To Create Part Catalogs in Catalog Editor

You can create custom part catalogs in Catalog Editor. Custom part catalogs can serve as company-specific or project-specific catalogs. They can also be used to limit the number of available parts during part selection. It is recommended that custom part catalogs be created by a CAD manager or other user who is experienced with Catalog Editor.

To simplify catalog creation and to ensure that you create valid parts, create new parts by copying parts from an existing catalog into your new catalog and then modifying the part data.

Attention: To facilitate the process of upgrading to a new version of AutoCAD MEP 2023 toolset, your custom catalogs should contain all of your custom parts; do not add custom parts to the catalogs provided with the software. When you upgrade, this allows you to easily move all of your custom catalog content as a whole to the catalog folders for the new version (where new versions of the catalogs provided with the software are also located). You can use both types of catalogs during layout if you specify multiple catalogs for a domain, as described in Specifying Part Catalogs and Style-Based Content Locations.

To create a catalog in Catalog Editor

1. If necessary, open the Catalog Editor.
2. In the Catalog Editor, click (New Catalog) on the toolbar. Alternatively, click File menu New.
3. In the New Catalog dialog box, define the new part catalog:

   To define the…	then…
   domain type of the catalog	select a domain for Domain Name.
   name of the catalog	enter a value for Catalog Name. The catalog name you specify is the name of the Autodesk product catalog (APC) file that you access through the MEP Catalogs tab in the Options dialog box when you load the catalog into your drawing.
   description of the catalog	enter a value for Catalog Description.
   directory location of the catalog	browse to and select a directory location for Catalog Root Directory.

4. Click OK.
5. Customize the catalog:

   If you want to…	then in the tree view…
   add a chapter	right-click the catalog or chapter, click Insert Chapter, enter a name, and press Enter.
   copy a chapter or part	right-click the chapter or part, click Copy, and then right-click another chapter and click Paste. You can also copy and paste chapters and parts between part catalogs when multiple sessions of Catalog Editor are open. When you copy and paste a chapter, the Catalog Editor copies and pastes the entire chapter, including its part families.
   move a chapter or part	right-click the chapter or part, click Cut, and then right-click another chapter and click Paste. You can also cut and paste chapters and parts between part catalogs when multiple sessions of Catalog Editor are open.
   delete a chapter	right-click a chapter, and click Delete.
   delete a part	right-click a part family, and click Delete.
   rename a chapter or part	right-click the chapter or part family, click Rename, enter the new name, and press Enter.

   Tip: You can also access commands from menus and the toolbar.
6. In the Catalog Editor, click . Alternatively, click File menu Save.

   The software validates the new part and regenerates the catalog.

   When you save the catalog, the software validates all parts in the entire catalog structure and then regenerates the catalog by updating the APC file. You can only use a part catalog in AutoCAD MEP 2023 toolset if it has been regenerated successfully.