Specifically, yes you do have to set up a "settings" profile to tell the system that you want to use [Insert Standard here] as your drafting standard. You can use the ASME, ISO or whatever default you want. Also, you can create your own... it'll tell you "you've made your own drafting standard as a modified [insert default standard here]." You can save that. It's really easy. You don't need to learn syntax or anything to set up your system, it's in plain english within the Tools > Options menu. Pretty standard for any Windows program, so why is it so horrible here, huh? lol
Simple thing: spend that half hour wasting your life by setting up your system to perform the way you want. That's pretty standard across the board no matter what system you're using, at least (imho) SW makes it super easy and intuitive to get this part done. Once you've got your settings the way you want, use the SETTINGS WIZZARD from your Start > Programs > SWXXXX menu. It will automatically and efficiently create something resembling a "config.pro" type file, place it in the appropriate spot on your hard drive, then you never have to worry about it again. It's even portable! You can take it with you to your new job, or whatever. Same process except this time you're using COPY SETTINGS WIZZARD and you don't even have to spend that half hour wasting your life again. Just copy your old settings and done!
This will also let you do cool things like placing buttons on your toolbars, placing your toolbars left, right, top, bottom, etc. and loading your non-default "add-ins."
So, back on topic... sorry you have to make some drafting settings make sense, but you'd have to do that no matter what software package you were using. If I had SW in front of me I'd give more examples of the Tools > Options you can play with but unfortunately this company went to the Dark Side because the cookies were supposed to be awesome.
If guns kill people, cars drive drunk.