Every product you place — such as a cabinet — has faces: its front, back, sides, top, and bottom. In ENGINEERING you can work with a single face on its own. You can open it head-on for a clear view, fine-tune how that one face is built, and draw annotations directly on it. This article covers everything you can do with a product face.
Good to know: Each face starts with settings the product works out for you automatically. When you change a face property, you are setting an override for that one face only — the rest of the product is left as it is. You can clear an override at any time to return the face to automatic. |
What you can do with a product face
Once a face is selected, you can:
• Open it head-on in its own Product Face view.
• Set how the face is built — its inset, exposure, and part type.
• Add a toe kick to the face and size it.
• Draw annotations on the face — dimensions, labels, notes, and shapes.
• Reset the face to its automatic settings by removing overrides.
Select a product face
Faces are picked using the selection mode control, which sets what type of object your clicks select. By default it is set to Products, so you need to switch it to Product Faces first. You can do this in the Plan, Wall Elevation, or 3D view.
1. Open the selection mode control and change it from Products to Product Faces.
2. Click the face of the product you want — for example the front or a side. The face highlights to show it is selected.
3. To work on several faces at once, hold Ctrl and click each additional face.
Tip: When one or more faces are selected, the Selected Product Faces properties panel opens on the right. This is where you adjust the face settings described below. |
Open a face head-on
To get a flat, straight-on view of a single face, elevate it. This opens Product Face view, which is the best way to read the face and add annotations to it.
1. Select a single face.
2. Right-click it and choose Elevate — or simply double-click the face.
3. The face opens head-on, and the view switches to Product Face. Use the view toggle at the top to move between Plan, Wall Elevation, 3D, and Product Face.
Adjust face properties
With a face selected, open the Basic section of the properties panel to control how that face is built:
Property | What it does | Notes |
Inset | Sets how far the face is set back from its opening. | Enter a distance. Leave it to use the product's automatic value. |
Exposed | Marks how the face is finished. | Choose Default, Concealed, or Exposed. |
Part Type | Sets the construction part type used for the face. | Shows (Automatic) until you choose a specific part type. |
Note: A property shows (Automatic) when the face is still using the product's default. As soon as you enter a value, it becomes an override for that face. |
Add a toe kick to a face
Open the Toe Kick section of the properties panel to add and size a toe kick on the selected face.
1. Turn on Apply to add a toe kick to the face.
2. Set the Depth and Height of the toe kick.
3. Use Left Offset and Right Offset to pull the toe kick in or out at each end.
Reset a face to automatic
Any property you have changed can be returned to its automatic value:
• Reset one property — click the Remove Override (eraser) button next to that field.
• Reset everything — right-click the face and choose Remove all overrides.
• Reset selected properties — right-click the face, open Remove overrides, and pick the ones you want to clear.
Add annotations to a face
In Product Face view you can draw directly on the face to document it. Pick a tool from the annotation toolbar, then draw on the face. Annotations stay attached to that face.
Drawing tools
Tool | What it draws |
Single line | A straight line between two points. |
Polyline | A connected series of line segments. |
Leader polyline | A pointer line, used to call out a feature. |
Rectangle | A four-sided box. |
Arc | A curved segment. |
Circle | A full circle. |
Ellipse | An oval. |
Dimension | A measurement between two points. |
Label | A printable text callout. |
Note | A non-printable text box for internal reminders. |
Text box | A block of printable text. |
Image | An image pasted onto the face (Ctrl+V). |
Measure | Checks the distance between two points without leaving a mark. |
Editing what you have drawn
After drawing, use the editing tools to refine your annotations:
• Move — reposition annotations on the face.
• Offset — create a copy a set distance away.
• Stretch — resize a shape, line, or text box.
• Trim and Extend — shorten or lengthen lines to meet others.
• Fillet and Chamfer — round or bevel a corner where two lines meet.
• Delete — select an annotation and press Delete, or right-click and choose Delete.
Tip: Use Show / Hide to toggle annotation visibility while you work, and press Ctrl+Z to undo your last change. |
Quick checklist
• Set the selection mode to Product Faces, then click the face you want to work on.
• Double-click the face (or right-click → Elevate) to open it head-on.
• Set Inset, Exposed, and Part Type in the Basic section.
• Turn on Apply in the Toe Kick section to add a toe kick.
• Draw dimensions, labels, and notes on the face.
• Use Remove Override or Remove all overrides to reset a face to automatic.