Working with Tool palettes

Opening the Tool Palettes/Tool Palettes (experimental) panel

Do one of the following:

• Hover the cursor over a toolbar or ribbon panel, then right-click and choose Palettes > Tool Palettes/Tool Palettes (experimental) in the context menu.
• Launch the TOOLPALETTES command to open the Tool Palettes panel.

Setting the view options

1. Right-click an empty space of the icon area on the Tool Palettes/Tool Palettes (experimental) panel and choose View Options... in the context menu.

   The View Options dialog appears.

2. Drag the Image Size slider to adjust the image size.
3. Set the viewstyle: Icon with text, Icon only or List view.
4. Choose either Current Palette or All Palettes from the Apply to list button.
5. Click the OK button to confirm.

Customizing tool palettes

Renaming a tool palette

Deleting a tool palette

1. Right-click an empty space of the icon area and choose Delete Palette in the context menu to delete the current palette.
2. Click the Yes button on the Confirm Palette Deletion box.

Managing tools

1. Right-click the tool.

   A context menu appears.

2. Choose an option:
   • Cut: removes the item from the palette. Open another panel, then right-click and choose Paste from the context menu.
   • Copy: copies the tool. Open another panel, then right-click and choose Paste in the context menu.
   • Delete: deletes the tool. A dialog box appears, asking you to confirm the deletion.
   • Rename: type a new name for the tool.
   • Update tool image: updates the image if the image source file has been modified.
   • Specify Image…: allows you to replace the default image.

     Choose a new image in the Select Image File dialog box, then double-click or click the Open button.

   • Remove Image…: restores the default image.
   • Manage Flyout options...: Opens the Flyout Options dialog box that allows you to manage tool flyouts. Tool flyouts via .xtp import are also supported.
     Note: This option is available only in the Tool Palettes (experimental) panel.
   • Properties: when you click an item on a tool palette, a command is launched. The properties of the tool palette item control the execution of the command.

     The available properties on the Tool Properties dialog box depend on the tool type: Command, Hatch, Block or Component.

     Edit the tool properties, then click the OK button.

Creating a new tool palette

1. Move the cursor to the icon area of the Tool Palettes panel, then right-click.

   A context menu appears.

2. Choose New Palette from the context menu.

   A new tab is added.

3. Type a name for the new palette in the Name field.

Adding items to a tool palette

The following items can be added to a tool palette:

• Hatch patterns
• Blocks
• Components
• Commands

Adding hatch patterns

1. Select the palette you want to add a hatch pattern to in the Tool Palettes panel.

2. Open the Hatch and Gradient dialog box.

3. Select either Predefined or Custom from the Type list button.

4. Double-click the Swatch field on the Hatch and Gradient dialog box.

   The Hatch Pattern Palette appears.

5. Select the hatch pattern you want to add, then right-click and choose Add to Current Tool Palette.

   The hatch pattern is added on the selected tool palette.

6. (option) Repeat steps 4 and 5 to add more hatch patterns.

7. (option) Drag-and-drop patterns to change the order on the palette.

Adding blocks

Blocks can be added from:

• The current drawing.
• Any drawing.
• All drawings in a selected folder.

Adding blocks from the current drawing

1. Open the Drawing Explorer dialog box.
2. Select Blocks.
3. Select the block(s) you want to add. Hold down the Ctrl key to select multiple blocks.
4. Right-click and choose Add to Current Tool Palette from the context menu.

Adding blocks from any drawing

1. Open the Drawing Explorer dialog box.

2. Select Folders on the left hand pane.

3. If not already available, click the Add local folder… button to add the containing folder to the Folders list.

4. Select the drawing in the Local Folders list.

5. Click the Expand icon (+) of the containing drawing and click the Blocks icon.

   All blocks in the selected drawing are displayed in the Details pane.

6. Select the block(s) you want to add. Hold down the Ctrl key to select multiple blocks.

7. Right-click and choose Add to Current Tool Palette in the context menu.

Adding a drawing as a block

1. Open the Drawing Explorer dialog box.
2. Select Folders on the left hand pane.
3. If not already available, click the Add local folder… button to add the containing folder to the Folders list.
4. Select the drawing in Local Folders list.
5. Right-click and choose one of the following in the context menu.
   • Add to Current Tool Palette as block.

     Blocks are inserted using the INSERT command.

   • Add to Current Tool Palette as component.

     Components are inserted using the BMINSERT command.

Adding all blocks from multiple drawings

This procedure collects all the blocks in all the drawings of the selected folder and adds them to a palette of the drawing name. New palettes are created if necessary.

1. Open the Drawing Explorer dialog box.
2. Select Folders on the left hand pane.
3. If not already available, click the Add local folder… button to add the containing folder to the Folders list.
4. Select the folder, then right-click and choose Add blocks to Tool Palettes in the context menu.

Adding commands

1. Open the Customize dialog box.

   Note: In the Tool Palettes (experimental) panel you can click the button and choose Add Tool.

2. In the Available Tools pane, on the Customize dialog, expand a menu group (e.g. BricsCAD).

   All toolboxes in the selected menu group are listed.

3. Expand a toolbox.

   All commands in the selected toolbox are listed.

4. Right-click a tool and choose Add to Current Tool Palette in the context menu.

Searching a tool