LibreCAD’s latest build - User Manual

This is the LibreCAD User Manual for latest pre release builds.

The manual is work in progress, and probably not up to date with the latest build application.

Any help is welcome to add new features and modifications to this documentation, to close the gap and make the manual more complete.

Customizing LibreCAD’s Interface

In addition to be able to move and reorganize menus and toolbars, LibreCAD can be customized with user-defined pop-up menus, custom toolbars and alternative “window decorations”.

Toolbar Creator

Custom toolbars can be created, modified and deleted using the Toolbar Creator. From the menubar, select Options ->Widgets -> Toolbar Creator.

LibreCAD Toolbar Creator

To create a new toolbar:

  1. Input a name into the Name drop-down box

  2. Double-click on an action to add it

  3. Drag and drop to arrange actions

  4. Click the Create button

To modify an existing toolbar:

  1. Select the toolbar from the Name drop-down box

  2. Double-click to remove actions

  3. Drag and drop to arrange actions

  4. Click the Create button

To delete an existing toolbar:

  1. Select the toolbar from the Name drop-down box

  2. Click the Destroy button

Widget Options

Widget Options

“Widgets” in this context refer to appearance of LibreCAD’s border and title bar, icons and the statusbar. Select Options - > Widget Options from the menubar to change these options. The following options are available for:

  • General: LibreCAD’s application window decorations (borders, buttons, etc.) and permits the use of custom style sheets (see below).

  • Toolbar: change the Theme and size of the toolbars’ icons.

  • Statusbar: change the height of the statusbar and the size of the font used.

To enable an option, place a check in the checkbox and specify the desired option.

Style Sheets

In “Widget Options” you can also choose a style; the style list is dependent on your operating system and the version of Qt used to build LibreCAD. For example on Windows 7 and using Qt 5 the list is: (“Windows”, “Fusion”). More information can be found at http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/stylesheet.html and http://blog.qt.io/blog/2012/10/30/cleaning-up-styles-in-qt5-and-adding-fusion/

Any style of a “Style Sheet” can be modified, but it is recommended that the “Fusion” style (Qt 5) be used as a base, because it is intended to be a cross platform style. After setting a style sheet you can edit it & save and then switch back to LibreCAD and use “Reload Style Sheet” (Ctrl+T).

Tips:

  • Start with the example below to obtain and understanding of how style sheet affect the appearance of LibreCAD.

  • Look at the examples for “Color” and “Gradient” in the list of property types.

  • Check out the widget specific examples at: http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/stylesheet-examples.html

Example

A style sheet can be as simple as:

QMenu { font-size: 16px; }

Or as a more complex example, save the following text as alpha.qss or alpha.txt, and then load the file with Options -> Widget Options -> Style Sheet:

/* alpha.qss v.01 a modification of the Fusion style */

/* Layer List */
QTableView
{
    selection-background-color: #ccffcc;
    selection-color: Blue;
    font-size: 16px;
    font-family: "Arial";
}

QMenu
{
    padding: 4px;
    font-size: 16px;
}

QMenu::item
{
    padding: 2px 25px 2px 20px;
    border: 1px solid transparent; /* reserve space for selection border */
}

QMenu::item:selected
{
    border-color: darkblue;
    background: rgba(240, 255, 255, 150);
}

QMenu::icon:selected
{
    border-color: darkblue;
    background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 255);
}

QToolBar
{
    background-color: rgb(230, 230, 230);
    spacing: 3px;
    padding: 4px;
}

QToolButton
{
    background-color: #eeeeee;
    border-style: outset;
    border-width: 2px;
    border-radius: 2px;
    border-color: beige;
    font: 12px;
    padding: 2px;
}

QToolButton:checked
{
    border-color: grey;
    background-color: qlineargradient(x1: 0, y1: 0, x2: 0, y2: 1,
                                      stop: 0 #dadbde, stop: 1 #f6f7fa);
}

QToolButton:hover
{
    border-color: grey;
    background-color: qlineargradient(x1: 0, y1: 0, x2: 0, y2: 1,
                                      stop: 0 #dadbde, stop: 1 #f6f7fa);
}

QStatusBar { background-color: azure;}

QMenuBar { background-color: #fefefe; }

QTextEdit { background-color: honeydew; }

QToolTip { background-color: white; }