TechDraw ProjectionGroup
|
|
| Menu location |
|---|
| TechDraw → Insert Projection Group |
| Workbenches |
| TechDraw |
| Default shortcut |
| None |
| Introduced in version |
| - |
| See also |
| TechDraw View, TechDraw Section View |
Description
The 
ProjectionGroup tool creates a multiview projection of one or more 3D objects. The isometric views of the 4 front corners can also be included.
If you only want to produce a single view, there is no advantage in using ProjectionGroup; you should then use Insert View instead. If you do not wish to use the traditional first- / third-angle projection, you should use multiple Views (Insert View) instead of ProjectionGroup.
Three orthogonal views and one isometric view of a solid object
Usage
- Optionally rotate the 3D view. The camera direction in the 3D view determines the initial value of the Primary Direction of the Projection Group (the DataDirection property of the central view).
- Select one or more objects in the 3D view or Tree view.
- If there are multiple drawing pages in the document: optionally add the desired page to the selection by selecting it in the Tree view. This is not optional for version 0.19 and below.
- There are several ways to invoke the tool:
- Press the
Insert Projection Group button. - Select the TechDraw → Insert Projection Group option from the menu.
- Press the
- If there are multiple drawing pages in the document and you have not yet selected a page, the Page Chooser dialog box opens: introduced in version 0.20
- Select the desired page.
- Press the OK button.
- The Projection Group task panel opens.
- Select which views should appear in the Projection Group, and the Projection Group's scale and other parameters.
- Press the OK button.
- Optionally move the Projection Group by dragging its central view.
- Optionally move the Projection Group's other views relative to the central view by dragging them individually.
Projection Group task panel. The Primary Direction field indicates the current view direction.
Properties
- DataAnchor: The central view in the group. Normally the Front view.
- DataProjectionType: "First Angle" or Third Angle".
- DataAutoDistribute: If true, space out individual views automatically. Use false to position manually.
- DataspacingX: Horizontal space between views when automatically positioned. Note that Scale and the size of other views in the group also influence the spacing.
- DataspacingY: Vertical space between views when automatically positioned.
The ProjectionGroup as a whole inherits X, Y, ScaleType, Scale and Rotation from the basic View.
Individual Views within the group inherit all part view properties, but the ProjectionGroup object controls the scale of all its member Views.
The RotationVector property of individual Views within the group is deprecated as of v0.19. Use XDirection instead.
Note that the central box displays the current projection direction of the primary view. It cannot be used to change the direction.
Scripting
See also: TechDraw API and FreeCAD Scripting Basics.
The NewProjGroup tool can be used in macros and from the Python console. A full script is available in the Source distribution in "source-dir/src/Mod/TechDraw/TDTest/DProjGroupTest.py".
#make a page
print("making a page")
page = FreeCAD.ActiveDocument.addObject('TechDraw::DrawPage','Page')
FreeCAD.ActiveDocument.addObject('TechDraw::DrawSVGTemplate','Template')
FreeCAD.ActiveDocument.Template.Template = templateFileSpec
FreeCAD.ActiveDocument.Page.Template = FreeCAD.ActiveDocument.Template
#make projection group
group = FreeCAD.ActiveDocument.addObject('TechDraw::DrawProjGroup','ProjGroup')
rc = page.addView(group)
group.Source = [fusion]
#add Front(Anchor) view
frontView = group.addProjection("Front") ##need an Anchor
#update group
group.Anchor.Direction = FreeCAD.Vector(0,0,1)
group.Anchor.RotationVector = FreeCAD.Vector(1,0,0)
#add more projections
leftView = group.addProjection("Left")
topView = group.addProjection("Top")
rightView = group.addProjection("Right")
rearView = group.addProjection("Rear")
BottomView = group.addProjection("Bottom")
#remove a view from projection group
iv = group.removeProjection("Left")
Programming note: The Projection Group should always be added to the Page (ex. page.addView(group) before adding projections to the Group. This allows the Projection Group to use default parameter values derived from the parent page.
TechDraw
- Pages: Insert Default Page, Insert Page using Template, Redraw Page, Print All Pages
- Views: Insert View, Insert Active View, Insert Projection Group, Insert Section View, Insert Complex Section View, Insert Detail View, Insert Draft Workbench Object, Insert Arch Workbench Object, Insert Spreadsheet View, Insert Clip Group, Share View, Project Shape
- Stacking: Move view to top of stack, Move view to bottom of stack, Move view up one level, Move view down one level
- Decorations: Hatch Face using Image File, Apply Geometric Hatch to Face, Insert SVG Symbol, Insert Bitmap Image, Turn View Frames On/Off
- Dimensions: Insert Length Dimension, Insert Horizontal Dimension, Insert Vertical Dimension, Insert Radius Dimension, Insert Diameter Dimension, Insert Angle Dimension, Insert 3-Point Angle Dimension, Insert Horizontal Extent Dimension, Insert Vertical Extent Dimension, Link Dimension to 3D Geometry, Insert Balloon Annotation, Insert Axonometric Length Dimension, Insert Landmark Dimension, Adjust Geometric References of Dimension
- Annotations: Insert Annotation, Add Leaderline to View, Insert Rich Text Annotation, Add Cosmetic Vertex, Add Midpoint Vertices, Add Quadrant Vertices, Add Centerline to Faces, Add Centerline between 2 Lines, Add Centerline between 2 Points, Add Cosmetic Line Through 2 points, Add Cosmetic Circle, Change Appearance of Lines, Show/Hide Invisible Edges, Add Welding Information to Leader, Add Surface Finish Symbol, Add Hole or Shaft Tolerances
- Extensions:
- Attributes and modifications: Select Line Attributes, Cascade Spacing and Delta Distance, Change Line Attributes, Extend Line, Shorten Line, Lock/Unlock View, Position Section View, Position Horizontal Chain Dimensions, Position Vertical Chain Dimensions, Position Oblique Chain Dimensions, Cascade Horizontal Dimensions, Cascade Vertical Dimensions, Cascade Oblique Dimensions, Calculate the area of selected faces, Calculate the arc length of selected edges, Customize format label
- Centerlines and threading: Add Circle Centerlines, Add Bolt Circle Centerlines, Add Cosmetic Thread Hole Side View, Add Cosmetic Thread Hole Bottom View, Add Cosmetic Thread Bolt Side View, Add Cosmetic Thread Bolt Bottom View, Add Cosmetic Intersection Vertex(es), Add an offset vertex, Add Cosmetic Circle, Add Cosmetic Arc, Add Cosmetic Circle 3 Points, Add Cosmetic Parallel Line, Add Cosmetic Perpendicular Line
- Dimensions: Create Horizontal Chain Dimensions, Create Vertical Chain Dimensions, Create Oblique Chain Dimensions, Create Horizontal Coordinate Dimensions, Create Vertical Coordinate Dimensions, Create Oblique Coordinate Dimensions, Create Horizontal Chamfer Dimension, Create Vertical Chamfer Dimension, Create Arc Length Dimension, Insert '⌀' Prefix, Insert '〼' Prefix, Remove Prefix, Increase Decimal Places, Decrease Decimal Places
- Export: Export Page as SVG, Export Page as DXF
- Additional: Line Groups, Templates, Hatching, Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, Preferences
User documentation
- Getting started
- Installation: Download, Windows, Linux, Mac, Additional components, Docker, AppImage, Ubuntu Snap
- Basics: About FreeCAD, Interface, Mouse navigation, Selection methods, Object name, Preferences, Workbenches, Document structure, Properties, Help FreeCAD, Donate
- Help: Tutorials, Video tutorials
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- Hubs: User hub, Power users hub, Developer hub