The 'User Interface'

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The 'User Interface'

The Display and User Interface

Notes:

MechDesigner can take longer than other applications to start. You may need to click OK in a pop-up to allow MechDesigner to check its protection status.

When you start MechDesigner, you start a new project automatically.

If necessary, to display the MotionDesigner correctly, drag the vertical separator-barRed-14-6 ( that is to the right of the graphic-areaRed-14-2 ) to the left or right a small distance.

Main-User-Interface-Numbers

Information-24 The interface above uses the Charcoal theme for borders, menus and command icons and the Dark style - see also Themes, Styles and Settings.

1

Main menu-bar & General-Use toolbars

Menus and the General-Use toolbars are above the graphic-area

General-Use toolbars are always available. Toolbars are collapsed with you start MechDesigner.

See more: Menus and Toolbars

2

Editors: Model-Editor, Mechanism-Editor or Part-Editor

Editor names

Model-Editor: the editor (and name-tab) you see when you start MechDesigner.

Mechanism-Editor: the editor to build kinematic-chains with Parts, Joints, belts, gears, cams, ...

Part-Editor: edit the length of Parts, and add geometry to position joints, and also to add shapes for extrusions

Workspace

Graphic-area: the main workspace where you build your model

Name-tabs: identify the name and editor type

Contextual toolbars: to the left, right and above the graphic-area

See more: Model Editor, Mechanism-Editor, Part-Editor

3

Project-Explorer

The Project-Explorer is to the left of the graphic-area.

It has three areas:

•Selection-Window (top)

•Command-Manager (middle)

•Element-Explorer with two tabs (bottom)

Use the Selection-Window and Element-Explorer to select and edit elements.

Use the Command-Manager to do commands.

See more: Project-Explorer

4

Feedback Area

The Feedback-Area is below the graphic-area.

It has four areas:

•Hints (read-only) - about a command, show when you move your mouse-pointer from an icon.

•Messages (read-only) - for example, a reason you cannot do a command.

•Sliders - Master-Machine-Angle and Animation -Speed

•Vector scale Buttons: (bottom and middle) to change the length of Kinematic and Kinetostatic Vectors.

See more: Feedback-Area

5

MotionDesigner

MotionDesigner is to the right. Use Visibility toolbar > Dock /Float MotionDesigner if you want more modeling area in the graphic-area.

MotionDesigner has its own toolbars for each command.

•Design one or many motions. You can design a different motion for each mechanism in the model.

•Use Motion FBs to link motions from MotionDesigner to Motion-Parts and Motion-Points.

See more: MotionDesigner and Getting Started Tutorials - MotionDesigner

6

Memo

The Memo shows each time you start MechDesigner, unless you de-select the Automatically Open at Start check-box at the bottom of its dialog.

•Add text to the memo. You can open and edit the memo later.

•Each Editor has its own Memo.

See more: Memo