Interactive appearance settings

Command

Path

Vectorworks Preferences

Tools > Options

Quick Preferences

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:

Select the command. On the Interactive pane of the Vectorworks Preferences dialog box, click Interactive Appearance Settings.

Alternatively, click Snapping Settings on the Snapping set to open the General Snapping Settings popover, and click Interactive Appearance Settings.

The Interactive Appearance Settings dialog box opens.

Select either the Light Background or Dark Background tab, depending on whether the dark background display preference is enabled (see Vectorworks preferences: Display pane). The same elements can be customized for both background types.

Click to show/hide the parameters.Click to show/hide the parameters.

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

Floating Data Bar

 

 

Background

Sets the background color and opacity of the Floating Data bar

floatingdatabar.png

Outline and Text

Sets the outline and text color of the Floating Data bar

floatingdatabar00101.png

General

 

 

Active Layer Plane

Sets the color and opacity of the active layer plane grid

Inter_ex_groundp.png

Background - 3D Views

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_perspective00108.png

Background - Sheet Layers

Sets the background color of sheet layers

background_sheet.png

Background - Top/Plan

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 size of the colored border when in object editing mode (see Object editing mode)

Inter_ex_editborder.png

Grid

Sets the color and opacity of the reference grid

inter_ex_grid.png

Object Previews

Sets the color of the preview image displayed when using various tools (the Mirror tool in this example)

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

Unhide Objects Button

Sets the color of the button that restores the visibility of hidden objects

Working Plane

Sets the color of the working plane and opacity of its fill and frame, as well as the opacity and size 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 size of the highlighting for objects being modified

Inter_ex_action.png

Active Layer

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

highlight_active.png

Automatic Plane Source

Sets the color and opacity of the automatic working plane

wp_interactive.png

Checked Out Objects

Sets the opacity and size of the highlighting for an object that is checked out from a shared project

Inter_ex_checkout.png

Inactive Layer

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

highlight_inactive.png

Locked

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

highlight_locked.png

Pre-Selection - Active Layer

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

Snap Object

Sets the color, opacity, and size 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 size 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

Onscreen View Control

Cube

Sets the color and size of the Onscreen View Control cube.

Changing the size of the cube also changes the size of the coordinate axes and compass ring, to maintain the overall appearance.

Text and Accents

Sets the color of the text and accents for the Onscreen View Control's cube and compass ring

Working Plane Cube Face

Sets the color of the Onscreen View Control's working plane cube face, when the view is relative to the working plane

Rulers

 

 

Background

Sets the background color and opacity of the rulers

rulers.png

Cursor Position Indicators

Sets the color, opacity, and size of the cursor position indicators on the rulers

CursorPositionHighlight.png

Marks and Text

Sets the color of the tick marks and text on the rulers.

The tick marks and text become blue in a Rotated Top/Plan view and light gray in a 3D view.

rulers00123.png

SmartCursor

 

 

Acquisition Hints

Sets the color, opacity, and size 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_cue100130.png

Datum Indicator

Sets the color, opacity and size of the datum indicator

Inter_ex_datum.png

Extension Lines - Angle

Sets the color, opacity and size of angle extension lines

Inter_ex_angleExt.png

Extension Lines - Smart Point

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

Inter_ex_snapbox.png

Smart Edges

Sets the color, opacity and size of smart edge lines

Inter_ex_Sedge.png

Smart Points

Sets the color, opacity, and size of smart points

Inter_ex_smartpts.png

Snap Box

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

Inter_ex_snapbox00141.png

Vector Locks

Sets the color, opacity, and size of vector locks

Inter_ex_locks.png

Snap Points

 

 

Available

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

Inter_ex_avail.png

Congestion Indicator

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

Inter_ex_current.png

Master Snap

Sets the color, opacity, and size of the master snap point for priority snapping within the snap box

MasterSnap_ex.png

Obtained

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

Inter_ex_acq.png

Special

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

Inter_ex_special.png

Subdivision - Crease and Hole Highlight

Sets the color of the highlighting for a subdivision object’s creased cage mesh entities when in Crease mode and holed faces when in Face Hole mode

Inter_ex_SubD.png

Reset

Restores the default settings for all interface elements

 

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.

Click to show/hide the parameters.Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter

Description

Pattern/ForeColor/BackColor

To use a solid color, select the color from the ForeColor menu; then from the Pattern menu, select the solid pattern for that color.

To use a pattern, select the ForeColor and BackColor colors from the menus (see Applying colors); then select a Pattern.

Color

Select the color (see Applying colors)

Opacity

Drag the slider right to increase or left to decrease the opacity of the interactive element

Size

Drag the slider right to increase or left to decrease the width of the interactive element

Resetting Vectorworks preferences

Setting document preferences

Setting quick preferences

 

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