Template Drawing Mode
Template Drawing Mode (U) explains how to create GeometryItem by repeatedly placing (tiling) a predefined template pattern over an area.
We recommend using the Top Orthographic layout when drawing shapes. (Ctrl or ⌘+2)
The Top Orthographic viewport looks straight down, so you can place planar patterns accurately.
Basic Usage
- Click the icon in the toolbar with , or press U.
- Select the template to place from the Template list in the right panel.
- in the viewport to set the first corner of the area to fill.
- again to set the opposite corner, and the selected template is placed repeatedly to fill that rectangular area.
- The placed shapes are added to the currently selected layer as GeometryItem.
- Press Esc to cancel and return to Navigation Mode (A).
While defining the area, the placement result is previewed according to the option values.
Template Drawing Mode (U) fills a rectangular area you define directly in the viewport. To fit the placement exactly inside a rectangle shape you already created, Fill Template in Geometry Operations is the better choice.
Select the rectangle, then choose Fill Template… from the menu to lay the template out against that shape's four corners. The available templates are the same as in this mode.
Template Options
Adjust how the template is placed in the right panel.
| Group | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Draw Template | Template | Selects the template pattern to place. |
| Scaling | X / Y | Horizontal/vertical scale of one template unit. |
| Margin | X / Y | Outer margin of the specified area. |
| Padding | X / Y | Spacing between placed units. |
| Rows | Min / Max | Minimum/maximum limit of vertical repetitions. |
| Cols | Min / Max | Minimum/maximum limit of horizontal repetitions. |
The number of repetitions is determined by the area size and the Scaling·Padding values, limited by the Min/Max range of Rows·Cols.
Changing Layer
- You can change the layer that the completed GeometryItem belongs to.
- Select an active layer by clicking it with in the hierarchy panel on the left.
- Press , or . to cycle through the selectable layers.