Part 2 General Introduction

Using the program surface

  • Screen layout
  • Keyboard commands + mouse key configuration
  • Panning + Zoom
  • The Aids

Screen layout.

(1) Text menu:

Selection of the functions and program areas.
(2)

Processing status:

Display of processing possibilities using the program:  

 There are 3D data in the Projection layers (following a projection).  

 There are milling data in the Tool layers (following the AutoCorrection).  

 In the ActLayer there are 2D graphic data. These data can be processed using all functions as described.  

 In the ActLayer there are 3D or milling data with tool and technology information. Here some processes can lead to errors (e.g. the correct data sequence is lost). In this case the user must decide whether this is wanted.

Following clicking on the display using <m, f2=””></m,> the Layer tool is indicated. If, with the indication 3D, there is tool information in the milling data, then this tool is indicated. Tool data can be modified in the list and rewritten in the data set.  

 +   A green traffic light indicates that the program is waiting for input, a red traffic light indicates that a function is active.
(3)

Commentary, Input:

Commentaries give information on further operation. Numerical inputs also take place in this line.
(4)

Aids

Button for marking, for graphic control, for parameters, etc. (see below).
(5)

Cursor position:

The X/Y- cursor position in the graphic is shown above right in the display screen.
(6)

Graphic cursor:

Here a cursor cross or arrow appears. The cursor is indicated under (5). The cursor line can be selected using Aids Input Parameters.
(7) ICON Menu / Functions menu:

ICON Menu (Symbol menu) for rapid manipulation using CAD, CAM and in Relief. The Icon Menu contains all functions of CAD, CAM and Reliefs. The uppermost line serves for the switching between the program areas. The selectable functions are below this. All sub-menus and functions are selected sing the functions menu (Input Parameter. Basic Setting. Menu Form = Text) on the righthand edge of the picture.
(8)

Layer selection bar:

Direct layer allocation via layer button at left edge of picture. Clicking on directly changes into the target layer, if paths are marked then the paths are adopted in the target layer (displaced).
(9)

Graphics:

The graphic area is the main part of the screen. The background colour can be selected using theAids Input Parameter.
Keyboard commands + Mouse key configuration.  

For some operations there are commands available in the CAD keyboard.  

Mouse key configuration.

  Left mouse key (for input = ).
  Middle mouse key (so far as this is not reconfigured = ).
<R>  Function support (right mouse key): aborting of an input. If no function is active, pressing the right mouse key in the CAD opens the alternative menu (<F2>) for the marking aid.
<R>, <Esc>  Function support Abort: nearly all windows or inputs into the program can be aborted using the mouse key <R> or using <Esc>. Only Windows standard window has to be exclusively clicked on.
  Using the mouse wheel in CAD you control the graphic zoom (Zoom –, Zoom +). The graphic is always so set that, following a zoom, the cursor is in the centre of the picture.
  Return key (Enter) of the keyboard (for input acknowledgement).
  Key A of the keyboard. input line ’emersed’ (start point).
  Key E of the keyboard. Input line ‘immersed’.
  Key S of the keyboard.  
  Space key (space bar) of the keyboard. Edit marked paths.
  Key DEL of the keyboard. Delete marked path.
<¬>  Backspace key (¬) of the keyboard. Delete the marked paths.  
,<Shift> 

Shift key of the keyboard (switch to capital letters).

<Shift> and mark: in addition select or with already marked paths deselect.
<Shift> and cursor movement at edge of graphic: Zoom – relocation (Display list).
  Tab key (<=>) of the keyboard. Edit marked paths (as with ).
  Ctrl key of the keyboard.
Press Ctrl key and key A of the keyboard simultaneously. Marks all paths in the ActLayer.
  Press Ctrl key and key C of the keyboard simultaneously. Copies into clipboard (in CAD, comp. Marking aids).
  Press Ctrl key and key V of the keyboard simultaneously. Input from clipboard (in CAD, comp. Marking aids).
  Press Ctrl key and key X of the keyboard simultaneously. Cut out in clipboard (in CAD, com. Marking aids).
  Press Ctrl key and key S of the keyboard simultaneously. Save CAD data. If a file name is known (is shown in window bar above), then the data are immediately saved in this file. Otherwise the file dialogue for the selection of a file name is opened.
  In the number input of the program – activate internal data processor.
Function key F2 of the keyboard (for input aids).
  Function key F3 of the keyboard (for input aids e.g. Layout. Graphic Limits).
  Function key F4 of the keyboard (for input aids e.g. Layout. Graphic Limits).
, <+>  Zoom + at the position of the graphics cursor (picture centre).
, <->  Zoom – at the position of the graphics cursor (picture centre).
  Aid to the functions (comp. Aid and [?]).
Panning.

If the graphics cursor touches the edge of the picture when the  is pressed, then the graphic is displaced, without change of size, so that the cursor position lies in the centre of the picture. This Panningis applicable in vector graphics (drawing the graphic layers).

Zoom.

Using the mouse wheel you control the graphics zoom (Zoom –, Zoom +) in CAD. The graphic is always so arranged that at the end of a zoom the cursor is in the centre of the picture. The keys , <+> also have a similar function for Zoom + and , <-> for Zoom –.

The aids.

Undo can be carried out up to 5 times.
Redo can be carried out once.
Save (comp. keyboard command ).

Graphics print.

Graphics and texts are output on the standard printer. Exported are all layers which are marked in colour in ascending order (0..MaxLayer). Layers which are not to be printed are to be marked in white by clicking-on. Current information on this can be found in the program aids , [?].

Machine output direct mill auto.

Output the milling data on the standard machine. Exported are all layers which are marked in colour in ascending order. Layers which are not to be exported are to be marked in white by clicking-on.

By clicking-on using  you reach the setup aid for the standard output. For the output at least one matching path (output program) and one data path are required. Current information on this can be found in the program aids , [?].
Position selection (marking aid).

The selected path is drawn in red and marked with 8 mark points. In he text module with this section aid text rows are marked (on its source point). Click with <m, f2=””> onto the position selection opens a menu.</m,>

Deselect all: All marking is cleared.
Mark all: All paths are marked.
Mark Track Posn: Select a route using a support point or through cutting using a rectangle.
Mark in Layer: Search for the next path in all layers.
Deselect: Deselect a marked path.
Paths – Info: Show information on the marked paths.
Cut out , 

copy , 

input :

 Exchange marked path via the program clipboard.
Group: The paths are ‘combined’ into a block.
Cancel Grouping: A grouping is cancelled.  

Note: Group is only sensible together with relief design (ReliefVTR module).

Position marking: Point and direction marking of the vectors. Mark the starting points, the supporting points with directions and the end points on all contours and routes in the ActLayer.

Green square Start point of the traverse.
Arrow Support point and direction indicator.
Red triangle End point of the polygon.
Cutter track: representation with tool width.

The picture is drawn with the wide cutter track of the layer tools. Depending on the setting in input parameters, colouring will show the cutter width in relief surface height (for texts in surface and base height) or only in base height. A tool must be input for this function!  

Graphic ZOOM +: enlarge picture.

Frame a picture detail with a rectangle and present enlarged.
After clicking-on using you obtain a zoom selection depending on the module.  

Graphic ZOOM -: reduce picture.

Redraw the picture half-size. After clicking-on using you obtain a zoom selection depending on the module.  
Graphic picture NORM: picture on preset limits.
Graphic picture New: redraw picture with current settings.
Graphic All: show all picture components (also outside the limits).

Graphic Displace: Relocate picture section.

Relocate the graphic using the cursor. For this click-on a point, using the pressed key move into the end position and release the key. The graphic is now so displayed that the clicked-on point lies in the end position. In combination with the function can be activated repeatedly without the button having to be clicked-on using the cursor.
Graphic Selection: select picture section in the window.

Graphic background: create background picture.

Fade in a background graphic. The choice is dependent on the program version. The pictures can only be used if the appropriate data exists in the modules.

Indicating of setting/selection:

Black: Current selected background.
Blue: The setting can be selected.
Grey: The setting is not possible (no data in the module).
Bkgd picture: Show background picture.
Relief: Show relief graphic in the background. If the graphic in the relief module is set to render (standard), then the relief in the background graphic is also rendered. For all other graphic settings the normal grey scale representation is drawn.
Scan: Using a scanner graphic in the background processing can be carried out only using whole number enlarging/reducing factors (1,2,…n). The max. enlargement is 8.
Load bkgdpicture: Load a background picture in BMP-, PCX-, GIF- (256 grey shades), JPG-, JPEG- or in relief format. The background picture is always loaded with the zero pint bottom left. The picture dimensions for GIF graphics can be determined in the interrogation Relief Dimensions. For pictures in BMP-, PCX-, JPG- and JPEG format the dimensions are calculated from the picture data.
Background setting:
Background contrast [1..10]: The background picture is usually presented faded in order to recognise still clearly the input on to the background graphic. Setting 1 results in a very faint picture, Setting 10 results in normal picture contrast with dark elements. Standard setting = 5.
Background inverse:
YES: The background picture is shown with inverted grey shades. I.e. dark points on the picture are shown light, light points are shown dark.
No: The background picture is shown using the  specified grey distribution.

Input parameters (Program settings).

Current information can be found in the program help .
Help: if you have questions on operation then please first use the installed Help. You can access Help also with already activated function by using  or using the aid ? Help and click-on the function.
Select ActLayer: All operations are carried out using one layer of the ActLayer (current or active layer). The desired layer is selected here. All layers are of the same value! The layers can be provided with a name in the tool input (Engraving, Text,..). Layers, which are allocated data are marked with the number of support points , empty layers with 0. The second marking denotes the number of lines of text.

By clicking on the symbol elements alongside the layer indicator the graphic for this layer can be switched to ‘inactive’ (= white) or ‘active’ (= layer colour).