In Designer user settings, you have the option to set a default dataset for the reference base map. This is a fantastic feature when working with spatial objects. My suggestion is that this feature should persist when viewing .yxdb files outside of Designer workflows.
When I'm browsing a folder of .yxdb files that contain spatial objects, clicking on those files opens a viewing/browse window outside of Designer. Unfortunately, the base reference map setting does not currently transfer and must be reelected each time a file is opened. I would like suggest that this setting persist in this situation.