Frequently Used Palettes

FREQUENTLY USED PALETTES

Palettes contain toolsets of related items, conveniently structured into accordion-like panels. For example, the 3D Object menu is a component f the 3D Model menu, shown below. The 3D Object menu contains all the tools required to draw 3D Objects such as Boxes, Cylinders and Spheres in the editor.

The 3D Object menu

Palettes are accessed using Tools > Palettes and are by default docked at the right edge of the editor.

Some frequently used Palettes are shown below.

The Tools Palette

Tools > Palettes > Tools

The Tools Palette is a convenient tool for viewing and accessing multiple menu panels which contain associated tools.

Menu panels can be added to or removed from the Tools Palette to suit particular tasks.

The Tools Palette is activated using Tools |Tools Palette and remains docked at the right side of the workspace until closed.

An example of the Tools Palette is shown below.

Tools Palette

Use the Panels Setup, shown below to customize the menu panels by adding, removing and grouping preferred or frequently used tools.

Adding and removing menu panels

The Selection Info Palette

Tools > Palettes > Selection Info

The Selection Info Palette is used to view and modify the dimensional properties of any object.

Several objects can be selected and their individual properties modified.

In the illustration below, both the Cylinder and the Revolved parts have been selected and their individual properties can be modified.

 

The Design Director

Tools > Palettes > Design Director

It is a still a requirement of 3D Design that layers be used to identify objects.  Different views of the model will be required and layer control performs a vital role in accurately displaying the contents of a viewport.

Three basic layers have been created and saved in the Student Template.  These layers are Model, CL (center line) and Dims (Dimensioning)

Additional layers are required at various stages throughout this Training Guide.  New layers which are created in the current drawing are not saved in the template.  Should you wish to add additional layers to the template, open the Student Template from the templates folder.

New layers are created using the Design Director.

Use F3 to activate this palette.

Objects are drawn onto the current layer, shown by the check symbol, right.

Color and pen styles can be assigned to layers. 

Layers can only be deleted when there are no objects in the workspace currently residing on that layer.

Objects drawn on a particular layer can be universally selected using the Edit > Select by > Layer feature.

Objects on a locked layer, shown by the  symbol are displayed in the workspace but cannot be accessed for modification purposes.

When a layer is switched off, shown by the  symbol, objects on this layer are not displayed in the workspace.  Care should be taken when moving objects associated to this layer.

The Blocks Palette

Tools > Palettes > Blocks

The Blocks palette is the palette where formatted objects called Blocks are stored. These Blocks can be dragged into the editor to form part of the current drawing, with the original Block remaining permanently in the Blocks palette.

The Blocks palette is a useful palette for storing interim stages of a design, or for storing common parts which form part of an assembly.

All Blocks which are inserted into the editor from the Blocks palette are required to be exploded in order to return them to their constituent entities.

In the illustration below, the Blocks palette contains the Sketch and the Bearing part which have been used to construct the design in the editor.

Blocks palette containing Sketch and Bearing parts