TechDraw Preferences
Introduction
The preferences of the TechDraw Workbench are found in the Preferences Editor, Edit → Preferences → TechDraw.
All preferences settings with italic labels are default values for new drawing objects. They have no effect on existing objects.
General
Drawing Update
- Update With 3D: Whether or not pages are updated every time the 3D model is changed. This is a global policy setting.
- Allow Page Override: Whether or not a page's Keep Update property can override the global Update With 3D parameter. This is a global policy setting.
- Keep Page Up To Date: Keeps the drawing pages in sync with the 3D model in real time. This can slow the response time.
- Auto-distribute Secondary Views: Automatically distributes secondary views for
Projection Groups.
Colors
Setup of the default colors for new pages. Additionally there is an option:
- Transparent Faces: If checked, object faces will be transparent. introduced in version 0.19
Labels
- Label Font: The name of the default font for labels.
- Label Size: Default size for label text.
Files
- Default Template: Default Template file for new pages.
- Template Directory: Starting directory for
Insert Page using Template. - SVG Hatch Pattern: Default SVG or bitmap file for
Hatch Face using Image File. - Line Group File: Alternate file for personal Line Group definitions.
- Welding Directory: Default directory for
Add Welding Information to Leader. introduced in version 0.19 - PAT File: Default PAT pattern definition file for
Apply Geometric Hatch to Face. - Pattern Name: Name of the default PAT pattern.
Scale
Scale
- ??:??.
Selection
- ??:??.
Size Adjustments
- Template Edit Mark: Size of editable text marker in templates (green dots).
Dimensions
Dimensions
- Standard and Style: The standard to be used for dimensional values. The options are
- ISO oriented: ??
- ISO Referencing: ??
- ASME Inlined: ??
- ASME Referencing: ??
- Use Global Decimals: Use number of decimals from the general preferences.
- Show Units: Appends the unit (mm, in, etc.) to dimension values.
- Alternate Decimals: Number of decimals if Use Global Decimals is not used.
- Default Format: Custom format for dimension text. Uses the printf format specifier.
- Font Size: Font size for dimension text.
- Diameter Symbol: Character used to indicate diameter dimensions.
- Arrow Style: Arrowhead style for dimensions.
- Arrow Size: Arrowhead size of dimensions.
Annotation
- Section Line Standard: Standard to be used to draw section lines in section views.
- Section Line Style: Style for section lines.
- Line Group Name: Name of the default line group specification.
- Matting Style: Outline shape for detail views.
- Center Line Style: Default style for centerlines.
- Balloon Shape: Shape of balloon annotations.
- Balloon Leader End: Default style for balloon leader line ends.
- Balloon Leader Kink Length: Length of balloon leader line kink.
- Balloon Pyramid Vertical: Keep pyramid leader line end in vertical or horizontal position.??
- Leader Line Auto Horizontal: Forces last leader line segment to be horizontal.
- Show Center Marks: Show arc center marks in views.
- Print Center Marks: Show arc centers in printed output.
Conventions
- Projection Group Angle: If projection groups will use either first- or third-angle projection. See multiview projection for an explanation.
- Hidden Line Style: The style to be used for hidden lines.
HLR Parameters
HLR stands for hidden line removal.
- Use Polygon Approximation: Uses an approximation to find hidden lines. This is fast, but the result is a collection of short straight lines.
- Show Hard Lines: Shows hard and outline edges (visible lines always shown)
- Show Smooth Lines: Shows smooth lines. A smooth line is ??
- Show Seam Lines: Show seam lines. A seam line is ??
- Show UV ISO Lines: Make lines of equal parameterization.??
- ISO Count: The number of ISO lines per face edge. An ISO line is ??
Advanced
- Detect Faces: If checked, TechDraw will attempt to build faces using the line segments returned by the hidden line removal algorithm. Faces must be detected in order to use Hatching, but there can be a performance penalty in complex models.
- Show Section Edges: Highlights the border of the section cut in
Section Views. - Debug Section: Dumps intermediate results during a Section view processing
- Debug Detail: Dumps intermediate results during a Detail view processing
- Allow Crazy Edges: Includes edges with unexpected geometry in results, e.g. zero lengths
- Fuse Before Section: Performs a fuse operation on the input shape(s) before Section view processing
- Show Loose 2D Geom: Includes 2D Objects in projections, e.g. loose sketches
- Line End Cap Shape: Setting of the line end cap shape. Explanation of the options: https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qt.html#PenCapStyle-enum
- Max SVG Hatch Tiles: The limit of SVG tiles with a size of 64x64 pixels used to hatch a single face. For large scalings one might get an error about to many SVG tiles, then one needs to increase the tile limit.
- Max PAT Hatch Segments: The maximum hatch line segments used when hatching a face with a PAT pattern.
Hidden Settings
Note: Since FreeCAD 0.19, all settings are available in the Preferences dialogs. The following only applies for FreeCAD versions older than 0.19:
Some preference settings are only accessible through the Parameter editor, Tools → Edit parameters.
Preferences/Mod/TechDraw/Decorations
- CenterMarkScale: default scale factor for CenterMarks
- ShowCenterMarks: default
true/false - PrintCenterMarks:
true/falseshow CenterMarks when printing introduced in version 0.19
Preferences/Mod/TechDraw/General
- DefaultScale: initial setting of Page Scale introduced in version 0.19
- EdgeFuzz: pick radius for Edges
- MarkFuzz: pick radius for CenterMarks
- SectionFuseFirst: fuse Source objects before performing Section cut
- EdgeEndCap: shape of Edge ends 0x00 FlatCap, 0x10 SquareCap, 0x20 RoundCap (Qt::PenCapStyle) introduced in version 0.19
Preferences/Mod/TechDraw/Format
- SectionFormat: section line style 0-ASME 1-ISO
Preferences/Mod/TechDraw/Standards
- RadiusAligned: Radius dimension format 0-ISO(aligned) 1-ASME(uniform)
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
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