by Dennis Collin
AutoCAD can be started in several ways, from clicking on a file within Windows Explorer, via the windows application menu or a shortcut icon on your taskbar or desktop.
Fig 1. AutoCAD Architecture is just plain AutoCAD with a custom profile and a few little extras!
AutoCAD Architecture (ACA) is one of the vertical AutoCAD toolsets and has quite a lengthy command string which loads AutoCAD with a lot of extra functions. These can be useful if working in an Architectural Practice. There are also Mechanical, Plant and Electrical flavours of AutoCAD which also have industry specific tools, including AutoCAD Raster Design which is useful for any organisation which needs to work with scanned drawings.
The target field shown in the image above, shows a link to AutoCAD Architecture application along with a range of switches that load extra applications and apply some bespoke settings.
If this icon needs to be customised, to enable some bespoke settings or have AutoCAD Architecture to behave more in a ‘vanilla’ fashion, this string can be customised to suit.
In the Desktop shortcut AutoCAD Architecture’s target command string looks something like this;
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2024\acad.exe" /ld "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2024\AecBase.dbx" /p "AutoCAD Architecture (UK)" /product "ACA" /language "en-US"
But if a plain AutoCAD icon is required, create a Desktop shortcut icon and set the target command string to:
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2024\acad.exe"
The descriptive comment can also be edited to suit. The oblique symbol ‘/’ is a switch and is used to enable or disable certain AutoCAD features for specific workflows or diagnostic purposes. This switch is optional but is commonly used to load bespoke user settings or when using vertical toolset flavours of AutoCAD.
/language for example, sets the desired language
/p loads a specific user profile which has AutoCAD configured to a specific user requirement. In AutoCAD Architecture there is a ‘vanilla’ AutoCAD profile which will make ACA run and behave as plain AutoCAD.
Fig 2. AutoCAD Architecture has several user profiles, the most relevant ones are highlighted.
Typical syntax is the switch with the name of the profile or setting or a file folder location in quotation marks “
E.g. "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2024\acad.exe" /p” AutoCAD” /nologo /b “Cadline Startup Script”
This string will run AutoCAD with a vanilla style profile, no splash screen and will execute a bespoke script to perform some repetitive tasks.
Some other common switches are listed below:
- /t 'template file name'
- /ld ‘path name for arx/dbx application’
- /v 'View name' - specify a named view for display at startup
- /w 'Workspace name' - specify bespoke ribbon, icon interface layout
- /nologo disables logo, for slightly improved startup time
- /safemode disables all executable code for diagnostic purposes
- /nohardware disables hardware acceleration
- /b 'script name' specifies a script to be run after the program is started. (b refers to batch process)
Simply add these to the command string and ensure that any path locations are valid and contained within quotation marks.
Alternatively, within the AutoCAD options menu, choose the profiles tab, select the Vanilla AutoCAD profile and set to current. This should be remembered for future AutoCAD sessions, unless AutoCAD’s shortcut icon specifies an explicit user profile in the target field.
Whilst AutoCAD might be a more familiar environment, for many users, the AutoCAD Architecture (ACA) toolset can prove useful in certain circumstances. I will go through some of these features in a future post.