You can define a project tool palette group and specify a Content Browser library to be associated with the project. Then, each time the Content Browser opens from the Project Navigator palette, the project library is displayed.
Project Tool Palette Group
Each project may have a specific tool palette group (ATC files) associated with it. Depending on how you created the project, the tool palette group can be created and displayed in different ways.
For a new project, the project tool palette group is empty by default, unless the project settings point to an existing palette group.
Tool Content Root Path
Setting a tool content root path can help you keep your tools consistent if the project or the standards drawings are moved during the project life cycle.
When tools on the project tool palettes point to the tool content root path specified in the project settings, the content root path is created as a variable (%AECPROJECT_DIR%) in the XML definition of the tool. When the tool content root path in the project settings is changed, the path of the tools is changed accordingly.
For example, if all project tools point to content stored under <Project Root Folder>\Standards\Content\Content 1\, you can move the content to <Project Root Folder>\Standards\Content\Content 2\, adjust the tool content root path in the project setup accordingly, and all tools will now point correctly to <Project Root Folder>\Standards\Content\Content 2.
Another example is if a user creates an eTransmit package of the project and its tool content files in order to work offline. When the eTransmit package is unpacked on the local computer, the tool content root path can be redirected to a different drive, and all content remains valid.
Later, when the drawings the user modified offline are copied back to the main project on the P server, the content root path will automatically change back to P:\<Project Root Folder>\Standards\Content\Content\, because this is the path of the original APJ file.
Project Content Browser Library
For a large project, the CAD manager may want to set up a Content Browser library on a shared network volume, so that all project users have quick access to standard tools. When the Content Browser opens from the Project Navigator palette, the library associated with the project will automatically open.
- On the Quick Access toolbar, click Project Browser
.
- In the project selector, select the project for which to define the settings, right-click, and click Project Properties.
The Project Properties dialog box is displayed.
- Under Tool Palettes, specify the location for the project tool palette group. You can select a local folder or a network folder.
If you do not specify a location, the following default behavior is automatically selected based on how you created your project:
Project Type Tool Palette Group File Location Project Tool Palette Group Legacy project from Architectural Desktop 2005/2006 pointing to new empty ATC file under <ProjectName>\Standards\WorkspaceToolPalettes\ <ProjectName>.atc Created, but not displayed. New project not based on a template pointing to new empty ATC file under <ProjectName>\Standards\WorkspaceToolPalettes\<ProjectName>.atc Created, but not displayed. New project based on default AutoCAD Architecture toolset template project pointing to new ATC file under <ProjectName>\Standards\WorkspaceToolPalettes\<ProjectName>.atc. By default, one empty tool palette is already inserted. Created and displayed with empty default tool palette. New project based on user-defined existing template project If the tool palette group of the template project is located within the template project folder, it will be copied with all contained palettes to the corresponding folder of the new project. The tool palette file location of the new project will point to the copied tool palette group.
If the tool palette group of the template project is located outside the template project folder, the tool palette file location of the new project will point to the same location, sharing the tool palette group with the template project.
Displayed as either copied tool palette group or referenced tool palette group - For Project Tool Palette Group, select Shared Workspace Catalog, Per User Workspace Catalog, or None.
If you select Shared Workspace Catalog, the path selected for Tool Palette Group is added to your project profile (AWS), and the tool catalog is accessed from the specified location. If you select Per User Workspace Catalog, a folder is created under C:\My Documents\Autodesk\My Projects\<project name> and the tool palettes are copied to that folder. If you select None, the project tool palette group is disabled for this project, and the other properties under Tool Palettes do not display.
- For Tool Content Root Path, you can specify a root path for the tools used in the project tool palette group. When tools on project palettes are created with the tool content root path specified in the project setup, the content root path is created as a variable (%AECPROJECT_DIR%). When the tool content root path in the project setup is changed, and the referenced style drawings are moved to the new location, the path of the project tools is changed accordingly.
Note: When a project is repathed, and the content root path is within the project folder, it will be repathed accordingly.Danger: When you repath a project that was saved in a version of AutoCAD Architecture prior to 2010, the drawings are saved in the new file format. You will no longer be able to open these drawings in a version of AutoCAD Architecture prior to 2010. Synchronizing a project with the project standards will also save the project drawings in the new file format.
- For Content Browser Library, select the default Content Browser Library (CBL) to be displayed when the Content Browser is opened from the Project Navigator.
- Click OK to return to the Project Browser.