Tips and Tricks

Although most of the interactions within VariCAD are obvious, the system provides some additional conveniences you may not know about.

Display Changes

• To pan, press Ctrl and the left mouse button while moving the cursor. You can also press and hold the middle mouse button (usually the wheel) and move the cursor. Or, you can press the middle and then left mouse buttons simultaneously.
• To zoom, use the mouse wheel. You can configure the mouse wheel direction of rotation.
• To zoom, press Shift and the left mouse button while moving the cursor. You can also press the right and then middle mouse buttons simultaneously.
• To rotate the view around the center of rotation, press Shift, Ctrl, and the left mouse button while moving the cursor. You can also press and hold right mouse button while moving the cursor. Or, you can also press the right and then left mouse buttons simultaneously.

For large zoom, press Shift, Ctrl and then right mouse button simultaneously. If the left mouse button is used, the speed of view rotation is dependent on dimensions of all visible objects. If the right mouse button is used, the speed of view rotation is dependent on dimensions of a displayed area.

It is also possible to press and hold Ctrl key after you have started the view rotation with pressed right mouse button and cursor movement.

These view shortcuts are always available.

Selecting Objects between Commands

• Right-click after selection starts pop-up menu containing edit functions. Pop-up menu may contain different possibilities, if you right-click a single highlighted object.
• If no objects are selected and you right-click an empty area, pop-up menu offers features related to entire drawing.
• To select a part of solid (like a hole, fillet...), press Ctrl while moving the cursor.
• To select an edge or edges for blending, press Shift while moving the cursor.
• To select a drawing plane for 2D drawing in space, press Ctrl + Shift while moving the cursor.

Basic Tips

• If you need to enter any value, like a distance or angle, you can enter a mathematical expression instead of a single value. If supported in 3D, the expression can contain new or existing parameters.
• Consider right-click behavior during 2D/3D location input, objects selection etc... By default, right-click is the same as Enter, while Ctrl + right-click opens pop-up menu with currently available options.
• Use command "CFG" to change the default settings.

More Tips

• To go one step back in a function, press the middle mouse button or Ctrl + Backspace.
• You can open a file by pressing Tab, if you are not currently in a function and “Ready” is displayed in the Status Bar.
• If the current function does not use a window, right-clicking is the same as pressing Enter.
• If the current function uses a window, right-clicking while the cursor is inside the window is the same as clicking OK.
• You can invoke last command (function) by right-clicking the drawing area, if you are not currently in a function and “Ready” is displayed in the Status Bar. Then select the command from sub-menu of commands history.