Add backgrounds and watermarks to your model

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You can add a background, such as a CAD drawing or an image file, to better visualize the environment within your FlexSim model.

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This background can then be customized by adjusting its size, position, scale, and layers, among other properties.

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The Backgrounds tool is also useful for adding watermarks to your model.

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To add a model background, select Backgrounds, then Add a Model Background.

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In the Model Background Properties, click File path, then navigate to and select the appropriate dwg file.

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Click Open.

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The background displays immediately.

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In this example, add an Operator to the background to determine its scale.

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Here, it is already scaled appropriately for the model.

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In the dialog, expand Scale to Model Units to see that the background is currently in meters,

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and the model is built in meters, so the two align.

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Close the dialog without applying the background.

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Select Add a Model Background again, and this time, select a dwg file that is not to the same scale.

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When you add an Operator and zoom out, you see that the scale does not match.

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This background was designed in millimeters, while the model is set to meters.

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In the dialog, expand Scale to Model Units again.

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For From, select millimeters, then click Scale to meters.

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The background scales accordingly.

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Switch back to the first background to review some of the additional properties that can be adjusted.

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In the dialog, use the arrows, or type a value in the X, Y, and Z fields to adjust the Position, Rotation, or Size of the model.

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The Flags provide additional options for the background.

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For example, to hide the shape, deselect Show 3D Shape, then click Apply.

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If you want the ability to move the drawing with your cursor, deselect No Select, then click Apply.

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Enable No Select again to anchor the drawing.

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Some layers also have Luminous properties that can be enabled or disabled here as well.

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Next, click the Layers tab, where you can Show or Hide the available layers and change the layer colors.

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Simply click a color to expand the color palette and select an alternate option for that layer.

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Click the Snap Points tab to add snap points, which are helpful when placing objects in the model.

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Select Load Snap Points, click Yes to confirm, and in the success message, click OK.

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Expand Snap to Background Draw Mode to define when snap points are shown.

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In this case, select Always Draw.

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Then, set the Snap Point Draw Size to 6.

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Click Apply, then OK.

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Notice that the snap points do not automatically appear.

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To enable them in the model, in Properties, deselect Snap to Grid and enable Snap to background.

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The snap points display.

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Now, the Operator snaps to the closest snap point when moved.

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Additionally, you can add pictures to your model background.

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Beginning with a blank model, select Add a Model Background, click File Path, and this time, select an image file, such as a PNG.

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Adjust the Position, Rotation, and Size of the image by changing the values in the respective X, Y, and Z fields.

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In this example, the Position on the X and Y axis is set to -25 and 25, respectively, and the Size for X and Y is set to 50.

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To quickly convert between units, click in the edit field, then click the unit conversion icon that displays.

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In this example, feet is selected and the 25 feet is automatically converted to 7.62 meters.

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Click Apply.

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You can also use the Backgrounds tool to add a Watermark to your model.

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From the Model Background Properties dialog, click File Path, choose your watermark file, then click Open.

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Deselect No Select, and then click Apply.

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In the model, select the Watermark, and in Properties, set the Billboard Mode to Screen Locked Billboard.

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Then, adjust the scaling by setting the Size for the X and Y axis to 5.00 and 1.00, respectively.

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Place the scaled watermark in the desired location, and it stays in place, even as you adjust and edit your model.

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Now, you can add customized backgrounds and watermarks to your FlexSim model.