Make Civil 3D use YOUR Template File… Save your template(s) to a central location or simply copy your template into the default template location. Open AutoCAD Civil 3D and enter the Options dialog box. You can get to Options by entering OP or OPTIONS at the command line, you can right-click on the command line and pick Options… from the shortcut menu or you can pick the Options button at the bottom of the Application Menu. In the Options dialog box, activate the Files tab, find the Template Settings collection.

1. Drawing Template File Location This location points to the FOLDER where the template files reside. For instance, if you’ve placed your templates in the following folder; P:\CIVIL3D\TEMPLATES\ The TEMPLATES folder would be the location you’ll need to point this setting to.

2. Default Template File Name for QNEW This setting points to the actual template you’d like to use as the standard template. When you open Civil 3D for the first time, Drawing 1.dwg is based off of this template. When you use the QNEW command, this template is used to create the new drawing. This setting will point to your custom template, inside of the folder that was set in the first step.

This is where the QNEW command resides on the Quick Access Toolbar. After setting the template paths, using this command or entering QNEW at the command line will start a new drawing based on your custom template.

This is the NEW command. Using this command will open up a dialog box that will always start in the location set in step 1 on the previous page, the default template file location. This gives you the ability to create a new drawing based on a different template than the standard. You can also enter NEW at the command line. Now Civil 3D should be set up to use your custom template. Any old files that you’ve already started but would like to get your styles into will need to have the template file inserted. Since you cannot insert a .dwt file into an AutoCAD drawing, the template will need to be made into a drawing. Start a new file based on your template and save it. You can insert the saved file into the old drawings you’d like to use your styles with.