Home Tab

The Home tab allows you to select tasks and commands associated with formatting and editing elements on a canvas. You can also switch between Design, Test, Runtime, and Online modes to view your graphics in different mode.

The Home tab contains the following groups:

Edit

The Edit group options allow you to work within the active canvas to cut, copy, paste, and format graphic elements, as well as undo, redo, and repeat actions on the canvas.

Edit Group

Icon

Name

Description

Paste

Insert the clipboard contents onto the active canvas. The contents are inserted based on the following selections:

Paste to selected layer:

The copied content is inserted onto the layer currently selected in the Element Tree View’s Selected layer dropdown menu.

Paste to original layers:

The copied content is inserted onto the original layer of each object. For example, if you copy two objects, each from a different layer, a copy of each object is copied onto the layer they reside on.

Cut

Remove the selection from the active canvas and put it on the clipboard.

Copy

Copy the selection to the Clipboard.

Copy XML

Copy the selected element as an XML string for the clipboard.

Copy Format

 

Copy property formatting to an element on the active canvas.

Paste Format

 

Apply property formatting to an element on the active canvas.

Delete

 

Remove the selection from the active canvas.

Undo

Undo an action from a list of the most recent actions.

Redo

Redo an action from a list of the most recent actions.

Repeat

Repeat the last action performed.


Elements

The Elements group options allows you to create and work with graphic elements on the canvas, as well as insert images, animation objects, XAML files, and AutoCAD files.

 

Elements Group

Icon

Name

Description

Select Objects

View when the select objects cursor mode is active. When the select objects cursor mode is active, the button background color is yellow.

Freeze

Allows you to draw a selected element repeatedly without having to reselect the element. The Freeze command can be selected directly, or each time you click the same element consecutively the Freeze command for that element is toggled on and off.

NOTE: Freeze mode is disabled for the Pipe element.

Text

Allows you to create a text block on the canvas.

Rectangle

Allows you to draw rectangles and squares on the canvas.

Ellipse

Allows you to create ellipses, arcs, and pie shapes on the canvas.

Line

Allows you to draw a geometric line between two distinct points on the canvas.

Path

Allows you to create a series of line segments and curves on the canvas.

Polygon

Allows you to create a polygon on the canvas.

Animation

Allows you to Insert a configurable animation object on the canvas.

Pipe

Allows you to draw two-dimensional pipes.

Pipe Coupling

Allows you to create coupling objects and connect pipe elements.

Command Control

Allows you to create a control element that is configurable and can be commanded. With the command control you can configure a numeric, string, or password field, a numeric slider or rotator , and a drop-down control.

Import Image File

Navigate to and insert an image, for example, .BMP, .GIF, .JPG, TIF.

NOTE: Images larger than ten million pixels may not display in the Web Client due to memory consumption restrictions. If you have an image this large and want to view it in the Web Client, use an image resizing tool to reduce the size of the image.

Import AutoCAD and XML Image Files

Navigate to and insert XAML, XPS, and convert AutoCAD files using the AutoCAD Importer.


Viewports

The Viewports group options allow you to enable the Manual Page mode and draw a manual page on the active graphic.

Viewports Group

Icon

Name

Description

Viewport Mode

Enable the Manual Viewport mode. All existing viewports in the active graphic display and the Manual Viewport Mode icon is active.

Manual Page

Manually draw a graphic viewport on the active canvas.


Selection

The Selection group options allow you to arrange, group, combine, and align elements on the canvas.

The following options are available from the Selections group:

  • Order
  • Group
  • Combine
  • Alignment
  • Snap

Selection Group

Order Options

The Order options allow you to arrange overlapping graphical elements in a stacking order.

Icon

Name

Description

Bring to Front

Move the graphical element to the front of the stack.

Send to Back

Move the graphical element to the back of the stack.

Bring Forward

Move the graphical element forward one level in the stacking order.

Send Backward

Move the graphical element backward one level in the stacking order.

Group Options

The Group options allow you to combine multiple graphic elements into groups or separate individual graphic elements from groups.

Icon

Name

Description

Group

Combine multiple graphic elements into a group so that when one element is repositioned, all the other elements move with it.

Ungroup

Separate individual graphic elements from a group so that they can be repositioned independently.

Join Group

Add one or more graphic elements to an existing group.

Leave Group

Remove one or more graphic elements from a group.

Join or Leave Command Control

Join or remove a child element such as an intended cursor or Thumb for a command control element.

Combine Options

The Combine options allow you to combine or exclude areas of overlapping graphical shapes.

Icon

Name

Description

Union

Combine all parts of two elements into one path element.

Intersection

Create a new path element shaped by the overlapping portions of two elements.

Exclude Overlap

Combine two elements to create a new path element. Any overlapping portions are excluded. The excluded portion is transparent.

Subtraction

Create a new path element that is based on the first selected element minus the overlapping portions of the two elements and the second selected element.

Alignment Options

The Alignment options allow you to set the placement of multiple elements on the canvas.

Icon

Name

Description

Align Left

Align the selected elements with the left edge of the element farthest to the left.

Align Center

Align selected elements to the center of the widest element so that the horizontal center of all elements is set to the horizontal center of the widest element.

Align Right

Align the selected elements with the right edge of the element farthest to the right.

Align Top

Align the selected elements with the top edge of the element farthest to the top.

Align Middle

Align selected elements to the middle of the tallest element so that the vertical middle of all elements is set to the vertical middle of the tallest element.

Align Bottom

Align the selected elements with the bottom edge of the element farthest to the bottom.

Horizontal Spacing

All selected elements are aligned so that they have even spacing between them with respect to the X-axis.

Vertical Spacing

All selected elements are aligned so that they have even spacing between them with respect to the Y-axis.

Align Wrapped

Align the selected elements on the canvas in a row from left to right and the rows from top to bottom.

When you drag-and-drop multiple elements onto the canvas, they are by default Align wrapped.

Snap Option

Snap Now

Snap the top-left corner (or anchor) of an element (or Symbol) to the nearest grid intersection.


Brushes

The Brushes group allows you to select a color from the drop-down menu for the fill, stroke, and background colors of the currently selected element on the canvas.

Brushes Group

Icon

Name

Description

Fill

Set the color that is applied to the Fill (interior) property of the selected elements.

Stroke

Set the color that is applied to the Stroke property or the font color of the selected elements.

Background

Set the color that is applied to the Background property of the selected element on the canvas.


Format

The Format group allows you to adjust the font styles and formatting of textual graphic elements.

Format Group

Icon

Name

Description

Font Family

Select a font type from the drop-down menu.

Font Size

Specify a font size from the drop-down menu.

Increase Font Size

Increase the font size to a pre-determined default.

Decrease Font Size

Decrease the font size to a pre-determined default.

Horizontal Text Alignment

Set the horizontal position of the text contained within the element’s bounding rectangle. Options are: Right, Center, Left, and Justify.

Vertical Text Alignment

Set the vertical position of the text contained within the element’s bounding rectangle. Options are: Top, Center, and Bottom.

Bold

Apply bold formatting to the selected text.

Italic

Apply italic formatting to the selected text.

Underline

Apply underline formatting to the selected text.

Strikethrough

Apply strikethrough formatting to the selected text.

Resize Fonts

Toggle between enabling the Font Size property of an active element to automatically update according to any resizing done on the canvas. If inactive, the font size of the selected element remains as initially set in the Property view.


Stroke

The Stroke group allows you to format an element’s outline by choosing options from a set of stroke-related drop-down menus. You can select the overall type and thickness of the stroke. You can also choose a flat, round, square, or triangle for the starting and ending edge of a line or figure. If the active element has unconnected lines you have the option of setting the end caps for each segment.

Stroke Group

Icon

Name

Description

Stroke Dash Array

Select the stroke type from the drop-down menu.

 

Stroke Thickness

Select the stroke thickness from the drop-down menu. The thickness is measured in pixels.

Stroke Start Line

Set how the start edge of the stroke line is drawn. Options are: flat, round, square or triangle edge.

Stroke End Line

Set how the end edge of the stroke line is drawn. Options are flat, round, square or triangle edge.

Stroke Line Join

 

Set how the corners are drawn. Options are: pointed, flat, or rounded corners

Stroke Dash Cap

 

Select a style for the end of the line

.


Zoom

The Zoom group options allow you to pan, or zoom in or out of a graphic image.

Zoom Group

Icon

Name

Description

Zoom Indicator

Display the current scale factor of the active canvas and allows you to either select a pre-defined magnification from the drop-down menu or type a magnification value.

100% button

Display the active graphic at 100% magnification when the button is clicked on.

Fit Size

Scale the graphic so that all the elements and contents on the canvas are visible.

Free Zoom

Draw a zoom rectangle directly on the canvas. Repeat as needed.
NOTE: You can use the Z-Key for a quick zoom.

Pan

Move the graphics viewing area up, down, or sideways to display other areas which, at the current viewing zoom factor, lie outside the viewing area.

Zoom Slider

Zoom in on the active canvas by adjusting the slider.


Printing

Printing Group

Icon

Name

Description

Page Setup

Open and display the print Page Setup view.

Preview

Open the Print Preview pane and displays the currently selected graphic.

Print

Display the Print dialog box to print the current graphic\document.


Modes

The Modes group allows you to toggle between Design, Test, or Runtime mode.

Modes Group

Icon

Name

Description

Design

Design and edit graphics and apply static values only.

Test

Design, edit graphics and simulate data point values. You can use online subscriptions if the Online mode is enabled, or you can use subscriptions from the Value Simulator.

Runtime

Test a graphic to see how it will display in the Graphics Viewer, by simulating data point values using online subscriptions, if the Online mode is enabled, or using subscriptions from the Value Simulator. Runtime mode does not allow you to design or editing a graphic.

Online

 

Allows you to subscribe to COVs in an actual online environment. If disabled, data point values can be simulated with the Value Simulator.


Related Topics

For background information, see Home Tab