Creating a Template

Creating a Template
The following exercise guides you through creating and using a template drawing for your studio’s
kitchenette. Because the kitchenette will use the same layers, settings, scale, and sheet size as the
bathroom drawing, you can use the
Bath
file as a prototype. Follow these steps:
1.
Start AutoCAD in the usual way.
2.
Choose File 
Open to open the Select File dialog box.
3.
Locate the
Bath
file you created in the last chapter. You can also use the file
06-bath.dwg
.
4.
Click the Erase button on the Modify toolbar, or enter
e
↵
; then, type
all
↵
. This erases all the
objects that make up the bathroom; but other elements, such as layers, linetypes, and stored
blocks, remain in the drawing.
5.
Choose File 
Save As to open the Save Drawing As dialog box. Open the File Of Type dropdown
list, and select AutoCAD Drawing Template (*.dwt). The file list window changes to
display the current template files in the
\Template\
folder.
TIP
When you choose the AutoCAD Drawing Template option in the Save Drawing As dialog box,
AutoCAD automatically opens the folder containing the template files. The standard AutoCAD
installation creates the folder named
Template
to contain the template files. If you want to place
your templates in a different folder, you can change the default template location by using the
Options dialog box (choose Tools 
Options). Click the Files tab, double-click to expand Template
Settings, and then double-click Drawing Template File Location in the list. Double-click the
folder name that appears just below Template Drawing File Location; then, select a new location
from the Browse For Folder dialog box that appears.
6.
In the File Name text box, enter the name
Arch8x11h
. If you’re a metric user, enter the
name
A4plan
.
7.
Click Save to open the Template Description dialog box.


8.
Enter the following description:
Architectural one inch scale drawing on 8
1
⁄
2
by 11 inch media
.
Metric users should enter the description
Architectural 1:10 scale drawing on A4 media
.
9.
Select English or Metric from the Measurement drop-down list, depending on the unit
system you’re using.
10.
Click OK to save your new file and create a template. The template file you saved becomes
the current file. (As with other Windows programs, choosing File 
Save As makes the
saved file current.) This also shows that you can edit template files just as you would regular
drawing files.
11.
Close the template file.