Introduction

The Preferences panel gives you control over how the DCT displays your die design, which color theme is active, and where to view and manage your license. Open it by clicking the Preferences button in the toolbar.

The panel has three tabs: Options, Line Colors, and License.

Options Tab

Display Options

Three toggles control what is visible on the drawing canvas:

• Show Scale Bar — displays a scale reference on the canvas
• Show Incoming Stock — overlays the incoming wire profile on the die geometry
• Show Dimensions — displays dimension labels (OD, bearing, nib height) on the canvas

Scale Factor

Controls how many pixels represent one inch on the canvas. The default is 300 px/in. Increase to zoom in on the geometry; decrease to see more of the die profile at once.

Background Color

Sets the canvas background color. Click the color swatch to open the color picker. This affects the display view only.

Print Color Scheme

When enabled, the DCT switches to a print-optimized color scheme (white background, dark lines) when generating print output. This ensures clear, legible results on both color and black-and-white printers. When disabled, the print output uses your current display colors.

Line Colors Tab

Color Themes

Four preset color themes are available:

• Classic Dark — dark navy background, default screen view
• Blueprint — classic engineering drawing aesthetic
• Light — clean light background, closest to print output
• High Contrast — maximum visibility for any environment

Click a theme to apply it instantly.

Line Styles

Below the themes, fine-tune individual line color, opacity (Alpha %), and thickness for each geometric element: Bell Radius, Approach Angle, Blend Radius, Bearing, Back Relief, Incoming Stock, and Nib OD.

Use Reset Colors at the bottom to restore default line styles for the current theme.

License Tab

The License tab displays your current license information:

• License Key — your unique key (partially masked for security)
• Licensed To — company name on the license
• Email — email address associated with the license
• Expires — license expiration date

To enter a new or updated key, click Change License Key. Contact dct@udico.co if your license has expired or you need a replacement key.

Reset Options / Reset Colors

The Reset Options button restores all display and scale settings to defaults. Reset Colors restores all line color, alpha, and thickness values. These operate independently of each other.