Commands

ACTIVITYINSIGHTSOPEN command in AutoCAD : Displays the Activity Insights palette to view events for the current drawing. The events can be filtered using the calendar, user, event, or search filters

Introduction

If you need a clear, beginner-friendly guide to the ACTIVITYINSIGHTSOPEN command in AutoCAD, this article explains what the command does, how to run it step‑by‑step, common reasons it may fail, practical workarounds and alternatives, plus troubleshooting tips and a helpful FAQ. Use this as a complete reference to view and manage activity events for your drawings.

What is the ACTIVITYINSIGHTSOPEN command?

The ACTIVITYINSIGHTSOPEN command in AutoCAD opens the Activity Insights palette, which displays a timeline of events and actions tied to the current drawing. Events can include saves, opens, edits, comments or synchronization events when working with cloud/hosted files. The palette provides filters (calendar/date, user, event type, search) so you can focus on the activity you need to review.

The palette is most useful when your drawing is saved or hosted on a service that tracks history (for example Autodesk Docs, BIM 360, or AutoCAD cloud storage). When available, Activity Insights helps you audit changes, find who made edits and when, and quickly navigate to relevant versions or comments.

How Activity Insights works (key points)

  • The palette shows a chronological list of events related to the currently open drawing.
  • You can filter by date, user, event type (save, comment, share, sync), and search text within event descriptions.
  • The command simply opens the palette; visibility of meaningful entries depends on whether the drawing has tracked activity (cloud/hosted projects or collaboration platforms).
  • If no activity exists for the file (local-only file with no history), the palette may open but show no entries.

How to use ACTIVITYINSIGHTSOPEN — step by step

  1. Open AutoCAD and load the drawing you want to inspect.
  2. Ensure you are signed in to your Autodesk account if your file is hosted or linked to Autodesk cloud services.
  3. Use one of these methods to open the Activity Insights palette:
    • Type ACTIVITYINSIGHTSOPEN at the AutoCAD command prompt and press Enter.
    • Open the View or Collaborate tab (depending on your workspace and AutoCAD version) and select Activity Insights or Activity Insights palette if available.
    • If you prefer shortcuts, create one (instructions below) or add the command to the Quick Access Toolbar via CUI (Customize User Interface).
  4. When the palette opens, use the calendar filter to set the date range you want to see.
  5. Use the user filter to limit events to specific collaborators.
  6. Use the event filter or search box to show only specific event types (saves, comments, syncs) or to find specific text.
  7. Click an event entry to view details or to navigate to the file version or comment associated with that event (if supported by the hosting platform).

Example — before and after:

  • Before: drawing open with no activity panel visible and no quick way to see who changed the file.
  • After: Activity Insights palette open, showing a list of save and sync events with timestamps and author names, allowing targeted review.

Create a keyboard shortcut (quick tip)

To add a keyboard shortcut for ACTIVITYINSIGHTSOPEN:

  1. Type CUI and press Enter to open Customize User Interface.
  2. In the Command List, create a new command named “Activity Insights” and set the Macro to ACTIVITYINSIGHTSOPEN.
  3. Under Keyboard Shortcuts > Shortcut Keys, create a new shortcut and assign the new command. Example assignment: Ctrl+Alt+A (or a key combination not already used).
  4. Click Apply and OK.

You can also add the command to the Quick Access Toolbar or ribbon via CUI for one-click access.

Why ACTIVITYINSIGHTSOPEN might not work (common causes and fixes)

  • Problem: The command does nothing or the palette opens empty.

    • Cause: The drawing has no tracked activity (local file without versioning).
    • Fix: Save the drawing to a cloud or hosted project (Autodesk Docs / BIM 360) or enable file versioning where available. Confirm activity tracking is enabled on the host platform.

  • Problem: Command returns “unknown command” or is not recognized.

    • Cause: Older AutoCAD version or the feature is not included in your product tier.
    • Fix: Update AutoCAD to a version that supports Activity Insights. Check Autodesk release notes or product documentation. Verify that your license includes collaboration features.

  • Problem: Palette opens but content is incomplete or missing entries.

    • Cause: You are not signed in or there are connectivity problems with Autodesk services.
    • Fix: Sign in with your Autodesk account, check internet connection, and verify access rights to the project or folder.

  • Problem: You can’t filter or interact with events.

    • Cause: Permissions or integration limitations between AutoCAD and the hosting platform.
    • Fix: Confirm you have appropriate permissions on the cloud project; open the hosting platform (Autodesk Docs/BIM 360) directly to verify event history; contact your administrator.

  • Problem: Performance issues when opening the palette.

    • Cause: Large project history, slow network.
    • Fix: Narrow the date range or user filters; work on a local copy if you only need to make edits; improve network connection.

Alternatives and related features

  • Use the hosting platform’s web interface (for example Autodesk Docs or BIM 360) to view detailed version history, comments and activity logs. These platforms often provide richer history and download options.
  • Use DWGCOMPARE (AutoCAD command) to compare two DWG versions visually when you have saved versions locally or exported historical copies.
  • Use VERSION HISTORY or the file history feature in your cloud storage (OneDrive, SharePoint) if the drawing is stored outside Autodesk services.
  • Use the Drawing Properties and File > Drawing Utilities for basic file metadata if activity tracking is not available.
  • For audit and compliance, export activity or history from the cloud service rather than relying solely on the AutoCAD palette.

Practical tips and best practices

  • Always sign in to your Autodesk account when working with hosted files to ensure activity is tracked and accessible.
  • Save important milestones as named versions or comments to make them easy to find in Activity Insights.
  • Pin the Activity Insights palette to the workspace if you use it frequently.
  • If you collaborate with a team, standardize how and when you save or add comments so the activity log is meaningful and searchable.
  • When troubleshooting, check both AutoCAD and the hosting service (Autodesk Docs/BIM 360) for logs and history — sometimes the cloud UI shows more detail.

FAQ

What versions of AutoCAD include Activity Insights?

Activity Insights availability depends on AutoCAD version, release year and whether collaboration features are included in your product/plan. Recent desktop releases that integrate with Autodesk cloud services typically support it. Check Autodesk documentation or release notes for exact version support.

Why does the Activity Insights palette show no events for my drawing?

If your drawing is a local file with no cloud-hosted version history, the palette will be empty. Also ensure you’re signed in and the file is stored in a service that tracks activity (Autodesk Docs, BIM 360, etc.).

Can I export the activity or save it as a report?

AutoCAD’s Activity Insights palette itself may not provide a dedicated export function. For full exports, use your cloud host’s web UI (Autodesk Docs/BIM 360) which usually provides download or reporting options for version history and activity.

Is activity data stored locally or in the cloud?

Activity data for hosted projects is typically stored and managed by the cloud service (Autodesk Docs, BIM 360). Local-only files do not usually have extended activity logs beyond file timestamps.

How do I add Activity Insights to my toolbar or create a shortcut?

Open CUI (Customize User Interface), add a new command with the macro ACTIVITYINSIGHTSOPEN, then assign it to a Quick Access Toolbar, a ribbon panel, or a keyboard shortcut under Keyboard Shortcuts.

I’m getting “unknown command.” What should I check?

Confirm your AutoCAD version supports the command, and that you typed ACTIVITYINSIGHTSOPEN correctly. If still failing, verify your license and installed toolset or check for missing updates.

Can Activity Insights show who edited each line or object?

Activity Insights shows event-level information (who saved, commented, or synced). It does not show granular per-object edit histories like a source-control system. For detailed comparisons, use DWGCOMPARE between versions.

How can I see older versions if the palette only shows recent events?

Open the hosting platform’s version history (Autodesk Docs / BIM 360) to access archived versions, or retrieve older copies from your cloud storage provider if available.

You may also like