The Properties panel

What you will learn

How to open the Properties panel, change one object or a hundred in one step, type exact coordinates (with Z), use expressions and units in any number field, and what each kind of object shows.

Open it

The panel sits on the right. To bring it to the front:

• Press ⌘1Ctrl+1, or type PROPERTIES (or PR, CH, MO).
• Double-click an object (text and multileaders open their text editor instead).

The panel is a movable panel like the others: drag its grip to dock it left, right or at the bottom, or drop it over the drawing to float it (see Arrange the panels and use a second monitor).

Fold it away

The pin button at the top right of the panel turns on auto-hide: the panel folds to a strip at the right edge and the drawing gets the room. Point at the strip (or press ⌘1Ctrl+1) and it opens over the drawing; move away and it folds again. Click the pin again to keep it open. PROPERTIESCLOSE folds it too.

Sections

Properties are grouped in sections you can fold: General, Geometry, Text, Lines and arrows, Fit, Primary units, Alternate units, Tolerances, Pattern, Misc, and for blocks Attributes and Library item. Click a section's name to fold or open it; CadCraft remembers which ones you folded.

Drag the thin line between the names and the values to make the names wider or narrower. Double-click it to put it back. With the keyboard, focus it and use the arrow keys.

Change a value

1. Click a line. The heading reads "Line".
2. Click in Length. While you edit, the field shows the full value, not the rounded one.
3. Type 2500 and press ReturnEnter. The line is now 2500 long, keeping its start point and angle.

ReturnEnter or clicking elsewhere applies the value; EscEsc puts the old value back. Every change is one undo step.

Expressions and units

Every number field takes more than a plain number:

A length with a unit needs the drawing to have units: set Units under New objects (nothing selected) first. A bad entry is refused with a note under the panel and nothing changes; it is never saved as 0. Functions: sin, cos, tan, asin, acos, atan, atan2, sqrt, pow, exp, ln, log, abs, round, ceil, floor, min, max, if; angles in degrees.

Change many objects at once

1. Select several objects, for example 8 lines and 4 dimensions.
2. The heading says "12 objects", and a list at the top offers All (12), Line (8) and Dimension (4).
3. All shows what every object has (layer, color, linetype…). Pick Dimension (4) to see dimension settings.
4. Change a value, for example Decimals to 1.

All four dimensions change, in one undo step. A field that reads Varies means the objects differ; typing a value sets it on all of them. Objects on locked layers are left as they are, and the note says how many.

Coordinates

Every point shows X, Y and Z: start and end of a line, centers, insertion points, text positions, the current polyline vertex. Lines also show Delta X, Delta Y and Delta Z (read-only). Polylines and hatches have an Elevation (one Z for the whole object).

The crosshair button beside a point's name lets you pick it in the drawing instead: click it, then click the new position (snaps work). Values are world coordinates.

General

What each type shows

Polyline vertices

Current vertex shows which vertex the fields below it belong to. Use the arrow buttons, or type a number, to move to another vertex; there is no limit on how many. Each vertex has X, Y, start and end segment width, and the bulge of the segment that starts there (0 = straight).

Dimensions

A dimension shows its Dimension style, what it measures, its points, and every setting:

• Lines and arrows: arrowhead for each end, arrow size, tick size, colors and lineweights of the dimension and extension lines, hiding either half or either extension line, extension line offset and extension.
• Text: override (leave empty for the measured value; <> stands for it inside your own text), style, color, height, offset, vertical and horizontal position, always horizontal, rotation, background fill.
• Fit: overall scale, baseline spacing, what moves when space is short, text movement.
• Primary units: format, decimals, round off, prefix, suffix, measurement scale, decimal separator, suppress leading and trailing zeros; for angles the angle format and decimals.
• Alternate units: on or off, format, decimals, multiplier (25.4 turns inches into millimeters), round off, prefix and suffix.
• Tolerances: none, symmetrical, deviation, limits or basic, with upper and lower values, decimals, height and position.

Changing any of them on an opened dimension drops the drawing the other program made of it, and CadCraft draws it again.

Nothing selected

With nothing selected the panel shows:

• New objects: the layer, color, linetype, lineweight and text height new objects get; the drawing's units and length format; the current layer's linetype and lineweight; sizes for new dimensions. On a sheet, the sheet's name, paper and orientation come first.
• View: the center, height and width of what is on screen. Type a value to move the view there.
• Misc: the UCS icon on or off, the UCS (always World: CadCraft has no user coordinate systems yet) and the annotation scale.

The buttons at the top

Common mistakes

• Typing in a field did nothing. Press ReturnEnter or click elsewhere to apply it. A red field and a note mean the entry was refused.
• A length with a unit is refused. The drawing has no units. Set Units with nothing selected.
• Only Layer and Color show. Several kinds of objects are selected and All is chosen. Pick one kind in the list at the top.
• Some objects did not change. They are on a locked layer. Unlock the layer in the layers panel.
• Typed letters went into a field. While a field has the cursor, keys type there. Press ReturnEnter or EscEsc, then type the command.