Save and Restore Interface Settings (Profiles)

Save and Restore Interface Settings (Profiles)

Profiles store drawing environment settings. You can create profiles for different users or projects, and you can share profiles by importing and exporting them as files.

Profiles store settings such as the following:

• Default search and project file paths
• Template file locations
• Initial folder specified in file navigation dialog boxes
• Default linetype and hatch pattern files
• Printer defaults

Profile information is typically set on the Files tab of the Options dialog box, stored in the system registry, and can be exported to a text file (an ARG file).

Use Profiles for Shared Computers or Different Projects

Use the Profiles tab in the Options dialog box to create and save your drawing environment settings as a profile. If you share your workstation with other users who use the same login name, you can restore your options by making the profile current. You can also create and save profiles to use with different projects. By default, your current options are stored in a profile named <<Unnamed Profile>>. The current profile name, as well as the current drawing name, are displayed in the Options dialog box.

Transfer Profiles between Computers

Once you save a profile, you can export or import the ARG file to and from different computers. This is useful for copying, restoring, or standardizing project-oriented work environments over a network.
If you make changes to your current profile during a work session and you want to save those changes in an ARG file, you must re-export the profile. When you export the profile with the current profile name, the ARG file is updated with the new settings.
For more information about profiles, see OPTIONS in the Command Reference.

Customize the Default Profile with Initial Setup

When using Initial Setup, a new profile is created based on the profile named <<Unnamed profile>>, or the current profile if <<Unnamed profile>> does not exist. The new profile created is named Initial Setup Profile, and is assigned the industry and default drawing template selected from Initial Setup. For more information on Initial Setup, see Customize AutoCAD with Initial Setup in the Stand-Alone Installation Guide.