Draft AutoGroup: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:07, 2 September 2021

Other languages:

ToggleConstructionMode

Snap Lock

Draft

Menu location
Draft AutoGroup
None
Workbenches
Draft, Arch
Default shortcut
None
Introduced in version
0.17
See also
Draft Layer, Std Group

Description

The Draft AutoGroup command changes the active Draft Layer or, optionally, the active Std Group or group-like Arch object. New Draft and Arch objects are automatically placed in this active layer or group.

This command was originally intended for groups, hence its name, but was redesigned in FreeCAD version 0.19 when a layer system was introduced. Because handling layers is now the default for the command the rest of this page will primarily focus on layers.

The layer menu of the Draft Tray

Usage

To use this command in FreeCAD version 0.19 at least one layer must exist.
Optionally select the layer you want to make active in the Tree view.
There are several ways to invoke the command:
- Press the None button in the Draft Tray. This button can look different. If there is an active layer it will show the name of the layer and a layer icon with the ViewLine Color and ViewShape Color of the layer.
- If you have selected a layer: select the Activate this layer option from the Tree view context menu.
If you have not yet selected a layer the layer menu opens. Do one of the following:
- Select None to work without an active layer.
- Select an existing layer to make active.
- Select Add new Layer to create a new layer. Selecting this option will not change the active layer.
If the active layer was changed the button in the Draft Tray is updated.

Notes

A new layer can also be created by right-clicking the layer container in the Tree view and selecting the Add new layer option from the context menu.
If Draft construction mode is switched on the active layer is ignored.

Preferences

See also: Preferences Editor and Draft Preferences.

This command can optionally also handle groups: Edit → Preferences... → Draft → General settings → General Draft Settings → Show groups in layers list drop-down button.

Scripting

If the Draft Workbench is active the FreeCADGui application object has a draftToolBar property. This draftToolBar object has an autogroup property, which contains the name of the active autogroup, or is None if no autogroup is active. To change the active autogroup use the setAutoGroup method of the draftToolBar object. To put objects in the active autogroup use the autogroup method of the Draft module.

# This code only works if the Draft Workbench is active!

import FreeCAD as App
import FreeCADGui as Gui
import Draft

doc = App.newDocument()

polygon1 = Draft.make_polygon(5, radius=1000)
polygon2 = Draft.make_polygon(3, radius=500)
polygon3 = Draft.make_polygon(6, radius=220)

layer = Draft.make_layer()
Gui.draftToolBar.setAutoGroup(layer.Name)

Draft.autogroup(polygon1)
Draft.autogroup(polygon2)
Draft.autogroup(polygon3)

doc.recompute()

ToggleConstructionMode

Snap Lock

Draft

Drafting: Line, Polyline, Fillet, Arc, Arc by 3 points, Circle, Ellipse, Rectangle, Polygon, B-spline, Cubic Bézier curve, Bézier curve, Point, Facebinder, ShapeString, Hatch
Annotation: Text, Dimension, Label, Annotation styles, Annotation scale
Modification: Move, Rotate, Scale, Mirror, Offset, Trimex, Stretch, Clone, Array, Polar array, Circular array, Path array, Path link array, Point array, Point link array, Edit, Subelement highlight, Join, Split, Upgrade, Downgrade, Wire to B-spline, Draft to sketch, Set slope, Flip dimension, Shape 2D view

Draft Tray: Select plane, Set style, Toggle construction mode, AutoGroup
Snapping: Snap lock, Snap endpoint, Snap midpoint, Snap center, Snap angle, Snap intersection, Snap perpendicular, Snap extension, Snap parallel, Snap special, Snap near, Snap ortho, Snap grid, Snap working plane, Snap dimensions, Toggle grid

Miscellaneous: Apply current style, Layer, Manage layers, Add a new named group, Move to group, Select group, Add to construction group, Toggle normal/wireframe display, Create working plane proxy, Heal, Show snap toolbar
Additional: Constraining, Pattern, Preferences, Import Export Preferences, DXF/DWG, SVG, OCA, DAT
Context menu:
- Layer container: Merge layer duplicates, Add new layer
- Layer: Activate this layer, Select layer contents
- Text: Open hyperlinks
- Wire: Flatten
- Working plane proxy: Write camera position, Write objects state

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
Workbenches: Std Base, Arch, Assembly, CAM, Draft, FEM, Inspection, Mesh, OpenSCAD, Part, PartDesign, Points, Reverse Engineering, Robot, Sketcher, Spreadsheet, Start, Surface, TechDraw, Test Framework, Web

Addons: Addon Manager, External workbenches, Scripting and macros

Hubs: User hub, Power users hub, Developer hub

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Page in progress}}
 <languages/>
 <translate>
@@ Line 7: / Line 6: @@
 |[[Draft_ToggleConstructionMode|ToggleConstructionMode]]
 |[[Draft_Snap_Lock|Snap Lock]]
-|[[Draft_Module|Draft]]
+|[[Draft_Workbench|Draft]]
 |IconL=Draft_ToggleConstructionMode.svg
 |IconR=Draft_Snap_Lock.svg
@@ Line 16: / Line 15: @@
 {{GuiCommand
 |Name=Draft AutoGroup
+|Empty=1
-|MenuLocation=Utilities → AutoGroup
-|Workbenches=[[Draft_Module|Draft]], [[Arch_Module|Arch]]
+|Workbenches=[[Draft_Workbench|Draft]], [[Arch_Workbench|Arch]]
 |Version=0.17
-|SeeAlso=[[Std_Group|Std Group]]
+|SeeAlso=[[Draft_Layer|Draft Layer]], [[Std_Group|Std Group]]
 }}
@@ Line 25: / Line 24: @@
 <!--T:2-->
-The AutoGroup tool sets a selected [[Std_Group|Std Group]], or a related element like an [[Arch_Site|Arch Site]], an [[Arch_Building|Arch Building]] or an [[Arch_BuildingPart|Arch BuildingPart]], as the active auto-group. When an auto-group is set, new objects will be automatically moved to the indicated group upon being created.
+The '''Draft AutoGroup''' command changes the active [[Draft_Layer|Draft Layer]] or, [[#Preferences|optionally]], the active [[Std_Group|Std Group]] or group-like [[Arch_Workbench|Arch]] object. New [[Draft_Workbench|Draft]] and [[Arch_Workbench|Arch]] objects are automatically placed in this active layer or group.
-<!--T:8-->
+<!--T:19-->
+This command was originally intended for groups, hence its name, but was redesigned in FreeCAD version 0.19 when a layer system was introduced. Because handling layers is now the default for the command the rest of this page will primarily focus on layers.
-Auto-grouping works with elements created with the [[Draft_Workbench|Draft]] and [[Arch_Workbench|Arch Workbenches]].
 </translate>
-[[Image:Draft_AutoGroup_example.png]]
+[[Image:Draft_tray_menu.png]]
 <translate>
 <!--T:9-->
+{{Caption|The layer menu of the Draft Tray}}
-{{Caption|Draft Tray which sets the active auto-group by clicking on the folder icon and choosing a group}}
 ==Usage== <!--T:18-->
 <!--T:3-->
+# To use this command in FreeCAD version 0.19 at least one [[Draft_Layer|layer]] must exist.
-# Select a {{Button|[[Image:Group.svg|16px]] [[Std_Group|Std Group]]}}, {{Button|[[Image:Group.svg|16px]] [[Draft_ToggleConstructionMode|Construction group]]}} in the tree view.
+# Optionally select the layer you want to make active in the [[Tree_view|Tree view]].
-# Press the {{Button|[[Image:Draft AutoGroup_off.svg|16px]] None}} button, or go to the menu {{MenuCommand|Utilities → [[Image:Draft AutoGroup.svg|16px]] [[Draft AutoGroup|AutoGroup]]}}. If no group is selected, a drop-down menu will display eligible groups to use, or "None".
+# There are several ways to invoke the command:
-# The button will change with the name of the active auto-group, for example, {{Button|[[Image:Draft AutoGroup_on.svg|16px]] Group}}.
+#* Press the {{Button|[[Image:button_invalid.svg|16px]] [[Draft_AutoGroup|None]]}} button in the [[Draft_Tray|Draft Tray]]. This button can look different. If there is an active layer it will show the name of the layer and a layer icon with the {{PropertyView|Line Color}} and {{PropertyView|Shape Color}} of the layer.
+#* If you have selected a layer: select the {{MenuCommand|[[Image:button_right.svg|16px]] Activate this layer}} option from the [[Tree_view|Tree view]] context menu.
+# If you have not yet selected a layer the layer menu opens. Do one of the following:
+#* Select {{MenuCommand|None}} to work without an active layer.
+#* Select an existing layer to make active.
+#* Select {{MenuCommand|Add new Layer}} to create a new layer. Selecting this option will not change the active layer.
+# If the active layer was changed the button in the [[Draft_Tray|Draft Tray]] is updated.
+==Notes== <!--T:20-->
 <!--T:5-->
+* A new [[Draft_Layer|layer]] can also be created by right-clicking the layer container in the [[Tree_view|Tree view]] and selecting the {{MenuCommand|[[Image:Draft_NewLayer.svg|16px]] Add new layer}} option from the context menu.
-Notes:
+* If [[Draft_ToggleConstructionMode|Draft construction mode]] is switched on the active [[Draft_Layer|layer]] is ignored.
-* The {{Button|[[Image:Draft AutoGroup.svg|16px]] [[Draft AutoGroup|AutoGroup]]}} button is present in the [[Draft Tray|Draft Tray]] toolbar, which only appears in the [[Draft Workbench|Draft]] and [[Arch Workbench|Arch Workbench]]es.
-* At least one of {{Button|[[Image:Group.svg|16px]] [[Std Group|Std Group]]}} or {{Button|[[Image:Group.svg|16px]] [[Draft_ToggleConstructionMode|Construction group]]}} must exist before using this tool.
+==Preferences== <!--T:21-->
-* To change the auto-group, select another group in the tree view and click {{Button|[[Image:Draft AutoGroup_on.svg|16px]] Group}}. If no group is selected you have the option of choosing "None" to turn off auto-grouping.
-* When auto-grouping is active, new [[Draft Workbench|Draft]] and [[Arch Workbench|Arch]] objects will be placed in that group except when {{Button|[[Image:Draft Construction.svg|16px]] [[Draft_ToggleConstructionMode|Construction mode]]}} is on, in which case the new geometry will be placed in the Construction group.
+<!--T:22-->
-* Auto-grouping only works for objects created from the graphical user interface; objects created programmatically by [[macros|macros]] or the [[Python|Python]] console aren't automatically placed in groups. The user always has the possibility of programmatically doing the grouping, regardless of the auto-grouping settings.
+See also: [[Preferences_Editor|Preferences Editor]] and [[Draft_Preferences|Draft Preferences]].
+<!--T:23-->
+* This command can optionally also handle groups: {{MenuCommand|Edit → Preferences... → Draft → General settings → General Draft Settings → Show groups in layers list drop-down button}}.
 == Scripting == <!--T:6-->
 <!--T:10-->
-{{Emphasis|See also:}} [[Draft API|Draft API]] and [[FreeCAD Scripting Basics|FreeCAD Scripting Basics]].
+See also: [https://freecad.github.io/SourceDoc/ Autogenerated API documentation] and [[FreeCAD_Scripting_Basics|FreeCAD Scripting Basics]].
 <!--T:7-->
+If the [[Draft_Workbench|Draft Workbench]] is active the FreeCADGui application object has a {{incode|draftToolBar}} property. This {{incode|draftToolBar}} object has an {{incode|autogroup}} property, which contains the name of the active autogroup, or is {{incode|None}} if no autogroup is active. To change the active autogroup use the {{incode|setAutoGroup}} method of the {{incode|draftToolBar}} object. To put objects in the active autogroup use the {{incode|autogroup}} method of the Draft module.
-Adding objects to the active auto-group can be done in [[macros|macros]] and from the [[Python|Python]] console by using the following function:
-</translate>
-{{Code|code=
-autogroup(obj)
-}}
-<translate>
-<!--T:11-->
-* Puts the {{incode|obj}} element in the current auto-group.
-* If auto-grouping is disabled (the group is {{incode|None}}), or if [[Draft_ToggleConstructionMode|Construction mode]] is active, or if {{incode|obj}} is already in the auto-group, the function doesn't do anything.
-* The function will fail if {{incode|obj}} is already in another group that is different from the auto-group.
-* The function only does something if the graphical interface is active, as the auto-group can only be chosen from the graphical interface.
-<!--T:12-->
-Example:
 </translate>
 {{Code|code=
@@ Line 86: / Line 86: @@
 layer = Draft.make_layer()
-# Make the layer active:
 Gui.draftToolBar.setAutoGroup(layer.Name)
@@ Line 102: / Line 101: @@
 |[[Draft_ToggleConstructionMode|ToggleConstructionMode]]
 |[[Draft_Snap_Lock|Snap Lock]]
-|[[Draft_Module|Draft]]
+|[[Draft_Workbench|Draft]]
 |IconL=Draft_ToggleConstructionMode.svg
 |IconR=Draft_Snap_Lock.svg