Configuring Interactive Display

You may find it helpful to customize the appearance of interactive elements in the program, including general elements, object highlighting, SmartCursor elements, and snap points.

To configure the appearance of interactive elements:

1. Select Tools > Options > Vectorworks Preferences. On the Interactive tab of the Vectorworks Preferences dialog box, click Interactive Appearance Settings.

Alternatively, select Tools > SmartCursor Settings. On the General tab of the SmartCursor Settings dialog box, click Interactive Appearance Settings.

The Interactive Appearance Settings dialog box opens.

2. Select either the Standard Background or Black Background tab, depending on whether the black background display preference is enabled (see Vectorworks Display Preferences). The same elements can be customized for both background types, except that there are no options for setting background colors for black backgrounds.

Element
Description
Example

Clip Cube

 

 

Edges

Sets the color for edges where surfaces intersect a face of a clip cube

clipcube.png 

Solid Fill

Sets the color for the area where solid objects intersect a face of a clip cube

clipcube00045.png 

General

 

 

Active Layer Plane

Sets the color and opacity of the active layer plane grid

Inter_ex_groundp.png 

Background - 3D Views
(Standard Background only)

Sets the background color of the drawing area for design layers in 3D views

background_3D.png 

Background - Perspective Horizon Ground

Sets the ground color and ground horizon color when in non-cropped perspective view; the foreground color gradually transitions to the background color as a gradient in the direction of the horizon

Inter_ex_perspective.png 

Background - Perspective Horizon Sky

Sets the sky color and sky horizon color when in non-cropped perspective view; the foreground color gradually transitions to the background color as a gradient in the direction of the horizon

Inter_ex_perspective00052.png 

Background - Sheet Layers
(Standard Background only)

Sets the background color of sheet layers

background_sheet.png 

Background - Top/Plan
(Standard Background only)

Sets the background color of the drawing area for design layers in Top/Plan view

background_topplan.png 

Editing Modes Border

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of the colored border when in an editing mode

Inter_ex_editborder.png 

Grid

Sets the color and opacity of the reference grid

inter_ex_grid.png 

Page Boundary

Sets the color and opacity of the page boundary border

Inter_ex_pageborder.png 

Repetition Opacity

Sets the opacity for the repetitions of the selected line type or tile object, which are displayed when a line type or tile resource is being edited

tile_highlight.png 

Reshape Handles - Active Layer

Sets the color of the square handles that can be dragged to reshape a selected object on the active layer

handles_active.png 

Reshape Handles - Inactive Layer

Sets the color of the square handles that can be dragged to reshape a selected object on an inactive layer

handles_inactive.png 

Working Plane

Sets the color of the working plane and opacity of its fill and frame, as well as the opacity and thickness of the working plane axes

inter_ex_workpl.png 

X-ray Select Mode

Sets the opacity of the objects in X-ray Select mode

Inter_ex_xray.png 

Object Highlighting

 

 

Action

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of the highlighting for objects being modified

Inter_ex_action.png 

Active Layer

Sets the pattern, forecolor, backcolor, opacity, and thickness of the highlighting for an object that is selected on the active layer

highlight_active.png 

Inactive Layer

Sets the pattern, forecolor, backcolor, opacity, and thickness of the highlighting for an object that is selected on an inactive layer

highlight_inactive.png 

Automatic Plane Source

Sets the color and opacity of the automatic working plane

wp_interactive.png 

Locked

Sets the pattern, forecolor, backcolor, opacity, and thickness of the highlighting for an object that is locked

highlight_locked.png 

Pre-Selection - Active Layer

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of the highlighting for an object that is pre-selected on the active layer; an object can be pre-selected by being either under the cursor’s selection box, or inside a selection marquee

preselect_active.png 

Pre-Selection - Inactive Layer

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of the highlighting for an object that is pre-selected on the inactive layer

preselect_inactive.png 

Pre-Selection - Locked

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of the highlighting for an object that is locked

preselect_locked.png 

Snap Object

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of the highlighting for an object that is being snapped to; the highlighting is always a dashed line

snap_highlight.png 

Tool Highlighting

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of the highlighting for an object that can be edited by the active tool

tool_highlight.png 

Occluded 3D Graphics

Sets the opacity of feedback graphics, such as highlighting, snapping, selection indication, and some preview graphics, when occluded by a rendered 3D solid

Inter_ex_occluded.png 

SmartCursor

 

 

Acquisition Hints

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of the graphical hints which display near the cursor to show when a smart point, smart edge, or vector lock can be acquired or released

Inter_ex_acqHints.png 

Cue Background

Specifies the background color and opacity of SmartCursor cues

Interactive_ex_cue1.png 

Cue Text

Sets the color and size of SmartCursor text

Interactive_ex_cue100069.png 

Datum Indicator

Sets the color, opacity and thickness of the datum indicator

Inter_ex_datum.png 

Extension Lines - Angle

Sets the color, opacity and thickness of angle extension lines

Inter_ex_angleExt.png 

Extension Lines - Smart Point

Sets the color, opacity and thickness of smart point alignment lines (the selected color may be overridden by the default X, Y, and Z axis colors)

Inter_ex_smPt.png 

Planes

Sets the color and opacity of angle and alignment planes (the selected color may be overridden by the default X, Y, and Z axis colors)

Inter_ex_planes.png 

Selection Box

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of the selection box around the SmartCursor

Inter_ex_snapbox.png 

Smart Edges

Sets the color, opacity and thickness of smart edge lines

Inter_ex_Sedge.png 

Smart Points

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of smart points

Inter_ex_smartpts.png 

Snap Box

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of the snap box around the SmartCursor

Inter_ex_snapbox00080.png 

Vector Locks

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of vector locks

Inter_ex_locks.png 

Snap Points

 

 

Available

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of snap points available near the cursor and within the snap box

Inter_ex_avail.png 

Congestion Indicator

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of the snap box when there are too many available snap points around the SmartCursor (using the snap loupe is recommended in this situation; see Using the Snap Loupe)

Inter_ex_congest.png 

Current

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of the current snap indicator

Inter_ex_current.png 

Obtained

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of the acquired snap point

Inter_ex_acq.png 

Special

Sets the color, opacity, and thickness of snap point hints such as midpoint, center, along line, and tangent snaps

Inter_ex_special.png 

Reset

Restores the default settings for all interface elements

 

 

3. Click the column heading to sort by interface element, if desired. Select the element to change, and then set the parameters that display to the right of the element list as needed. Different parameters display, depending on the element selected.

4. Click OK to save the settings, which apply to all Vectorworks drawings.

5. From the Vectorworks Preferences dialog box, click OK again to save the preferences.

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Selection and Pre-selection Indicators

Selecting Objects

Setting Snapping Parameters

Drawing with Snapping

The Selection Tool

 

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