How to Use Image Utilities in BricsCAD

Quick answer: IMAGECLIP clips an image to a boundary, IMAGEFRAME controls whether its frame displays or prints, and TRANSPARENCY toggles transparency for images that carry a transparent alpha channel, the special channel that handles opacity and translucency.

Selecting an Image When Frames Are Hidden

With IMAGEFRAME set to 0 (frames hidden), you can’t click an image directly to select it, since there’s no visible frame to click; use a window selection method instead.

Clipping an Image

1. Click Clip Image on the Image toolbar or Insert/Images ribbon panel, or run IMAGECLIP. You’re prompted to select an image.
2. Select the image. You’re prompted for a clipping option, defaulting to New boundary.
3. Press Enter to accept New boundary.
4. You’re prompted for a boundary type, defaulting to Rectangular; press Enter to accept it.
5. You’re prompted to specify the first corner.
6. Click a point; the clipping rectangle displays dynamically as you’re prompted for the opposite corner.
7. Click a second point; the image clips to that rectangle.

Modifying the Image Frame Setting

Using the Image Frame tool:

1. Click Image Frame on the Images toolbar or Insert/Images ribbon panel, or run IMAGEFRAME. You’re prompted for a setting.
2. Type 0 to hide image frames, 1 to display and plot them, or 2 to display them without printing.

Editing the IMAGEFRAME system variable directly:

1. Open the Settings dialog.
2. Go to Drawing/Underlays.
3. Set FRAME to 3 (Use individual settings), the same mechanism used for PDF frames elsewhere in this hub.
4. Select IMAGEFRAME and choose 0 (hide), 1 (display and plot), or 2 (display but don’t print).

Setting Image Transparency

1. Click Image Transparency on the Images toolbar or Insert/Images ribbon panel, or run TRANSPARENCY. You’re prompted to select images.
2. Select the images you want to adjust. You’re prompted for a transparency mode.
3. Press Enter to keep the current mode, or choose On or Off.

Setting Image Display Properties

1. Select an image.
2. Its properties appear in the Properties panel.
3. Go to the Misc category.
4. Set any of these Yes/No properties: Show Image (shows or hides the image), Show clipped (toggles the clipping boundary), Clip inverted (inverts the clipping boundary, showing the outside instead of the inside), and Background transparency (toggles transparency).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t I click an image to select it? Check IMAGEFRAME. With it set to 0, image frames are hidden, so you’ll need a window selection instead of clicking directly.

What does an alpha channel actually control? It’s the part of an image file that handles transparency, letting you adjust opacity or make parts of the image translucent or fully see-through.

How do I show the outside of an image’s clipping boundary instead of the inside? Set Clip inverted to Yes in the Properties panel’s Misc category.

Is there more than one way to control whether image frames print? Yes, either run IMAGEFRAME directly and choose a setting, or set FRAME to 3 in the Settings dialog and edit IMAGEFRAME there instead.