Sheet View¶
The Sheet View is your main drawing canvas in VektorCAD. It simulates a real drafting sheet where you create, edit, and review your designs. From here you can configure sheet size, scale, orientation, background, and borders, and navigate using zoom, pan, and grid controls.
Quick start
- Zoom — mouse wheel up/down (centered on cursor)
- Pan — press and hold the mouse wheel, then drag
- Context menu — right‑click for command-specific options
- Grid — click the Grid toggle in the status bar to show/hide
Canvas Layout¶
The Sheet View consists of four key areas:
| Area | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing Canvas | Center | Interactive sheet with optional border and title block |
| Format Panel | Right side | Sheet size, scale, orientation, background, border settings |
| View Controls | Top/Left | Zoom tools, Pan, Grid toggle, view reset |
| Status Bar | Bottom | Cursor coordinates, active command hints, precision toggles |
Sheet Configuration¶
Configure the sheet using the Format Panel on the right side.
Sheet Size¶
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| A0 – A4 | Standard ISO paper sizes |
| Custom | Enter Width × Height in document units |
Tip
Choose the sheet size before drawing. Changing it later will resize the sheet boundary but not the geometry.
Scale¶
Controls how model units map to the printed sheet.
| Scale | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1:1 | Full size — 1 drawing unit = 1 printed unit |
| 1:2 | Half size — 100mm drawn appears as 50mm printed |
| 2:1 | Double size — 50mm drawn appears as 100mm printed |
| Custom | Enter any ratio (e.g., 1:50) |
Scale affects the viewport zoom baseline and annotation sizing.
Orientation¶
| Option | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Portrait | Sheet taller than wide |
| Landscape | Sheet wider than tall |
Switching orientation swaps the width and height of the selected sheet size.
Background¶
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Sheet Color | Background color of the drawing canvas |
| Grid Color | Color of grid lines (choose for contrast with sheet color) |
| Grid Spacing | Distance between grid lines in drawing units |
Border¶
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Show Border | Enable/disable the border around the sheet edge |
| Margin | Distance from the sheet edge to the border line |
| Line Style/Weight | Border line appearance |
For export
Enable borders when exporting to PDF for professional, print-ready output. Disable for full-bleed previews.
View & Navigation¶
Desktop (Mouse)¶
| Action | Input |
|---|---|
| Zoom in/out | Mouse wheel up/down |
| Pan | Press and hold mouse wheel + drag |
| Context menu | Right‑click |
Touch Devices (iPad / Tablet)¶
| Action | Gesture |
|---|---|
| Zoom in/out | Pinch with two fingers |
| Pan | Two-finger drag |
| Context menu | Long press |
Zoom Controls (Toolbar)¶
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Zoom All | Fit all visible geometry to the viewport |
| Zoom In | Incremental zoom toward the cursor center |
| Zoom Out | Incremental zoom away from the cursor center |
| Zoom Window | Drag a rectangle to zoom exactly to that area |
| Pan | Click and drag to move the view |
Grid¶
- Toggle grid visibility from the status bar or by typing
gridin the command panel - When Snap is enabled, the cursor locks to grid intersections for consistent spacing
Context Menu (Right‑Click)¶
The context menu is command‑aware — its options change based on the active tool.
| Item | When Available |
|---|---|
| Finish / Confirm | During multi-step commands (e.g., line, spline) |
| Cancel / Undo Step | During any active command |
| Snap Options | When point input is expected |
| Select All / Invert | When in selection mode |
| Zoom shortcuts | Always available |
Note
When no command is active, the context menu shows generic view and selection tools.
Keyboard Shortcuts¶
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Zoom In | Mouse Wheel Up |
| Zoom Out | Mouse Wheel Down |
| Pan | Press & hold Mouse Wheel + Drag |
| Zoom All | ZA |
| Zoom Window | ZW |
| Grid Toggle | GG |
| Context Menu | Right‑Click |
| Cancel Command | Esc |
| Repeat Last Command | Enter |
Tips & Best Practices¶
Navigation
- Zoom toward the cursor to quickly focus on a detail area
- Use Zoom Window for precise framing before editing fine geometry
- After changing Scale or Orientation, use Zoom All to refit the view
Grid usage
- Keep Grid ON while placing geometry for visual alignment
- Turn it OFF for presentations or when working on annotations
- Adjust Grid Spacing to match your drawing's unit system
Troubleshooting¶
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Mouse wheel doesn't pan | Ensure you are pressing (not scrolling) the wheel button, then drag |
| Right‑click doesn't open menu | Press Esc to end the current command, then right‑click again |
| Grid not visible | Check the Grid toggle in the status bar. Also verify grid color has enough contrast with the sheet background |
| View seems off after scale change | Use Zoom All to refit the viewport to the new sheet dimensions |