Customizing SolidDesigner’s User Interface

Making the commands that you frequently use easily assessible.

3 areas of customization

· Toolbars

· Pop-up menus (right mouse click, shift right mouse click)

· Keyboard

All are customized using the Customize menu:

The Customize menu can be activated by:

· Right mouse clicking anywhere in the tool bar area and selecting “Customize”.

· Right mouse clicking on any existing tool bar and selecting “Customize”

· Selecting “Customize” from the Tools menu at the top of the screen.

Customizing Toolbars

Toolbars are groups of commands and can be located around the viewport or floating on top of the view port.

When SoldDesigner is started several toolbars are displayed automatically around the viewport.

To see a list of the toolbars and which toolbars are active, right mouse click anywhere in the toolbar area. A list of toolbars will appear, a “check” indicates that the toolbar is currently being displayed.

Each toolbar can be repositioned anywhere around the viewport , by clicking on the 2 vertical bars to the left of the icons and dragging.

Each toolbar has a name, an easy way to determine the name is to drag it into the viewport.

Toolbars can be displayed with icons, text , or both icons and text.

Exercise: Creating Toolbars

Tasks:

1) Create a toolbar called “Useful Commands”.

2) Add Load Package and Save Package “all at top” selections to the toolbar.

3) Locate your new toolbar in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

Steps:

1) Open the Customize menu.

The Customize menu can be opened by:

· Right mouse clicking anywhere in the tool bar area and selecting “Customize”.

· Right mouse clicking on any existing tool bar and selecting “Customize”

· Selecting “Customize” from the Tools menu at the top of the screen.

2) Select the Toolbars tab.

3) Select “New”

4) Enter “Useful Commands” as the name of the new toolbar and click OK.

A small empty toolbar appears in the center of the screen

5) Select the Commands tab of the Customize menu. Then select “Filing” in the “Catagories” window.

6) Scroll through the “Commands” window and locate “Load Package”

7) Click on “Load Package” and drag it to the Useful Commands toolbar.

8) Locate “Save Package” and drag it to the “Useful Commands” toolbar.

9) Click “Close” to close the Customize menu.

Exercise: Editing Toolbars

Tasks:

1) Edit the “Standard” toolbar, removing the “Database” selection

2) Add a selection for “High Resolution Print”.

3) Activate the text option for “High Resolution Print”.

Steps:

1) Open the Customize menu

The Customize menu can be opened by:

· Right mouse clicking anywhere in the tool bar area and selecting “Customize”.

· Right mouse clicking on any existing tool bar and selecting “Customize”

· Selecting “Customize” from the Tools menu at the top of the screen.

2) Locate the “Standard” toolbar, it is in the upper left hand corner of the screen. To check to make sure you are editing the correct toolbar temporarily drag it to the viewport and make it “floating”. Floating toolbars list their name in the title.

3) Locate the “Database” selection, hold your cursor over each icon until the text pops up indicating the name of the icon.

4) Drag the “Database” icon out of the toolbar and into the viewport. This will remove the icon from the toolbar.

5) Locate the “High Resolution Print” icon. The “High Resolution Print” command is in the “Print” selection under Categories in the Customize menu (Commands tab.

6) Drag the “High Resolution Print” icon to the “Standard” toolbar.

7) Activate the text option for the “High Resolution Print” selection. Right mouse click on the icon and select.

Toolbars are saved automatically when you log out.

Customizing Pop-Up Menus

Pop up menus “pop up” when you right click or shift right click in the viewport.

Pop up menus are also called “Context Menus”

Exercise: Editing Pop-up (Context menus)

Tasks:

1) Edit the “Viewport Right Click” menu adding an “Current Workplane” selection.

Steps:

1) Open the Customize menu.

The Customize menu can be opened by:

· Right mouse clicking anywhere in the tool bar area and selecting “Customize”.

· Right mouse clicking on any existing tool bar and selecting “Customize”

· Selecting “Customize” from the Tools menu at the top of the screen.

2) Select the “Menu” tab, then under “Context Menus” select Viewport Right Click.

Note that the Viewport Right Click menu appears.

3) Click on the “Commands” tab in the Customize menu, then select “Workplane” under Categories and “Cur WP” under “Command”.

4) Drag the “Cur WP” icon to the “Viewport Right Click” menu.

Note: Preselect menus also pop-up and can be customized using the same procedure.

Customizing Keyboard Commands

SolidDesigner allows you to define a single keystroke or keystroke sequences to activate commands.

The function keys (F keys at the top of the keyboard) are typically used for activating frequently used commands. The default F key definitions are as follows:

F1 Help (can not be changed)

F2 Select

F3 Global Axes On/Off

F4 3D Hidden On/Off

F5 3D Geometry On/Off

F6 Shaded/Wire

F7 WP Borders On/Off

F8 WP Axes On/Off

F9 Unassigned

F10 Unassigned

F11 Structure Browser

F12 Drawlist Browser

Exercise: Defining Keystroke Commands

Tasks:

1) Redefine the function key F8 from “WP Axes On/Off” to “Viewport Fit”.

2) Define function key F9 to be “Viewport Last”

Steps:

1) Open the Customize menu and select the “Keyboard” tab.

F8 is currently assigned to “WP Axes On/Off “ this assignment must be “removed” before it can be reassigned to Viewport Fit.

2) Under “Category” select “Show” then select “WP Axes On/Off “ in Commands.

3) Hi-light F8 under “Current Keys”, then click on “Remove”, then close the “Customize” menu. Closing the Customize menu confirms the removal.

F8 is now ready to be reassigned

4) Reopen the “Customize” menu, under “Categories” select “View”, under “Commands” select “Fit”.

5) Under “Press New Shortcut Key:” hit the F8 key, then select “Assign” and close the “Customize” menu.

F8 is now mapped to “Viewport Fit”.

Other key strokes can be mapped to other commands. Map the F9 key to “Viewport Last”.

Keyboard commands are saved automatically.