CUI compatibility

Jef

I know CUI files from AutoCAD can be used in BricsCAD. However, if I make changes in this file with BricsCAD, will this menufile still work in AutoCAD? What are the limitations here?

Terry Dotson

We do all our ribbon and menu creation in ACAD's CUI command. Then using BricsCAD MENULOAD we select that partial menu CUIx file and BricsCAD quickly creates .CUI / .RESx files. After that read operation, BricsCAD never touches the CUIx file again, so the .CUIx loads in ACAD, the CUI/RESx loads in BricsCAD. Only takes a couple seconds whenever we update our CUIx file to update the .CUI/RESx.

Jason Bourhill

My experience has been that AutoCAD -> BricsCAD menu works fine. The icons will be missing for any tools that reference AutoCAD built-in ones.

I've found that BricsCAD -> AutoCAD menu conversion is problematic. Last time I tried this, I found it was easier to recreate the menu in AutoCAD from scratch.

If you're looking to support both platforms, then you're best to follow Terry's advice. Be design, BricsCAD will gracefully deal with the majority of customisations created in AutoCAD.


Regards,
Jason Bourhill
BricsCAD V22 Ultimate
CAD Concepts

Wiebe van der Worp

I've created this page: https://vanderworp.org/cui/

Not tested with AutoCAD but I think it works there too. If not, I'll update the code.

ALANH

Wiebe van der Worp

Like the approach of using Excel to make menu's.

Having made mnu's for like 40+ years I have stayed away from using the CUI editor rather making custom menu's, the only one I could not make was the Ribbon but your Excel should get around that.

On advantage in a custom menu is works in all tested Cad platforms just using a MNU file and Menuload. Acad, Bricscad & Intellicad. ZWcad.

Latter on now have a Install lsp file that uses a zip file and does the menuload and setting paths as part of the install.

Wiebe van der Worp

Tested in AutoCAD… Works too. See URL for more, I wrote:

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Command “Options” provides a location for “Custom Icons” via the first tab. You need to rename the file “MyMenu.resz” discussed here to “MyMenu.zip” and extract it at that location.

Make sure “MyMenu.cui” is in the search path and load the “MyMenu.cui” menu using the “CUILoad” command. AutoCAD will then turn it into a compressed .CUIX file.

When you extract “MyMenu.cuix”, you can conclude that everything is in one file, i.e. XML plus PNGs. So the PNG files you extracted earlier can be deleted.

Within the set of XML files you will find “Macros” in “MenuGroup.cui” again. The “Toolbars” section is in file “ToolbarRoot.cui”. The syntax is slightly different but translating MyMenu.cui to MyMenu.cuix goes pretty well in AutoCAD, producing the same set of toolbars and buttons.

In conclusion, you can therefore use the method described on this page very well for AutoCAD too.

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