MechDesigner Reference & User Interface > Dialog-Boxes

File Options See also: ZXL file-type.

Extract ZXL Files to:

◉Auto. to ZXL sub-directory: Automatically, add a sub-directory to that of the ZXL file in which to extract the files that are in the ZXL file.

◉Specify directory: Specify a path in which to extract files that are in the ZXL file.

☑ Enable Auto-Save check-box:

Enable to automatically save the model to overwrite the model file on disc

Note: Before Auto-Save becomes active, the model must have a file-name.

# of Backup files

Automatically make a backup of the models files.
Backup file-type: CXL.1, CXL.2, ... CXL.#; and MTD.1, MTD.2, ...MTD.#

# of Commands between Auto-save

Enable Auto-Save is to save after # of Commands between Auto-Save. We:

1.Rename model file-name.CXL and .MTD, to .~CXL and.~MTD

2.Save the model to file-name.CXL and file-name.MTD

Tutorials Video Directory - click the path to specify a path for Tutorials Videos - see Tutorials

User Library Folder - click the path to specify a User Library Folder - see Import Library Files

Allow Internet Downloads : Enable to allow downloads.

Theme Options

Active Theme: After you select a Target Theme, the box shows the Theme.

Target Theme: Select from:

•Charcoal Dark Style (default) , Windows, Aqua Light Slate, Windows10 Dark, Tablet Dark, Slate Classico, Windows 10 Slate Gray, and Windows 10.

Note: Mostly, in this help documentation, the Theme is Charcoal Dark Slate.

CAD Linear Units

Imported DXF Files: units

The scale of a DXF-Drawing in MechDesigner will be 1:1 when the DXF units you select are equal to those units of the imported DXF-drawing.

See also: Edit DXF-Element

Cam ROC Warning

If | Radius of the Cam Profile | < % * Radius of Cam-Follower Roller

•The Cam profile is more likely to be Undercut

•The Cam profile becomes red in the graphic-area.

It is a WARNING ONLY - a soft-limit.

Note: Precision of calculations do not change if you edit these parameters.

Data Output Format

Data-format for data you save from a Graph FB or Cam-Coordinates FB.

•Float Number Format: See Internet Link here about number formats

•Precision and Digits - see below

Read-Only - Regional Characters as Separators::

List separator - Regional character that separates values, e.g. in a CSV file.

Decimal Separator - Regional character that separates integer and fractional parts of a number.

Dimension Format

☑ Show Dimension Names check-box

Top-tip: Rename the Dimension if the Dimension is in a Design-Set - see Rename element

Data-format of dimensions, in the graphic-area

•Precision and Digits - see below

•Dimension Font Size - experiment (typically 14)

•Dimension font - the Windows font picker opens. Experiment.

Notes:

Precision: The number-of-digits in the - before and after the decimal mark.

Digits: The number-of-digits after the decimal separator.

Usually, set : Precision ≥ Digits +3, . However, it depends on your model requirements.

List separator options

Specify a delimiter for files that you export:

Comma (,) Tab ( ), Colon (:), Space ( ), Semi-colon (;)

Example ~ 1234.56789		Digits
Example ~ 1234.56789		2	4	6	8
Precision	2	1.2E03	1.2E0003	1.2E3	1.2E3
	4	1,235.00	1,234.0000	1,234.000000	1,235.00000000
	6	1,234.57	1,234.5700	1,234.570000	1,234.57000000
	8	1,234.57	1,234.5679	1,234.567900	1,234.56790000

	Display colors Edit the color of the symbols in the graphic-area. Usually the colors: •for a Part that is Not Solved (equivalent term is : not kinematically defined) is blue •for a Part that is Solved ( equivalent term is: kinematically-defined) is a green XY-axes in the Mechanism-Editor and Part-Editor are: •Orange: X–axis •Green: Y–axis XYZ-axes (RGB) at the Origin in Model-Editor: •Red: X–axis, •Green: Y–axis, •Blue: Z-Axis
	Display Options There are two sliders << Low (Sketch Quality) High >> Slide the handle to the left to decrease and to the right to increase the number of facets around Circle and Arc sketch-elements. << Low (Extrusion Quality) High >> Slide the handle to the left to decrease, and to the right to increase, the number of facets around Extrusions that you add to sketch-loops that have with Circle and/or Arc sketch-elements. ☑Show Function-Block Names (see images left) Enable to show the names of each Function-Blocks above the FB icon in the graphic-area. This is more helpful if you rename Function-Block - see Rename element ☑Enable Anti-aliasing * Enable to remove the jagged edges from elements in the graphic-area. Line-Width Edit the Line-Width to increase or decrease the thickness of sketch-elements. * I find Anti-aliasing is good for Lines, bad for Arcs, Circles, and very bad for Gears, which are drawn with many short Lines. I do not use it.
Do not display Function-Block names
Do display Function-Block names
Display renamed Function-Blocks