Sketcher Preferences

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Sketcher

General

In the General tab you can specify the following:

Name	Description
Show Grid	If checked, a grid will be shown in the sketches. This option and the following 5 preferences settings can also be specified only for single sketches in the sketcher dialog section Edit controls.
Grid size	The distance between two subsequent grid lines. Note that the default value of 0 mm will result in a 10 mm grid.
Grid snap	If checked, new points will snap to the nearest grid line. Note that the points have already to be close to a grid line that the snap takes effect. The distance is a fifth of the value set for Grid size, so for a 10 mm grid, the snapping only occurs if the point is not more than 2 mm away from a grid line. Note: A snapped point has no coincident constraint with the grid point it snapped to.
Auto constraints	If checked, the sketcher proposes automatically sensible constraints. If you draw for example a polyline and point towards the bottom, you will see that the sketcher proposes a vertical constraint:. If you set now a point the drawn line segment will get the vertical constraint.
Avoid redundant auto constraints	If checked, the sketcher tries not to propose redundant auto constraints. This option only has an effect if also the option Auto constraints is used.
Rendering order	The order how sketches are rendered. To change it, drag and drop one of the geometries to the top or bottom.
Show Advanced Solver Control in the Task bar	If checked, the sketcher dialog will have the additional section Advanced solver control to adjust solver settings.
Improve solving while dragging	If checked, a special solver algorithm will be used while dragging sketch elements. This avoids that the sketch flips around while dragging. It is an improvement for most cases, however for complex sketches this option can increase the time to solve the sketch.
Auto remove redundants	TBD
Esc can leave sketch edit mode	If checked, Esc key will trigger exiting sketch editing mode. The option to disable this may be useful for users who are used to pressing Esc as part of their workflow in other CAD solutions but don't necessarily want to exit a sketch.
Notify automatic constraint substitutions	If checked, you will be informed with a dialog about constraint substitutions. For example if the endpoints of two arcs are connected with the coincident constraint and you reconnect the arcs using the tangent constraint, the coincidence constraint will be substituted by the tangent constraint and you will get a popup dialog to telling you this.

Display

In the Display tab you can specify the following:

Name	Description
Font size	The font size used for the labels and constraints in the sketch.
Grid line pattern	The line pattern used for grid lines. Grid lines will be displayed if you set the option Show grid.
Segments per geometry	Curves are approximated by polygon segments for visualization. The segments per geometry define the number of polygons for the approximation. The lower limit are 50 segments. Higher values refine the visualization but can lead to longer calculation times, especially for B-splines.
Ask for value after creating a dimensional constraint	If checked, a dialog will pop up to input a value for new dimensional constraints.
Geometry Creation "Continue Mode"	If checked, the current sketcher creation tool will remain active after the creation. If you use for example the line tool , it will remain active after you created a line with it. You can leave the tool any time by right-clicking into the sketch.
Constraint Creation "Continue Mode"	If checked, the current constraint creation tool will remain active after the creation. If you use for example the tangent tool , it will remain active after you created a constraint. You can leave the tool any time by right-clicking into the sketch.
Hide base length units for supported unit systems	If checked, base length units will not be displayed in the sketch constraints. The actual base length unit is the one of the selected unit system.
Hide all objects that depend on the sketch	If checked, all features that depend the sketch will be hidden when the sketch is opened. Note that the effect of this option might not occur when using the option Show objects used for external geometry and/or Show object(s) sketch is attached to.
Show objects used for external geometry	If checked, all objects used for an external geometry will be shown. If you edit for example a sketch that uses the geometry of a pad, this pad will be shown (if not already). Other features in the model tree between the pad and the sketch will not necessarily be shown.
Show object(s) sketch is attached to	If checked, objects the sketch is attached to will be shown when the sketch is opened. If you attached for example a sketch to a pocket, this pocket will be shown (if not already). Otherwise you will only see the sketch if the pocket was not shown in advance.
Restore camera position after editing	If checked, the camera position is moved back to where it was before sketch was opened.
Apply to existing sketches	If pressed, the options in the preferences section Visibility automation will be applied to existing sketches too. Otherwise these settings will only be used for new sketches.

Colors

In the Colors tab you can specify the following:

Name	Description
Default edge color	Color of edges
Default vertex color	Color of vertices (points)
Making line color	Color used while new sketch elements are created
Edit edge color	Color of edges being edited
Edit vertex color	Color of vertices (points) being edited
Construction geometry	Color of construction geometry in edit mode
Internal alignment edge color	Color of edges of internal alignment geometry
External geometry	Color of external geometry in edit mode
Fully constrained geometry	Color of fully constrained geometry in edit mode
Fully constrained edit edge color	Color of fully constrained edge color in edit mode
Fully constrained edit construction edge color	Color of fully constrained construction edge color in edit mode
Fully constrained edit internal alignment edge color	Color of fully constrained internal alignment edge color in edit mode
Fully constrained edit vertex color	Color of fully constrained vertex (point) color
Constraint color	Color of driving constraints, except of dimensional constraints that get the Dimensional constraint color.
Reference constraint color	Color of reference constraints
Expression dependent constraint color	Color of expression dependent constraints
Deactivated constraint color	Color of deactivated constraints
Dimensional constraint color	Color of dimensional constraints when they are driving
Coordinate text color	Text color of coordinates
Cursor crosshair color	Color of crosshair cursor. This is the one you get when creating a new sketch element.

Hint: The color for selections inside sketches is the global selection setting Enable selection highlighting, see the Preferences Editor.

FreeCAD 0.18.x

FreeCAD 0.18.x has only two tabs: General and Colors.

General

In the General tab you can specify the following:

Name	Description
Font size	The font size used for the labels and constraints in the sketch.
Grid line pattern	The line pattern used for grid lines. Grid lines will be displayed if you set the option Show grid.
Segments per geometry	Curves are approximated by polygon segments for visualization. The segments per geometry define the number of polygons for the approximation. The lower limit are 50 segments. Higher values refine the visualization but can lead to longer calculation times, especially for B-splines.
Ask for value after creating a dimensional constraint	If checked, a dialog will pop up to input a value for new dimensional constraints.
Geometry Creation "Continue Mode"	If checked, the current sketcher creation tool will remain active after the creation. If you use for example the line tool , it will remain active after you created a line with it. You can leave the tool any time by right-clicking into the sketch.
Constraint Creation "Continue Mode"	If checked, the current constraint creation tool will remain active after the creation. If you use for example the tangent tool , it will remain active after you created a constraint. You can leave the tool any time by right-clicking into the sketch.
Hide base length units for supported unit systems	If checked, base length units will not be displayed in the sketch constraints. The actual base length unit is the one of the selected unit system.
Hide all objects that depend on the sketch	If checked, all features that depend the sketch will be hidden when the sketch is opened. Note that the effect of this option might not occur when using the option Show objects used for external geometry and/or Show object(s) sketch is attached to.
Show objects used for external geometry	If checked, all objects used for an external geometry will be shown. If you edit for example a sketch that uses the geometry of a pad, this pad will be shown (if not already). Other features in the model tree between the pad and the sketch will not necessarily be shown.
Show object(s) sketch is attached to	If checked, objects the sketch is attached to will be shown when the sketch is opened. If you attached for example a sketch to a pocket, this pocket will be shown (if not already). Otherwise you will only see the sketch if the pocket was not shown in advance.
Restore camera position after editing	If checked, the camera position is moved back to where it was before sketch was opened.
Apply to existing sketches	If pressed, the options in the preferences section Visibility automation will be applied to existing sketches too. Otherwise these settings will only be used for new sketches.
Notify automatic constraint substitutions	If checked, you will be informed with a dialog about constraint substitutions. For example if the endpoints of two arcs are connected with the coincident constraint and you reconnect the arcs using the tangent constraint, the coincidence constraint will be substituted by the tangent constraint and you will get a popup dialog to telling you this.
Show Grid	If checked, a grid will be shown in the sketches. This option and the following 5 preferences settings can also be specified only for single sketches in the sketcher dialog section Edit controls.
Grid size	The distance between two subsequent grid lines. Note that the default value of 0 mm will result in a 10 mm grid.
Grid snap	If checked, new points will snap to the nearest grid line. Note that the points have already to be close to a grid line that the snap takes effect. The distance is a fifth of the value set for Grid size, so for a 10 mm grid, the snapping only occurs if the point is not more than 2 mm away from a grid line. Note: A snapped point has no coincident constraint with the grid point it snapped to.
Auto constraints	If checked, the sketcher proposes automatically sensible constraints. If you draw for example a polyline and point towards the bottom, you will see that the sketcher proposes a vertical constraint:. If you set now a point the drawn line segment will get the vertical constraint.
Avoid redundant auto constraints	If checked, the sketcher tries not to propose redundant auto constraints. This option only has an effect if also the option Auto constraints is used.
Rendering order	The order how sketches are rendered. To change it, drag and drop one of the geometries to the top or bottom.
Show Advanced Solver Control in the Task bar	If checked, the sketcher dialog will have the additional section Advanced solver control to adjust solver settings.
Improve solving while dragging	If checked, a special solver algorithm will be used while dragging sketch elements. This avoids that the sketch flips around while dragging. It is an improvement for most cases, however for complex sketches this option can increase the time to solve the sketch.

Colors

In the Colors tab you can specify the following:

Name	Description
Default edge color	The color in which sketch edges will be displayed when the sketch is not edited. Note: Changing the color will only have an effect for new sketches.
Default vertex color	The color in which sketch vertices (points) will be displayed when the sketch is not edited. Note: Changing the color will only have an effect for new sketches.
Making line color	The color used while new sketch elements are created.
Edit edge color	The color in which sketch edges will be displayed when the sketch is edited.
Edit vertex color	The color in which sketch vertices (points) will be displayed when the sketch is edited.
Construction geometry	The color of construction geometry in edit mode.
External geometry	The color of external geometry in edit mode.
Fully constrained geometry	The color of fully constrained geometry in edit mode.
Constraint color	The color of constraints in edit mode.
Reference Constraint color	The color of reference constraints in edit mode.
Expression dependent constraint color	The color of expression dependent constraints in edit mode.
Deactivated constraint color	The color of deactivated constraints in edit mode. introduced in version 0.19
Datum color	The color of dimensional (datum) constraints.
Cursor text color	Text color of the coordinates. When creating a new sketch element or when dragging an existing element the coordinates are displayed next to the cursor in the specified color.
Cursor crosshair color	The color of the crosshair cursor. This is the cursor you get when creating a new sketch element.