Draft Preferences
Introduction
The preferences for the 
Draft Workbench can be found in the Preferences Editor. In the menu select Edit ??? Preferences... and then Draft. This group is only available if the Draft Workbench has been loaded in the current FreeCAD session.
There are five pages: General, Interface, Grid and snapping, Visual and Texts and dimensions.
Some advanced preferences can only be changed in the Parameter editor. See Fine-tuning.
This page has been updated for version 1.0.
In {{VersionMinus|0.21}} some preferences may appear on a different page, and in some cases FreeCAD must be restarted after changing a preference.
General
On this page you can specify the following:
+++ | Name | Description | +=============================================================+============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================+ | | The number of decimals used in internal coordinate operations (for example 3 = 0.001). Values between 6 and 8 are usually considered the best trade-off. | | Internal precision level | | | | | +++ | | The default working plane for new views. The options are: | | Default working plane | | | | - | | | Automatic | | | | | | : If set to Automatic the working plane will automatically align with the current view whenever a command is started. Additionally it will align to preselected planar faces, or when points on planar faces are picked during commands. | | | | | | - | | | XY (Top) | | | | | | | | | - | | | XZ (Front) | | | | | | | | | - | | | YZ (Side) | | | | +++ | | If checked, a widget indicating the current working plane orientation appears when picking points. | | Show working plane tracker | | | | | +++ | | If checked, the layers drop-down list also includes groups. Objects can then automatically be added to groups as well. See Draft AutoGroup. | | Include groups in layer list | | | | | +++ | | If checked, instructions are displayed in the Report view when using Draft commands. (v1.0) | | Show prompts in the Report view | | | | | +++ | | If checked, Length input, instead of the X coordinate, will have the initial focus. This allows to indicate a direction and then type a distance. | | Set focus on Length instead of X coordinate | | | | | +++ | | If checked, base objects, instead of created copies, are selected after copying. | | Select base objects after copying | | | | | +++ | | If checked, Draft commands will create Part primitives instead of Draft objects. Note that this is not fully supported, and many objects will not be editable with Draft modification commands. | | Create Part primitives if possible | | | | | +++ | | If checked, Draft Downgrade and Draft Upgrade will keep face colors. Only for the splitFaces and makeShell options. | | Keep face colors during downgrade/upgrade | | | | | +++ | | If checked, Draft Downgrade and Draft Upgrade will keep face names. Only for the splitFaces and makeShell options. | | Keep face names during downgrade/upgrade | | | | | +++ | | This is the delay in seconds during which the mouse is inactive after entering a number in one of the Draft task panel input fields. During the delay moving the mouse won\'t change the entered value. Set to 0 to disable the delay. | | Mouse delay | | | | | +++ | | The maximum number of objects Draft Edit is allowed to process at the same time. | | Max. number of editable objects | | | | | +++ | | The pick radius of edit nodes. | | Edit node pick radius | | | | | +++ | | The default prefix added to the label of new clones. | | Label prefix for clones | | | | | +++ | | The default label for the construction geometry group. | | Construction group label | | | | | +++ | | The default color for Draft objects in construction mode. | | Construction geometry color | | | | | +++
Interface
On this page you can specify the following:
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| Name | Description |
+=========================================================================+================================================================================================================================================================================================================+
| | These shortcuts only work when a Draft or BIM command is active. Note that not all commands support all shortcuts. |
| In-command shortcuts | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle relative mode. If relative mode is on, coordinates are relative to the last point, if available, else they are relative to the coordinate system origin. |
| Relative | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle global mode. If global mode is on, coordinates are relative to the global coordinate system, else they are relative to the working plane coordinate system. |
| Global | |
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| | Shortcut to change the focus from the X coordinate input box to the Length input box and vice versa. |
| Length | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle filled mode. If filled mode is on, the created object will have Make Face set to True. |
| Fill | |
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| | Shortcut to press the Select edge button. See Draft Dimension. |
| Select edge | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle subelement mode. If subelement mode is on, the command will use the selected subelements instead of the whole objects. |
| Subelement mode | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle copy mode. If copy mode is on, the command will create modified copies instead of modifying the original objects. |
| Copy | |
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| | Shortcut to press the Undo button. |
| Undo | |
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| | Shortcut to press the Wipe button. |
| Wipe | |
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| | Shortcut to press the Close button. |
| Close | |
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| | Shortcut to press the Finish button. |
| Exit | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle continue mode. If continue mode is on, commands will restart after finishing. |
| Continue | |
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| | Shortcut to change snap priority to an object that is obscured by other geometry. See Draft Snap. |
| Cycle snap | |
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| | Shortcut to insert a \"hold point\" at the current location of the cursor. See Draft Snap. |
| Add hold | |
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| | Shortcut to press the Set WP button. |
| Set working plane | |
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| | Shortcut to toggle Draft snapping. |
| Snap | |
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| | Shortcut to increase the maximum distance at which Draft Snap Grid detects the intersections of grid lines. See Draft SelectPlane. |
| Increase radius | |
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| | Shortcut to decrease the maximum distance at which Draft Snap Grid detects the intersections of grid lines. |
| Decrease radius | |
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| | Shortcut to constrain the movement of the cursor to the X axis. See Draft Constrain. |
| Restrict X | |
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| | Shortcut to constrain the movement of the cursor to the Y axis. |
| Restrict Y | |
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| | Shortcut to constrain the movement of the cursor to the Z axis. |
| Restrict Z | |
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| | If checked, the Draft snap toolbar will only be visible during commands. (v1.0) |
| Only show the Draft snap toolbar during commands | |
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| | If checked, the Snap widget is displayed in the Draft statusbar. |
| Show the Snap widget in the Draft Workbench | |
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| | If checked, the Annotation scale widget is displayed in the Draft statusbar. |
| Show the Annotation scale widget in the Draft Workbench | |
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Grid and snapping
Note that several grid preferences can also be changed with the Draft SelectPlane command.
On this page you can specify the following:
+++ | Name | Description | +===============================================+==========================================================================================================================================================================================+ | | If checked, the grid will always be visible in new views. Use Draft ToggleGrid to change this for the active view. | | Always show the grid | | | | | +++ | | If checked, the grid will be visible during commands in new views. Use Draft ToggleGrid to change this for the active view. (v1.0) | | Show the grid during commands | | | | | +++ | | If checked, an additional border is displayed around the grid, showing the main square size in the bottom left corner. | | Show grid border | | | | | +++ | | If checked, the outline of a human figure is displayed at the bottom left corner of the grid. Only effective if Show grid border is enabled. | | Show human figure | | | | | +++ | | If checked, the two main axes of the grid are colored red, green or blue if they match the X, Y or Z axis of the global coordinate system. | | Use colored axes | | | | | +++ | | The number of squares between major grid lines. Major grid lines are thicker than minor grid lines. | | Major lines every | | | | | +++ | | The distance between grid lines. | | Grid spacing | | | | | +++ | | The number of squares in the X and Y direction of the grid. | | Grid size | | | | | +++ | | The overall transparency of the grid. | | Grid transparency | | | | | +++ | | The color of the grid. | | Grid color | | | | | +++ | | The style for snap symbols. The options are: | | Snap symbol style | | | | - | | | Draft classic style | | | | | | | | | - | | | Bitsnpieces style | | | | | | . | +++ | | The color for snap symbols, snap dimensions and edit nodes. | | Snap symbol color | | | | | +++ | | If checked, snapping is activated without the need to press the Snap modifier key. | | Always snap | | | | | +++ | | The Snap modifier key. | | Snap modifier | | | | | +++ | | The Constrain modifier key. | | Constrain modifier | | | | | +++ | | The Alt modifier key. The function of this key depends on the command. | | Alt modifier | | | | | +++
Visual
On this page you can specify the following:
+++ | Name | Description | +=================================================+==================================================================================================================+ | | The default size for SVG patterns. A higher value results in a denser pattern. | | SVG pattern size | | | | | +++ | | An optional directory with custom SVG files containing pattern definitions to be added to the standard patterns. | | Additional SVG pattern location | | | | | +++ | | An SVG linestyle definition used by the TechDraw DraftView command. | | Dashed line definition | | | | | +++ | | Idem. | | Dashdot line definition | | | | | +++ | | Idem. | | Dotted line definition | | | | | +++
Texts and dimensions
These preferences are the defaults used when creating new objects. Changing them does not affect existing objects.
On this page you can specify the following:
+++ | Name | Description | +===============================================+===================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================+ | | The default font for texts, dimensions and labels. It can be a font name such as {{Value|Arial}}, a style such as {{Value|sans}}, {{Value|serif}} or {{Value|mono}}, or a family such as {{Value|Arial,Helvetica,sans}}, or a name with a style such as {{Value|Arial:Bold}}. | | Font name or family | | | | | +++ | | The default height for texts, dimension texts and label texts. | | Font size | | | | | +++ | | The default line spacing for multi-line texts and labels (relative to the font size). | | Line spacing factor | | | | | +++ | | The default annotation scale multiplier. This is the inverse of the scale set in the Draft annotation scale widget. If the scale is {{Value|1:100}} the multiplier is {{Value|100}}. (v1.0) | | Scale multiplier | | | | | +++ | | The default color for texts, dimension texts and label texts. | | Text color | | | | | +++ | | If checked, the dimension line is displayed by default. | | Show dimension line | | | | | +++ | | The default line width. | | Line width | | | | | +++ | | The default symbol displayed at the ends of dimension lines. The options are: | | Arrows type | | | | - | | | Dot | | | | | | | | | - | | | Circle | | | | | | | | | - | | | Arrow | | | | | | | | | - | | | Tick | | | | | | | | | - | | | Tick-2 | | | | +++ | | The default arrow size. | | Arrows size | | | | | +++ | | The default color for lines and arrows. | | Line and arrow color | | | | | +++ | | If checked, a unit symbol is added to dimension texts by default. | | Show unit | | | | | +++ | | The default unit override for dimensions. Enter a unit such as {{Value|m}} or {{Value|cm}}, leave blank to use the current unit defined in FreeCAD. | | Unit override | | | | | +++ | | The default number of decimal places for dimension texts. | | Number of decimals | | | | | +++ | | The optional string inserted between the feet and inches values in dimensions. (v1.0) | | Feet separator | | | | | +++ | | The default distance the dimension line is extended past the extension lines. | | Dimension line overshoot | | | | | +++ | | The default length of extension lines. Use {{Value|0}} for full extension lines. A negative value defines the gap between the ends of the extension lines and the measured points. A positive value defines the maximum length of the extension lines. Only used for linear dimensions. | | Extension line length | | | | | +++ | | The default length of extension lines above the dimension line. | | Extension line overshoot | | | | | +++ | | The default space between the dimension line and the dimension text. | | Text spacing | | | | | +++ | | The default font file for the Draft ShapeString command. For Windows users: please read the Font file selection on Windows paragraph on that page. | | Default ShapeString font file | | | | | +++
??? documentation index > Preferences > Draft > Draft Preferences
This page is retrieved from https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD-documentation/blob/main/wiki/Draft_Preferences.md