LiberoDraft improvements and development

July 2026 LiberoDraft - Update from 1.0 to Version 1.3.11

Everything that changed since the 1.0 release, newest first.

1.3.11 - Internal tidy-up completed

Final housekeeping in the source code: every function now lives in its topic module. Nothing changes in behaviour - the foundation for fast, safe updates is complete.

1.3.10 - A guard for translations

A new automatic guard makes sure no message text is left untranslated. Deliberately language-neutral terms (Radius, Position, Viewport …) are kept on a documented list.

1.3.9 - Key H: zoom out

The H key now zooms out - each press widens the visible area by half a screen width while the view centre stays put. Drawing in progress simply continues, just like with the mouse wheel. The hatch tool remains available via its toolbar button and the command search.

1.3.8 - New shortcuts: A, Q and Ctrl+F

A = zoom to fit (same as the button) · Q = automatic snap · Ctrl+F opens the command search - the search shortcut you know from almost every application. F3 is now free. The shortcut help (F1), snap menus and tooltips follow suit in both languages.

1.3.7 - Test-bench maintenance

The automatic test suite now waits on conditions instead of fixed delays - reliable results even under load. The application itself is unchanged.

1.3.6 - Cut in the right-click menu

Cut (Ctrl+X) now sits in the right-click menu directly above Copy - in model space and on the sheet. Ctrl+V pastes at the cursor, Ctrl+Z brings everything back. Above a viewport, a new separator line sets the viewport block apart from the rest of the menu.

1.3.5 - Key W: zoom window

The W key now starts the zoom window (frame an area, the view jumps to it). The Split tool remains available via its toolbar button and the command search.

1.3.4 - One place for the canvas size

The drawing-area size is now computed in a single place - previously five. Invisible in daily use, essential for the reliability of future updates.

1.3.3 - Hatch knowledge united

All hatch code now lives in one module. Pure housekeeping, no change in behaviour.

1.3.2 - Through-hatch seed point on the sheet

The seed point of a through-viewport hatch is now visible on the sheet as well; it can be moved, and copied with Ctrl held - exactly as in model space.

1.3.1 - The selected viewport is unmistakable

A selected viewport shows a subtle area tint, four large corner grips and a floating hint - no more mixing it up with a selected through-hatch.

1.3.0 - Modularisation completed

The entire source code is organised into 60 topic modules. Invisible to you - decisive for the speed and safety of every future update.

1.2.9 / 1.2.8 - Renderer module and translation guard

The rendering became its own module; an automatic guard has since checked every label in both language tables - six hidden gaps were found and closed on the spot.

1.2.7 … 1.2.2 - Paper space, made complete

Right-click menu for viewports (edit, fit to content, move, lock, copy, delete …) in both languages · A viewport stays operable even under a through-hatch · Through-hatches are clipped cleanly and losslessly at the viewport border - on screen, in print and in DXF · Dimension figures always print on top on the sheet · Paper space became its own module.

From 1.0 to 1.2.1 (the main themes)

Release 1.0 after the long 0.9 maturing phase. · Dimension styles perfected: complete factory styles (mechanical, timber, building construction), your own default via “★ Save as default”, the style travels with the drawing, and the clear rule: OK in the dialog affects new dimensions only, “Apply” changes existing ones. · Source modules: the restructuring of the source code into modules began - the basis of all later tidy-up and performance work. · Automatic test bench: grown alongside from the start; today more than 3,200 individual checks safeguard every release.

Release LiberoDraft 1.0 
What's New Since Version 0.9.211

With version 1.0, LiberoDraft moves beyond the 0.9 series. New drawing and dimensioning features, significantly faster rendering, seamless DXF import/export, and numerous improvements to day-to-day usability have been added. The following list details the changes, with the most recent at the top.

Key Changes at a Glance

Significantly Faster with Large Drawings

A scene cache, block patterns, and targeted hatch updating have reduced processing times for very large files from seconds to milliseconds: rendering a drawing with thousands of elements has gone from about two seconds to approximately 0.14; canceling a drawing function has gone from 30 seconds to 0.12; the first step after loading from 39 seconds to 0.08.
Dimensions are consistent across all three output modes

Screen, Print, and DXF each draw dimensions on separate paths. In a dedicated round of adjustments, angle and arc dimensions, arrow styles, the slash style required by building codes, and the settings for each individual dimension were harmonized across all three modes.

Blocks: Hide, Nest, Evaluate

Blocks can be hidden—along with their dimensions and hatches—across all nesting levels. The block manager displays a tree structure; the bill of materials also counts hidden blocks if desired.

New Drawing and Hatching Functions

Relative angle, window zoom, visible and movable hatch seed point, hatching across blocks, and manual area definition via the viewport.
All Changes Since v0.9.211

v1.0.1 -> Initial Release (New)
Following the completion of the stabilization phase, LiberoDraft is now released as version 1.0.1. During the final testing prior to release, two non-responsive buttons in the Properties panel were identified and fixed: “Edit Properties” for the image and “Edit Text” for the text now reliably open their respective dialog boxes.

v0.9.285 -> Properties of the callout arrow are applied (Fixed)
In the Properties dialog for a tooltip, the Text, Arrow Size, Text Size, Text Spacing, Fill, and Arrow Side fields had no effect. All six fields now take effect immediately, can be undone, and are saved with the settings.

v0.9.284 -> Instructions and Tooltip Upon Tool Activation (Improved)
Angle Bisector, Perpendicular, and Relative Angle did not display any instructions after being called up, neither in the instruction field nor in the tooltip that follows the mouse pointer. Now both guide you step by step through the function -> in German and English. For Relative Angle, object snapping switches to automatic after selecting the reference line.

v0.9.283 -> Lock the angle with the Tab key (Improved)
For “Relative Angle,” you can lock the entered angle with the Tab key: the direction remains fixed, and the mouse is used only to determine the length. Additionally, the context menu under “Recent Commands” now displays plain-text names instead of internal abbreviations.

v0.9.282 -> New line function “Relative Angle” (New)
A line can be drawn at an angle to a freely selected reference line: Click the reference line, set the start point, click the end point -> or enter the angle and length. The angle is measured from the direction of the reference line; counterclockwise is positive.

v0.9.281 -> Window zoom remains active (Improved)
The window zoom no longer ends after the first frame. You can zoom in on a specific area using multiple frames in succession; the zoom is exited by pressing ESC or the right mouse button.

v0.9.280 -> Changed hatching appears immediately (Fixed)
If you draw a line through the middle of a hatch, the hatch area now updates immediately. Previously, the change was only visible after zooming.

v0.9.279 -> No more delays with very large files (Faster)
In drawings with many blocks and hatches, the first step after loading could take nearly forty seconds. Based on a file with 7,680 elements and 180 hatches: 39 seconds reduced to 0.08 seconds -> with an identical result in every detail.

v0.9.278 -> Grid and preview clearly visible again in Day mode (Fixed)
After switching to the second text layer, the grid and drawing preview appeared almost invisible in Light mode. This was caused by the alpha blending of the drawing area; it has been corrected.

v0.9.277 -> Text can be placed behind the drawing (New)
Previously, text and dimension numbers were always placed above the geometry. With a second text layer beneath the drawing, lines can now also be placed over text -> controlled via the Z-layer.

v0.9.276 -> Z-layer also applies to images and labels (Fixed)
The Z-layer order applied to geometry but not to images, comments, position balloons, reference elements, and tolerance frames. It now applies to everything.

v0.9.275 -> Panel buttons take effect immediately (Fixed)
Hiding and showing dimensions, hatches, text, and callout arrows did not take effect until after zooming. Additionally, dimensions can no longer be accidentally attached to text blocks or other labels.

v0.9.274 -> DXF export preserves the settings for each individual dimension (Fixed)
The DXF export previously read arrow style and text height globally. As a result, drawings with differently configured dimensions were exported uniformly. Now, each dimension retains its own settings -> including the slash style required by building and timber construction standards.

v0.9.273 -> Angle dimensions in DXF match on-screen display (Fixed)
In the DXF, the arrows for an angular dimension were always positioned inside and overlapped, and the degree value was always horizontal. Both now match the on-screen display. Additionally, the dimension value for sheet dimensions appears on the sheet again in the printout.

v0.9.272 -> Sheet arrows also in print and DXF (Improved)
The arrowheads, which are now aligned with the dimension arc, are applied in all three output formats -> screen, print, and DXF.

v0.9.271 -> Dimension arrow follows the dimension arc (Fixed)
The arrowheads of angular and arc length dimensions were positioned as a right triangle on the tangent and, for small radii, were visibly offset from the arc. They are now constructed within the arc dimension.

v0.9.270 -> Angular arcs and dimension arrows remain proportional (Improved)
An arrow occupies no more than one-quarter of the dimension line, and the angular arc no longer shifts when zooming.

v0.9.269 -> Through-dimensions no longer shift (Fixed)
Dimensions pointing through a viewport onto the drawing would shift when the viewport scale was changed. They now remain attached to the geometry.

v0.9.268 -> Double-clicking on dimensions over images (Fixed)
If a dimension was over an inserted bitmap, double-clicking opened the image dialog instead of the dimension editing dialog.

v0.9.267 -> Dimensioning over inserted images (Fixed)
Over a bitmap—such as a scanned cadastral map—lines could not be dimensioned because the image intercepted every click.

v0.9.266 -> Through-dimensions follow the viewport scale (Fixed)
If you change the scale of a viewport, the through-dimensions retain their geometry.

v0.9.265 -> Faster access to dimension attributes (Improved)
Dimension settings can be accessed via the context menu, by pressing Ctrl+double-click, or via a button in the dimension dialog.

v0.9.264 -> Zoom out further (Improved)
The minimum zoom level has been lowered to 0.001 -> useful for very large cadastral maps.

v0.9.263 -> Construction Dimensions: Whole Meters Without Decimal Places (Improved)
When “Hide Zeros” is enabled, 2.00 becomes simply 2. Values such as 2.40 or 2.36⁵ remain unchanged.

v0.9.262 -> Hidden Blocks Retain Their Dimensions (Fixed)
If you hide a block, the dimensions and hatches it contains also disappear -> this also applies to nested blocks.

v0.9.261 -> Labels Respond Immediately Again (Fixed)
Reference elements, tolerance frames, position balloons, and comments now respond immediately when dragged by their handles. In addition, an edited element would occasionally remain highlighted in blue.

v0.9.260 -> Changes made via handles appear immediately (Fixed)
After releasing a handle or the gizmo, the old position would remain until something else refreshed the screen.

v0.9.258 -> Radius and diameter dimensions survive DXF conversion (Fixed)
A LiberoDraft DXF file that was re-imported into LiberoDraft lost its radius and diameter dimensions. You can now locate your element by its position during import.

v0.9.255 -> Dimensions and hatches of nested blocks are visible (Fixed)
If dimensioned blocks were combined into a new block, their dimensions would disappear from the drawing. The fix now applies across all nesting levels.

v0.9.254 -> Layout area with scene cache (Faster)
The sheet area now also uses the cache. Based on a very large file: the time per layout view drops from 673 milliseconds to 42.

v0.9.253 -> Drawing bundles merged (Faster)
The time to load a very large drawing drops from 3.4 to 2.0 seconds.

v0.9.252 -> Block patterns instead of individual construction (Faster)
Each block definition is loaded once and then simply offset for each insertion. The time to load a very large drawing has decreased from 6.0 to 3.4 seconds.

v0.9.251 -> Zooming without rebuilding at each step (Faster)
When scrolling with the mouse wheel, the scene is no longer redrawn for each step, but only after the view has remained still for 0.3 seconds. Five steps together take 0.36 seconds instead of several seconds per step.

v0.9.250 -> Highlighting on Hover and Stable Dimension Line (Fixed)
Elements turn blue again when hovering over them. And a dimension line that has been dragged no longer jumps away by a few pixels.

v0.9.249 -> Move Dimension Value and Undo per Individual Dimension (Fixed)
After moving a dimension value, the old dimension line remained in place. Additionally, Undo now reverses each dimension individually instead of all dimensions from a single operation at once.

v0.9.248 -> Dimensions and Text in the Cache (Faster)
Dimensions and text are now also processed via the scene cache; rendering a very large drawing takes about 50 milliseconds.

v0.9.247 -> Scene Cache (Faster)
The drawing is loaded into the graphics buffer once and then rendered in a single pass. The rendering time for a very large file drops from about two seconds to approximately 140 milliseconds.

v0.9.246 -> Tooltips Readable in Light Mode (Fixed)
In Day Mode, the text in tooltips appeared dark against a dark background.

v0.9.245 -> Language File Check (Improved)
If the language file does not match the program version, a bilingual message is displayed at startup.

v0.9.244 -> Copy Seed Point and Drag Hint (New)
Hold down the Ctrl key to copy the seed point of a hatch; an explanatory tooltip appears when you drag.

v0.9.9243 -> Hatches Are Updated Selectively (Faster)
A hatch is only re-calculated if its surroundings have actually changed. Canceling a drawing function in a very large file now takes just over a tenth of a second, down from 30 seconds.

v0.9.242 -> Object snap when the mouse is stationary (Faster)
In very large drawings, the snap lagged behind when moving the mouse over objects. It now snaps as soon as the mouse is held still for a moment; a click always snaps immediately.

v0.9.241 -> DXF blocks retain their dimensions and hatches (Improved)
A block with its own dimensions and hatches remains a true block in the DXF and is fully restored when reimported.

v0.9.240 -> Correctly mirror blocks and ellipses (Fixed)
When mirrored, block components and ellipse arcs would rotate incorrectly.

v0.9.239 -> Hint at the seed point (Improved)
When you hover over the seed point square of a hatch, a tooltip explains its purpose.

v0.9.238 -> Smoother zoom frame (Faster)
The zoom frame appears as a screen overlay on top of the drawing and takes virtually no time to update.

v0.9.237 -> Window zoom (New)
An area can be framed with two clicks or by dragging, and zoomed to fill the window.

v0.9.236 -> Object snap significantly faster (Faster)
Snap response in large drawings drops from 57 to about 1 millisecond.

v0.9.235 -> Manually Define an Area Through the Viewport (New)
A hatch area can also be manually selected by moving the cursor over it while pointing at the model through a viewport.

v0.9.234 -> The Sheet Takes Precedence in the Viewport (Improved)
Clicking in the viewport first hatches the sheet geometry; only if nothing is present there does it access the model.

v0.9.233 -> Edge detection in dense drawings (Faster)
Creating a hatch in a dense drawing is reduced from 170 seconds to just a few seconds -> with the same result.

v0.9.232 -> Hatching in the viewport (Faster)
Creating a hatch through the viewport is reduced from 1.0 seconds to 0.2 seconds; recalculation is reduced from 0.7 to 0.04 seconds.

v0.9.231 -> Seed point visible and movable (New)
When a hatch is selected, a black square indicates the starting point of the area search. If you drag it to another compartment, the area is searched for there.

v0.9.230 -> Faster hatch creation (Faster)
When creating a hatch, LiberoDraft searches within a growing box instead of the entire drawing: 1.1 seconds is reduced to 0.23.

v0.9.229 -> Edge search with blocks (Faster)
If the drawing contains blocks, their edges are no longer resolved in advance; islands are now only searched for within the found area.

v0.9.228 -> Deletion in block management is now self-explanatory (Improved)
The button shows whether it can perform the action even before you click it -> and otherwise displays the reason in the window.

v0.9.227 -> Quantity and Structure Bill of Materials (Improved)
Both views are necessarily identical as long as no assembly is marked for expansion. Only when you click “Expand Assembly” does the analysis drill down into the sub-blocks.

v0.9.226 -> Bill of Materials Asks About Hidden Blocks (Improved)
If the drawing contains hidden blocks, LiberoDraft asks once per call whether these should be included in the count.

v0.9.225 -> Larger Click Areas in the Block Tree (Improved)
The expand triangle is significantly larger; blocks nested within other blocks are more clearly marked.

v0.9.224 -> Tree view of the block list (New)
The block list displays the nesting structure as a tree. The search function goes beyond just the name, and clicking on the drawing area also deselects the item currently selected in the list.

v0.9.223 -> List rows follow the selection (Improved)
Whatever is selected on the drawing is highlighted in the panel and block manager.

v0.9.221 -> Hide blocks (New)
Blocks can be hidden via the panel and block manager -> including nested subblocks.

v0.9.220 -> Hatching Across Blocks (New)
Blocks are exploded for area selection; hatching can thus end at block edges.

v0.9.219 -> Smoother Button Appearance (Improved)
The special coloring of the direction button in the number field has been removed -> it now looks like any other button.

v0.9.218 -> Buttons in stationary fields (Fixed)
Number fields that do not follow the mouse now allow their buttons to be clicked reliably.

v0.9.217 -> Number field follows the mouse (Improved)
The floating number field follows the pointer while drawing, and every button within it is accessible via the Tab key.

v0.9.216 -> Visible “Apply” button (Improved)
The floating input fields now have their own button; previously, a name could only be confirmed with the Enter key.

v0.9.215 -> Negative scaling mirrors the block content (Improved)
A block with a negative scale is truly mirrored -> the content flips along with it.

v0.9.214 -> Mirror blocks upon insertion (New)
Horizontal and vertical mirroring now take effect in the insertion preview.

v0.9.213 -> Stable Status Bar (Fixed)
The status bar fields no longer wrap within themselves, and the layout bar can be scrolled. Previously, ten layouts would push half the status bar out of view.

LiberoDraft — On the Way to Version 1.0 ...

Versions 0.9.166 through 0.9.212 have brought LiberoDraft closer to maturity in major strides: from a fully-fledged paper area with viewports to true DXF blocks, all the way to a comprehensive review prior to the 1.0 release.

v0.9.212 — Comprehensive Review Before 1.0

The entire program has been systematically reviewed and refined: legacy issues have been removed, every single command in the command palette has been automatically checked, and English translations have been completed. Over 1,600 automated checks now ensure the stability of every future version. Nothing has visibly changed—and that is precisely the goal: a stable foundation for version 1.0.

v0.9.210 / 211 — Dimensioning: Full Control, Clear Rules

A clear separation makes dimensioning predictable: “OK” in the settings dialog now applies only to new dimensions—existing dimensions retain their appearance until you specifically change them using “Apply to Selection.” The Properties panel affects only selected dimensions and now also offers the font option; font height and color take effect immediately—right down to the dimension value. Dimensions with different styles (including different arrow shapes and sizes) now appear neatly side by side on screen and in print. The total chain dimension can be turned on or off for each chain.

v0.9.206 – 209 — Complete Dimension Types

The dimension types (Mechanical Engineering, Wood Construction, Architectural Dimensions, and Custom) now clearly define each setting—switching between them is predictable. Newly adjustable: the slash length for Architectural and Wood Dimensions. Additionally, revised default settings ensure a consistent appearance starting with the first dimension.

v0.9.199 – 205 — True DXF Blocks and New Block Management

LiberoDraft blocks are exported as true blocks (INSERT) in DXF format and are recognized as such upon import—including nested blocks. Hatches and dimensions are included either as blocks or as native DXF objects, as desired. The block manager is now a freely movable window that no longer interrupts your work and highlights instances found in the drawing.

v0.9.193 – 198 — Paper area fully expanded

Hatching now also works “through the viewport” and automatically follows the model geometry. Object snapping reaches deep into nested blocks—every endpoint, midpoint, and intersection point is detected. And the paper area can be exported entirely as a DXF: window contents are converted to scale and neatly cropped at the window edges.

v0.9.166 – 192 — The Foundation: Paper Area and Layouts

This release introduced a fully-fledged paper area: multiple sheets (layouts) per drawing, viewports with their own scale, and customizable layer and object visibility per viewport—plus dimensioning directly through the viewport with automatic updating whenever the model changes. It also includes numerous improvements for day-to-day work, ranging from the bill of materials with item balloons to integration with add-on programs.

From version 0.9.085 to 0.9.165 (reversed order)

CADTEC (Switzerland) GmbH — as of July 2026

Between versions 0.9.085 and 0.9.165 there are eighty shipped builds. This document describes the new features by topic, from most recent to oldest; in the appendix you will also find a complete list of all individual builds, likewise sorted in descending order.

Compatibility up front: All changes are backward compatible. Existing drawings open unchanged; when loading older files, new properties receive the previous default values. New options are preset so that, at first, the program behaves exactly as before.

1. CAM offset for milling toolpaths (0.9.155 – 0.9.165)

The newest tool in the series: a contour offset for process planning in which the path is rolled around outside corners with an arc equal to the tool radius — just as an end mill actually drives around a corner. Inside corners are trimmed to the intersection; if you need sharp outside corners, turn off rolling via a checkbox.

1.1 Geometry (0.9.155)

The geometry kernel works on its own segment model of lines and arcs. Arcs of the source contour are offset concentrically — a convex arc of radius 20 becomes a path of radius 28 with an 8 mm tool radius. If a concave arc shrinks to zero, it is omitted and the neighbors are trimmed. Intersections are computed exactly (line/line, line/arc, arc/arc). If the offset runs into a pocket that is too tight, any resulting self-intersection is cut away; an additional safety net discards any path segment that would lie closer than the tool radius to the contour. If the tool is simply too large for the contour, no path is produced on purpose; instead you get a message — better than an unusable contour. The result is ordinary lines and arcs on the layer active in the panel.

1.2 Contour selection

One click on a contour element is enough: The tool automatically follows the contour via shared endpoints in both directions (lines, arcs, polylines, rectangles). At a branch it stops, highlights the possible continuations in light blue, and adopts the one you click. Closed contours are detected and offset all the way around.

For anything you do not want the automation to cover, there is the option «Select geometry manually» (0.9.157 – 0.9.159): Checking it releases the prior selection; after that, each click adds exactly one element — deliberately without any check for connectivity or direction; clicking again deselects it. Only when creating does the program arrange the selection into contiguous chains: adjacent elements yield a continuous path with rolled corners, independent ones each receive their own parallel, with the mouse determining the side per chain.

1.3 Operation (0.9.156, 0.9.159 – 0.9.164)

Invoking the tool — it lives as the split-button partner under the Offset icon — immediately opens a small dialog near the mouse, movable by its header, and switches snap mode to "Free". The dialog contains the distance field, a Measure button, the checkboxes for rolled corners and manual selection, an info line with the live status, and the buttons "Place" and "Cancel".

The distance follows the mouse live and is always shown in the field; the path is continuously drawn as a preview. A click in empty space pauses the preview: The dialog jumps horizontally centered under the mouse pointer, the value is highlighted in blue in the field and can be overwritten directly — both comma and dot are accepted as decimal separators. Distance and side are frozen, so moving to the dialog no longer flips the orientation; further clicks on the drawing area no longer select anything in this state. A double-click in the field gives control back to the mouse. The Measure button picks up the distance using two points in the drawing.

You place via the button, by pressing Enter in the field, or with a right-click. The function then ends: The dialog closes, the selection is released, and the program returns to selection mode. ESC cancels everything immediately at any point in the process.

1.4 Multiple contours and live trimming (0.9.160)

If multiple contours are chosen whose offset paths would overlap, all path segments are split at their mutual intersections, and any segment that lies closer than the tool radius to any selected element is discarded. What remains is the outer envelope path — and already live in the preview, because the computation runs at every mouse step. Rolled corners and the exact offset remain untouched; a single contour still yields exactly the same result as without this stage.

Practical note: Automatic following requires that elements meet cleanly at their endpoints (tolerance 0.02 mm). For DXF imports with larger gaps, manual selection helps — or get in touch and we will make the tolerance configurable.

2. Display and user interface (0.9.092 – 0.9.095, 0.9.104, 0.9.105, 0.9.165)

Tidied-up toolbar (0.9.165 and 0.9.104). Since 0.9.165, Scale sits in the Move tool group (together with Mirror, Rotate, Move, and Copy), and in the Offset group the normal offset icon is the default at the top — the CAM offset is selected via the arrow. Already in 0.9.104, "Distribute points" was placed under the "Place point" icon and the twelve constraint tools were grouped; the group’s button shows the last-used tool.

Pivot target marker (0.9.105). The gizmo’s rotate and scale pivot is clearly marked by a red target marker with ring, contrast halo, and crosshair — visible on both light and dark backgrounds.

Add-on programs (0.9.095). A menu in the panel loads a list of external tools from a manifest file and opens them in a new tab. The tools are also added to the command search. This lets you launch programs like the fastener generator or the gear generator directly from the drawing.

Grid contrast (0.9.094). A slider in the grid bar sets the grid contrast between 10 and 100 percent and affects both minor and major grids equally. The value is saved and restored at startup. The axis cross remains bold and unaffected.

Axis cross instead of axis lines (0.9.092 and 0.9.093). The X and Y axes are no longer drawn as continuous lines across the whole screen. At the origin sit two short arrows — X red, Y green — in a fixed on-screen size that stays constant at any zoom. The letters at the arrow tips have been removed.

3. Chain dimensioning and running dimension (0.9.120 – 0.9.134, 0.9.142 – 0.9.144, 0.9.150 – 0.9.153)

This is the most extensive topic block. The chain was expanded from a mere concatenation of individual dimensions into a cohesive object. The subsections are ordered from newest to oldest.

3.1 Naming (0.9.152 and 0.9.153)

The right-click menu on a chain dimension shows "Chain dimension attributes…" instead of the general "Dimension attributes…", and "Explode" there is called "Dissolve chain" because that entry does exactly that. The panel title and header report "Chain dimension" or the count as soon as exclusively chain dimensions are selected. Under "Last commands", "Chain dimensioning" and "Baseline dimensioning" appear as their own entries instead of the general "Dimensioning"; clicking starts the function including series mode.

3.2 Oblique chain dimensions (0.9.150 and 0.9.151)

Up to 0.9.149 the chain only behaved cleanly horizontally or vertically. At an angle, each link got its own direction, the dimension lines diverged, and what was measured was the segment length instead of the length along the chain.

Now the first dimension defines the chain’s orientation angle; all subsequent points are projected onto this axis — including points that lie off the axis, such as along a stair contour. All links lie on a common dimension line. All chain functions continue to work unchanged: dragging moves the entire chain, deleting closes the gap, inserting subdivides, dissolving separates, and the rubber band captures the links. Since 0.9.151 the magnetic snap of the running dimensions also works along the rotated axis.

3.3 The chain as an object (0.9.128, 0.9.132, 0.9.142 – 0.9.144)

Chain as a unit, dissolve (0.9.144). If the dimension line of one link is moved, the entire chain follows; if a shared point is moved, the neighboring link follows. To deliberately break the chain, use "Dissolve chain" from the context menu — afterwards they are again independent single dimensions.

Close gaps, insert chain dimension (0.9.143). When a link is deleted, no hole remains in the series of dimensions: The following dimension grows over the gap, and the first still starts at the origin. Via right-click you can place an intermediate dimension — a click within a link subdivides it, a click outside extends the chain; ESC cancels.

Duplicate points (0.9.142). Clicking two points with the same position on the chain axis but different height produced a zero-length chain link and two identical running dimensions. Such duplicates are detected and skipped.

Unambiguous chain ID (0.9.132). Previously, chain membership was reconstructed purely geometrically, so two single dimensions pushed together by chance suddenly counted as a chain. Each chain now carries its own ID.

Spatial reordering per click (0.9.128). While placing, the program spatially reorders the links of the active chain after each click. You can click the points in any order — including earlier ones — without segments overlapping.

3.4 The running dimension (0.9.120 – 0.9.134)

Magnetic snap (0.9.134). If the dragged total dimension value aligns within about six screen pixels with the axis of its extension line, it snaps exactly to that alignment. This lets you pull numbers cleanly straight off the dimension line; beyond that, they remain freely movable.

Grips and hit behavior (0.9.122, 0.9.123, 0.9.133). Several bugs when grabbing running-dimension numbers were fixed: at first they could not be grabbed at all, then dragging incorrectly moved the chain dimension. With closely spaced numbers, the hit now selects the actually nearest number instead of the first found.

Layout (0.9.121, 0.9.129 – 0.9.131). The total dimension numbers sit exactly on the axis of their extension line, the yellow area was made more compact, all numbers lie at a common height, and the jog to displaced numbers starts at the endpoint of the overhanging extension line with an exact 45-degree offset — in accordance with the standard representation.

Automatic deconfliction (0.9.127). If two cumulative dimension values are so close that their clearance areas overlap, one of them shifts aside and is connected with the standards-compliant jog.

Order independence (0.9.126). If a forgotten point was clicked later or a point lay behind the previous one, it used to cause a mess in the running dimensions. Chain creation now also recognizes backward-directed dimensions, and the totals are formed along the axis starting at the zero point.

Basic function (0.9.120). The option «Kettenmass: Gesamtmass ab Nullpunkt» in the dimension settings shows, in addition to the individual dimensions, the accumulated totals from the first chain point — the representation commonly used in steel and timber construction.

4. Printing (0.9.109 – 0.9.113, 0.9.124, 0.9.125, 0.9.135, 0.9.141, 0.9.150)

Rotated dimensions (0.9.150). The printout did not recognize rotated dimensions at all and output only the horizontal or vertical distance — i.e. wrong numbers. Fixed as part of the oblique dimension chains; the correction also applies to individually rotated dimensions outside of chains.

Direction of slashes (0.9.141). In print, the 45-degree slashes pointed the wrong way, while on screen they were correct. The print renderer now generates the strokes inverted so they match the on-screen direction.

Scale-invariant output (0.9.124, 0.9.125, 0.9.135). Several sizes were incorrectly scaled with the print scale: the distance of the running dimension value from the dimension line and the overshoot of the extension lines. At a scale of 2:1 these distances were twice as long as intended. They are now paper-relative and therefore the same at any scale. In addition, with the Slash arrow type, printing drew crosses at split chain points because two direction-dependent markers coincided at the same spot — this is also fixed.

Align angular dimension to the arc (0.9.112 and 0.9.113). A new option in the dimension settings aligns the degree value to the dimension arc. The default is off, i.e. the previous behavior. The associated print offset was adjusted so the aligned degree value also sits close to the arc on paper.

Dimension text positions (0.9.110 and 0.9.111). Printing previously always placed the dimension text at the midpoint of the dimension line and ignored a user-set position. Now the printout follows the on-screen representation — both for linear dimensions and for the degree value of angular dimensions along the dimension arc.

Tolerance frames and datum symbols in print (0.9.109). The proven decomposition from DXF export was carried over to printing: frames and cells as lines, feature symbols as vector paths, modifier circles, texts, leader with arrow, and datum box with triangle.

5. Hatches (0.9.149)

The properties panel of a hatch previously showed only pattern, angle, spacing, color, line weight, layer and Z plane. Added were:

• Opacity for all hatch types. Previously it was only adjustable for solid fills; line hatches inherited only the drawing-wide default. The value now applies per hatch, both on screen and in print.
• Line type (Solid, Dashed, Dotted) per hatch. The field existed in the creation dialog but had no effect there — the lines were always drawn solid. The dash pattern is now actually applied, also in print.
• Origin X and Y per hatch, with fallback to the drawing-wide default. If the field is left empty, that default appears as a placeholder. This lets you offset a single hatch relative to the common grid.
• Point markers — the circle radius up to which circles are treated as markers during edge detection and are not traced around. This value is deliberately marked as a drawing-wide default because edge detection gathers the edges for all hatches together. A change triggers edge detection immediately.

Origin, line type and opacity are saved with the drawing.

6. Dimension types (0.9.119, 0.9.136 – 0.9.140, 0.9.148)

Transfer to a second PC (0.9.148). For context: The three built-in types are fixed in the program, your own types live in the browser’s local storage, and all other presets in a second storage area — both per PC, per browser and per domain, i.e. not syncable via a cloud folder. Since this version, the transfer area in the setup dialog writes all settings including your own dimension types, print profiles, layers and surface values to a JSON file, which is read on the second computer. Registration, liability confirmation and launch counter are not transferred; these remain device-bound. Note that importing replaces the custom types on the target computer.

Panel with mixed selection (0.9.140). If the selection contains elements other than dimensions, the dimension panel now appears anyway.

Assign via right-click (0.9.138 and 0.9.139). The properties panel of a dimension contains a line «Dim. type» with all built-in and custom types; choosing one transfers the complete attribute set. If multiple dimensions are selected and you right-click one of them, the assignment applies to the entire selection instead of only the right-clicked dimension.

Attributes per dimension (0.9.136). Arrows and slashes can appear mixed within the same drawing. Switching the general settings no longer affects existing dimensions — each dimension carries its own attribute set for arrow shape, line weight, overshoots as well as unit, decimal places and zero handling.

Foundation (0.9.119). Newly configurable is the slash arrow type with its own, thicker line weight in millimeters on paper. Also added: architectural dimensioning in meters and centimeters, plus management of dimension types — saved bundles of text size, arrowhead style, unit, and decimal places. Three presets are built in: Mechanical (mm), Timber construction (mm, slash), and Architectural (m/cm).

7. Annotation elements (0.9.146 and 0.9.147)

No point coincidence for annotations (0.9.147). If the arrow tip of a balloon lay on an element’s endpoint, moving the tip would drag the geometry point with it. The reason was the mechanism that moves coincident points together — desired for geometry, not for annotations. Balloons, notes, reference elements, and tolerance frames no longer participate in this, neither as draggers nor as dragged. Interaction with geometry still runs via the binding: if the bound element moves, the annotation follows completely.

Grips for item balloon and reference element (0.9.146). Both could not be moved with the black point grips — the cursor showed move arrows, but nothing happened because the branch for these element types was missing in the central grip handler. New: on the balloon, one grip moves the arrow tip and rebinds; the other moves the balloon circle. If the tip sits on a block instance, the balloon adopts its item number. On the reference element, one grip sets the anchor point including edge direction, the other moves the frame.

8. Notes for design review (0.9.106 – 0.9.108, 0.9.145)

Box stays put (0.9.145). When dragging the arrow tip over an element, the box used to creep along step by step. The cause was the difference between the clicked point and the point projected onto the element, which the tracker interpreted as movement of the bound element. The binding is now normalized upon creation; the box stays put, and the arrow tip visibly snaps to the element. If the bound element itself moves, the note still follows completely.

Left-aligned text and printing (0.9.108). Text is set left-aligned line by line instead of roughly centered — this fixes seemingly shifted lines. A dedicated checkbox decides whether notes are printed; by default they remain a screen-only review aid.

Grips (0.9.107). Arrow tip and box can be moved individually via grips; the leader follows and switches the docking edge as needed.

The element (0.9.106). A permanently visible yellow note box with multi-line text, leader, and filled arrow. The leader automatically docks to the box edge that faces the arrow tip.

9. Block management, variants, and replace (0.9.102, 0.9.114 – 0.9.118)

Selection dialog as a tree (0.9.117 and 0.9.118). The target selection dialog during replace shows blocks as a tree, collapsed by default; search automatically expands hits.

Replace inside definitions, with cycle check (0.9.116). Replacement can optionally also affect all occurrences inside other block definitions — this lets you swap out an entire fastener set whose parts are nested in assemblies. The program checks whether a circular reference would arise, i.e., a block would indirectly contain itself, and rejects such replacements.

Replace block (0.9.115). You can retarget instances to a different definition — for example, when a variant has been developed further and thirty instances of the original should follow suit. Two entry points are available: instance-based via right-click, or definition-based from Block Management.

Split off as variant (0.9.114). The solution for the case “a hundred identical blocks, only a few should become different”: selected instances are detached from their definition and receive their own copy that can be changed without affecting the others. In the same step, the panel’s disclosure triangles were unified.

Block Management (0.9.102). A new window — accessible via the panel button, command search, or right-click on a block instance — shows the entire block inventory as a tree. Roots are definitions that are not contained anywhere; beneath them hang the used sub-blocks with their multiplicity. A separate section lists unused blocks.

10. Bill of materials and item balloons (0.9.096 – 0.9.103)

Free balloons (0.9.103). If the balloon click hits any element other than a block instance, a free balloon is created with freely chosen text. In the same step, the “Distribute points” tool was added, which divides a segment into equal parts and places points.

Structure positions (0.9.100). The drawing remembers whether balloons should show quantity or structure numbers; when inserting a table, the appropriate mode is set.

Hits through nesting (0.9.099). With expanded assemblies, the balloon click previously hit only the topmost instance, which has no own position. The click now resolves recursively down to the single part, but still binds to the topmost instance.

Item balloons (0.9.098). A new element: circle with item number and a leader with a filled arrow to a block instance. The number is determined live from the bill of materials — if the list changes, all balloons update automatically.

Indented BOM and table in the drawing (0.9.097). In addition to the flat BOM there is the indented BOM with item numbers of the form 1, 1.1, 1.1.1. Assemblies without the «List as one item» tick appear as bold headers with indented children; quantities are totals multiplied across the levels. A toggle in the dialog header switches the view, the CSV export follows the active view, and the table can be inserted into the drawing as a block.

Evaluate nested assemblies (0.9.096). A new switch «List as one item in the BOM» decides per block whether an assembly counts as one single item or is broken down into its individual parts. The default is enabled and thus backward-compatible.

11. Form and position tolerances (0.9.086 – 0.9.091)

The GD&T functions were cross-checked against Tabellenbuch Metall and DIN EN ISO 1101.

DXF exchange (0.9.091). Feature control frames and datum features are written as exploded geometry on DXF export — frames and cells as lines, symbols as lines, circles and arcs, texts as TEXT — supplemented by vendor-specific metadata that restores the complete object on reimport into LiberoDraft. The standardized TOLERANCE entity was deliberately omitted because it requires proprietary symbol fonts.

Tool behavior (0.9.090). After placement, the feature control frame remains active so additional frames can be placed immediately; ESC ends. The split button in the dimension group shows the active tool.

Associativity to geometry (0.9.089). Feature control frames and datums remember the element they hit when placed and move with it when it is moved, rotated, or scaled. Depending on the element type, the associativity is maintained by a parameter along a line, by the angle on a circle, or by segment index and parameter on polylines — the associativity thus survives rotations and scaling.

Multi-line frames and datum check (0.9.088). A feature control frame can have up to three rows, each with its own feature, zone, value, modifier and datums. A row bar in the dialog switches between the rows.

Standards alignment (0.9.087). The symbol for coaxiality now correctly shows two concentric circles instead of three. The feature names are now Cylindricity, Profile (line), Profile (surface), and Run-out; they propagate through the translation and are therefore also available in English. In the dialog, the features are grouped into form, orientation, location, and run-out tolerances, and for pure form tolerances, datums are discarded in compliance with the standard.

Display of feature control frames (0.9.086). The tolerance value used to be centered across the full cell width and would slide under the modifier’s circle when a modifier was set. It is now — as in the datum cells — centered only over the text area to the left of the circle; the reserve for the modifier has been enlarged and the circle placed centrally within it.

12. Quality assurance

Each version includes an automated test. Twenty-one test series with now around seven hundred individual checks run to completion before every release; they draw, dimension, hatch, print, and compare the results against expected values. Nearly every function described in this document has its own tests there — chain dimensioning with 139, the CAM offset with 65 tests, including verification that the toolpath maintains the tool radius along its entire length to six decimal places.

Appendix: Version overview (newest at the top)

LiberoDraft runs in the browser without installation at www.liberodraft.com — CADTEC (Schweiz) GmbH, Chlupfwiesstrasse 31, 8165 Zürich-Oberweningen.