GMS:Toolbars

There are several Tool Palettes that can be displayed in the GMS interface. Below are the tool palettes that are on by default.

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Macros

Many of the more frequently used menu commands can be accessed through the macro buttons. These buttons essentially serve as shortcuts to menu commands.

Static Tool Palette

The Static Tool palette contains the tools which are available in every module. These tools are tools for basic operations such as panning and zooming. Only one tool is active at any given time. The action that takes place when the user clicks in the Graphics Window depends on the current tool. The following table describes the tools in the Static Tool palette.

Tool	Tool Name	Description
File:Tool Pan.GIF	Pan	The Pan tool is used to pan the viewing area of the Graphics Window. Panning can be done in 3 ways: When the Pan tool is active, holding down the main mouse button while dragging moves the view. If another tool is active and you don't want to switch tools, you can pan by holding down the F2 key and clicking and dragging with the mouse. If your mouse has a middle button (or a mouse wheel), you can hold it down and drag to pan the view.
File:Tool Zoom.GIF	Zoom	The viewing area can be magnified/shrunk using the Zoom tool. Zooming can be done in the following ways: With the zoom tool selected, clicking on the screen zooms the display in around the point by a factor of two. Holding down the shift key zooms out. With the zoom tool selected, a rectangle can be dragged around a portion of the display to zoom in on that region. Holding down the shift key zooms out. If another tool is active and you don't want to switch tools, you can zoom by holding down the F3 key and clicking and dragging with the mouse. If your mouse has a middle button (or a mouse wheel), you can scroll the wheel to zoom in and out.
File:Tool Rotate.GIF	Rotate	The Rotate tool provides a quick way to rotate the viewing location. Rotating can be done in the following ways: With the rotate tool selected, holding down the mouse button and dragging the cursor in the Graphics Window rotates the object in the direction specified. A horizontal movement rotates the image about the z axis. A vertical movement rotates the image about the x and y axis. The amount of rotation depends on the length the cursor moves while the mouse button is down. If another tool is active and you don't want to switch tools, you can rotate by holding down the F4 key and clicking and dragging with the mouse. The viewing angle can also be entered directly.
File:Tool measure.png	Measure	The Measure tool provides a quick way to measure distances. The tool is only available in plan view. Measuring is done by selecting the tool and clicking on the Graphics Window with the mouse. A single line or a polyline can be created with a double-click used to end the line. The backspace key removes the last point clicked. The instantaneous and total lengths are given at the bottom of the GMS window. The length units correspond to those selected in the Units dialog. A units conversion takes place if the current horizontal Projection units are different than those in the Units dialog.

Dynamic Tool Palette

When the active module is changed by selecting an object in the Project Explorer, the tools in the Dynamic Tool Palette change to the set of tools associated with the selected object/module. Each module has a separate set of tools.

Mini-Grid Plot

The Mini-Grid Plot appears when a 3D grid is in memory and is activated when the orthogonal viewing mode is active. In the orthogonal mode, the viewing angle is always parallel to one of the three grid axes (I, J, or K) and only one of the rows, columns, or layers is displayed at one time. The Mini-Grid Plot shows an idealized representation of the 3D grid and shows which of the rows, columns, or layers is currently being displayed. The current row, column, or layer can be changed using the arrows just below the Mini-Grid Plot.

Mini-Grid Toolbar

The Mini-Grid Toolbar appears when a 3D grid is in memory and is activated when the orthogonal viewing mode is active. In the orthogonal mode, the viewing angle is always parallel to one of the three grid axes (I, J, or K) and only one of the rows, columns, or layers is displayed at one time. The Mini-Grid Toolbar shows an idealized representation of the 3D grid and shows which of the rows, columns, or layers is currently being displayed. The current row, column, or layer can be changed using the arrows just below the Mini-Grid Toolbar.

Module Palette

The Module Palette is used to switch between modules. Only one module is active at any given time. However, the data associated with a module (ex. a 3D finite element mesh) is preserved when the user switches to a different module. Activating a module simply changes the set of available tools and menu commands.

See also

• GMS Screen