# VinylCut 5 — UI overview (software-only)

VinylCut-only. No physical cutter required to learn this page. Sources: AM softwaretraining UI mini-series + observed 5.028 install layout on Monitor-PC.

## Two faces of the suite

- **VinylCut Craft Design** — artwork, vectors, text, libraries, mats.
- **VinylCut Cutting** — cutter connection, cut settings, send job.

Same suite; design on the mat, then open **Cutter** / cut settings when ready to output.

## Main workspace (from UI Part 1)

When VinylCut 5 opens you typically see:

| Area | Role |
|------|------|
| **Mat / canvas (left-centre)** | Design surface; what you see is what will cut (WYSIWYG). Mat size/orientation matches the project media. |
| **Library (bottom)** | Drag pre-made or saved assets onto the mat (shapes, patterns, pens, rhinestones, custom library items). |
| **Properties (right)** | Document properties → position/size → **Fill and Stroke** → style → font (when text) → useful tips. |
| **Layers (lower right)** | Groups and shapes; show/hide (eye), lock, reorder. |
| **Main toolbar (top)** | New / Open / Save; copy-paste; undo-redo; **Import**; **Trace**; Library preview; **Cut / Cutter** (send to machine). |
| **Tool strip (far left)** | Selection; text; node/shape editing; pen / pencil / brush; shapes; colour picker; gradient; other draw tools. Context properties appear for the active tool. |
| **Status bar (bottom)** | Cursor coordinates; save / status messages. |
| **Title** | Shows VinylCut version. |

Training: [UI & workspace overview](https://softwaretraining.co.za/vinylcut-user-interface-and-workspace-overview) · [Workspace management](https://softwaretraining.co.za/vinylcut-workspace-management-overview) · index [UI mini-series](https://softwaretraining.co.za/the-user-interface-overview-for-vinylcut-5-software-mini-series-video-index).

## Menus / entry points you will use often

Software-only practice can stay entirely in these:

1. **File** — new project (name + cutting/media dimensions), open/save layouts, import/export.
2. **Edit** — undo/redo, preferences (e.g. SVG DPI defaults under General), copy/paste.
3. **Object** — show/hide, lock, arrange; right-click on a shape also exposes show/hide.
4. **Cutter** (or cut-blade toolbar icon) — opens cut settings dialog (connection, modes, layers, colour, tiles, extras).
5. **View / workspace** — manage workspaces, mats, guidelines, registration-mark visibility (when learning print-and-cut later).

Exact menu labels can vary slightly by build; follow on-screen wording on Monitor-PC 5.028.

## Properties panel — Fill and Stroke + style

Critical for clean cut paths (also used in “remove strokes” training):

- A shape can look stroke-free while **Stroke** still has a colour matching the fill — set stroke to **none** when you do not want an outline.
- Under **style**, cut-line modes include concepts such as Draw / Print+Cut / Cut only / Print only / colour alignment. For cut-only vinyl jobs prefer the cut style, not Draw (Draw brings the stroke behaviour back).
- See AM how-to: [Remove strokes](https://softwaretraining.co.za/vinylcut-remove-strokes).

## Layers visibility

- Eye icon on the layers panel hides/shows a layer or a shape inside a group.
- Show all / hide all / toggle all from the layers panel menu.
- Object → Hide / Show; right-click shape → Show / Hide / Show all (Show all from right-click needs a shape selected, not empty mat).
- Same family of habits as lock/unlock — isolate complex work without deleting.

Training: [Controlling what you see](https://softwaretraining.co.za/controlling-what-you-see-and-dont-see-in-your-project-files-in-vinylcut-5).

## Install tree cues (Monitor-PC, learning only)

Under `C:\Program Files\VinylCut 5\` (do not land KB here):

- `Library\`, `Mats\`, `Palettes\`, `Patterns\`, `Pens\`, `Rhinestones\` — content libraries used from the UI.
- `Hints\`, `Lang\` — UI hints / localisation.
- Main exe: `VinylCut 5.exe` (build **5.028** / file version `5.0.2.8` on Monitor-PC).

## Software-only drills (no cutter)

1. New project → set mat size → draw shapes → rename layers.
2. Hide/show layers; lock a group; unlock.
3. Change fill/stroke; set stroke none; set style to Cut.
4. Save/reopen the project; confirm layers and styles persist.
5. Open cut settings dialog only to **read** tabs (General / Layers / Cut by colour / Tiles / Extras) — do not require a live machine.

Updated: 2026-09-05 (SAST).