Looking at the CYCAS user interface, the GUI is structured as follows:
The largest part of the screen is taken by the drawing area. When using
the default colors, this area is of a grey-blue color. To the right of the drawing
area you can see the menu bar. It is divided into an upper area which cannot be
changed (the main menu) and a lower, variable area (the function lists).
The main menu is divided into different "topics", that tell you, which kind
of functions the appropriate function list contains. If you e.g. choose Line
from the main menu, the function list will contain all functions dealing with the
input and editing of line elements.
Above the main menu, you have access to the menu Project. It offers you
file operations, settings for the program GUI, as well as the output to printer
or plotter.
In the lower area of the screen you can find various functions that are always
available. These functions aid you while entering different elements of the
drawing. They provide you with information on your input and can be used to
change the visible area of the drawing even during input. Each of these
functions will be explained now, proceeding from left to right:
The coordinate display :"X:" and "Y:". These
mark the current position of the mouse pointer in the coordinate system. When
placing a point in the drawing area, the displayed coordinates are measured
relatively to that point. This enables you to check the distance between two points.
The help bar is located directly below the coordinate display. Whenever you are
using a function, this bar contains information on what kind of input is
possible or expected.
The view menu is located next to the coordinate display. This menu contains
various functions for adjusting the current visible area and displaying drawing elements.
These functions are always accessible, even during input.
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The button to the right of the view menu opens the Layers dialog box. It is a
good idea to spread your drawing over several layers. Layers can be placed on
top of each other as if they were transparencies.
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The input box below the view menu: This box is used to enter text and numbers.
Whenever it is possible to do input here, the field turns white.
The so called snap-to and guide functions are located at the bottom right corner of
the screen. You can e.g. create guide lines or create certain snap-to points. Further on,
the Undo and Redo functions are located here.
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