{"id":1391,"date":"2016-01-16T00:17:05","date_gmt":"2016-01-16T08:17:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com/blogs\/autocad\/?p=1391"},"modified":"2020-04-07T14:49:00","modified_gmt":"2020-04-07T21:49:00","slug":"bootstrap-autocad-deployments-customizations-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com/blogs\/autocad\/bootstrap-autocad-deployments-customizations-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Bootstrap AutoCAD Deployments for Customizations (2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Bootstrap AutoCAD Deployments for Customizations\u00a0Part 1<\/a>, I introduced the idea of deploying AutoCAD\u00ae so that your customizations are available to your users. This method is applicable no matter how many users you support.<\/p>\n

OK, first the basics. There are two parts to every AutoCAD installation: the admin-level install and the user-level install.\u00a0The admin-level install needs to be run only once per machine, and is often considered to be the deployment.<\/p>\n

If AutoCAD required only the admin-level install, I wouldn\u2019t be writing this series of blog posts. There are lots of tools out there for admin-level deployment modifications.<\/p>\n

Regular AutoCAD deployments: The secondary installer<\/h2>\n

Because AutoCAD includes user-specific settings\u00a0and files, when the application runs for the first time, per user, it launches a secondary installer. It is this secondary installer that creates headaches for many companies creating an AutoCAD deployment strategy.<\/p>\n

The secondary installer creates user-specific folders and files critical to the user’s experience. For example, the CUIx files that store the information for the AutoCAD user interface, including the Ribbon, are unique files for each user on the computer.<\/p>\n

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AutoCAD 2016 secondary installer hard at work during deployment.<\/p><\/div>\n

If IT simply accepts the AutoCAD install defaults, every user will have a consistent experience, and IT will have an easier time of things. But running AutoCAD with no customizations is like driving a no-frills economy car. Sure, it gets the job done. But you\u2019ll get there more quickly and comfortably if you were driving a convertible sports car.<\/p>\n

Customization deployment options<\/h2>\n

Can you package enough customizations into the deployment and call it a day? Not really: this approach will not accommodate future modifications. In my experience, you will almost certainly need to make several modifications within a year\u2019s time\u2014and that\u2019s just not reasonable for IT. The updates will be tedious at best and nearly impossible at worst.<\/p>\n

So what is the resolution?<\/p>\n

I will describe several scenarios. Pick the one you like. I know which one I like. I’m betting you\u2019ll like it too and will stay tuned for the next installment.<\/p>\n

IT “I’m going to ignore customizations” deployments<\/h3>\n

This scenario goes like this:<\/p>\n