2D Drafting

Create a Custom BricsCAD® Workspace With Docking and Floating Panels - Tuesday Tips

By Rose Barfield 4 min September 7, 2020
Create a Custom BricsCAD® Workspace With Docking and Floating Panels - Tuesday Tips

BricsCAD® panels are special because you can resize, dock or float them and, unlike dialog boxes, they can remain open while you're using other commands. This allows you to create a custom BricsCAD workspace.


The following BricsCAD panels are dockable:


Power User Tips

  • You can double-click a panel icon to float the panel temporarily, then double-click the floating panel's drag bar again to put it back where it was.
  • Hold Ctrl (Cmd for Mac) as you drag a panel so it does not dock or anchor.
  • Hold Shift as you drag a panel to force a it to dock.

Create a Custom BricsCAD<sup>®</sup> Workspace With Docking and Floating Panels- drag

Moveable Panels

Panels in BricsCAD can be moved to anchor in the top, bottom, left or right. They can also float and can even float onto another screen.

  1. Click the ... or the icon and drag the icon to the other icon strip.
  2. Move the cursor over to required location then release the left mouse button. If a docking location selector displays, the blue zone indicates the selected docking position.

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Stackable panels

In BricsCAD, panels can be combined to create stacked panels.

  1. Click the ... or the icon and drag it over the other panel or strip.
    The docking location selector displays. The blue zone indicates the selected docking position.
  2. Move the cursor over the docking location then release the left mouse button.

The stack type is defined in the Customize | Workspaces dialog through the Stack Type property of a workspace.

The possible stack types are:

  • Fixed resizable panel set -- Panels dock next to each other or in a tabbed panel
  • Collapsible panel set -- Panels dock at a default location in an icon strip at the left or right side of the screen and narrow the drawing area when expanded.
  • Flyout panel set --  Panels docked at a default location in an icon strip at the left or right side of the screen and overlap the drawing area when expanded.

Control Panels through settings

Use the -TOOLPANEL command to show, hide or toggle the display of the various tool panels at the command line.

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Panels property of a workspace in the Customize | Workspaces dialog defines if panels are docked to the left or right side of the screen.

  • Panels | Stack (LDOCK) define the panels stacked a the left side of the screen.
  • Panels | Stack (RDOCK) define the panels stacked a the right side of the screen

Create a Custom BricsCAD<sup>®</sup> Workspace With Docking and Floating Panels- custom-space

Saving your workspace

Now you've got your custom BricsCAD workspace looking exactly the way you want, you might want to save it!

  1. Enter WorkSpace.
  2. Choose set Current.
  3. Give it a name.

You will now be able to select it like any other workspace.

Tip: It's a good idea to create the workspace before you make changes!

Create a Custom BricsCAD<sup>®</sup> Workspace With Docking and Floating Panels- default-800x431

Revert to default settings

If you've had enough of your custom BricsCAD workspace you can do a "factory reset" and go back to BricsCAD default settings.

  1. Open the Customize dialog box. Right-click outside the drawing area and select Customize... from the drop-down menu.
  2. Select the Workspaces tab.
  3. Click Manage your customizations...
  4. Click Revert to defaults.

More Tips:

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