About Tools for Managing Classes

There are two kinds of package browsers, the main package browser and the light package browsers.

A Package Browser is the basic tool for performing actions on classes.

You can collect and structure your favorite classes using the Preferred Classes Browser. Any class can be added as preferred class. You can navigate and select classes and apply commands on them (for example, instantiate them in the diagram). You can also use drag and drop.

You can have several preferred classes browsers open simultaneously.

The Preferred Classes Browser is a user-specific complement to the Package Browser.

The differences between a Preferred Classes Browser and the Package Browser are:

• The content in a Preferred Classes Browser is available even if the corresponding packages are not opened. When you perform any operation, for example instantiating a class, the corresponding package is automatically opened and displayed in the Package Browser.
• The content in any Preferred Classes Browser is kept between sessions, for each user.
• You can define your own content in a Preferred Classes Browser. This means that you can define a folder structure with your favorite classes, avoiding the tedious search for favorite classes in the sometimes deep class structure of the Package Browser.
  Note: If you log in as another user, the content in any Preferred Classes Browser is most likely different.
• You can perform a number of actions on the classes in a Preferred Classes Browser using drag and drop or using the context menu.
  Note: More options are available using the Package Browser.

  From the context menu you can:

  • Edit the class (open it to add or change content)
  • Center the Package Browser on a class (by the command Center Tree). The corresponding library that contains the class is opened in the Package Browser.
  • Open a class in a new tab
  • Instantiate a class (you can also drag and drop to instantiate)
  • Calling Functions (if a function is selected)
  • Check a class
  • Create a new class
  • Extend from a class
  • Edit the attributes of a class.

This browser is a variant of the Preferred Classes Browser. The only difference is that the classes in this browser are force elements, and these classes are exposed for use in the Mechanical Systems Design app.

For more information about this browser, see Working with the Classes for Force Elements Browser.

The Proposed Classes Browser contain classes automatically proposed depending on the model you work with, what models you previously worked with, and other conditions handled by internal algorithms. You can select classes and apply commands on them (for example, instantiate them in the diagram). You can also use drag and drop.

The Proposed Classes Browser is a system-created complement to the Package Browser.

A subset of the actions available for classes in the Package Browser in available for the Proposed Classes Browser.