Introducing the new user interface
Description: 15 minutes
The first thing you'll notice with the new
UI is a modern XP look and behavior.
After reading this topic,
please watch the
UI Tour video for a look at what's new and improved.
Improvements to the user interface
Dynamic viewing
Controlling the rotation center of a model is easier with five options for
how to rotate.
Follow Mouse is the default option
which rotates the model on the XY axis at the picked position. Hold down the
Shift key to rotate around the Z axis.
To change the rotation point,
- Right-click.
- Select Rotate Center.
- Select one of the viewing options below:
- Camera Reference Point
uses the camera's reference position as the center for rotation.
- Viewport Center
rotates the model around the center of the viewport, regardless of model
placement.
- Model Center
calculates the center of the objects displayed in the viewport for rotation.
- Selected lets
the user pick any position on the model to be used as the rotation center.
When any of the four rotation modes are selected, the icon labeled Toggle
Rotate View Center in the View toolbar is activated. Click this icon to return
to Follow Mouse mode.
Designer Modeling will use the last rotate center method used in the previous
session, except for Selected, which is model dependent.
Modules menu
The Modules menu has been reorganized for clear distinction between base and
licensed modules. Changes have been made to the Advanced Design and Legacy
Modules tabs.
- New to the
Advanced Modeling tab
- Adv Assembly module - This module includes the former
Assembly module, the new Animation commands, and the new Relation types cam,
gear, and rack.
- Activate single components of the Advanced Design
license, or
- Deactivate Advanced Design with one click (to
License activated).
- New to the
Legacy Modules tab
- Legacy modules that are part of the Advanced Design
license cannot be activated if an Advanced Design license has been drawn
already. If a legacy module has been activated and the user draws an
Advanced Design license, the legacy license is freed up and the appropriate
component of the Advanced Design license is activated automatically.
- New options to
the IGES Face Trim feature
Buttons in the viewport
When a command is active, the OK and Cancel buttons appear in the viewport on
the opposite side of the task panel. The Advanced button appears in the task
panel.
Use the Advanced
button to show the dialog after you've selected it from the context menu. If the
task panel is not visible, the Advanced button will appear in the viewport.
Structure browser
Select items in the structure browser in the typical Windows Explorer way.
(Not on UNIX)
Catch preview
A catch preview is created whenever the cursor is on a position where a point
can be caught. The preview is updated with every cursor move. The Shift + Ctrl
catch shortcut is also shown in the preview.
Default toolbars - (Windows only)
- The default 2D geometry toolbar is located on the left
border of the viewport and its contents have changed.
- The Measure toolbar contents have changed.
- Some Annotation toolbars have been removed.
- The following toolbars are no longer shipped with the
basic version of OSDM:
- Construction, Machine, Modify 2D, Modify 3D, Part and
Assembly, and Workplane.
Task panel
- Pin the panel to keep it static. Even if the panel is not
pinned, the panel is open until the command is finished.
- If the panel covers something in the viewport, click the
Advanced button to close the panel. Click again to show the panel.
- The panel is resizeable - drag the panel to increase the
size.
- OK, Cancel, and Help buttons are at the top of each dialog
for easier access and to separate them from other possible "ending" buttons
such as Done or Abort.
- A "hot" look (highlighted with an orange border) for
buttons that have been clicked.
- Subdialogs appear underneath the original dialog rather
than as a separate dialog.
These subdialogs can
be expanded and collapsed by clicking their title bar. The status is
persistent and will show as open or closed with the next use.
- After you terminate an active command, the task panel will
reappear.
- If you start a module, the task panel for the module will
replace the Modeling task panel.
To toggle between
the two task bars, click the arrow keys in the
Status Bar.
Or, you can access the module task panel from the
Modeling task panel.
 |
 |
 |
|
(3D Documentation) task panel |
Modeling task panel with 3D Documentation menu at bottom |
Modeling task panel with 3D Documentation menu options from drop-down menu |
UI settings

Under the Task Bar tab,
- The Animation > Slow/Fast slide bar defines the sliding
speed for the task panel.
- Menu > Show on Mouse Over determines if the menus change
by mousing over the icons or by clicking on the icons.
- Command > Show Icon determines if the menus show an icon
and text or only text.

Under the Misc tab,
- Selection and Recently Used Files have been moved from
other tabs (Selection and Customizations) to the Miscellaneous tab.
System Settings
The Measure tab of the System Settings menu has changed. Now, you can specify
a decimal up to 6 places.

Other
- Command options of interrupt commands still appear in the
Classic UI.
- Settings still appear as the Classic UI.