Tool Palette client applications organize their tools in catalogs. Tools within a catalog are represented by a set of icons on a tray, or palette. The client application must define the tool catalog, the tool palettes, and the individual tools. Tool catalog content may be organized further into optional structures known as packages and categories.
The Tool Palette API's COM interfaces expose your tool palette functionality to AutoCAD. Each Tool Palette client application must implement interfaces to represent its tools. These interfaces handle the communication between your tool-defining application and AutoCAD by providing access to required objects and properties. You use Tool Palette ObjectARX classes to implement the functionality that lies beneath these interfaces.