Choosing a Workspace in BricsCAD
Quick answer: A workspace controls BricsCAD’s overall layout, which menus, toolbars, panels, ribbon tabs, and Quad menu options you see. Which of the seven default workspaces you can pick from depends on your licence level. You can switch at any time, not just at startup, from the Launcher, the Start page, the Status Bar, the Workspaces toolbar, or the WORKSPACE command.
What a Workspace Actually Controls
Switching workspace changes the content of:
- Menus
- Toolbars
- Panels
- The ribbon
- The Quad menu basics
It’s not just a cosmetic preset. It changes which tools are actually surfaced for the kind of work that workspace is built around, so a Mechanical workspace and a BIM workspace can look genuinely different from each other even on the same licence tier that includes both.
The 7 Default Workspaces
| Workspace | Licence Required |
|---|---|
| 2D Drafting | Lite or higher |
| 2D Drafting (Modern) | Lite or higher |
| Modeling | Pro or higher |
| Civil Survey | Pro or higher |
| BIM | BIM or Ultimate |
| Mechanical | Mechanical or Ultimate |
| Ultimate | Ultimate only |
Ways to Switch Workspaces
Five options, use whichever fits how you work:
- The BricsCAD Launcher, at startup
- The Start page
- The Current Workspace field in the Status Bar
- The Workspaces toolbar
- The
WORKSPACEcommand
Frequently Asked Questions
Does switching workspace change my drawing, or just the interface? Just the interface, menus, toolbars, panels, ribbon, and Quad menu. Your drawing content isn’t affected either way.
Can I switch workspace without restarting BricsCAD? Yes. All five methods above work mid-session; there’s no need to relaunch.
What’s the quickest way to switch workspace while I’m already working? The Current Workspace field in the Status Bar or the Workspaces toolbar, both accessible without leaving your drawing.