🧾 CAD Defaults Overview
The Defaults menu allows changes to the default settings applied to the current database and model, the screen display workspace area, and the keyboard functions.
NOTE: It is NOT expected that you will need to change any of the more obscure settings as AppliCad has set the software up for optimum use already.
Where changes to defaults settings need to be described for effective use, they have been described along with the functional description. For example, if you need to change the default colours for line styles or text etc, that has been described with that functional command.
🔧 Settings You Can Configure
The settings that can be defined include:
Active layer, colour, style, weight and plot status for subsequently inserted entities
A selection of a group of colour, layer, style and weight options given a type name
Plot visibility status of subsequently inserted entities with respect to plotting
Visibility status of subsequently inserted entities with respect to specific views
Visibility status of specific entity types within the model
Prevention of entity manipulation via their layer option
Naming of a layer or group of layers
Application of a colour mask
Modification of colour definitions including screen, menu and background colours
Selection of different pulldown menu files
Configuration of file libraries
Visibility status of specific layers and colour
Colour definition, by mixing the red, green and blue components of each colour
Tolerances to be applied to curves, intersections of entities, and circles
Screen layout, allowing the position, size of the areas, and the areas that are displayed
Function key assignments
Configuration of database memory allocation
Automatic back-up file save frequency, enabling of an undo file for Group commands
Setup option to allow for network, plotting, sound and input devices
Back-up text file
Visibility status of plot-lines, status lines and text display options
Display of tracking and dragging
Option of tag copying when copying an entity
🔧 CAD Entity Defaults
All geometric and text entities in the Roof Wizard software have the default options of colour, layer, style and weight that may be set.
Setting | Description |
Colour | Allows the colour to be set for subsequent insertion of point entities. This enables the Defaults Colour dialog box. There are 256 colour numbers, and any colour number may be changed to any colour. 
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Layer | Allows the layer to be set for subsequent insertion of CAD entities. This enables the Defaults Layer dialog box. In the normal process of modelling 3D roof geometry, the layers are automatically managed for the user and should not be changed. 
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Style | Allows the style to be set for subsequent insertion of line entities. 
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Weight | Allows the weight to be set for subsequent insertion of line entities. 
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The colour number is changed using the Colour Table function, adjusting the slider bars or typing the R,G,B component of colour. There are 256 colour numbers and any colour number can be any colour controlled by the Colour Table for each colour number:
Greater speed and efficiency in model creation and modification is enabled by displaying only the information necessary for each particular stage of the model's construction. Furthermore, it can be displayed in the manner most suitable to the user's individual preferences.
The currently defined default parameter settings can be permanently saved as a user-defined defaults file by using the File > Defaults > Write command. They are also permanently saved with the model when the File > Model > Write, > File Sub-Fig > Write (with Save Full option selected) and File > Update commands are performed.
🎨 Colour Scheme Configuration
Menu path
CAD > Defaults > Colour Table
CAD > Defaults > Screen Layout > Colour Scheme
You can alter the screen colours using CAD > Defaults > Colour Table which lets you change the colour for individual components.
Clicking the colour System button, changes to User, which allows you to change each colour used by the modelling process for entity colours ie lines, circles etc. The software has 256 colour numbers which may be any colour set by using the slider bars and then clicking Apply.
To make these changes permanent and so they are there next time you start the software, select File > Layout > Save-Values from the Pulldown menu to save them to the values file.
You can also select CAD > Defaults > Screen Layout > Colour Scheme from the pulldown menu to select a predefined colour scheme.
⚠️ Warning: Changing colour schemes may have undesired effects on things like templates, so perhaps don't change these unless you are confident with what you are doing or advised to do so.
📁 Directory Settings
Menu path
CAD > Defaults > System Settings > Directory
The Defaults Directory command enables the user to view the current working directory. The current directory path should be the initial ...\User folder whether on the local drive or a shared network drive as set in System Preferences.
If it appears that files are getting lost, then maybe the user has navigated away from the ...\User folder where all the pricing, material and job files are located. Use this function to check.
👁️ Visible Entities Control
Menu path
CAD > Model > Visible Entities
The user may selectively display different CAD elements at any time. These are controlled by switching the visibility – you don't delete them, you switch them off temporarily.
Generally you will have everything but the points displayed. The roof elements such as storey's, flashings etc are controlled by the Tools > Set Display command.
💾 AutoSave Configuration
Menu path
CAD > Defaults > Config > AutoSave
The software has a setting that auto-saves after a defined number of operations. The default setting is for 50 operations and saves after a Group change and each incremental Step change.
Setting | Description |
Auto-save frequency | Default setting is every 50 operations, but you can change to a more frequent setting (e.g., 10) |
Auto-save files | Called Crash1.cra and Crash2.cra, saved to the ...\User\Temp folder |
File alternation | Saves to Crash1 then to Crash2 and alternates, in case one crash file becomes corrupt during save |
💡 Tip: You have the option to define a different auto-save file name, but don't do this. Too many things for you to remember. Leave it with the default file names so we know where to look if you call tech support.
🔄 Recovering Crash Files
Should you find that you need to recover a crash file:
Go to File > Recover Crash
The latest copies of each file are displayed for you to select from
Check the time and date to ensure that you select the most recent version of your job