Lock and Hide

On a busy design, three switches help you work on one part without disturbing the others:

  • Hide takes a part out of sight, and out of the shapes your design makes.
  • X-ray draws a part see-through, so you can see what is behind or inside it.
  • Lock keeps a part from being picked in the 3D view, so you can’t move it by accident.

Where to Find Them

  • In the Design tree: each row has an eye (Hide), an x-ray column and a padlock (Lock). Click one to switch it for that part.
  • On a part’s right-click menu: Hide, X-ray and Lock sit at the top. Each is lit while the part is in that state. Hide Others hides every part except the selected one.
  • Above the Design tree: Show All, Clear X-ray and Unlock All turn the state off for every part. Each is available only while some part is in that state. Show All and Unlock All are also on the right-click menu of the empty bed.

Hide

A hidden part disappears from the 3D view. It stays in the design and in the Design tree, so you can show it again.

A hidden part is left out of what your design makes:

  • Operations leave hidden parts out. Hide the cutting shape inside a Subtract and the part is no longer cut; show it again and the cut comes back.
  • Exports leave hidden parts out. An export to STL, 3MF, OBJ, AMF or STEP has no hidden parts in it. An MCX file keeps them, still hidden.
  • Home (W) leaves hidden parts out when it fits the design in the view.

You can’t select a hidden part, and hiding a selected part clears the selection.

X-ray

An x-rayed part is drawn see-through, so the parts behind and inside it show. X-ray changes only how the part looks: you can still select it, and it still takes part in operations and exports.

Lock

A locked part stays visible and still takes part in operations and exports, but you can’t pick it in the 3D view: a click, a drag or a selection rectangle there goes past it. Locking a selected part clears the selection. Clicking its row in the Design tree still selects it.

Tips

  • Lock a base or reference part while you work on the details around it.
  • Hide parts that are in the way, but remember to show them before you export.
  • Hiding and showing are not steps you can undo with Ctrl+Z (⌘Z on Mac); use the eye or Show All instead.
  • Hide and Lock are saved with the design.
  • You can hide, x-ray or lock parts inside groups from their rows in the Design tree.