Download and use 'Local-Help'

Contents

Before you can get contextual help, you must download the 'local help'.

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.

Do these steps:

1.	Start MechDesigner

2.	Click Help menu > Download Latest Help...

This pop-up will show:

Click 'Download Now' to install the Local Help

3.	Click the 'Download Now' button.

Wait

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

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

On a desktop:

1.	Press the 'F1' function key.

On a laptop:

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

Dialog-boxes:

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

You will see icons at the top and right [sometime bottom and right] of an open dialog.

1.	Move your mouse-pointer over the icon at the top left

2.	Click the icon.

Parameters:

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

Parameters are found in every dialog-box.

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 shows over the icon.

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

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

3.	Click your mouse.

Video: how to find contextual help as you use MechDesigner:

How to...use the Local Help.

•	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