Working with Tool palettes

On a tool palette you can add blocks, hatches and commands in a tabbed window.

Drag a tool from the palette to the graphic screen or click on it to launch the related tool.

Opening the Tool Palettes panel

Do one of the following:

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

Setting the view options

  1. Open the context menu by clicking the three dots button from the upper right side of the Tool Palettes panel or by right clicking an empty space of the icon area on the Tool Palettes panel.
  2. Choose View Options... in the context menu.

    The View Options dialog appears.

  3. Drag the Image Size slider to adjust the image size.
  4. Set the viewstyle: Icon with text, Icon only or List view.
  5. Choose either Current Palette or All Palettes from the Apply to list button.
  6. Click the OK button to confirm.
Note: Also, it is possible to switch the view mode in the current palette by clicking the three buttons on the upper right side of the panel:
  • Icon with text

  • Icon only

  • List view

Customizing tool palettes

Note: The default folder for tool palettes is defined by the TOOLPALETTEPATH system variable.
Opening the Customize dialog box
  1. Open the context menu by clicking the three dots button from the upper right side of the Tool Palettes panel or by right clicking an empty space of the icon area on the Tool Palettes panel.
  2. Choose Customize Palettes... in the context menu.

    The Customize dialog box appears.

Importing a tool palette
  1. In the Palettes pane, right-click and choose Import in the context menu.

    The Import Palette dialog box appears.

  2. Select a folder, then select a palette file (*.atc, *.btc or *.xtp).

  3. Click the Open button or double-click to import the palette.

    The palette is added to the Palettes list.

  4. Click the Close button to close the Customize dialog box.
Creating a palette group
  1. Place the cursor on the Palette Groups root folder name.

  2. Right-click and choose New Group in the context menu.

    A new group folder is created.

  3. Type a name for the new group.

Creating a palette subgroup
  1. Place the cursor on an existing group name.

  2. Right-click and choose New Group in the context menu.

    A new group folder is added as a subgroup of the selected group.

  3. Type a name for the new group.

Adding a palette to a group
  1. Place the cursor on a palette.
  2. Select a palette, then drag the palette onto a palette group name.
Removing a palette from a group
  1. Select the palette in the group.
  2. Right-click and choose Remove in the context menu.
Setting a palette group current
  1. Select the palette group in the palette groups tree.
  2. Right-click and choose Set Current in the context menu.
Deleting a palette group
  1. Select the palette group in the palette groups tree.
  2. Right-click and choose Delete in the context menu.

Renaming a tool palette

Method 1:
  1. Right-click tool palette tab and choose Rename Palette in the context menu.
  2. Type a new name for the palette in the Name field.
  3. Press Save to confirm.
Method 2:
Double click a tool palette tab and type a new name for the palette.

Deleting a tool palette

  1. Open the context menu 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.

    Note: Rectangle selection is available to select multiple tools.
  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.
    • 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.
    • 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. Open the context menu.

  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. In the Tool Palettes panel click the button and choose Add Tool.

  2. In the Available Tools panel, 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.

Adding a text

  1. In the Tool Palettes panel click the button and choose Add Text.

  2. Type a text in the opened box.
    Note: The text can be moved using drag and drop, it can be cut, copied and pasted from the context menu, or it can be changed by clicking the text box and typing a different string.

Adding a separator

  1. In the Tool Palettes panel click the button and choose Add Separator.

    Note: The separator can be moved using drag and drop, or it can be cut, copied and pasted from the context menu.

Searching a tool

In the Tool Palettes panel it is possible to search for specific tools in the current palette.
  1. Click the search button .

  2. Start typing a name.

  3. The list is shortened to display only the tools that contain the entered sequence of characters, regardless of where they are located in the tool's name.