI. I just made a pretty extensive pull-down menu for all my lisp routines. Works great for me - I'm happy with it. Problem is, I want others in my company to have this pull-down menu on their computers as well. And I can't figure out how to do that.

I first made my menu part of the Main Customization File (acad.cuix). Then I figured I screwed up and I moved it down to Partial Customization Files (custom menus). I still can't figure out what to do next.

I had naively figured I would just do the work, then export it to a location on our server, then each person could load it at will.

I believe we are using stand-alone AutoCAD licenses - I don't think we have a network license.

Any advice?

[dgorsman]

Organize your CUIx files.  Default stuff that everyone should have access to should be under the Enterprise; anything specific to a user should be under Main with each user having their own personal Main CUIx file.  Typical Enterprise organization would be like this:

Enterprise CUIx file:

• ACAD
• Raster Design
• Third-party
• Your CUIx file

With everybody pointing to the same Enterprise they will always have those CUIx files loaded.  From there its only a matter of getting the UI content added to their workspace (profiles control which files are loaded; workspaces control which UI elements are shown/hidden).

[ChrisCarlson]

Basically put all the customization stuff in a seperate CUIx file, place it in a shared location, next add that shared directory to your support paths.

I find loading as an enterprise to be more headache than it's worth so I simply have the shared CUIx file loaded with CUILOAD on their computers.

[rkmcswain]

Pretty much the same as @ChrisCarlson

It's not required that the location of the CUIX file be in the support file search path, but it won't hurt anything.

I just wrote this up recently, and it includes some lisp code that can be used to force help the loading of the menu for other users.


I use this with a wrapper function and make sure the menu is loaded each time ACAD starts, and if it does go away (because they switched profiles or workspaces) all they have to do is type in the command name of the wrapper function (i.e.: ABCMENULOAD)

[novice]

I'm missing something.

Everyone is essentially saying the same thing, but I'll quote ChrisCarlson:

"Basically put all the customization stuff in a seperate CUIx file, place it in a shared location, next add that shared directory to your support paths."

But HOW do I make a CUIx file that's just my one new menu?

I've got my menu defined under "Partial Customization Files" under the Main Customization File (acad.cuix).

AutoCAD 2017 documentation states, "Save the enterprise CUIx file to a shared network location. When the new enterprise CUIx file is placed on a shared network location, all users that have access to the specified location can access the file."

But it doesn't say HOW to save my work. For instance, if under "Customizations in Main File" I click on custom.cuix, then I click on the Transfer tab, it just pops me back to the acad.cuix file.

Am I explaining myself well enough? What am I not getting? I feel completely lost.

[rkmcswain]

Did you read the link I posted? I thought that pretty much explained it. If not, what steps am I missing? Thanks.

[novice]

Did you read the link I posted? I thought that pretty much explained it. If not, what steps am I missing? Thanks.

Hi rkmcswain. I did read your link and it makes sense for me up through your screenshot with the three red labels you added. My screen looks the same. My custom menu can be found under Partial Customization Files > Custom > Menus > LISP, where "LISP" is my custom menu.

Your next instruction is to load my partial menu. That part doesn't fit for me. My menu is already loaded in the sense that I have full use of my new pull-down menu on my computer. What I want to do at this point is put a file on our server and have other people load it. Or perhaps my menu isn't loaded. If I just follow your instructions and run the MENULOAD command, there is nothing to load. Or, at any rate, I have no idea how to find my .cuix file. I've used the search function to no avail.

Somehow, I did get a file with a .cuix extension put on our server. Two problems though - 1) I don't even know how I did that as the cui interface is so wacky (and who knows if I did the right thing at all - I have no idea if the .cuix file I put there is viable or not), and 2) once I managed to put a .cuix file on our server I tried having a couple people load it and they get this message:

AutoCAD Message
Unable to load customization file:
S:\CAD\Reference\Menus\LISP.cuix
That Customization Group name already exists.

So I look up "customization group name already exists" and I'm told that it's as straightforward as it sounds - there's another menu called "LISP". Except there's not. I even tried renaming my custom menu and it didn't work.

[ChrisCarlson]

I'm missing something.

Everyone is essentially saying the same thing, but I'll quote ChrisCarlson:

"Basically put all the customization stuff in a seperate CUIx file, place it in a shared location, next add that shared directory to your support paths."

But HOW do I make a CUIx file that's just my one new menu?

I've got my menu defined under "Partial Customization Files" under the Main Customization File (acad.cuix).

AutoCAD 2017 documentation states, "Save the enterprise CUIx file to a shared network location. When the new enterprise CUIx file is placed on a shared network location, all users that have access to the specified location can access the file."

But it doesn't say HOW to save my work. For instance, if under "Customizations in Main File" I click on custom.cuix, then I click on the Transfer tab, it just pops me back to the acad.cuix file.

Am I explaining myself well enough? What am I not getting? I feel completely lost.

You're thinking about this too hard. This will make a new blank CUIx file which when loaded will be loaded as a partial customization file. Simply create all your tweaks and custom bits in this new CUI file.

[novice]

I'm missing something.

Everyone is essentially saying the same thing, but I'll quote ChrisCarlson:

"Basically put all the customization stuff in a seperate CUIx file, place it in a shared location, next add that shared directory to your support paths."

But HOW do I make a CUIx file that's just my one new menu?

I've got my menu defined under "Partial Customization Files" under the Main Customization File (acad.cuix).

AutoCAD 2017 documentation states, "Save the enterprise CUIx file to a shared network location. When the new enterprise CUIx file is placed on a shared network location, all users that have access to the specified location can access the file."

But it doesn't say HOW to save my work. For instance, if under "Customizations in Main File" I click on custom.cuix, then I click on the Transfer tab, it just pops me back to the acad.cuix file.

Am I explaining myself well enough? What am I not getting? I feel completely lost.

You're thinking about this too hard. This will make a new blank CUIx file which when loaded will be loaded as a partial customization file. Simply create all your tweaks and custom bits in this new CUI file.

Not hard enough, apparently. So I did what you said. I have a new blank CUIx file. So how do I move all the work I already did to this new file?

[Bryco]

You can right click a partial and saveas to the network.  Then everyone can load that

[ChrisCarlson]

All of that will be done under the transfer menu. Drag and drop, then save. Make sure you remove it from the old CUI container as it will load your toolbars and what not twice.

[novice]

You can right click a partial and saveas to the network.  Then everyone can load that

Right click where? In the cui? I don't get a saveas option when I right click on the menu file I made under Partial Customization Files > Custom > Menus.

[ChrisCarlson]

Don't worry about save as or location right now. Create the new CUI file locally and report back when you have it all setup how you want.

[Bryco]

You rightclick on the partial (Custom) not the Menus).