Appendix A: Creating Template Files

INTRODUCTION

Companies using AutoCAD are always looking for better ways to:
Unify their work to a certain standard (homemade or international).
Speed up the process of producing a drawing.
The answer to these two issues is to create template files.
Template files will ensure that all the pre-made settings for the drawings are already done in the templates, which will cut production time by at least 30%.
Templates will also ensure that all users within a company are using the same source.
Template files have the *.dwt extension.

These are the elements included in a template file:
- Drawing units
- Drawing limits
- Grid and Snap settings
- OSNAP settings
- POLAR settings
- Layers
- Linetypes
- Text Styles
- Dimension Styles
- Table Styles
- Layouts (including Border blocks and Viewports)
- Page Setups
- Plot Style tables
Note
There is no need to include blocks in the template file, but rather store them in files (each category in a separate file such as Architectural, Civil, Mechanical, etc.).
You can't save Tool Palettes inside a template file as Tool Palettes are available for all files on a computer.

Start AutoCAD.
Do the paperwork to prepare the above mentioned settings. This step may involve consultation with other people who operate AutoCAD in the company.
Create a new file using the simplest template file acad.dwt.
The new file will contain the minimum drawing requirements.
Build inside this file all the above mentioned elements.
Once...

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