Working in Design Mode

What is Design Mode?

Design Mode in ArcPad provides you the means to customize ArcPad from within the program itself. In Design Mode, you can do the following:

• Create new or modify existing applet toolbars (.apa).
• Modify the default toolbars (ArcPad.apx).

Design Mode is only available in ArcPad for Windows but is not available in ArcPad for Windows Mobile.

You can extend this customization by opening ArcPad.apx, or new or modified applets, in ArcPad Studio. In ArcPad Studio, you can add custom tools, forms, and scripts.

Enabling Design Mode

Design Mode is enabled from the Quick Access menu.

Once you select Design Mode, you will see some minor changes to how ArcPad looks:

• The icon in the top left-hand corner changes to the Customizing ArcPad icon (also the ArcPad Studio icon).
• The Quick Action button background changes from blue to red.

These changes are visual triggers to remind you that you have different capabilities available when in Design Mode.

To access Design Mode capabilities, return to the Quick Access menu and choose Design Mode. You now will see two options:

• Customize Toolbars
• Exit Design Mode

The Customize Toolbars command launches Toolbar Editor. Exiting Design Mode returns ArcPad to its normal state, the application icon changing back to the ArcPad icon and the Quick Action button background changing from red to blue.