How to Use Named Views in BricsCAD

Quick answer: You can save the current window’s view as a named view and restore it anytime later. Each named view can also have its own background assigned, used specifically when that view is rendered. One thing to watch for: saving over an existing view name gives no warning before overwriting it.

Exploring and Managing Views

1. Run VIEW. The Drawing Explorer’s Views dialog opens.
2. Click the blank tile in front of a View Name to restore that view; the current view gets marked.
3. Click New in the Drawing Explorer toolbar to save the current view (this launches -VIEW).
4. Click Delete to remove the selected view.
5. Click a View Name, right-click, and choose Rename to give it a new name.
6. Tick the Perspective property to make it a visual perspective view; leave it unticked for a parallel perspective view instead.
7. Click a view’s Background column to assign it a background, applied whenever that view is rendered.

Saving a View

Either run -VIEW, or click New in the Drawing Explorer’s Views toolbar, then choose the Save option.

• Via -VIEW: you’re prompted “Save view as:”, type a name at the Command line and press Enter.
• Via the Drawing Explorer: the dialog appears with a default name, NewView1, type your own name to replace it.

Watch out: if you type a name at the Command line that’s already in use, the current view is saved over the existing one with that name, with no warning at all before it happens.

Restoring a View

In the Drawing Explorer’s Views dialog, click the Current field of the view you want.

Assigning a Background to a View

1. Select the view in the Drawing Explorer’s Views dialog.
2. Select its Background property.
3. Click the Browse button beside the settings field. The Background dialog opens.
4. Click the Type list and choose a background type: None, Solid, Gradient, or Image.
5. Once chosen, that type’s specific settings appear.
6. Specify those settings.
7. Click OK.
8. Optionally click the Current field to make that view active.

GRADIENTMODE sets whether gradient backgrounds default to two or three colours.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I save a view using a name that’s already taken? The existing view gets overwritten by the current one, with no warning beforehand. Double-check the name before confirming if you don’t want to lose an existing saved view.

Does a named view’s background show up while I’m just working in the drawing? No, it’s applied specifically when that view is rendered, not during normal display.

What’s the difference between a Perspective and a parallel view? Ticking the Perspective property makes it a visual perspective view; leaving it unticked keeps it a parallel (non-perspective) view instead.

Can different named views have different backgrounds? Yes, each named view can have its own background assigned independently via its Background column in the Views dialog.