Layouts > User windows

Setting Up Your Own Window Layout

Lets you customize and define the default configuration for the modeling windows and views.

Overview

If you consistently model objects that are too large or too small to be displayed efficiently in the default window configuration, or objects that have aspect ratios that are much longer than they are wide, you can customize your modeling windows to fit the proportions of your designs, and save the configuration for the next design session.

If you prefer to model in the positive X, Y, Z space, you can track the windows so that the origin is correctly positioned in each window.

You can create any number of customized window files. Then you can retrieve any of these window files by choosing Layouts > User windows > Retrieve, which displays the Alias File Requestor and a listing of all window configuration files.

How to Use

Creating and Saving a Window Configuration File

1: Manipulate the windows the way you want them saved to the new configuration file.

: You can save any of the following in a window configuration:

all window icons including window priorities

views resulting from all camera functions

display state resulting from most DisplayTgls menu tools.

clipping planes

window sizes and positions

Grid Spacing (including Perspective Grid Extent and Subdivisions options)

: Your new window configuration file may also include changes to:

perspective gain

world tumble center position

2: Choose Layouts > User windows > Save. The Alias File Requestor is displayed.

: The directory path defaults to:

: ~/.Alias/Prefs.2/Windows

3: Type the name you want to assign to this window configuration file. The suffix .view is appended to the file name if not supplied.

Note: If you save a window configuration file under the name user_windows.view, that file becomes the new default window configuration and is retrieved automatically by the system each time you start Alias and select Layouts > All windows > User windows. In this way, such a customized window configuration need not be restored manually each time.

4: Click the Save Windows button.

: The windows are stored as a set in directory
~/.Alias/Prefs.2/Windows

Note:

The current units of measure are not saved as part of the window configuration file. To save the default units of measure, you must save the new option set using Preferences > User Options > Save options. See Saving Your Settings on page 517 for more details.

Retrieving a Window Configuration File

1: Select Layouts > User windows > Retrieve. The Alias File Requestor is displayed.

2: Click the Show List button to display a list of all window view configuration files in the ~/.Alias/Prefs.2/Windows directory.

3: Type the file name, or double-click on the configuration file you want to retrieve, or select the file with a single click and click the Restore Windows button in the File Requestor. The new window configuration file is retrieved and all existing windows are reset to match the new configuration.

Please send questions or comments regarding the documentation to:

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