Using Power Input

Power input mode is a user-friendly productivity assistant allowing you to enter numeric content, to enter commands directly, or to enter selection queries.

Power input is available in certain (but not all) commands. Prefixes used to run commands or selection queries vary according to the language. For information on prefixes dedicated to languages other than English, see the guide written in the language you are interested in.

This task shows you how to:

Display the Power Input Box

The power input box lets you run commands and is available from the Status Bar.

Right-click the work area or the top bar, and then select Display > Status Bar.
The power input box is located in the right corner of the Status Bar:



Enter Content

Power input provides an alternative to using dialog boxes for inputting content. In dialog boxes, you must click in each editable box, or press Tab, to move from box to box. The power input box lets you concentrate on the content you enter, and facilitates content input.

  1. Select a command that allows you to use the power input box for content entry.
    The dialog box associated with the command opens and in the Status Bar, the power input box displays the following information:
    • The area to the left of the power input box displays the names of the dialog box options for which power input is possible: this is the case only for editable boxes and spinners (but not for lists).
    • The power input box displays the default values for those options, separated by commas.
    • appears to the right of the power input box: when it is displayed, you know that the command you are using supports power input.

    The dialog box remains open by default.

  2. Enter the values for all the options in the power input box, making sure that you separate each entry using the separator appropriate for your language environment.
    The values you enter in the power input box are updated instantaneously in the dialog box of the command you are running. If the color of the text you enter in the power input box changes to red, this means that you have made a mistake: for example, the number of values you enter may exceed the number of options for which power input is possible.

    Even if the pointer focus is in a tab, you do not need to click in the power input box to transfer the focus to the power input box:

    • Any characters you enter is directed to the power input box automatically.
    • Press Tab to scroll from the power input box in the main tab to the input boxes in the dialog boxes.
    • Press Esc to return the focus to the tab.
    Tips:
    • Use the Up and Down keyboard arrows to recover any input you previously entered.
    • If a dialog box provides contextual commands, right-clicking over the power input box also accesses the same commands.
    • The default separator is the comma (",") for the English, Japanese, Korean, and simplified Chinese environments, and the semicolon (";") for all other supported environments. On Windows, you can specify the separator you want to use in power input mode. To do so, select Start > Settings > Control Panel, double-click Regional Settings, then click the Number tab: you can then specify the separator using the List Separator option.

    This mechanism is also implemented in drawing representations when you enter text: as soon as you start, the focus is transferred automatically to the text editor.

  3. To validate your input:
    • If the dialog box is still open, click Apply or OK in the dialog box. Note that you can close the dialog box by clicking .
    • If the dialog box is no longer visible, press Enter (equivalent to Apply and OK).

Run Commands

The power input box provides an alternative method to run commands. To do so, enter the appropriate syntax to run the associated command.

  1. To run a command from the power input box, enter a command like this:

    c:command_name

    where "command_name" is the name of the command as it appears in the menus or in the action bar.

    For example:

    c:Content..., c:Content, c:content... or c:content.

  2. Press Enter to run the command.
    Important:
    • If the command name you entered is not a unique command name (a command can have multiple words), then a dialog box opens and lists all the commands containing the name you entered. For more information, see Search for Commands.
    • However, if you enter a command with an argument (for example, command xyz where xyz is the workbench name), then this argument is taken into account and the xyz workbench starts. Similarly, if you enter close point for example, the Close command is run.
    • If the command you want to run is not available in the current app, a warning message is displayed.

Search for Commands

You can use the power input box to run commands but in addition to this, a search engine helps you to find commands.

Before you begin: Searching for a command loads the .NET 3.0 CLR process, and requires a minimum of 32 MB of available memory that is never released afterward. When loaded, the CLR is not unloaded.
  1. Access the app of your choice then enter a command like this:

    c:xxx

    where "xxx" is a character string. You can use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard.

    For example in Part Design, enter c:fillet to search for all commands whose name contains the string "fillet".

    Important: Typing c:xxx amounts to typing c:*xxx* but c:*xxx and c:xxx* are not equivalent:
    • c:*xxx searches for all commands whose name ends with the string you entered.
    • c:xxx* searches for all commands whose name begins with the string you entered.

  2. Press Enter to run the command.
    A dialog box opens and lists all the commands containing the string you entered in their name, short help, or long help.

    If a command name exactly matches the string you entered, the corresponding command is run and the dialog box does not open.

    The result list displays commands from the current app but also from all the apps loaded in your session. Commands are sorted in alphabetical order and the following information is provided for each command:

    • Icon
    • Command name
    • Short help.

    If the string you entered contains more than one word, the list displays first the commands containing all the words.

  3. Move your mouse over a command name.
    The line is highlighted.
  4. Click the required command from the list.
    This closes the Search for commands dialog box and runs the selected command.
  5. To exit the Search for commands dialog box without running a command, click the cross symbol next to the dialog box name.
    Important: The Search for commands dialog box stays open if you do not explicitly close it or run a command. This means that even if you run another app, the dialog box still appears in the foreground.