DesignSeries00062.pngThe Navigation Palette

The Navigation palette provides access to classes, design layers, sheet layers, viewports, and saved views, similar to the Organization dialog box. However, unlike the Organization dialog box, the drawing area is accessible while the Navigation palette is open.

To use the Navigation palette:

  1. Select Window > Palettes > Navigation.

  2. The Navigation palette opens.

    Nav_pal_layers.png 

    Click the desired tab to set the active tab upon opening the Navigation palette. Select Window > Palettes > Save Palette Positions to save the changes. To revert the active tab back to the setting established when a custom workspace was created (in the User Data and Preferences folder), click Reset Saved Settings from the Session tab of Vectorworks preferences (see Vectorworks Preferences: Session Tab).

  3. Select the appropriate tab: Classes, Design Layers, Sheet Layers, Viewports, Saved Views, or References.

  4. A list of items of that type in the current drawing displays. If a description is entered for a class or layer, the description displays in a screen tip when you position the cursor over the item name; on Windows, click the disclosure arrow on the screen tip to collapse or expand it.

  5. Change the settings for classes, design layers, sheet layers, viewports, saved views, or references as needed.

  6.     Click a class or design layer’s Visibility column to set the visibility for objects in that layer. To set the same visibility for all classes or design layers in the list, Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) one of the Visibility columns.

        Use the navigation context menu options to toggle the display of classes in hierarchical order, or to expand or collapse the class list for better manageability.

        If classes are displayed in hierarchical order, click the Visibility column for a class group header and all of its sublevels inherit that visibility setting.

        Double-click a class, design layer, or sheet layer to activate it. Alternatively, click the column to the left of the item’s name to activate it.

        Double-click a saved view to switch to that view.

        Double-click a viewport to switch the active layer to the sheet layer or design layer that contains the viewport, and to select the viewport (if a viewport is in a class with settings that prevent the viewport from being selected, a message displays to indicate that the active class changed to the viewport class).

        Select a class or design layer and then select one of the Class Options or Layer Options.

        Change the stacking order of a design layer or sheet layer by clicking the number in its # column and dragging it up or down the list.

        Double-click a tab in the Navigation palette to open the equivalent tab in the Organization dialog box.

    See the following sections for details:

        List Box Functionality

        Displaying Classes in Hierarchical Order

        Changing the Design Layer Stacking Order

        Setting the Active Layer

        Changing the Sheet Layer Stacking Order

        Creating Classes

        Setting the Active Class

        Saved Views

        Setting Visibilities in the Organization Dialog Box

  7. The Navigation menu provides creation and management functions. Select a list item and then select the desired function from the Navigation menu to the right of the References tab.

Alternatively, Ctrl-click (Mac) or right-click (Windows) a list item and then select the desired function from the navigation context menu.

Menu Command
Function

Classes tab

 

New

Select New to open the New Class dialog box. See Creating Classes.

When a new class is created, it does not automatically become the active class.

Edit

Select a class and then select Edit to edit it in the Edit Class(es) dialog box. See Setting Class Properties. This option is not available when classes are displayed in hierarchical order and a class group header is selected.

Duplicate

Select a class and then select Duplicate to create a copy of it. The name of the duplicate is the same as the original class, with a number added (as in cabinets-2); if the original name ends in a number, the next available sequential number is used. This option is not available when classes are displayed in hierarchical order and a class group header is selected.

Delete

Select a class and then select Delete to open the Delete Class(es) dialog box. Specify what to do with the objects currently assigned to the class(es) being deleted (delete them, or reassign them to another selected class). Click OK to return to the Navigation palette. The program moves all objects in the deleted class(es) to the appropriate class, or deletes them, as specified. Shortcut keys for this command are Delete (Windows) and Forward Delete (Mac). This option is not available when classes are displayed in hierarchical order and a class group header is selected.

The Dimension and None classes cannot be deleted. These are default classes in every drawing.

Assign to Selection

Select one or more drawing object and one class; then select Assign to Selection to place the object in the specified class

Activate

Select a class and then select Activate to make that class active for every design layer, viewport, and saved view without class visibility saved. (Enter is a shortcut key for this command.)

Details

Select Details to open the Organization dialog box to the Classes tab in Details view; double-clicking the Classes tab in the Navigation palette is a shortcut for this command

Visibilities

Select a class and then select Visibilities to open the Organization dialog box to the Classes tab in Visibilities view (showing Viewport and Saved View visibilities for the class)

Select All

Choose Select All to select all classes

Hierarchical Display

Toggles the hierarchical display of classes on or off

Expand All

When classes are displayed in hierarchical order, displays all classes in the file

Collapse All

When classes are displayed in hierarchical order, collapses the list to display only top-level classes (those with no dash in the name) and class group headers

Design Layers tab

 

New

Select New to open the New Design Layer dialog box.

When a new layer is created, it becomes the active layer.

Edit

Select a layer and then select Edit to edit it in the Edit Design Layers dialog box. See Setting Design Layer Properties.

Duplicate

Select a design layer and then select Duplicate to create a copy of it. The name of the duplicate is the same as the original layer, with a number added (as in floorplan-2); if the original name ends in a number, the next available sequential number is used.

Delete

Select a design layer and then select Delete; when prompted, click Yes to confirm the deletion. Shortcut keys for this command are Delete (Windows) and Forward Delete (Mac).

When a design layer is removed from the drawing, all objects in that layer are also removed.

Assign to Selection

Select one or more drawing object and one layer; then select Assign to Selection to place the object on the specified layer

Activate

Select a layer and then select Activate to switch to that design layer. (Enter is a shortcut key for this command.)

Update Reference

(Layer import referencing method only) This option is available if a design layer has been referenced into this file.

The referenced layer name displays in italics. Position the cursor over the layer name to display a screen tip with the full layer name and the source file name; on Windows, click the disclosure arrow on the screen tip to collapse or expand it.

Select a referenced layer and then select Update Reference to update this file with layer information from the master file. See Workgroups and Referencing.

Details

Select Details to open the Organization dialog box to the Design Layers tab in Details view; double-clicking the Design Layers tab in the Navigation palette is a shortcut for this command

Visibilities

Select a layer and then select Visibilities to open the Organization dialog box to the Design Layers tab in Visibilities view (showing Viewport and Saved View visibilities for the layer)

Check Out

Available if this is a shared project. Select a layer and then select Check Out to check out the layer for editing. The layer name displays in blue when it is currently checked out. See Layers Tab.

Release

Available if this is a shared project. Select a layer and then select Release to release a checked out layer so that other project users can edit it. See Layers Tab.

Select All

Choose Select All to select all design layers

Sheet Layers tab

 

New

Select New to open the New Sheet Layer dialog box.

When a new layer is created, it becomes the active layer.

Edit

Select a sheet layer and then select Edit to edit it in the Edit Sheet Layers dialog box. See Setting Sheet Layer Properties.

Duplicate

Select a sheet layer and then select Duplicate to create a copy of it. The Sheet Title of the duplicate is the same as the original layer. The Sheet Number of the duplicate is the same as the original layer, with a number added (as in details-2); if the original Sheet Number ends in a number, the next available sequential number is used.

Delete

Select a sheet layer and then select Delete; when prompted, click Yes to confirm the deletion. Shortcut keys for this command are Delete (Windows) and Forward Delete (Mac).

Activate

Select a layer and then select Activate to switch to that sheet layer. (Enter is a shortcut key for this command.)

Details

Select Details to open the Organization dialog box to the Sheet Layers tab in Details view; double-clicking the Sheet Layers tab in the Navigation palette is a shortcut for this command

Check Out

Available if this is a shared project. Select a layer and then select Check Out to check out the layer for editing. The layer name displays in blue when it is currently checked out. See Layers Tab.

Release

Available if this is a shared project. Select a layer and then select Release to release a checked out layer so that other project users can edit it. See Layers Tab.

Select All

Choose Select All to select all sheet layers

Viewports tab

 

New

Select New to open the Create Viewport dialog box. For sheet layer viewports, see Creating a Sheet Layer Viewport from a Design Layer. For design layer viewports, see Creating Design Layer Viewports.

Edit

Select a viewport and then select Edit to edit it in the Properties dialog box. For sheet layer viewports, see Viewport Properties. For design layer viewports, see Viewport Properties.

Duplicate

Select a viewport and then select Duplicate to create a copy of it. The name of the duplicate is the same as the original viewport, with a number added (as in details-2); if the original name ends in a number, the next available sequential number is used.

The Drawing Title of the duplicate is the same as the original viewport. If the original viewport has a drawing label, the Drawing Number of the label in the duplicate viewport is the next available sequential number.

The duplicate viewport is placed directly on top of the original, in the original sheet layer.

Delete

Select a viewport and then select Delete; when prompted, click Yes to confirm the deletion. Shortcut keys for this command are Delete (Windows) and Forward Delete (Mac).

Activate

Select a viewport and then select Activate to switch to that viewport’s sheet layer and select that viewport (if a viewport is in a class with settings that prevent the viewport from being selected, a message displays to indicate that the active class changed to the viewport class). (Enter is a shortcut key for this command.)

Update

Select one or more sheet layer viewports, and then select Update to render the viewports with their foreground and background render settings. (Alternatively, select View > Update Selected Viewports.) When the Renderworks render mode is selected, the viewports render in the background once the geometry has been processed (see Background Rendering). Icons in the Navigation palette indicate the render status of the viewports.

Nav_pal_renders.png 

Cancel Update

When one or more selected sheet layer viewports are in the process of updating, or in the render queue, Cancel Update cancels the current render and any pending rendering. (Alternatively, select View > Cancel All Viewport Updates.)

Details

Click Details to open the Organization dialog box to the Viewports tab in Details view; double-clicking the Viewports tab in the Navigation palette is a shortcut for this command

Visibilities

Select a viewport and then select Visibilities to open the Organization dialog box to the Viewports tab in Visibilities view (showing Class and Design Layer visibilities for the viewport)

Check Out

Available if this is a shared project. Select a viewport and then select Check Out to check out the viewport for editing. The viewport name displays in blue when it is currently checked out. See Checking Out and Releasing Objects.

Release

Available if this is a shared project. Select a viewport and then select Release to release a checked out viewport so that other project users can edit it. See Checking Out and Releasing Objects.

Select All

Choose Select All to select all viewports

Saved Views tab

 

New

Select New to open the Save View dialog box. See Creating Saved Views.

Edit

Select a saved view and then select Edit to edit it in the Edit Saved View dialog box. See Editing Saved Views.

Duplicate

Select a saved view and then select Duplicate to create a copy of it. The name of the duplicate is the same as the original view, with a number added (as in deckview-2); if the original name ends in a number, the next available sequential number is used.

Delete

Select a saved view and then select Delete; when prompted, click Yes to confirm the deletion. Shortcut keys for this command are Delete (Windows) and Forward Delete (Mac).

Activate

Select a saved view and then select Activate to switch to that view. (Enter is a shortcut key for this command.)

Redefine

Select a saved view and then select Redefine to open the Redefine Saved Views dialog box. See Redefining Saved Views.

Details

Select Details to open the Organization dialog box to the Saved Views tab in Details view; double-clicking the Saved Views tab in the Navigation palette is a shortcut for this command

Visibilities

Select a saved view and then select Visibilities to open the Organization dialog box to the Saved Views tab in Visibilities view (showing Class and Design Layer visibilities for the saved view). The active class/layer and class/layer options can also be changed here.

Select All

Choose Select All to select all saved views

References tab

 

New

Click New to open the Open File dialog box. For layer import references, see Adding and Editing Layer Import References. For design layer viewport references, see Creating a Referenced Design Layer Viewport.

Edit

Select a referenced file and click Edit to open the Edit Reference dialog box. For layer import references, see Adding and Editing Layer Import References. For design layer viewport references, see Creating a Referenced Design Layer Viewport.

Delete

Select a reference and click Delete. In the Delete Reference dialog box, specify what to do with the items in the file that are currently referenced. See Deleting References.

Update

Select a referenced file and click Update to update this document with references from the file.

Update All

Click Update All to update all of the references in this document.

Open

Select a referenced file and click Open to open the referenced file. Referenced PDF or image files are opened with the default application for the file type. This command is not available when more than one referenced file is selected.

Details

Select Details to open the Organization dialog box to the References tab in Details view; double-clicking the References tab in the Navigation palette is a shortcut for this command

Select All

Choose Select All to select all references

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Creating Classes

Creating Layers

Updating References

Project Sharing

 

 

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