Refer to page 2-19 to open an existing drawing file.
How to start a new drawing
1. Select the New tool from the Quick Access Toolbar.
2. Select either the inch-helper.dwt or the metric-helper.dwt from the list of templates.
Note : If you do not have these templates, refer to page 2-2 for instructions.
3. Select the Open button.
Opening an Existing Drawing File
Opening an Existing Drawing File means that you would like to open, on to the screen, a drawing that has been previously created and saved. Usually you are opening it to continue working on it or you need to make some changes.
1. Select the Open tool on the Quick Access Toolbar.
2. Locate the Directory and Folder in which the file had previously been saved.
3. Select the File that you wish to open.
4. Select the Open button.
The File Tabs tool allows you to have multiple drawings open at the same time. If the File Tabs tool is switched on (on by default), you can open existing saved drawings or create new ones.
The File Tabs tool is located on the Interface Panel of the View Tab, and is a Neon Blue color when switched on.
How to open an existing saved drawing from the File Tabs
1. Right mouse click on the “+” icon.
2. Select Open from the menu.
3. Locate the Directory and Folder for the previously saved file. (Refer to page 2-19.)
4. Select the File you wish to open.
5. Select the Open button.
How to open a new drawing from the Files Tab.
1. Right mouse click on any File Tab and select New from the menu.
2. Select Drawing Template (*.dwt) from the Files of type drop-down list.
3. Select the Template you require.
4. Select the Open button.
Note:
If you right mouse click on any File Tab, a menu appears with various options, including closing all open drawing tabs except the one you just clicked on.
You can also start a new drawing using the default template by left clicking on the “+” icon.
The File Tabs drawing previews allow you to quickly change between open drawings. If you hover your mouse over any open File Tab, a preview of the Model and the Layout Tabs are displayed. You can click on any of the previews to take you to that particular open drawing or view, as shown in the example below.
If an asterisk is displayed on a File Tab, it means that particular drawing has not been saved since it was last modified. The asterisk will disappear when the drawing has been saved. An example of having two separate drawings open that have not been saved is shown below.
After starting a new drawing, it is best practice to save it immediately. Learning how to save a drawing correctly is almost more important than making the drawing. If you can’t save correctly, you will lose the drawing and hours of work.
There are 2 commands for saving a drawing: Save and Save As. I prefer to use Save As.
The Save As command always pauses to allow you to choose where you want to store the file and what name to assign to the file. This may seem like a small thing, but it has saved me many times from saving a drawing on top of another drawing by mistake.
The Save command will automatically save the file either back to where you retrieved it or where you last saved a previous drawing. Neither may be the correct destination. And may replace a file with the same name. So play it safe, use Save As for now.
1. Select the Save As command using one of the following:
Quick Access Toolbar =
or
Application Menu = Save As / Drawing
or
Keyboard = SA <Enter>
If you turn the automatic save option on, your drawing is saved at specified time intervals. These temporary files are automatically deleted when a drawing closes normally. The default save time is every 10 minutes. You may change the save time Intervals and where you would prefer the Automatic Save files to be saved.
How to set the Automatic Save intervals
1. Type options and then press <Enter>
2. Select the Open and Save Tab.
3. Enter the desired minutes between saves.
4. Select the OK button.
How to change the Automatic Save location
1.