OK, I must admit that I’m not really an avid user of the Toolbox, but after seeing the “makeover” it went through for SW2009, I think I’ve changed my mind. Have you seen it? It’s so much easier to enable and configure now than it was before, and it even allows the users to create their own custom properties for the hardware in the toolbox! Clicking on the toolbox icon in the task pane, it reminds you in case you need to add or configure your toolbox.

The toolbox configuration interface is really friendly and it guides you through the whole process in five easy steps.

The very first step is to select your hardware. You get to choose what you want to keep of all that is available for you in the toolbox.

After you’ve chosen your hardware, you get to customize the individual items.

You can choose from standard properties, like size, length, thread display, etc.

Or add your own custom properties into the mix.  Here I’m adding a short list of three possible SW materials for my fasteners.

Next, you get to select user settings and permissions to access and modify the toolbox hardware. This is particularly useful if you have a group of users sharing the toolbox.

Section five, for configuring smart fasteners offers some neat options, as well. Besides defining the kind of fastener to be used for hole wizard and non-hole wizard holes, you can configure the Smart Fasteners length to automatically adjust according to your requirements, a certain number of threads beyond the nut or a multiple of the tapped hole diameter.

I like this new way to configure the Toolbox. I think it’s easy and simple. What do you think? Do you like the Toolbox’s makeover?