About Customizing Startup

Command line switches can specify a separate startup routine for each project.

You can use command line switches to specify several options when you start the program. For example, you can run a script, start with a specified drawing template, and display a specified view when a drawing is opened. With command line switches, you can also set up several program icons, each with different start-up options.

Command line switches are parameters you can add to end of the product EXE command line associated with a Microsoft ^® Windows ^® shortcut icon or the Windows Run dialog box. You can include several switches within a single command line. Valid switches are listed in the following table.

Command Line Switch Syntax

The syntax for using command line switches is

"drive:\pathname\[product].exe" ["drawingname"] [/switch "name"]

Follow the switch with a space and then enter the name of a file, path, or view within quotation marks. For example, the following entry starts the program from a folder named AutoCAD 2024 with the drawing template arch1.dwt, restores a named view PLAN1, and executes a script file startup.scr:

"d:\AutoCAD 2024\acad.exe” /t "d:\AutoCAD 2024\templatearch1.dwt" /v "plan1" /b "startup"

The environment settings are resolved in the following way:

• If you use a command line switch to specify an environment setting, the command line switch overrides the settings specified in either the Options dialog box or the environment variable.
• If a command line switch is not set, the corresponding value set in the Options dialog box is used.
• If neither a command line switch nor an Options value is set, the environment variable value is used.

Note: Command line switches and environment variables override values set in the Options dialog box for the current session only. They do not alter the system registry.