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### The Main Menu Window

The main menu holds four main groups of functions Draw, Parameterize, Vary, Inform, as well as some additional functions.
The figure shows the main menu, listing the icons from left to right in their main groups.

Figure 15: Main menu

An active icon has a green background color. To deactivate the icon, you have to click it again.

1
  STAEDTLER MARS-head
  Clicking it generates a sub-menu with 5 items:

  Figure 16: Activated STAEDTLER-symbol with sub-menus

  (1)
    about
    You will get information on your version of SISCAD-P , e.g. the version number.
  (2)
    documentation
    The predefined WWW-Browser is loaded, with which you can view documents e.g. this documentation.

    Figure 17: WWW-Browser Mosaic

  (3)
    tutorial
    The module tutorial is loaded.
    With it you are able to start the available tutorials, which are assigned to SISCAD-P topics such as parametrics, layers, form features, .. .

    Figure 18: SISCAD-P Tutorial

  (4)
    delete
    Erases the current drawing.
    To avoid an unintentional deletion, a confirmation dialog will appear.

  (5)
    exit
    Closes the SISCAD-P session.

2
  Drawing Management
  Within SISCAD-P your drawings will be filed in libraries created for this purpose.
  The drawing management offers the possibility to administrate (load, save, .. ) your drawing data in a very simple and comfortable way.
  The drawing catalog is a visual help (drawings are represented by sketches) as well as a powerful search help.

  Figure 19: Drawing Management

  In addition to the constructions in the drawing management, there are also administrated form features, drawing frames, title blocks, macros, modules. If you select e.g. title blocks you will get an overview of the standard title blocks delivered with SISCAD-P.

3
  Drawing - Draft Mode
  Clicking the icon opens the draft mode menu and activates draft mode.
  In draft mode, you can only draft contours by using the mouse. You are supported by several grids, adjustable in different ways.
  You will get the most at of sketching mode by using it together with the snap symbols (Intelligent Snap Mode).

  Figure 20: Draft Mode

  In the draft mode all CAD-commands are disabled. On closing the draft menu all CAD-commands are enabled again.

4
  Drawing - Intelligent Snap Mode
  Use this icon to enable or disable intelligent snap mode.
  When this mode is enabled, the drawing entities are (additionally to normal snap mode) represented by so-called snap symbols in a graphical way.
  Recognizing objects like intersections, half way points, etc is just child's play.

5
  Drawing - Rule Menu
  The way objects are treated in SISCAD-P, can be controlled by rules.
  Clicking the symbol makes a rule list appear:

  Figure 21: Rules Menu (partial)

  Every rule can be enabled or disabled. An active rule is marked by a green button. The text changes according to the function of the rule when the rule is enabled or disabled.

6
  Parameterize - Constraints Menu

  Figure 22: Constraints Menu (partial)

  An active constraint is marked by a green button. The offered constraints can be switched on / off by clicking them.
  By using the Auto Constraint Mode , you can then look for the activated constraints in your drawing: they are displayed green.

7
  Parameterize - Auto Constraint Mode
  When this mode is activated, the constraints that have been marked green in the Constraints Menu are taken into account and stored automatically while you construct your drawing.
  This mode is only available in parametric drawings. That's the reason why this symbol is not offered in non-parametric drawings.

8
  Parameterize - Info Parametric
  You get info about the stored constraints and the degrees of freedom in your current parametric drawing.

  Figure 23: Info Parametric

  The total number of degrees of freedom gives you a quick overview on whether your construction is parametrically complete, i.e. exactly determined.

  - !-symbol
    The degrees of freedom are displayed graphically by clicking this icon.
  - Dimension-symbol
    Clicking the Dimension-symbol will switch you from reference to parametric dimensioning.
  - Symbol Show constraints
    While this mode is active, you are informed about the constraints when you move the cursor to an object. The stored constraints are visualized by symbols representing these constraints.

9
  Parameterize - Dynamic Variation and Setting of Constraints
  Clicking this icon activates a test mode of the parameterization.
  This mode is meant to help you after you have completed a parametric drawing, when you want to check whether the construction reacts as desired to changes.
  While the construction is not yet completely determined, you can dynamically vary objects whose degrees of freedom are not yet all fixed. This dynamic variation takes place within the bounds of the still undetermined parameters. You can find out what objects are eligible for this variation by clicking the !icon while Info Parametric is active.

  Figure 24: remembering constraints

  Should there still be missing constraints, these can be entered in the window remembering constraints.
  If this test mode is terminated, the window Info parametric is also closed.

10
  Variation - Variation Management / Characteristics Bar
  - meaningful only in parametric drawings -
  The variations of a parameterized drawing are managed in a so-called TAC = tabular layouts of article characteristics, a tabular listing of all variants within the drawing.
  These variants depend on the parameters used in the drawing (param. measures, variables, .. ).
  Clicking this icon will open the menu of the variation management. If a characteristics bar already exist in your drawing, the variations table is generated.

  Figure 25: TAC - variations table included (partial)

  If no table of variants exists yet, you have to create one TAC. This table displays the parameters in columns, and the alternatives are listed in rows, depending on the values chosen for the parameters.
  The generation, modifying, test and selection of the different variants is done through the icon variants.
  If you want to add or to delete parameters or if you wish to assign units or titles, use the icon parameter.
  Finally, the icon form feature is meant for characteristic bars pertaining to form features.

11
  Inform - Info (in general)
  When working with SISCAD-P, you sometimes want to have more complete information on certain objects. These objects may be geometrical elements (points, line segments, .. ), or title blocks, variables, characteristics bars (if they exist in the drawing).
  Clicking the icon opens a sub-menu in which you can choose the type of object (objects) or a certain constraint (constraints) you want displayed:

  Figure 26: Info Menu

  The desired (selected = green) information on the selected objects is then displayed each item in turn, while the objects are highlighted in the drawing.
  You can obtain quick information on a geometric element by clicking the right mouse button on it while keeping the -key depressed.

12
  Inform - Layers Info
  Clicking this icon displays a sub-menu with several fields for layer oriented working. The default layers are displayed.

  All objects of a drawing are assigned to either the standard or to user defined layers. An overview, showing which objects are assigned to which layer, is displayed when you activate the layer info.

  Figure 27: Layers Info (partial)

  This info represents objects by pixel graphics. In the figure you can see that newly created geometric elements are associated with the layer GeoFolie, texts with the layer TextFolie, and reference dimensions with the layer ReferenzBemFolie. Those are the standard layers for these types of objects.
  The elements in a layer can be masked or unmasked, first activating the empty field to the right of the pixel picture (left mouse button) and then masking (right mouse button) it. Masked layers are marked with the caption off in this field.
  The green icon layer in the layer info opens a further menu. This menu lists several possible operations when working with layers.

13
  Inform - Parts Info
  SISCAD-P supports part-oriented work. The parts info gives you an overview of the part-oriented structure of your work. Clicking the icon displays a sub-menu with several fields that simplify part-oriented work.

  Figure 28: Parts Info

  All CAD-commands that are necessary when working with parts can be initiated through the corresponding menu items (create, activate, .. ). To use this menu, the concerned parts have to be selected (marked yellow by clicking them) first.
  The icons in the upper bar can, among other things, generate part lists (MSTL=QBOM, BSTL=CBOM, SSTL=SBOM) or form feature lists (FL). With the last icon in the bar, you can comfortably enter or edit master data.
  The lower region of the parts info has the same icons as the graphic window.

14
  Undo
  SISCAD-P stores all commands used for the generation of your drawing.
  Clicking this symbol undoes the last entered CAD-command

15
  Tool Box
  Clicking it generates an icon bar:

  Figure 29: Tool box

  (1)
    Calculator
    In addition to the usual calculator features, it has functions to create and store different variable- and constant types.

  (2)
    Plot/Print
    The plot menu displays the devices your system administrator has designated as defaults.

  (3)
    Window Menu
    You can open and manipulate additional windows.

  (4)
    Buffer Administration
    Buffer administration is intended for system administration purposes. You can decide on how many commands should be stored. You can also (as opposed to the simple Undo) undo several commands.

16
  Online Help
  The ambulance icon activates online help.
  SISCAD-P offers you an extension online help, which is displayed in a separate window when the ambulance icon is active.
  To get help on an icon or a command activates online help, simply click the object with the right mouse button:

  Figure: Online Help for CAD-command DELETE

  If nothing else has been entered, this help window displays a help text concerning the currently active, i.e. marked yellow, CAD command.

Next: The CAD-Command Window Up: Graphical User Interface Previous: The Graphic Window