Draft AutoGroup

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Draft

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

Description

The Draft AutoGroup command automatically places new objects in the active Draft Layer or, optionally, in the active Std Group or group-like Arch object. This command was originally intended for groups, hence its name, but was redesigned in FreeCAD version 0.19 when a layer system was introduced.

The layer menu of the Draft Tray

Usage

Because handling layers is now the default for the command this paragraphs only refers to "layers". But the explanation is also valid if the group option is enabled. Just read "layer or group" instead of "layer".

To use this command at least one Draft Layer must exist.
Optionally select the layer you want 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.
- Select the Utilities → AutoGroup option from the menu.
If you have not yet selected a layer: select a layer from the layer menu that opens.
The button in the Draft Tray is updated.

Notes

If Draft construction mode is switched on the active Draft 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 auto-group, or is None if no auto-group is active. To change the active auto-group use the setAutoGroup method of the draftToolBar object. To put objects in the active auto-group 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()