Interface Customization
Introduction
The FreeCAD interface is based on the modern Qt toolkit and has a state-of-the-art organization. Some aspects of the interface can be customized. You can, for example, add custom toolbars, with tools from several workbenches or tools defined in macros, and you can create you own keyboard shortcuts. But the menus and default toolbars that come with FreeCAD and its workbenches cannot be changed.
The Customize dialog box
Usage
- The tools available in the Customize dialog box depend on the workbenches that have been loaded in the current FreeCAD session. So you should load all workbenches whose tools you want to have access to.
- If you want to add a custom toolbar: switch back to the workbench you want to add the toolbar to.
- There are several ways to invoke the command:
- The Customize dialog box opens. For more information see Options.
- Press the Close button to close the dialog box.
- The Help button does not work at this time.
Options
In the Customize dialog box the following tabs are available:
Commands
File:Std DlgCustomize tab Commands.png
The Commands tab
On this tab you can browse the available commands.
Browse commands
- Select a command category in the Category panel on the left. Some categories match menu entries.
- The tools available in the selected category are shown in the right panel.
- Hover over a command: its tooltip appears.
- Select a command: its status bar text is displayed below the two panels.
Keyboard
The Keyboard tab
On this tab custom keyboard shortcuts can be defined. Shortcuts for custom macros should be defined on the Macros tab.
Add a custom shortcut
- Select a command category from the Category dropdown list.
- Select a command from the Commands panel.
- The Current shortcut box displays the current short cut, if available.
- Enter a new shortcut in the Press new shortcut input box. Shortcuts can be up to 4 inputs long. Each input is either a single character, a combination of one or more special keys or a combination of one or more special keys and a character. Use Backspace to correct mistakes.
- If the shortcut is already in use a dialog box will ask you to confirm you want to override it, and the command the shortcut is assigned to will appear in the Currently assigned to panel.
- Press the Assign button to assign the new shortcut.
- Press the Clear button to remove the entered shortcut. This will also remove the content of the Current shortcut box. Note that default shortcuts are not permanently removed. They will be restored upon restarting FreeCAD.
Remove a custom shortcut
- Select a command category from the Category dropdown list.
- Select a command from the Commands panel.
- Press the Reset button.
Remove all custom shortcuts
- Press the Reset All button.
Limitations
- Shortcuts only work if their commands appear in the standard menu or in the menu of a workbench that has been loaded in the current FreeCAD session, or if their commands are on a visible toolbar.
- In V0.19 there is an issue with some Draft commands. Their default shortcuts do not work and/or custom shortcuts cannot be assigned to them.
Workbenches
File:Std DlgCustomize tab Workbenches.png
The Workbenches tab
On this tab the Workbench selector list can be changed. The Enabled workbenches list shows the workbenches as they will appear in the Workbench selector.
Disable a workbench
- Select the workbench in the Enabled workbenches list.
- Press the button.
- The workbench will be moved to the Disabled workbenches list
Re-enable a workbench
- Select the workbench in the Disabled workbenches list.
- Press the button.
- The workbench will be moved to the Enabled workbenches list
Re-enable all workbenches
Change workbench position
- Select the workbench in the Enabled workbenches list.
- Press the button or the button.
- Optionally repeat this until the workbench is in the correct position.
Sort workbenches alphabetically
Todo.
Todo.
Addons
There are other ways to customize the FreeCAD interface using its robust modular Addon repository through the Addon Manager. There are several Addons that allow for improved UI/UX. Below are some options created by users in the FreeCAD community.
Glass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny31diN1ZhM
PieMenu
- Github repository:
Launcher
- Github repository: https://github.com/triplus/Launcher
ShortCut
- Github repository: https://github.com/triplus/ShortCuts
RemBench
- Github repository: https://github.com/triplus/RemBench
IconThemes
- Github repository: https://github.com/triplus/IconThemes
CubeMenu
- Github repository: https://github.com/triplus/CubeMenu
- File: New, Open, Close, Close All, Save, Save As, Save a Copy, Save All, Revert, Import, Export,Merge project, Project information, Print, Print preview, Export PDF, Recent files, Exit
- Edit: Undo, Redo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Duplicate selection, Refresh, Box selection, Box element selection, Select All, Delete, Send to Python Console, Placement, Transform, Alignment, Toggle Edit mode, Edit mode, Preferences
- View:
- Miscellaneous: Create new view, Orthographic view, Perspective view, Fullscreen, Bounding box, Toggle axis cross, Clipping plane, Texture mapping, Toggle navigation/Edit mode, Appearance, Random color, Workbench, Status bar
- Standard views: Fit all, Fit selection, Isometric, Dimetric, Trimetric, Home, Front, Top, Right, Rear, Bottom, Left, Rotate Left, Rotate Right
- Freeze display: Save views, Load views, Freeze view, Clear views
- Draw style: As is, Points, Wireframe, Hidden line, No shading, Shaded, Flat lines
- Stereo: Stereo red/cyan, Stereo quad buffer, Stereo Interleaved Rows, Stereo Interleaved Columns, Stereo Off, Issue camera position
- Zoom: Zoom In, Zoom Out, Box zoom
- Document window: Docked, Undocked, Fullscreen
- Visibility: Toggle visibility, Show selection, Hide selection, Select visible objects, Toggle all objects, Show all objects, Hide all objects, Toggle selectability, Toggle measurement, Clear measurement
- Toolbars: File, Edit, Clipboard, Workbench, Macro, View, Structure, Help
- Panels: Tree view, Property view, Selection view, Tasks, Python console, DAG view, Model, Report view
- Link navigation: Go to linked object, Go to the deepest linked object, Select all links
- Tree view actions: Sync view, Sync selection, Sync placement, Pre-selection, Record selection, Single document, Multi document, Collapse/Expand, Initiate dragging, Go to selection, Selection Back, Selection Forward
- Tools: Edit parameters, Save image, Load image, Scene inspector, Dependency graph, Project utility, Measure distance, Add text document, View turntable, Units calculator, Customize, Addon manager
- Macro: Macro recording, Macros, Recent macros, Execute macro, Attach to remote debugger, Debug macro, Stop debugging, Step over, Step into, Toggle breakpoint
- Help: Help, FreeCAD Website, Donate, Users documentation, Python scripting documentation, Automatic Python modules documentation, FreeCAD Forum, FreeCAD FAQ, Report a bug, About FreeCAD, What's This
- Preferences Editor, Interface Customization
- Main window: Standard menu, Main view area, 3D view, Combo view (Tree view, Task panel, Property editor), Selection view, Report view, Python console, Status bar, DAG view, Workbench Selector
- Auxiliary windows: Scene inspector, Dependency graph
- Getting started
- Installation: Download, Windows, Linux, Mac, Additional components, Docker, AppImage, Ubuntu Snap
- Basics: About FreeCAD, Interface, Mouse navigation, Selection methods, Object name, Preferences, Workbenches, Document structure, Properties, Help FreeCAD, Donate
- Help: Tutorials, Video tutorials
- Workbenches: Std Base, Arch, Assembly, CAM, Draft, FEM, Inspection, Mesh, OpenSCAD, Part, PartDesign, Points, Reverse Engineering, Robot, Sketcher, Spreadsheet, Surface, TechDraw, Test Framework
- Hubs: User hub, Power users hub, Developer hub