XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX''"> 2.3 The Tool Bar
The tool bar consists of a series of movable tool palettes. Each tool palette is a set of related icons that represent often-used functions in a particular application area. Based on their roles, you can identify the following tool palettes:
• System Tool Palette
• Mouse Function Tool Palette
• Viewing Tool Palette
• Display Tool Palette
• Model Orientation Tool Palette
• Labeling and Sizing Tool Palette
To move a tool palette, click on its outer boundary and drag to any other part of the window.
You can create new icons and function definitions to add to the tool bar. Copy the tool bar definition file p3toolbar.def from the installation directory into your home directory where you can make your modifications. The new file will then be used whenever you start up Patran.
System Tool Palette
The icons in the System Tool palette represent the functions that have system-wide application regardless of where you are in a project.
| | |
File>New | Brings up the New Database form where you can define a new model. |
| | |
File>Open | Brings up the Open Database form where you pick an existing database. |
| | |
File>Save | Saves the database with its current name and location. |
| | |
Print | Creates a hardcopy file to print or plot. |
| | |
Copy to Clipboard | Copies the image in the current viewport onto the clipboard |
| | |
Undo | Reverses the last command that added, modified, or deleted entities. You cannot reverse an undone operation by depressing the Undo icon a second time. |
| | |
Abort | Stops the operation in progress. Depending on the operation, the following will happen: During a plot: The graphic imaging process will suspend immediately, leaving a partially displayed image. To restart the plot operation, press the “Refresh Graphics” icon. During meshing: All completely meshed regions will remain intact. The last geometric region whose meshing was interrupted will not be meshed. During geometry construction: The operation will terminate after the current entity is constructed. During session file playback: When a playback is in progress, the interrupt icon is available. If an interrupt is confirmed, session file playback will pause and the session file play form will appear. A command interrupted message will be written to the currently recording session file. |
| Reset
Graphics | Removes fringe plots, titles, highlighting, and deformed shape plots. This button acts on all posted viewports if the Display mode is set to Entity Type. However, if the display is in Group mode, only the groups posted in the current window will be affected. |
| Refresh Graphics | Redisplays the contents of the screen. |
| | |
Heart Beat | Color-coded indicator that shows the current status of Patran. • White--waiting for user input • Blue--performing an operation that can be stopped with the Interrupt button • Red--performing an operation that cannot be interrupted. |
Mouse Function Tool Palette
With the icons in this palette you can set the middle mouse button (MMB) to perform incremental rotation, translation, and zoom actions of a view of the model.
| Mouse Rotate XYZ--rotate around the X and Y axes. (MMB - Default) |
| Mouse Rotate Z--rotate around the Z axis. (MMB+Control Key - Default) |
| Mouse Translate X--translate in the X and Y directions. (MMB+Shift Key - Default) |
| Mouse Zoom--zoom in and out of the screen. (MMB+Control+Shift Key - Default) |
Viewing Tool Palette
The icons in this palette provide shortcuts to controlling the orientation, sizing, position, and visualization methods of a model’s view in a viewport.
| View Corners--zooms in on a cursor-defined rectangular area. |
| Fit View--resizes the view so that all model entities fit inside the viewport window. |
| View Center--moves the window’s center to a cursor picked location. |
| Rotation Center--selects a view’s rotation center (point, node or screen position). |
| Model Center-- sets the rotation center to the centroid of entities in the view. |
| Zoom Out--incrementally zooms out from the model by a factor of two. |
| Zoom In--incrementally zooms in on the model by a factor of two. |
Display Tool Palette
The icons in this palette provide easy access to visualization tools that enable you to improve the appearance of models.
| Wireframe--renders the model in wireframe style. |
| Hidden Line--renders the model in hidden line style. |
| Smooth Shaded--renders the model in smooth shaded style. |
| Show Labels--plots all entity labels. |
| Hide Labels--erases all entity labels. |
Model Orientation Tool Palette
Each icon in this palette enables you to quickly display a standard engineering view of the model.
| Front View--Rotations: X = 0, Y = 0, Z = 0 |
| Rear View--Rotations: X = -180, Y = 0, Z = -180 |
| Top View--Rotations: X = 90, Y = 0, Z = 0 |
| Bottom View--Rotations: X = -90, Y = 0, Z = 0 |
| Left Side View--Rotations: X = 0, Y = 90, Z = 0 |
| Right Side View--Rotations: X = 0, Y = -90, Z = 0 |
| Isometric View 1--Rotations: X = 23, Y = -34, Z = 0 |
| Isometric View 2--Rotations: X = 23, Y = 56, Z = 0 |
| Isometric View 3--Rotations: X = -67, Y = 0 Z =-34 |
| Isometric View 4--Rotations: X = -157, Y = 34, Z = 180 |
Labeling and Sizing Tool Palettes
These icons activate functions that help enhance the display of your model. Two of the icons (Plot/Erase and Label Control) call up additional icons and application forms.
| Plot/Erase--displays the Plot/Erase form and a sub-palette for picking entities |
| Label Control--displays the Label Control sub-palette for picking entities |
| Point Size--toggles the display size of geometric points to 1 or 9 (pixels) |
| Node Size--toggles the display size of nodes to 0 or 9 (pixels) |
| Display Lines--toggles the number of display lines to 2 or 0 (no lines) |
