Workspaces

The WORKSPACE command sets the current workspace and lets you create, modify and save workspaces.

The WSSAVE command saves the current workspace under a different name, thus creating a new workspace.

The WSSETTINGS command opens the Customize dialog box at the Workspaces tab.

Workspaces define settings and preferences regarding a specific working environment.

The following workspaces are available:

  • Drafting
  • Drafting (Classic)
  • Drafting (Tool bars)
  • Modeling
  • Modeling (Classic)
  • Modeling (Tool bars)
  • Mechanical
  • Mechanical (Classic)
  • BIM
  • BIM (Classic)
  • Civil
  • Complete

The name of the workspace is stored in the WSCURRENT system variable of the current User Profile.

If the GETSTARTED system variable is ON, you can select the workspace on the BricsCAD Launcher dialog box on startup.

The availability of a startup option depends your license level.

Startup Option Workspace License Level
2D Drafting Drafting Lite or higher
3D Modeling Modeling Pro or higher
Civil Design Civil Pro or higher
Mechanical Design Mechanical Mechanical or Ultimate
BIM BIM BIM or Ultimate

Managing workspaces

Workspaces are defined in the Workspace tab page on the Customize dialog box.

  1. In the Customize dialog box, click the Workspaces tab.
  2. Expand a workspace.
    A workspace definition is composed of:
    • Menus: defines which menus are available.
    • Toolbars: defines which toolbars are displayed by default.
    • Panels: controls the visibility of dockable panels.

      Right-click a panel, then choose an option in the context menu:

      • Show: the panel is visible.
      • Hide: the panel is not visible.
      • Don't change: keep the current state.
    • Ribbon: defines the available ribbon tabs.
    • Quad Tabs: defines the order and availability of the Quad tabs.
    • On Switch: defines the system variables and user preferences to be set, and the commands to be executed, when switching to the workspace.

Setting the current workspace

Do one of the following:

  • Right-click the Current Workspace field in the Status bar, then select a workspace in the context menu.
  • Choose a workspace in the Workspaces toolbar.
  • Type WSCURRENT at the command prompt.

    You are prompted: New value for WSCURRENT <"2d DRAFTING">:

    Type the name of the new current workspace, then press Enter.

Note:
  • If the WSAUTOSAVE system variable is ON, upon switching to another workspace, the toolbar positions of the current workspace are saved in the CUI file. The default value for WSAUTOSAVE is ON.
  • It is not recommended to switch workspaces if the name of the user profile refers to a workspace.

Creating a workspace

  1. In the Customize dialog box, click the Workspaces tab.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Select Workspaces, then right-click and choose Append workspace in the context menu.

      The new workspace will be added below the last existing workspace.

    • Select an existing workspace, then right-click and choose Insert workspace in the context menu.

      The new workspace will be added above the selected workspace.

    The Add workspace dialog box appears.

  3. Type a name in the Name field then press Enter or click the OK button.

    A newly created workspace contains the following items:

    • A standard menu set
    • A standard toolbar set
    • All panels set to Don't change
    • An empty ribbon
    • A default set of Quad tabs
    • An empty On Switch sequence

    The newly created workspace has default properties. These properties are also available in the Settings dialog box, under Program Options / Workspace.

Editing a workspace

  1. In the Customize dialog box, click the Workspaces tab.
  2. Expand the workspace.
  3. (option) Edit the menu set:
    • Change the order: Drag a menu.
    • Delete a menu: select the menu, then right-click and choose Remove in the context menu.
    • Insert a menu:
      • Right-click a menu in the list and choose Insert menu in the context menu.

        The File menu is inserted by default.

      • In the Workspace Menu grid, select the ID field and select the desired menu in the list.
  4. (option) Edit the toolbar set:
    • Change the order: Drag a toolbar.
    • Delete a toolbar: select the toolbar, then right-click and choose Remove in the context menu.
    • Insert a toolbar:
      • Right-click a toolbar in the list, and choose Insert toolbar in the context menu.

        The Standard toolbar is inserted by default.

      • In the Workspace Toolbar grid, select the ID field and select the desired toolbar in the list.
  5. Edit the properties of the panels:
    • Set the desired 'on switch' behavior: Show, Hide or Don't change.
    • Select a panel, then edit its properties in the property grid.
  6. Edit the composition of the ribbon:
    • To add a tab: right-click an existing tab, then choose Insert tab in the context menu and select the tab in the Select Ribbon Tab dialog.
    • To remove a tab: right-click the tab and choose Remove in the context menu.
    • To change the position of a tab: drag the tab.
  7. Edit the Quad settings:
    • To change the order of the Quad command groups: press and hold the left mouse button, then drag a command group to its new position.
    • Right-click a Quad command group, then choose Delete in the context menu to remove the command group from the Quad cursor menu.
    • Right-click a Quad command group, then choose Insert and select from the list one of the tabs which you want to add to the Quad cursor menu.
  8. Edit the On Switch procedure:

    To add a command to the On Switch sequence: select the command in the available commands pane and drag it to the On Switch node.

Deleting a workspace

  1. In the Customize dialog box, click the Workspaces tab.
  2. Right-click the workspace, then choose Delete in the context menu.

    A Confirm dialog box appears.

  3. Press the Yes button to delete the selected workspace.
Note: Do not delete default workspaces, as they are used in the BricsCAD Launcher dialog box. When one of the default workspaces is deleted, use the Importing a Workspace procedure below to restore the missing workspace from Default.cui in the .../UserDataCache\Support\en_US subfolder of the BricsCAD installation folder.

Importing a workspace

The option in the File menu on the Customize dialog box can import workspaces from another CUI file into the current main CUI.

  1. In the Customize dialog box, choose Import workspaces… in the File menu.

    The Choose a Customization File dialog appears.

  2. Browse to the folder where the CUI file, you want to import the workspace from, is saved.

    By default, BricsCAD saves CUI files in the Support folder of the Roamable Root folder. See BricsCAD User Files.

  3. Select the CUI file.

    A dialog box appears, listing all workspaces in the selected CUI file.

  4. Select the workspace(s) to import in the list, then click the OK button.

    Press and hold the Ctrl key to select multiple workspaces.