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.

    2. 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.

    3. 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 to show/hide the parameters.

  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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