The User Interface
When you launch DraftSight for the first time, you might not be familiar with what you have in front of you.
The desktop contains elements including the menu bar, graphics area, command window, status bar, toolbars, and palettes. In the image below, you can see what all these (new) terms refer to:
To create and modify drawing entities or to view and control the drawing, you can:
- Type commands in the command window
- Select commands in the menus
- Click toolbar icons
This chapter introduces the:
- Menu Bar
- Toolbars
- Tool Matrix
- Options Toolbar
- Shortcut Menus
- Graphics Area
- Palettes
- Command Window
- Status Bar
Menu Bar
Menus of related commands are arranged in pull-down menus.
Menu bar content varies depending on the menu file that is loaded - the standard menu or individualized menus.
You can also invoke menu commands using key sequences (for example, Alt + F, N for File > New).
Related Topics
Shortcut Menus, Toolbars
Toolbars
You can drag and drop toolbars to convenient locations in the application window. You can also dock them below the menu bar or at the left and right margins of the application desktop.
To display toolbars:
- Right-click the menu bar or a docked toolbar to display the shortcut menu.
- Right-click by holding down the control key on the keyboard and click the mouse to display shortcut menus (also called contextual menus).
- Select the name of the toolbar to display.
- - or -
- Select Toolbars... and activate the toolbars to display in the Specify Toolbars dialog box.
To hide toolbars:
- Right-click the menu bar or a docked toolbar to display the shortcut menu.
- Clear the name of the toolbar to hide.
- - or -
- Select Toolbars... and clear the toolbars to hide in the Specify Toolbars dialog box.
Related Topics
Tool Matrix, Options Toolbar, Displaying and Hiding Toolbars
Tool Matrix
You can open the Tool Matrix, which is a collection of toolbars.
When you open the Tool Matrix the first time, it is an empty panel. You need to drag toolbars onto the Tool Matrix.
The Tool Matrix is a user interface element that behaves like other palettes, such as the Properties palette or References palette.
To display the Tool Matrix:
- Right-click the menu bar or a docked toolbar and select Tool Matrix (or type ToolMatrix).
- Right-click by holding down the control key on the keyboard and click the mouse to display shortcut menus (also called contextual menus).
- The Tool Matrix opens as floating or docked palette.
To hide the Tool Matrix:
- Right-click the menu bar or a docked toolbar and clear Tool Matrix (or type HideToolMatrix).
- - or -
- Click Close.
To place a toolbar on the Tool Matrix:
- Click the handle on the left of a toolbar and drag the toolbar onto the Tool Matrix.
To remove a toolbar from the Tool Matrix:
- Click the title of the toolbar, and drag the toolbar onto the graphics area (to float it) or to a margin of the program's desktop (to dock it).
To rearrange toolbars on the Tool Matrix:
- Click the toolbar title and drag the toolbar onto the Tool Matrix.
To collapse a toolbar on the Tool Matrix:
- Click Collapse on the toolbar.
- The icons of the corresponding toolbar are hidden. The toolbar is still part of the Tool Matrix.
To expand a toolbar on the Tool Matrix:
- Click Expand on the toolbar.
- This shows the corresponding toolbar and makes the icons available.
To minimize the floating Tool Matrix:
- Click Minimize on the Tool Matrix.
- The Tool Matrix minimizes to a two column panel. The toolbars are arranged as drop-down icon menus.
To set the floating Tool Matrix to its default width:
- Click Enroll on the Tool Matrix.
Related Topics
Toolbars, Palettes
Options Toolbar
The Options toolbar displays context sensitive options you can select when executing a command. It displays only those options that are available at the current prompt.
For example, if you enter the Zoom command, the Options toolbar shows Bounds, Center, Dynamic, Fit, Previous, and Selected.
To display or hide the Options toolbar:
- Right-click the menu bar or a docked toolbar and click Options Toolbar.
- Right-click by holding down the control key on the keyboard and click the mouse to display shortcut menus (also called contextual menus).
Related Topics
Shortcut Menu
