User Interface Concepts

This page provides you with more information about the different elements you find in the user interface.

This page discusses:

Selection and Commands Access

Commands for editing routes are available in context toolbars, except for the first node creation and the branch.

To display these context toolbars, you need to be in editing mode, and then three different selections can be performed: middle segment selection, bend selection, or geometry selection. For more information about context toolbars, see.

Note: To activate the editing mode, you need to double-click the route. The nodes are displayed in yellow, which means you are in editing mode.

The lists below are exhaustive lists without taking account of the context. Depending on the contextual selection, some commands can appear or not in the context toolbars.

Middle Segment

When you click the middle of a segment, the following commands are available in the context toolbars:

  • Orthogonal Routing
  • Direct Modification
  • Slope
  • Automatic Offset

Bend

When you click next to a bend, the 3D manipulator appears and the following commands are available in the context toolbars:

  • Replace Node
  • Delete Node
  • Modify Bend
  • Route on Robot Base
  • Remove Local Bend Radius
  • Move the Current Node
  • Convert in 3D Point

For more information about the 3D Manipulator, see 3D Manipulator.

Geometry

When you click a geometry with the Bend manipulator active, such as a port or another route, the following commands are available in the context toolbars:

  • Branch
  • Parallel Routing

3D Manipulator

The 3D manipulator enables you to create or modify a rigid route with a quick access to commands and options using the mechanical context.

It is composed of four manipulators with a dedicated function: modify the length of the route, modify the bend angle, orient the route, or create a node.

General Information

When you select a manipulator, it is highlighted in blue and the commands available depending on the context are displayed in the context toolbar. If only one command can be used, it is automatically activated and the context toolbar does not appear. The options related to the active command are displayed in a panel.

You can quickly change the active manipulator using the A key and exit the 3D manipulator using the escape key. On reopening the 3D manipulator, the last active manipulator is displayed, except when the extremity segments are not connected or if it is a new route, then the length manipulator is displayed.

The green arrow indicates the direction of the next new node.

When modifying a route, an anchor is displayed to specify the fixed segment.

Length Manipulator

The length manipulator allows you to modify the length of the route.

To modify the length of the route, you can drag the manipulator, use the ruler to define a value, or select a geometry.

If you select one the following geometry, the route length is modified to reach it:

  • point or port: shortest distance including the offset distance
  • plane: shortest distance including the offset distance
  • line or route: shortest distance including the offset distance. For a route, the centerline is taken into account.

The following commands are also displayed in the context toolbar:

Bend Manipulator

The bend manipulator allows you to modify the bend angle and the bend radius. You can also perform some tasks, depending on the contextual selection.

To modify the bend angle, you can drag the manipulator or you can use the ruler to modify the value.

To modify the bend radius, you can drag the white arrow.

The context selection, such as a point, a port, or a support, allows you to modify the definition of the route by adding the selected object. If you select another route segment, the context toolbar appears.

Note: Points must have been created beforehand. To create points, use the Point... command from the action bar.

The following table shows you which commands are available on the context toolbar, depending on the contextual selection and the current mode:

Selected Node Create Mode Modify Mode
No context With context No context With context
Intermediate Node When selecting a route:Parallel Routing When selecting a route:Parallel Routing
End Node When selecting a route:

When selecting a port: Orthogonal Routing

When selecting a route:

When selecting a port: Orthogonal Routing

Computed Node

Orientation Manipulator

The Orientation manipulator allows you to change the orientation of the route.

To modify the orientation, you can drag the manipulator, use the ruler to modify the value, or select a geometry.

If you select one of the following geometries, the manipulator is oriented in its direction:

  • point or port: oriented to reach the point
  • line or route: oriented to be collinear to the line
  • plane: to be perpendicular to the plane.

The following commands are also displayed in the context toolbar:

Create Node Manipulator

The Create Node manipulator allows you to create a node.

When you drag the Create Node manipulator, a new node is created in the direction of the 3D Manipulator. To quickly create a node, you can press the V key.

Once the new node is created, the 3D Manipulator is positioned on this node and the Length Manipulator is activated.

Dashed Lines

The dashed lines appear when the Length Manipulator is active.

They enable you to quickly choose a direction to create the route. There are six possible directions according to the x, y, and z axis. When you move the mouse over one of these lines, the position of the 3D manipulator is updated in the direction that you hover.

Floating Panels

The floating panel contains the options of the active command.

The title of the floating panel has the same name as the active command. The panel disappears when you exit the command.

Customizing Commands

The Customize dialog box offers different options in the Categories list to filter the list of the available commands.

One of these options is Current App Commands. If you select it, the Commands list displayed the commands of the app you opened first. If you switch from this app to another, the list is updated.

However, this behavior is different for the Piping & Tubing 3D Design, HVAC 3D Design, and Electrical Raceway 3D Design apps group on one side, and the Piping & Tubing 3D Part Design, HVAC 3D Part Design, and Electrical Raceway 3D Part Design apps group on the other side because each group uses the same infrastructure.

If you open an app from one of these groups and switch to another app of this group, the list is empty. To display the list again, you need to reopen the first app because the commands have been associated with this app.