Files Tab (Options Dialog Box)

Lists the folders in which the program searches for support, driver, menu, and other files. Also lists optional, user-defined settings such as which dictionary to use for checking spelling.

Paths are searched in the order that they are listed in the Options dialog box. If the same file exists in different folders, then the first instance found is used.

List of Options

The following options are displayed.

Browse

Displays the Browse for Folder or Select a File dialog box (a standard file selection dialog box), in which you can specify a new location for the folder or file selected in the list.

Support File Search Path

Specifies the folders in which the program should look for text fonts, customization files, application plug-ins, drawings to insert, linetypes, and hatch patterns that are not in the current folder. For security purposes, it is strongly recommended that you specify trusted folders for executable files using the Trusted Locations list below.

Working Support File Search Path

Not available in AutoCAD LT

Displays the active directories that the program searches for support files specific to your system. The list is read-only and displays valid paths from the Support Files Search Path that exist within the current directory structure and network mappings.

Trusted Locations

Not available or necessary in AutoCAD LT

Specifies the folders from where AutoCAD can load and execute files that contain code. The C:\Program Files\ and the C:\Program Files (x86)\ folders, including their subfolders, are automatically trusted. (TRUSTEDPATHS system variable)

Note: This node can be locked by your CAD administrator.

Device Driver File Search Path

Specifies the search path for device drivers for the video display, pointing devices, printers, and plotters.

Caution: Do NOT remove DRV path and always add paths as secondary paths.

Project Files Search Path

Not available in AutoCAD LT

Specifies a project name for the drawing. The project name corresponds to a search path for external reference (xref) files associated with the project. You can create any number of project names with associated folders, but each drawing can have only one project name. (PROJECTNAME system variable)

Customization Files

Specifies the names and locations of various types of files.

Main Customization File

Specifies the default location of the main customization file (acad.cuix or acadlt.cuix).

Enterprise Customization File

Specifies the location of an enterprise customization file.

Custom Icon Location

Specifies the location for custom icons used in customization files.

Help and Miscellaneous File Names

Specifies the names and locations of various types of files.

Help File

Specifies the location of the local Help file. (HELPPREFIX system variable)

Note: The HELPPREFIX system variable is not available in AutoCAD LT. The Help file location can be only be changed from the Files tab of the Options dialog box.
Default Internet Location

Specifies the default Internet location used by both the BROWSER command and the Browse the Web button on the Web toolbar.

Configuration File

Not available in AutoCAD LT

Specifies the location of the configuration file used to store hardware device driver information. This value is read-only and can be changed only by using the /c command line switch. See the topic, About Customizing Startup.

Text Editor, Dictionary, and Font File Names

Specifies a number of optional settings.

Text Editor Application

Sets the application for editing multiline text objects. (MTEXTED system variable)

Main Dictionary

Displays the three letter keyword for the current main spelling dictionary. (DCTMAIN system variable)

Custom Dictionary File

Displays the path and file name of the current custom spelling dictionary. (DCTCUST system variable)

Alternate Font File

Specifies the alternate font to be used when the specified font file cannot be located. (FONTALT system variable)

If you click Browse, the Alternate Font dialog box is displayed, from which you can choose an available font.

Font Mapping File

Specifies the font mapping file to be used. (FONTMAP system variable)

Print File, Spooler, and Prolog Section Names

Specifies settings related to plotting.

Plot File Name for Legacy Plotting Scripts

Specifies a default name for the temporary plot files used with plotting scripts created with AutoCAD Release 14 or earlier. The default name is the drawing name plus the .plt file extension. The default name used with AutoCAD 2000 and later drawings is the drawing name-layout name plus the .plt file name extension. Some plotting device drivers, however, use a different plot file extension.

Print Spool Executable

Specifies the application to use for print spooling. You can enter the executable file name as well as any command line arguments you want to use. For example, you can enter myspool.bat %s to spool plot files to myspool.bat and have a unique plot file name automatically generated. See the topic About Using AutoSpool.

PostScript Prolog Section Name

Present for legacy reasons only. Autodesk has dropped active support of PostScript and the PSIN, PSOUT, and PSPROLOG commands.

Printer Support File Path

Specifies search path settings for printer support files. Settings with multiple paths are searched in the specified order.

Print Spooler File Location

Specifies the path for print spool files.

Printer Configuration Search Path

Specifies the path for printer configuration files (PC3 files).

Printer Description File Search Path

Specifies the path for files with a .pmp file extension, or printer description files.

Plot Style Table Search Path

Specifies the path for files with an .stb or .ctb extension, or plot style table files (both named plot style tables and color-dependent plot style tables).

Automatic Save File Location

Specifies the path for the file created when you select Automatic Save on the Open and Save tab. (SAVEFILEPATH system variable)

Color Book Locations

Specifies the path for color book files that can be used when specifying colors in the Select Color dialog box. You can define multiple folders for each path specified. This option is saved with the user profile.

PDF Import Image Location

Specifies the folder where referenced image files are extracted and saved when importing PDF files.

Data Sources Location

Not available in AutoCAD LT

Specifies the path for database source files. Changes to this setting do not take effect until you close and restart the program.

Template Settings

Specifies the drawing template settings.

Drawing Template File Location

Specifies the path to locate drawing template files used by the Start Up wizard and New dialog box.

Sheet Set Template File Location

Specifies the path to locate sheet set template files used by the Create Sheet Set wizard.

Default Template File Name for QNEW

Specifies the drawing template file used by the QNEW command.

Default Template for Sheet Creation and Page Setup Overrides

Specifies the default template file that is used for creating new sheets and to store page setup overrides that can be applied to Publish operations from the Sheet Set Manager.

Tool Palettes File Locations

Specifies the path for tool palette support files.

Authoring Palette File Locations

Specifies the path for the Block Authoring Palettes support files. Block Authoring Palettes are used in the Block Editor and provide tools for creating dynamic blocks.

Log File Location

Specifies the path for the log file created when you select Maintain a Log File on the Open and Save tab. (LOGFILEPATH system variable)

Action Recorder Settings

Not available in AutoCAD LT

Specifies the locations used to store recorded action macros or where additional action macros are located for playback.

Actions Recording File Location

Specifies the path used to store new action macros. (ACTRECPATH system variable)

Additional Actions Reading File Locations

Specifies the additional paths to use when locating available action macros for playback. (ACTPATH system variable)

Plot and Publish Log File Location

Specifies the path for the log file that is created if you select the Automatically Save Plot and Publish Log option on the Plot and Publish tab.

Temporary Drawing File Location

Specifies the location to store temporary files. This program creates temporary files and then deletes them when you exit the program. If you plan to run the program from a write-protected folder (for example, if you are working on a network or opening files from a CD), specify an alternate location for your temporary files. The folder you specify must not be write-protected.

Windows has a character limit of 255 for the combined file name and path length of temporary files. You can modify this limit from the Options dialog box, Files tab, under Temporary Drawing File Location.

The TEMPPREFIX system variable (read-only) stores the current location of temporary drawing files. (Not available in AutoCAD LT)

Temporary External Reference File Location

Creates a path for storing temporary copies of demand-loaded xref files. (XLOADPATH system variable)

Texture Maps Search Path

Not available in AutoCAD LT

Specifies the folders to search for rendering texture maps.

Web File Search Path

Not available in AutoCAD LT

Specifies the folders to search for photometric web files.

i-drop Associated File Location

Not available in AutoCAD LT

Specifies the location of data files associated with i-drop content. When the location is not specified, the location of the current drawing file is used.

DGN Mapping Setups Location

Specifies the location of the dgnsetups.ini file where DGN mapping setups are stored. This location must exist and have read/write permissions for DGN commands to function normally.

Browse

Displays the Browse for Folder or Select a File dialog box, depending on what you selected in the List of Folders and Files.

Add

Adds a search path for the selected folder.

Remove

Removes the selected search path or file.

Move Up

Moves the selected search path above the preceding search path.

Move Down

Moves the selected search path below the following search path.

Set Current

Makes the selected project or spelling dictionary current.