Using the LTE Interface

TheCommand Line/LTE Workspace

Tools | Palettes | Command Line Palette

The workspace environment can be switched between the Default TurboCAD workspace and the LTE workspace.

 

ACCESSING THE LTE WORKSPACE

Accessing the LTE Workspace from Startup

From the Startup menu, select the LTE style workspace shown below.

Accessing the LTE style workspace from the startup menu

Select the Student 2D template as the template for the initial workspace.

To display the Command Line interface at the base of the editor, go to Tools | Palettes | Command Console.

The Command Line palette is the interactive area at the base of the editor where a command or instruction using either the command name or its alias (abbreviated short cut) is input.

When working in the LTE workspace, the Command Line is displayed using Tools | Command Console and is removed using the same method.

The Command Console must be activated prior to inputting typed commands. To do this, either click into the Command Console area, or use the TAB keyboard key. A small vertical bar will flash in the Command Line area when activated.

Inputting the command name or alias into the Command Line is identical to selecting the instruction from a menu, toolbar or palette.

In the example below, the command ‘pl’ is input to draw a Polyline. The Dynamic Input Fields, shown by the arrow above the command line provide a facility for sub-command input, such as start width, end width, etc.

Command line showing Polyline shortcut with Dynamic Input fields above

Command Line input can also be done at sub command level, to input the options required for a specific task. For example, the command Circle can be input as the main command, then TTR (tangent, tangent, radius) as the sub command, shown below.

Command line showing c (circle) & ttr (tangent, tangent, radius) input

Command Line prompts which occur in square brackets [ ] will always be the default option of a command and pressing the Enter key will accept the current default option.

All commands, sub commands or aliases input into the Command Line must be followed by the Enter keyboard

The Command Line area provides interactive feedback on drawing activity and the scroller or splitter bar can be used to view the command line hierarchy in more detail. This is referred to as the Command History.

The Command Line area also contains other consoles such as Command History and Action List.

Dynamic Input Fields

Tools | Workspace | Customize | Dynamic Input | Show Input Fields

Input Fields are the data fields into which geometric or spatial information is input and they can either be displayed at the source of the drawing object where the cursor is located, or at the bottom left of the editor in the command line.

This preference can be set in the DynamicInput preferences using Tools | Workspace |Customize only when the Workspace is set to LTE.

The Input Fields are concealed at the source of the object when using the Inspector Bar option. This is done using View | Display | UI | Inspector Bar. When using the Inspector Bar, the input field appear in the status bar at the base of the graphics area.

Dynamic Input Fields shown at source of object when Inspector Bar is off

The Input Fields and the data fields of the Inspector Bar must be activated prior to inputting information. The cursor or TAB keyboard key can be used for this.

Dynamic Dimensions

Tools | Workspace | Customize | Dynamic Input | Show Dynamic Dimensions. (LTE Workspace must be enabled.)

Dynamic Dimensions allow a visual indication of line lengths and angles during the sketch process.

The Dynamic Input Fields, seated near the cursor or at the base of the editor can also be used to input accurate measurements.

 

Using Dynamic Dimensions with input fields at the cursor

Command Aliases

A Command Alias is the single command which is input into the Command Line to activate an instruction.

Command Aliases are usually an abbreviated name for the command which do not contain spaces but can contain underscores such as Meet_2_Lines.

A complete list of Command Aliases is found using Tools | Workspace | Customize | Aliases.

Select the Category, shown as point 1 below, then select the specific command shown by point 2 below. The existing Command Alias is shown by point 3 below.

To assign a new alias, input the preferred shortcut into the field shown as point 4 below. Click Assign, shown as point 5 below to assign the new alias to the selected command.

Viewing the command aliases and assigning a new alias to the Trim command

Existing Command Aliases can be modified and new aliases created using the above method, or by right clicking into the command line history, shown below and selecting Edit Command Aliases. Take care to click into the Command History panel, not the Command Line.

Right click shown by pointer, Edit Command Aliases shown by arrow

For example, to create a new command aliases for Concentric Circles, right click in the command line history.

Select Edit Command Aliases, then select the relevant category area, in this case, Insert| Circle/Ellipse.

Click onto the Concentric option, then assign a new alias called cc, shown below. Click onto Assign to create the new command alias.

Assigning a new alias for Concentric Circle

You will be prompted if the new alias conflicts with an existing alias, in which case a new alias can be assigned.

Actions List

This area of the Command Line console displays previous commands, geometric points and transparent (non-input) commands such as zooming or panning.

Previous commands are described in red, geometric points are described in blue and transparent (non-input) commands such as zooming are described in green, shown in the illustration below. User the scroller bar to view the command history.

Commands can be reactivated by double clicking onto a command in the Actions List. Reactivating a command from the Actions List will cancel any current activity in the Command Line.

The Actions List button controls the display of the Show Tools and Show Points options, shown below.

In the illustration below, point 1 shows a previous command input Draw > Polygon; point 2 shows the coordinate or geometric input points and point 3 shows the transparent command a command which is done mid-sequence without interrupting the current commandZoom.

Action List showing previous draw command, 

geometric input and transparent zoom

Take Note 

When the Inspector Bar is activated, the input fields shown above are not available at the source of the cursor, but are displayed in the Inspector Bar. Use View > Display > UI > Inspector Bar to display or conceal the Inspector Bar.