UPDATED

Variations in Palettes
Both CAD system offer palettes, such as Properties. BricsCAD uses the word “panel” in place of
palette. Items shown in blue are new to V17. BricsCAD’s Drawing Explorer is not a panel or palette.
Here is the list of panel-palettes provided:
AutoCAD Palette BricsCAD Panel Notes
Advanced Render Settings (Drawing Explorer) BricsCAD handles render settings in the Drawing Explorer
... BIM Composition panel BIM models are not supported by AutoCAD
Command
Command bar
dbConnect ... Database linkages not supported by BricsCAD
DesignCenter Content Browser panel BricsCAD also handles this through Drawing Explorer
External References (Drawing Explorer) BricsCAD handles references in Drawing Explorer
Layer Layers panel BricsCAD also uses a dialog box for layers
Lights (Drawing Explorer) BricsCAD handles lights in Drawing Explorer
Markup Set Manager ... Markups not supported by BricsCAD
Materials Browser Render Materials panel
Materials Editor (Drawing Explorer) BricsCAD edits materials in Drawing Explorer
Parametrics
Mechanical Browser panel
Properties
Properties panel
QuickCalc ...
Ribbon
Ribbon panel
Sheet Set Manager Sheet Sets panel
... Structure panel AutoCAD does not have a drawing structure browser
Tool Palettes
Tool Palettes panel
Visual Styles (Drawing Explorer) BricsCAD handles visual styles in Drawing Explorer
In the following sections, we look at some panels that are the similar in both CAD systems — Properties,
Layers, and Sheet Sets, and Mechanical Browser panels— and a couple that are unique to
BricsCAD: Content Browser and Structure.
PROPERTIES PANELS
The two CAD packages share a similar-looking Properties palette, except that BricsCAD calls its the
Property “panel.” It operates just like the Properties palette in AutoCAD, but with this important difference:
BricsCAD employs the Properties panel for all editing functions and changes to properties in
those areas where AutoCAD tends to display command-specific dialog boxes or bring up contextual
tabs on the ribbon. Naturally, both also employ grips editing as well as specific editing commands.
For example, when you click on a hatch pattern in BricsCAD, the Properties panel displays all the
options you expect to find in AutoCAD with its Hatch Edit dialog box and contextual ribbon.
To turn on the Properties panel in BricsCAD, enter the Properties command. The panel appears
automatically when you double-click entities in drawings.
56 BricsCAD V17 for AutoCAD Users