There are several ways to start a new drawing in AutoCAD. By default, when you open AutoCAD, you’ll see the Start screen. Within this screen, you’ll find several buttons that you can use to start a new drawing. See the image below:
This is an explanation of each of the methods above:
1. “New” from Application Menu
The “New” button from application menu has the same function as the shortcut Ctrl+N.
If we start a new drawing from this button, we’ll automatically redirected to the template storage folder and asked to select a template to start the new drawing. Choose a template that suits your needs.
Tip: If you don’t have your own template, you can use a ready-to-use AutoCAD template. To do this, once you’re redirected to the template storage folder, open the SheetSets folder. Select the metric template if you’re creating a drawing in millimeters, or the imperial template if you’re creating a drawing in inches.
2. “New” from Quick Access Toolbar
The “New” button in the Quick Access Toolbar has the same function as the QNEW command.
If you start a new drawing from this button, it will automatically use the default template.
However, if you haven’t specified a default template, this button will function like the “New” button in the application menu, redirecting you to the template folder and prompting you to select a template manually.
You can specify the default template in the Options dialog box by going to Files > Template Settings > Default Template File Name for QNEW.
3. New Drawing from File Tabs
New Drawing button or the + (plus) button in the File Tabs area functions to start a new drawing instantly.
If we start a new drawing from that button, and we’ve already defined a default template for QNEW, the new drawing will automatically use the default template. However, if we haven’t defined a default template, the new drawing will use the template last used in the previous drawing.
4. Start Drawing from Start Screen
The “Start Drawing” button on the Start Screen is often the first choice due to its easy-to-see location.
However, it’s important to note that below the Start Drawing button is a template dropdown menu. From this dropdown menu, you can select a template to use to start a new drawing.
A common mistake is starting a new drawing from the “Start Drawing” button on the Start screen without first selecting a template. If the template used does not match the drawing requirements, it can cause problems, such as incorrect dimensional units, etc.
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