Generated Drawing Views in BricsCAD

Quick answer: Generated Drawing Views automatically creates associative orthographic and isometric views of a 3D solid model, placed in a paper space layout only, never visible in model space. It uses hidden line removal to build these from standard 2D entities, lines and arcs, similar to the result of FLATSHOT.

The Commands

Where to Find the Tools

The Model – Drawing Views menu, the Section Types and Detail Types toolbars, or the Views panel of the Annotate ribbon tab in the Mechanical Workspace.

Generating Standard Views

Run VIEWBASE from model space. Standard views include multiview orthographic projections, up to six images of the object, each projection plane parallel to one of its coordinate axes, and isometric projection, an axonometric method where all three axes appear equally foreshortened with 120 degrees between any two of them.

Two projection planes, one horizontal and one vertical, divide 3D space into four quarters. Which quarter the model is placed in determines the projection system:

• First angle (European) projection: the model sits in the first quarter.
• Third angle (American) projection: the model sits in the third quarter.

Each system organizes the up-to-six generated views differently, as though projected onto the six faces of a box around the model, then unfolded flat. Set this via the Projection Type option of VIEWBASE, or directly through PROJECTIONTYPE (0 for first angle, 1 for third angle); the value is saved with the drawing.

Generated view lines are placed on a consistent set of default layers: BC_TRAILING_LINES, BM_Hatching, BM_Hidden, BM_Tangent_Hidden, BM_Tangent_Visible, BM_Thread_Hidden, BM_Thread_Visible, BM_Trailing_Hidden, BM_Trailing_Visible, BM_Visible, BM_Welding_Visible, and Drafting Viewports.

Adding Projected Views

VIEWPROJ generates additional views projected from an existing generated view, inheriting that parent view’s scale, display settings, and alignment automatically.

Generating Section Views

A section is the intersection of the 3D solid with a section plane, with internal parts hatched in cross-section. Run VIEWSECTION from the paper space layout that already contains the standard drawing views.

Generating Views for Exploded Representations

BricsCAD can also generate drawing views of a selected exploded representation, not just an orthogonal projection, but any standard projection, and sections and detail views work here too.

To create one: run VIEWBASE, choose the Special views option, then Exploded view, and select the exploded representation you want from the dialog. For these views to stay associative with the original model, letting you place annotations and balloons, set GENERATEASSOCVIEWS to on when creating or updating them.

Keeping Views Up to Date

By default, BricsCAD checks whether the source model (or its exploded representation) has changed and recalculates automatically when you open a paper space layout containing out-of-date views (if VIEWUPDATEAUTO is on), or when you run VIEWUPDATE or BMUPDATE.

Hidden line removal can take a while on complex models, so it’s worth setting VIEWUPDATEAUTO off in those cases. An out-of-date view’s viewport border turns red as a visual cue; running VIEWUPDATE then prompts you to select specific views to update, or update everything at once. With GENERATEASSOCVIEWS on, associative dimensions update too, automatically matching the modified geometry.

Exporting Views to Model Space

Views in a paper space layout only allow limited control, you can move or scale them, but not edit their geometry directly. VIEWEXPORT moves or copies view content into model space or a separate drawing for full control, but exported views lose their associativity with the 3D model, becoming standard blocks you can explode, edit, or erase freely.

Customizing View Appearance

The first time you run each command, it creates its own set of layers: VIEWBASE creates BM_Hidden, BM_Tangent_Hidden, BM_Tangent_Visible, BM_Thread_Hidden, BM_Trailing_Hidden, BM_Trailing_Visible, BM_Visible, and Drafting Viewports; VIEWSECTION creates BM_Hatching; VIEWDETAIL creates BC_TRAILING_LINES, BM_Thread_Visible, and BM_Welding_Visible. Use VIEWEDIT to change these layers’ visibility for all views or just a selection, and edit their properties (linetype, lineweight, colour) directly to change how views display.

VIEWSECTIONSTYLE adjusts section view properties: identifier text style, colour, and height; start and end symbols along with their colour, size, and arrow direction; hatch pattern, scale, colour, and angle; and the cutting plane line’s colour, type, and weight.

VIEWDETAILSTYLE adjusts detail view properties similarly: identifier text style, colour, height, and type; the detail symbol’s appearance and size; and the detail view boundary’s colour, type, and weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do generated drawing views appear in model space? No, they’re placed exclusively in a paper space layout.

What’s the difference between first angle and third angle projection? It’s where the model sits relative to the two projection planes: the first quarter for first angle (European) projection, the third quarter for third angle (American) projection. Set via PROJECTIONTYPE or VIEWBASE‘s Projection Type option.

Can I edit the actual geometry of a generated view? Not directly while it stays in paper space, you can only move or scale it. Use VIEWEXPORT to move it into model space for full editing, though this breaks its associativity with the 3D model.

Can generated views work with exploded assembly representations? Yes, via VIEWBASE‘s Special views option, and sections and detail views work for exploded representations too. Set GENERATEASSOCVIEWS on to keep them associative with the model.