Workspaces, Palettes and Clean Screen

What it does

A Workspace is a saved screen layout (which palettes are open, the Ribbon, and so on). You save it under a name so you can switch back to it later.

Where to find it

• Status bar: the Drafting & Annotation ▾ box (choose a Workspace or Save Current As...) and the QP button
• View menu: Properties Palette (Ctrl+1), Layers Palette, Symbols Palette, Quick Properties (Ctrl+Shift+P), Clean Screen (Ctrl+0)

Commands

Steps: save a Workspace

1. Show or hide the palettes you want from the View menu.
2. Type WSSAVE Detailing and press Enter.
3. Later, type WSCURRENT Detailing or choose it from the box on the Status bar.

Quick Properties

Turn on QPMODE ON and click an object. A small box with the main properties appears at the cursor, and you can edit the values right there.

Note: Clean Screen (Ctrl+0) hides the Ribbon and all palettes so the drawing area fills the screen. Press it again to restore them.

Try it: A "Signage" workspace for a café menu board

Sign work needs a big drawing area and no electrical symbol palette. Make a workspace just for signs and switch to it when you need it.

1. In the View menu, hide the Symbols Palette and the Layers Palette, and keep the Properties Palette open (Ctrl+1).
2. Type WSSAVE Signage and press Enter.
3. Draw the menu board: REC 0,0, then 900 Tab 1200; inner frame REC 50,50, then 800 Tab 1100.
4. Divide it: L 50,800 @800,0 and L 450,50 @0,750, then add TEXT MENU, COFFEE and CAKES.
5. Press Ctrl+0 (Clean Screen) to see the board full screen, and again to come back. Next time, just pick Signage from the Workspace box on the Status bar.

Challenge: Type WSCURRENT to list every workspace you have saved.

See also

• Interface Components
• PROPERTIES, MATCHPROP and CHPROP