The preferences for the Draft Workbench can be found in the Preferences Editor. In the menu select Edit → Preferences... and then Draft.
There are five pages: General, Interface, Grid and snapping, Visual and Texts and dimensions.
Some advanced preferences can only be changed in the Parameter editor. See Fine-tuning.
This page has been updated for version 0.22.
In {{VersionMinus|0.21}} some preferences may appear on a different page, and in some cases FreeCAD must be restarted after changing a preference.
On the this page you can specify the following:
+++ | Name | Description | +=============================================================+============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================+ | | The number of decimals used in internal coordinate operations (for example 3 = 0.001). Values between 6 and 8 are usually considered the best trade-off. | | Internal precision level | | | | | +++ | | The default working plane for new views. The options are: | | Default working plane | | | | - | | | Automatic | | | | | | : If set to Automatic the working plane will automatically align with the current view whenever a command is started. Additionally it will align to preselected planar faces, or when points on planar faces are picked during commands. | | | | | | - | | | XY (Top) | | | | | | | | | - | | | XZ (Front) | | | | | | | | | - | | | YZ (Side) | | | | +++ | | If checked, a widget indicating the current working plane orientation appears when picking points. | | Show working plane tracker | | | | | +++ | | If checked, the layers drop-down list also includes groups. Objects can then automatically be added to groups as well. See Draft AutoGroup. | | Include groups in layer list | | | | | +++ | | If checked, instructions are displayed in the Report view when using Draft commands. (v0.22) | | Show prompts in the Report view | | | | | +++ | | If checked, Length input, instead of the X coordinate, will have the initial focus. This allows to indicate a direction and then type a distance. | | Set focus on Length instead of X coordinate | | | | | +++ | | If checked, base objects, instead of created copies, are selected after copying. | | Select base objects after copying | | | | | +++ | | If checked, Draft commands will create Part primitives instead of Draft objects. Note that this is not fully supported, and many objects will not be editable with Draft modification commands. | | Create Part primitives if possible | | | | | +++ | | If checked, Draft Downgrade and Draft Upgrade will keep face colors. Only for the splitFaces and makeShell options. | | Keep face colors during downgrade/upgrade | | | | | +++ | | If checked, Draft Downgrade and Draft Upgrade will keep face names. Only for the splitFaces and makeShell options. | | Keep face names during downgrade/upgrade | | | | | +++ | | The maximum number of objects Draft Edit is allowed to process at the same time. | | Max. number of editable objects | | | | | +++ | | The pick radius of edit nodes. | | Edit node pick radius | | | | | +++ | | The default prefix added to the label of new clones. | | Label prefix for clones | | | | | +++ | | The default label for the construction geometry group. | | Construction group label | | | | | +++ | | The default color for Draft objects in construction mode. | | Construction geometry color | | | | | +++
On the this page you can specify the following:
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| Name | Description |
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| | These shortcuts only work when a Draft or Arch command is active. Note that not all commands support all shortcuts. |
| In-command shortcuts | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle relative mode. If relative mode is on, coordinates are relative to the last point, if available, else they are relative to the coordinate system origin. |
| Relative | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle global mode. If global mode is on, coordinates are relative to the global coordinate system, else they are relative to the working plane coordinate system. (v0.20) |
| Global | |
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| | Shortcut to change the focus from the X coordinate input box to the Length input box and vice versa. |
| Length | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle filled mode. If filled mode is on, the created object will have Make Face set to True. |
| Fill | |
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| | Shortcut to press the Select edge button. See Draft Dimension. |
| Select edge | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle subelement mode. If subelement mode is on, the command will use the selected subelements instead of the whole objects. |
| Subelement mode | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle copy mode. If copy mode is on, the command will create modified copies instead of modifying the original objects. |
| Copy | |
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| | Shortcut to press the Undo button. |
| Undo | |
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| | Shortcut to press the Wipe button. |
| Wipe | |
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| | Shortcut to press the Close button. |
| Close | |
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| | Shortcut to press the Finish button. |
| Exit | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle continue mode. If continue mode is on, commands will restart after finishing. |
| Continue | |
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| | Shortcut to change snap priority to an object that is obscured by other geometry. See Draft Snap. |
| Cycle snap | |
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| | Shortcut to insert a "hold point" at the current location of the cursor. See Draft Snap. |
| Add hold | |
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| | Shortcut to press the Set WP button. |
| Set working plane | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle Draft snapping. |
| Snap | |
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| | Shortcut to increase the maximum distance at which Draft Snap Grid detects the intersections of grid lines. See Draft SelectPlane. |
| Increase radius | |
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| | Shortcut to decrease the maximum distance at which Draft Snap Grid detects the intersections of grid lines. |
| Decrease radius | |
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| | Shortcut to constrain the movement of the cursor to the X axis. See Draft Constrain. |
| Restrict X | |
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| | Shortcut to constrain the movement of the cursor to the Y axis. |
| Restrict Y | |
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| | Shortcut to constrain the movement of the cursor to the Z axis. |
| Restrict Z | |
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| | If checked, the Draft snap toolbar will only be visible during commands. (v0.22) |
| Only show the Draft snap toolbar during commands | |
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| | If checked, the Snap widget is displayed in the Draft statusbar. |
| Show the Snap widget in the Draft Workbench | |
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| | If checked, the Annotation scale widget is displayed in the Draft statusbar. |
| Show the Annotation scale widget in the Draft Workbench | |
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Note that several grid preferences can also be changed with the Draft SelectPlane command.
On the this page you can specify the following:
+++ | Name | Description | +===============================================+==========================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================+ | | If checked, the grid will always be visible in new views. Use Draft ToggleGrid to change this for the active view. | | Always show the grid | | | | | +++ | | If checked, the grid will be visible during commands in new views. Use Draft ToggleGrid to change this for the active view. (v0.22) | | Show the grid during commands | | | | | +++ | | If checked, an additional border is displayed around the grid, showing the main square size in the bottom left corner. | | Show grid border | | | | | +++ | | If checked, the outline of a human figure is displayed at the bottom left corner of the grid. Only effective if the BIM Workbench is installed and Show grid border is enabled. (v0.20) | | Show human figure | | | | | +++ | | If checked, the two main axes of the grid are colored red, green or blue if they match the X, Y or Z axis of the global coordinate system. | | Use colored axes | | | | | +++ | | The number of squares between main grid lines. These lines are thicker than normal grid lines. | | Main lines every | | | | | +++ | | The distance between grid lines. | | Grid spacing | | | | | +++ | | The number of horizontal and vertical lines in the grid. | | Grid size | | | | | +++ | | The overall transparency of the grid. | | Grid transparency | | | | | +++ | | The color of the grid. | | Grid color | | | | | +++ | | The style for snap symbols. The options are: | | Snap symbol style | | | | - | | | Draft classic style | | | | | | | | | - | | | Bitsnpieces style | | | | | | . | +++ | | The color for snap symbols, snap dimensions and edit nodes. | | Snap symbol color | | | | | +++ | | If checked, snapping is activated without the need to press the Snap modifier key. | | Always snap | | | | | +++ | | The Snap modifier key. | | Snap modifier | | | | | +++ | | The Constrain modifier key. | | Constrain modifier | | | | | +++ | | The Alt modifier key. The function of this key depends on the command. | | Alt modifier | | | | | +++
On the this page you can specify the following:
+++ | Name | Description | +=================================================+==================================================================================================================+ | | The default size for SVG patterns. A higher value results in a denser pattern. | | SVG pattern size | | | | | +++ | | An optional directory with custom SVG files containing pattern definitions to be added to the standard patterns. | | Additional SVG pattern location | | | | | +++ | | An SVG linestyle definition used by the TechDraw DraftView command. | | Dashed line definition | | | | | +++ | | Idem. | | Dashdot line definition | | | | | +++ | | Idem. | | Dotted line definition | | | | | +++
These preferences are the defaults used when creating new objects. Changing them does not affect existing objects.
On the this page you can specify the following:
+++ | Name | Description | +===============================================+===================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================+ | | The default font for texts, dimensions and labels. It can be a font name such as {{Value|Arial}}, a style such as {{Value|sans}}, {{Value|serif}} or {{Value|mono}}, or a family such as {{Value|Arial,Helvetica,sans}}, or a name with a style such as {{Value|Arial:Bold}}. | | Font name or family | | | | | +++ | | The default height for texts, dimension texts and label texts. | | Font size | | | | | +++ | | The default line spacing for multi-line texts and labels (relative to the font size). | | Line spacing factor | | | | | +++ | | The default annotation scale multiplier. This is the inverse of the scale set in the Draft annotation scale widget. If the scale is {{Value|1:100}} the multiplier is {{Value|100}}. (v0.22) | | Scale multiplier | | | | | +++ | | The default color for texts, dimension texts and label texts. | | Text color | | | | | +++ | | If checked, the dimension line is displayed by default. | | Show dimension line | | | | | +++ | | The default line width. | | Line width | | | | | +++ | | The default symbol displayed at the ends of dimension lines. The options are: | | Arrows type | | | | - | | | Dot | | | | | | | | | - | | | Circle | | | | | | | | | - | | | Arrow | | | | | | | | | - | | | Tick | | | | | | | | | - | | | Tick-2 | | | | +++ | | The default arrow size. | | Arrows size | | | | | +++ | | The default color for lines and arrows. | | Line and arrow color | | | | | +++ | | If checked, a unit symbol is added to dimension texts by default. | | Show unit | | | | | +++ | | The default unit override for dimensions. Enter a unit such as {{Value|m}} or {{Value|cm}}, leave blank to use the current unit defined in FreeCAD. | | Unit override | | | | | +++ | | The default number of decimal places for dimension texts. | | Number of decimals | | | | | +++ | | The optional string inserted between the feet and inches values in dimensions. (v0.22) | | Feet separator | | | | | +++ | | The default distance the dimension line is extended past the extension lines. | | Dimension line overshoot | | | | | +++ | | The default length of extension lines. Use {{Value|0}} for full extension lines. A negative value defines the gap between the ends of the extension lines and the measured points. A positive value defines the maximum length of the extension lines. Only used for linear dimensions. | | Extension line length | | | | | +++ | | The default length of extension lines above the dimension line. | | Extension line overshoot | | | | | +++ | | The default space between the dimension line and the dimension text. | | Text spacing | | | | | +++ | | The default font file for the Draft ShapeString command. For Windows users: please read the Font file selection on Windows paragraph on that page. | | Default ShapeString font file | | | | | +++
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