View Control in BricsCAD
Quick answer: BricsCAD gives you three ways to control how your drawing displays: mouse and keyboard shortcuts, View commands, and the LookFrom control. The table below covers the four most common view actions across all three methods.
Three Ways to Control Your View
- Mouse and keyboard: scroll wheel actions and shortcuts.
- View commands: typed commands like
ZOOMandPAN. - LookFrom control: click trigger zones on the visual navigation tool.
Quick Reference: Common View Actions
| Action | Mouse | Command | LookFrom |
|---|---|---|---|
| View Extents (fit the whole drawing on screen) | Double-click the scroll wheel | ZOOM > Extents |
Click a trigger zone; this rotates the view and zooms to the drawing’s extents |
| Zoom in or out | Scroll wheel | ZOOM > In / Out |
Not available |
| Pan | Hold down the scroll wheel | PAN |
Not available |
| Restore Plan View (Top View) | Not available via mouse | PLAN > Current UCS |
Click the centre trigger zone |
Panning with the scroll wheel specifically requires the MBUTTONPAN system variable to be on; if it’s off, holding the scroll wheel down won’t pan the view.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “View Extents” actually do? Zooms and repositions the view so your entire drawing fits on screen.
Why won’t holding the scroll wheel pan my view? Check that MBUTTONPAN is on. It needs to be enabled for that specific shortcut to work.
Can I restore a plan (top-down) view using the mouse alone? Not directly. Use the PLAN command, or click the centre trigger zone on the LookFrom control instead.
Is the LookFrom control available for every view action? No. It’s built around trigger zones for specific actions like View Extents and Plan View, not general zoom or pan.