About the local help

Before you can get contextual help with the F1 key, or other help in dialogs, you must 'Download the latest help...'. WE also call this the 'Local Help', rather than 'On-Line Help'

How to download the 'Local-Help'

Do these steps:

1.Start MechDesigner
2.Click Help menu > Download Latest Help...
Click 'Download Now' to install the Local Help

Click 'Download Now' to install the Local Help

3.Click 'Download Now' button.
4.Wait!

The 'local-help' file name is MechDesigner.CHM. CHM files are displayed by the 'HTML Help Viewer', which is part of the Windows® operating system.

See Files on your PC

How to get contextual help:

After you download the local help, you can get contextual-help for commands, dialog-boxes, and parameters.

Commands: 

 

 

 

 
Press the F1 key to open the local help at the 'Machine Settings' topic

Press the F1 key to open the local help at the 'Machine Settings' topic

F1 help:

1.Move your mouse-pointer above a menu command, or a toolbar icon (hover over)

On a desktop:

2.Press the 'F1' function key.

On a laptop:

2.Press at the same time: 'Fn+F1' keys on your keyboard.

Dialog-boxes: 

 

 

 
Click the '?' to open the local help at the 'Add Dimension' topic.

Click the '?' to open the local help at the 'Add Dimension' topic.

Dialog-box help:

You will see these icons at the top [occasionally, bottom] of an open dialog-box.

1.Move your mouse-pointer over the DialogHelp icon
2.Click the DialogHelp icon.

Parameters: 

 

 
Click when the parameter help '?' shows, to open help at the parameter topic

Click when the parameter help '?' shows, to open help at the parameter topic

Parameter help:

Parameters are found in all dialog-boxes.

In an open dialog-box:

1.Move your mouse-pointer over a parameter icon (the icon that is to the left-side of the data-box).

The help icon Help shows over the icon.

2.Then, carefully, move your mouse-pointer slightly down and slightly left.

The Help icon showsHelpQuestion32 above the parameter's icon, but your mouse-pointer is not over the Help icon!

3.Click your mouse.

Video 'How to get Contextual Help for Commands, Dialog-boxes, and Parameters

Remember, you must do: Help menu > Download Latest Help BEFORE you get contextual-help.

 

How to get contextual helpuse the Local Help.

See also: 'Help menu > Download Late4st Help'

 

 

How to use the Local Help CHM application:

•Use the Contents tab, at the left, to show the 'Table of Contents'
•Click the Search tab: enter a term, and click List Topics. Select a topic and click Display.
•Create Boolean searches with "AND", "OR", "NOT" and "NEAR".

At the bottom of the Search tab:

•Select 'Search previous results' to use only the previously found topics for the next search. This allows you to narrow down your search by adding keywords.
•Select 'Match similar words' to highlight similar words in the found topics, or 'Search titles only' to find only topics with the keyword in the title.

Tutorial and Reference Help Files for MechDesigner and MotionDesigner 13.2 + © Machine, Mechanism, Motion and Cam Design Software by PSMotion Ltd