Set Giraffe up the way you work, so the tools you reach for during a feasibility study behave the same in every project. Preferences change how drawing, panels, colors, the layer list, and shortcuts behave for you. They don't change the project or what other people see.
Open Preferences
Open the Edit menu in the top bar.
Choose Preferences….
Hover any setting in the Preferences window to see what it does. Giraffe saves your preferences to your account, so they follow you to any device.
Learn about the other menus in the top bar.
Drawing preferences
The Drawing section of Preferences changes how the drawing tools behave.
Classic draw mode
Turn on Classic draw mode to show a shape's vertices as soon as you select it. Drag a vertex right away without double-clicking first. This setting is off by default.
Classic draw mode also hides the Vertex Edit tool, so V and double-clicking a shape don't open Vertex Edit.
With Classic draw mode on, clicking a geometry also shows the length of each edge and, for a polygon, its area. Learn which dimensions show when you select a geometry.
Stay in tool after drawing
Turn on Stay in tool after drawing to keep a drawing tool active after you finish a shape. Draw the next building or parcel straight away. This setting is off by default, so Giraffe goes back to Select after each shape.
Hover to insert midpoints
Leave Hover to insert midpoints on to add a point to a shape while you edit it. Hover over the middle of an edge, and drag the handle that appears to add a new vertex there. This setting is on by default.
Shapes with a fixed number of points never show this handle.
Remember properties
Turn on Remember properties so each new building or parcel starts with the usage, color, height, and levels you last set. Giraffe also remembers floor-to-floor height, opacity, and stroke. These come from the last change you made to a selected shape, the last geometry you picked with the Eyedropper, or the last usage you chose. Every drawing tool uses the same remembered properties. This setting is off by default.
With the setting on, the Property Editor stays open when nothing is selected. Set a usage or height there before you draw, and your next shape uses it.
Draw bar position
Dock the drawing toolbar to the Top, Left, Right, or Bottom of the map from the Draw bar position section of Preferences. The position applies in every layout. The toolbar sits at the top by default.
You can also move the drawing toolbar from its ••• menu. Choose Draw bar position, then a side.
Panel tabs
Choose how panel tabs look in the Panel tabs section of Preferences.
Icon: shows only each app's icon, so more tabs fit in a panel.
Text: shows each app's name. This is the default.
Text & Icon: shows each app's icon and name.
Panels hold apps. Learn how to add an app to a panel.
Colors
Change the colors Giraffe uses to highlight what you're working on in the Colors section of Preferences. Click a color dot to pick a new color.
Active Geometry: outlines, handles, and dimension labels on the geometry you're selecting or drawing. Red by default.
Smart Snap: smart snap guides, and handles that are locked to a snap. Pink by default.
Group: outlines and handles on a selected group. Navy by default.
Click the undo arrow next to a color to set it back to its default.
Bounding box
The Bounding box section of Preferences changes the box that appears around a selected geometry.
Aligned bounding box: fits the box to the shape's own orientation, so a rotated building gets a box that matches it. With this off, the box stays square to the map. On by default.
Show rotate handle: adds a handle to the box for rotating the selection. The handle only shows in top view. Off by default.
Editable dimensions: with a shape selected, press
Tabto type an exact width or depth on its bounding box. Off by default.
Layer manager
The Layer manager section of Preferences changes how the layer list looks.
Choose where the lock and opacity controls appear:
Show controls on hover: lock and opacity controls appear on a row when you hover it. This is the default.
Always show controls: every row always shows its lock and opacity controls.
Opacity in top bar: opacity moves to a bar above the list, and applies to the selected layers.
Opacity on hover or select: lock and lens table controls for the selected layers move to the panel header. A row shows its opacity when you hover or select it.
Fade hidden items: dims rows for layers that are hidden, or inside a hidden group. On by default.
Learn more about the layer list.
Shortcuts
The Shortcuts section of Preferences changes how keyboard shortcuts work.
Choose a shortcut style:
Single-key shortcuts: one key per command. This is the default.
Two-letter shortcuts: adds two-letter shortcuts for tools that have none.
Two-letter shortcuts (left hand): adds two-letter shortcuts that use only the left side of the keyboard.
Show shortcut hints: shows each tool's shortcut on its button in the drawing toolbar and map controls. Off by default.
Reset preferences to defaults
Click Reset to defaults at the bottom of the Preferences window, then confirm.
Resetting sets each preference back to these defaults.
Section | Preference | Default |
Drawing | Classic draw mode | Off |
Drawing | Stay in tool after drawing | Off |
Drawing | Hover to insert midpoints | On |
Drawing | Remember properties | Off |
Draw bar position | Position | Top |
Panel tabs | Tab style | Text |
Colors | Active Geometry | Red |
Colors | Smart Snap | Pink |
Colors | Group | Navy |
Bounding box | Aligned bounding box | On |
Bounding box | Show rotate handle | Off |
Bounding box | Editable dimensions | Off |
Layer manager | Controls | Show controls on hover |
Layer manager | Fade hidden items | On |
Shortcuts | Shortcut style | Single-key shortcuts |
Shortcuts | Show shortcut hints | Off |
🚨 Warning: Reset to defaults sets every tool, color, draw bar, tab, shortcut, and layer manager preference back to its default.