Setting Class Properties

Once created, the classes display on the Classes tab of the Organization dialog box, where various properties can be set and edited.

To edit classes:

1. Select the command or click the View bar button.

The Organization dialog box opens.

2. Select the Classes tab.

A list of the current classes in the drawing displays. Depending on which view option is selected at the top of the dialog box, either details or visibilities of the classes display. The visibility of classes in the drawing area and the active class can be changed in Details view. The visibility of classes in viewports and in saved views can be changed in Visibilities view (see Visibility Columns).

3. To change other class properties, select one or more classes and click Edit to open the Edit Class(es) dialog box.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Name	Displays the name of the class, which can be edited
Graphic Attributes
Use at Creation	Applies the graphic attributes displayed in this dialog box when you create an object assigned to this class. If Use at Creation is not selected, apply these attributes to the object later by selecting Class Style from the Attributes palette. See Setting Class Attributes for more information about graphic attributes.
Fill
Style	Specifies the Fill Attributes for the class. If a Renderworks texture will be applied to objects in this class, select a fill style. If the object fill is None, no texture displays when the objects are rendered.
Link Pen Opacity	When selected, the pen opacity automatically changes when you change the fill opacity. Deselect Link Pen Opacity to set the pen opacity to a different value.
Opacity	Specifies the class transparency for the fill (on Windows, the GDI+ imaging Vectorworks preference must be enabled). Drag the slider to the left to decrease the opacity, or enter a percentage in the box to the right of the slider.
Pen
Style	Specifies the Pen Attributes for the class
Thickness	Sets the line thickness for the class; to use a custom thickness, select Set Thickness from the line thickness list to access the Set Thickness dialog box
Markers	Sets the marker style for each end of lines, arcs, polylines, 2D polygons, or freehand lines in this class. To use a custom marker style, select Custom and specify the marker settings, or select Edit Marker List from the marker style list to set the available marker types (see Editing the Marker List).
Opacity	If Link Pen Opacity in Fill is deselected, specifies the class transparency for the pen (on Windows, the GDI+ imaging Vectorworks preference must be enabled). Drag the slider to the left to decrease the opacity, or enter a percentage in the box to the right of the slider.
Use Drop Shadows	Displays drop shadows on graphical objects in Top/Plan view; if selected, specify the Drop Shadow Attributes for the class
Text Style
Use at Creation	Applies the selected Text Style when you create an object assigned to this class. If Use at Creation is not selected, apply this text style to the object later by selecting <Class Text Style> as the Text Style from the Object Info palette
Text Style	Sets a text style to apply to objects in this class
Textures	Sets the texture for objects and components assigned to the class. Textures can be assigned by class to renderable objects and to wall, slab, and roof components, as well as to the most commonly rendered parts of wall objects and roof objects; see Applying Object and Component Textures by Class
Use at Creation	Applies the textures displayed in this dialog box when you create an object assigned to this class. If Use at Creation is not selected, apply the texture to the object later by selecting Class Style from the Attributes palette.
Object and Component Textures	If 3D objects, and the components of walls, roofs, or slabs are to be textured by class, sets the object’s or component’s texture. Click the Texture selector. From the Resource Selector, double-click a texture to apply it.
Roof Textures	If the roof’s top and/or dormer is to be textured by class, sets the object part’s texture. Click the Top or Dormer selector. From the Resource Selector, double-click a different texture to apply it. The recommended workflow is to assign textures of individual roof components with Object and Component Textures.
Wall Textures	If the wall’s left, center, and/or right part is to be textured by class, sets the object part’s texture. Click the Left, Center, or Right selector. From the Resource Selector, double-click a different texture to apply it. The recommended workflow is to assign textures of individual wall components with Object and Component Textures.
Description	Enter additional information about the class. The description displays as a screen tip when you position the cursor over the class name in the Organization dialog box, Navigation palette, or (on Mac only) the Classes list from the View bar. Descriptions also display in the New Class dialog box, so that you can see descriptions of classes before you import them.
Visibilities	Sets the visibility for classes in viewports and saved views (Visible, Invisible, Gray, or Don’t Save). See Visibility Columns.

4. Click OK to return to the Organization dialog box. If objects in an edited class already exist in the drawing, and the class is set to use attributes “at creation,” you are prompted to specify how to apply the changes to the existing objects.

If multiple classes are simultaneously selected for editing, and some or all of the attribute values are different for the selected classes, the editing fields for those values indicate that the value is unknown. When the OK button is clicked, the currently defined settings shown are applied to all of the selected classes. Any information with an unknown setting is not applied.

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Displaying Classes in Hierarchical Order

Setting Class Attributes

The Attributes Palette

Concept: Resource Libraries

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