Working with the Classes for Force Elements Browser

You can use a Classes for Force Elements browser to collect and structure your force element classes. You can navigate in the browser, use drag-and-drop, select classes, and apply context menu commands on them.

You can open several classes for force elements browsers.

Classes in a Classes for Force Elements browser are automatically exposed for use in the Mechanical Systems Design app. See Force Elements, in particular Working with Force Elements.

This task shows you how to:

See Also
About Tools for Managing Classes

Display the Classes for Forced Elements Browser

You can display classes for forced elements browsers, they are not displayed by default.

To display a Classes for Forced Elements browser, do the following:
  • If minimized, any Classes for Forced Elements browser is represented by an icon on the right side of the screen. Click this icon to display it.
  • If not displayed, from the View section of the action bar, click Force Element Classes .
    Tip: You can also access this command from the App Options panel. To access the App Options panel, from the Tools section of the action bar, select App Options .

The Classes for Force Elements browser is displayed.

Tip: To hide the Classes for Force Elements browsers, click again (from the action bar or the App Options panel) Force Element Classes , or close the browsers. You can also minimize a browser, if not docked.

Display as Thumbnails

You can display the classes as thumbnails, including the Modelica class paths.

  1. Click Switch View .
    The classes are displayed as thumbnails, including the Modelica class paths.
  2. To display the classes in a list, click Switch View again.

Sort the Contents of a Classes for Force Elements Browser

You can sort the contents of a Classes for Force Elements browser alphabetically, in ascending or descending order. You can sort the class names or the full path names.

Tip: You can also sort the classes in the browser by drag and drop.

  1. Right-click any class or folder and select one of the following commands:
    • Sort by name.

      The classes and folders are sorted by the class names.

    • Sort by full path.

      The classes and folders are sorted by the full class paths.

  2. To change between ascending and descending order, perform the given command again.
    The order is toggled each time the same command is given.

Add a Class to the Classes for Forced Elements Browser

You can add a class to the Classes for Force Elements browser, either at the top level or in a folder.

Note: The predefined force elements are by default displayed in the Classes for Force Elements browser.

  1. In the Classes for Force Elements browser, open the folder where you want to locate the class. (If no folder is opened or present, the class is added at the top level.)

    Tip: If you use drag and drop, you don´t have to open any folder.

  2. To add a class as a force element class, right-click the class in any Package Browser displaying the class, and select Manage Shortcuts > Add to Force Element Classes .

The class is added in the current folder of the Classes for Force Elements browser.

Remove a Class or a Folder from the Classes for Forced Elements Browser

You can remove a class or a folder from the Classes for Force Elements browser.

  1. In the Classes for Force Elements browser, select the class or folder you want to remove from the browser.
  2. Click Remove .

    Tip: This command is also available from the context menu of a selected class or folder in the Classes for Force Elements browser.

The class or folder is removed from the Classes for Force Elements browser.

Navigate in the Folder Structure of the Classes for Forced Elements Browser

You can navigate in the folder structure in the Classes for Force Elements browser. The history of your navigation is kept and can be used for further navigation.

Before you begin:

You have a Classes for Force Elements browser with a folder "A" at the top level. In that folder "A" you have a folder "B". You are at the top level.

  1. To open the folder A, double-click it.
    • The folder A is opened and the content (folder B) is displayed.
    • The path in the header is changed to ForceElementClasses/A.
  2. To open the folder B, double-click it.
    • The folder B is opened and the content is displayed.
    • The path in the header is changed to ForceElementClasses/A/B.
  3. To open the folder A again, do any of the following:
    • Click Parent Folder ? .

      The parent folder (A) is opened.

    • Click Previous Folder ? .

      The previously visited folder (A) is opened.

  4. To open the folder B again, do any of the following:
    • Double-click the folder A.
    • Click Next Folder ? .

Add a Folder to the Classes for Forced Elements Browser

You can add a folder in the Classes for Force Elements browser. You can add classes in the newly added folder.

  1. Open the folder where the folder should be added.

    If no folder is opened, the folder is added at top level.

  2. Click Create a new folder in the Classes for Force Elements browser.
    The Create a folder dialog box appears.
  3. Enter the name of the folder.
  4. Click OK.

A new folder is added.

Create an Additional Classes for Forced Elements Browser

You can create a new Classes for Force Elements browser from a folder in an existing Classes for Force Elements browser.

In an existing Classes for Force Elements browser, right-click a folder and select Open in New Browser.

A new Classes for Force Elements browser is created, displaying the content of the folder.

Note: When you work with several Classes for Force Elements browsers, you still work with only one structure. If you, for example, add a class to a certain folder in one Classes for Force Elements browser, all other Classes for Force Elements browsers displaying this folder are updated to display this new class as well.

Import Shortcuts from a Model (.mo file)

You can import shortcuts from a model (.mo file) containing corresponding annotations to the Classes for Force Elements browser.

The corresponding annotations are annotation(__Dymola_menu=true), annotation(__Dymola_toolbar=true), and annotation(__Dymola_shortcut=true).

Important:
  • Only the structure corresponding to the result of the annotations is imported, not any other aspects of the annotations.
  • Prefilled parameter values of the models or functions in the structure are not imported.

  1. In the Classes for Force Elements browser, click Import shortcuts contained in mo file .
    The Import a Modelica File dialog box appears.
  2. Browse for the wanted model and click Open.
    A folder with the specified model is created in the Classes for Force Elements browser. The folder contains the shortcut structure imported from the model.

Use Actions and Commands for Classes in the Classes for Forced Elements Browser

You can perform a number of actions on a class in the Classes for Force Elements browser using drag and drop or using the context menu.

From the context menu you can: