AutoCAD 2009/2010: Quick Tip No.2 - Workspaces

Here is AutoCAD 2009/2010: Quick Tip No.2!

 

When you open AutoCAD 2009 for the first time, you will notice a very different user interface. At the top of the screen, you now have a ribbon. Now, some of you have expressed an opinion that you don’t want to use the ribbon as you are so used to toolbars. Well, the toolbars are still there, you just need to find them!

 

If you look on the status bar (at the bottom right of the AutoCAD window/screen), you will see an icon that looks a bit like a gearwheel or cog (as shown below).

 

 

 

 

Click on that icon (labelled “Workspace switching”) and a small shortcut menu appears (again, see below). The current workspace is the ribbon and this is represented by the 2D Drafting & Annotation workspace (the tick symbol tells you it is the current workspace).

 

 

 

 

 

To get back to your beloved icon toolbars (like in previous versions of AutoCAD before 2009), simply select the AutoCAD Classic workspace from the list by clicking on it. This will take you back to the older AutoCAD user interface with pulldown menus and icon toolbars, just like I have shown below.

 

 

 

 

If you want to get back to the ribbon interface, just click on the pulldown menu on the Workspace toolbar (as shown) and you can the select the 2D Drafting & Annotation workspace again! Easy when you know where to find it!

 

 

Happy AutoCAD'ing!

 

SB

Comments

[Karl Hill]

Shaun,
I really like your Quick Tips. They get down to the basics about some of the commands that some of us have either forgotten about (long time users)or some have never figured out yet (new users). Either way, I enjoy checking in on your site for a refreshing Quick tip, and the Autodesk Exchange is great. Thanks for your work.