Managing the Interface

Owned by Andre Neumann
Aug 04, 2020
7 min read

Use the Interface page of the Customize dialog box to create and modify quick access toolbars, ribbon tabs and panels, menus, and toolbars.

You can rearrange existing items, add new items, and modify entries and command sequences associated with them.

To remove a UI item, select it and click Remove.

Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar is a small toolbar that lets you access frequently used commands.

To manage quick access toolbars:

  1. Click Tools > Customize Interface (or type Customize).

  2. In the Customize dialog box, click Interface.

  3. Expand Quick Access Toolbars.

  4. In Quick Access Toolbar, select whether to display All Quick Access Toolbars of the current customization source or a specific quick access toolbar.

  5. Expand the quick access toolbar you want to edit. The command entries of the toolbar and their icons display.

  6. Click Show command explorer to expand the Command Explorer.

  7. In Command Explorer, select a command entry and drag it to the quick access toolbar.

  8. Use the Find box to type a search string to reduce the entries in the Command Explorer.

To create a new quick access toolbar:

  1. In the Customize dialog box, expand Quick Access Toolbars.

  2. In the list of quick access toolbars, right-click and click New Quick Access Toolbar. A new quick access toolbar is added to the list.

  3. Right-click the quick access toolbar and click Rename to edit the name.

  4. Add command items to the quick access toolbar.

To add commands to a quick access toolbar:

  1. In the Customize dialog box, expand a quick access toolbar.

  2. Navigate to the location in the quick access toolbar where you want to place the new item.

  3. Click Show command explorer to expand the Command Explorer.

  4. In Command Explorer, select a command entry and drag it to the quick access toolbar.

To rename an entry in a quick access toolbar:

  1. In the Customize dialog box, expand a quick access toolbar.

  2. Right-click the entry to rename and click Rename.

  3. Type new text for the quick access toolbar entry.
    Note: The command sequence behind the entry does not change.

To delete an entry from a quick access toolbar:

  1. In the Customize dialog box, expand a quick access toolbar.

  2. Right-click the entry to delete and click Delete.

Ribbon Tabs and Panels

Ribbons provide tabs that organize application feature categories, such as drafting and modification (on the Home tab), inserting, and viewing.

Each ribbon tab is composed of panels, which are a set of closely related commands needed to complete a task.

To manage ribbon tabs:

  1. Click Tools > Customize Interface (or type Customize).

  2. In the Customize dialog box, click Interface.

  3. Expand Ribbon, then Tabs.

  4. In Tabs, select whether to display All Tabs of the current customization source or a specific tab.

  5. Expand the tab to view or edit. The tab panels display.

  6. Click Show ribbon explorer
    to expand the Ribbon Explorer.

  7. Click a panel in the Tabs tree view to view a panel in the Panel Preview.

To create new ribbon tabs:

  1. On the Interface page of the Customize dialog box, expand Ribbon, then Tabs.

  2. In the Tabs tree view, right-click and click New Tab. A new tab is added to the list.

  3. Click Show ribbon explorer to expand the Ribbon Explorer.

  4. In Appearance, edit the tab name in Display text.

  5. Add panels to the tab.

To add panels to ribbon tabs:

  1. On the Interface page of the Customize dialog box, expand Ribbon, then Tabs.

  2. Click Show ribbon explorer
    to expand the Ribbon Explorer.

  3. Select an entry in Ribbon Panel Explorer and drag it into a tab.
    Note: You can drag a panel to another position in the Tabs tree view list at any time. In the Tabs tree view, right-click to create, rename, duplicate, or delete tabs.

To manage ribbon panels:

  1. Click Tools > Customize Interface (or type Customize).

  2. In the Customize dialog box, click Interface.

  3. Expand Ribbon, then Panels.

  4. In Panels, select whether to display All Panels of the current customization source or a specific panel.

  5. Expand the panel to view or edit. The panel items display.

  6. Click Show ribbon explorer to expand the Ribbon Explorer.

  7. Click a panel in the Panels tree view to view a panel in the Panel Preview.

  8. Click a command in the Panels tree view to highlight a command button in the Panel Preview.

To create new ribbon panels:

  1. On the Interface page of the Customize dialog box, expand Ribbon, then Panels.

  2. Click Show ribbon explorer to expand the Ribbon Explorer.

  3. In the Panels tree view, right-click and click New Panel. A new panel is added to the list.

  4. In Appearance, edit the panel name in Display text.

  5. Add panel items to the panel as described next.

To add new items to a new ribbon panel:

  1. On the Interface page of the Customize dialog box, expand Ribbon, then Panels.

  2. Click Show ribbon explorer to expand the Ribbon Explorer.

  3. In the Panels tree view, right-click and click New Row. A new row is added to the list.

  4. From the Command Explorer, drag a command entry onto the new row.

  5. Click In Appearance, specify the Button style.

  6. Add more panel elements (see Ribbon Panel Elements).

Ribbon Panel Elements

A panel can contain the following elements:

Type

Description

Type

Description

Row

Contains sub-panels, drop-down menus, and command buttons.

Sub-panel

Creates an area with rows within a panel. They cannot contain drop-down menus or command buttons.

Drop-down menu

Contains command buttons. In Appearance, specify the drop-down behavior, split button list style, and button style for the commands.

Command button

Executes commands from a ribbon. Command buttons usually have icons associated with them. In Appearance, specify the button style of the command button.

Separator

Separates groups of similar commands in drop-down menus.

Placing Panel Elements

To create a new row, sub-panel, or drop-down menu, right-click in the Panels tree view.

To place a command button or a control element in a panel, drag it from the Command Explorer into a panel row or panel drop-down menu.

Setting the Appearance of Drop-down Menu Buttons and Command Buttons

The Appearance area of the Ribbon Explorer lets you specify the display mode of drop-down menu buttons (split buttons) and command buttons.

Drop-down Behavior

You can define the display mode of split buttons that display drop-down menus in panels:

Type

Description

Type

Description

Split with recent

Displays the icon and text of the recently selected drop-down menu item.

Split with recent (Static)

Displays the icon of the recently selected drop-down menu item, but the text is static (the text you defined as the drop-down menu title in the panel tree view).

Split

Uses a fixed icon. The drop-down menu displays text items. If the icon is not specified, Split behaves like Split with recent.

Drop-down menu with recent

Same as Split with recent.

Drop-down menu

Same as Split.

Split Button List Styles

You can define the display of drop-down menu list buttons. The default is Icons and Text, but you can specify Icons and Bold Text or Icons only.

Button Styles

You can define the button style for drop-down menu buttons and command buttons: Large buttons with text, Large buttons without text, or Small buttons without text. Do not use small buttons on stacked rows on panels.

Note: In the Panels tree view, right-click to create, rename, duplicate, or delete panels. Right-click panel items to add command buttons, drop-down lists, rows, sub-panels, and separators.

Menus and Toolbars

To manage menus and toolbars:

  1. Click Tools > Customize Interface (or type Customize).

  2. In the Customize dialog box, click Interface.

  3. Expand Menus.

  4. In Menu, select whether to display All Menus of the current customization source or a specific menu (such as File, Edit, or View).

  5. Expand the menu you want to edit. The command entries of the menu and their icons or sub menus display.

  6. Expand Toolbars.

  7. In Toolbar, select whether to display All Toolbars of the current customization source or a specific toolbar (such as Standard, Layers, or Properties).

  8. Expand the toolbar you want to edit. The command entries of the toolbar and their icons display.

  9. To remove a selected command from a menu or toolbar, click Remove.

  10. To expand the Command Explorer, click Show command explorer.

  11. To insert a command or option in a menu or toolbar, select an entry in Command Explorer and drag it to a menu or toolbar.

  12. Use the Find box to type a search string to reduce the entries in the Command Explorer.
    Note: Use the Commands section of the Customize dialog box to add and edit commands. You cannot edit the command or command sequence behind a menu or toolbar entry in the Interface section.

To create a new menu or new toolbar:

  1. In the Customize dialog box, expand Menus or Toolbars.

  2. In the list of menus or toolbars, right-click and click New menu or New toolbar. A new menu or toolbar is added to the list.

  3. Right-click the menu or toolbar and click Rename to edit the name.

  4. Add command items to the menu or toolbar as described next.

To insert an entry into a menu or toolbar:

  1. In the Customize dialog box, expand a menu or toolbar.

  2. Navigate to the location in the menu or toolbar where you want to place the new item.

  3. Click Show command explorer to expand the Command Explorer.

  4. In Command Explorer, select a command entry and drag it to the menu or toolbar.

  5. Right-click a menu or toolbar and click New separator to insert a separator.

  6. Right-click a menu and click New sub menu to insert a sub menu.

To rename an entry in a menu or toolbar:

  1. In the Customize dialog box, expand a menu or toolbar.

  2. Right-click the entry to rename and click Rename.

  3. Type new text for the menu or toolbar item.
    Note: The command sequence behind the item does not change.

To delete an entry in a menu or toolbar:

  1. In the Customize dialog box, expand a menu or toolbar.

  2. Right-click the entry to delete and click Delete.