Context menus

Pressing the right mouse button when the cursor is in the drawing area you open a menu that offers various sets of commands according to the command which is active, therefore the name contex menu. The commands here listed are the commands that usually are the most useful in the given situation.

Selection contextual commands

When the selection of an entity is requested and the command requires the selection of several entities the contextual menu places at your disposal various selection commands.

All

Select all entities that are entirely or partly visible on the screen.

Zone

Select all visible entities located within a zone that is defined by two given vertices.

When is require a selection you can use an alternative method to this command:

• press the left mouse button on one end of the selection area

• holding down the left mouse button, drag the cursor to the second end, you will see the echo of the selected area

•  once you reach the second end point, release the mouse button

Complementary zone

Select all visible entities that are located outside a zone defined by two given vertices.

String

Select the entire string by the selection of its own module or text.

Chain

Select the “course” of consecutive entities, i.e. entities that have each one vertex in common with its predecessor.

Requires the selection of one entity of the course. The course finishes where the outer vertex of an entity doesn’t coincide with the vertex of another entity.

Intersection

Select all entities that intersect the line defined by two given points.

Last

This subcommand selects the entity you have worked on last.

Entity selection commands

Commands to filter the selection of entities on the base of their type. These commands can be used in combination with the other selection commands.

Attribute selection commands

Commands to filter the selection of entities on the base of their attributes. These commands can be used in combination with the other selection commands.

End selection

Finishes an entering sequence of operands for the execution of a command that requires an undefined number of operands.

Some commands require a variable number of selected entities. In these cases the program continues requesting operand-inputs (points or selections) until the user finishes the data input by use of this command.

Attributes...

Opens the Attributes window in Define attributes mode.

Snap point contextual commands. 

Snap point commands are commands that help you select points when the program requests the input of points. Use one of these commands to insert as point a snap point of an existing entity.

You can also snap to snap points through the Automatic snap (see Snap points page in CAD options window).

Extreme

Select the vertex of the entity which is the nearest to the selection point.

Selectable entities are: lines, arcs, circles and splines.

If a line is visible only partly the visible part only will be considered.

In case of arcs besides the actual vertices are also considered eventual intersection points with the horizontal and the vertical diameter.

In case of circles only the four intersection points with the horizontal and the vertical diameter are considered (actual vertices don’t exist in a closed curve).

Middle

Select the middle point of the entity.

Selectable entities are: lines, arcs and splines.

  Centre

Select the center of the entity.

Selectable entities are: arcs, circles and points.

Intersection

Select the intersection point of the two selected entities which is the nearest to the selection point.

Selectable entities are: lines, arcs, circles and splines.

If the entities intersect more times the intersection point will be selected which is the closest to the selection point.

Near

Select the point of entity which is the nearest to the selection point.

Selectable entities are: lines, arcs, circles and splines.

Grid

Select the point on the grid which is the nearest to the selection point.

When this command is active the cursor is displayed doubled: first at its real position, second as echo at the respective nearest grid point.

Origin

Select the origin of the entity.

Selectable entities are: texts, blocks, hatchings and dimensions.

The origin of texts and blocks is their positioning point.

The origin of a hatching is its barycenter.

The origin of a dimension is the positioning point of the dimension text.

Point

Select an entity of the point type.

Corresponds to the Center command applied to a point with the only difference that this command only allows the selection of entities of the point type.

End Selection

Finishes an entering sequence of operands for the execution of a command that requires an undefined number of operands.

Some commands require a variable number of selected entities. In these cases the program continues requesting operand-inputs (points or selections) until the user finishes the data input by use of this command.

Coordinates...

Opens the Coordinates window.

Interactive editing contextual commands.

When the Select command is active (see Modify commands) and you select one or more graphic entities, the selected entities are in editing.

In editing mode the contextual menu provides several commands, some depending on selected entity type. The commands are applied to all entities that are in editing.

Delete

Delete the selected entities.

Entities information

Opens the Information window that displays the information on the selected entity. If more than one entity are selected it displays the information about all entities.

Copy and Move

Commands that operate transformations on entities in editing. The transformations are the same for both the copy commands and the move commands. In both cases, you create a new entity by applying the transformation to the selected entity. The difference is that the copy commands maintain the original entity while the move commands erase it

Translation

The command requires two points and applies a transformation of translation along the vector that goes from the first to the second point inserted.

Rotation

The command requires a point and an angle, then applies a rotation transformation equal to the angle around the point inserted. The angle is in sexagesimal degrees and a positive value means an anticlockwise angle.

Mirror

The command requires two points and applies a transformation of reflection relative to the line passing through the two points inserted.

Scale

The command requires a point and a number, and then applies a scale transformation with respect to the inserted point, with a scale factor equal to the number entered. The factor can be negative, it cannot be zero.

Last

Performs on the selected entities the last transformation that has been made. If you have not yet made any transformation the command does nothing.

Attributes...

Opens the Attributes window in mode Modify attributes of the selected entities

Interactive editing commands depending on selected entity type

Layout device commands

Go to the system

Open the page System on the properties of the selected device.

Properties...

Opens the Properties window for the selected device.

Double-clicking on a device automatically run the Properties command on that device.

Electrical cable commands

Add node

Requires the selection of a stroke of the electrical cable and the insertion of a point, then inserts a new node at the point inserted; the node splits the selected stroke in two new sections.

Delete node

Requires the selection of an internal node of the electrical cable. The node is deleted and the two adjacent sections are replaced by a single stroke between the two adjacent nodes.

To move a node of an electric cable you must select the cable, which then is in Interactive editing, and then use the functionality of changing the geometrical position of the node.

Circle and Arc commands

Modify radius

The command requires a number, then changes the circle (or arc) selected so that its radius is equal to the number entered.

Text commands

Modify text

The command asks for the input of a new text through the Strings window; it initially offers the currently selected text in order to be modified.

Dimension commands

Move

The command requires a point, then changes the position of the text of the selected dimension and moves it to the point inserted.

The position of the dimension text depends on the Optimum dimensioning setting: if active the dimension is automatically centered, otherwise it is positioned at the inserted point. The Optimum dimensioning can be set in the General page of the CAD Options window.

Move parallel

The command requires a point, then changes the position of the text of the selected dimension and moves it to the point inserted, with the constraint that the new positioning point is on the dimension line passing through the old point.

Move perpendicular

The command requires a point, then changes the position of the text of the selected dimension and moves it to the point inserted, with the constraint that the new positioning point is on a line perpendicular to the dimension line passing through the old point.

Detach

The dimensions are associative, that is memorize which are the entities that measure. This associativeness enables the dimension to immediately adapt itself to a new geometric situation that may be caused by the transformation or the modification of an entity.

This command deletes the association of selected dimension and measured entity (or entities), the dimension becomes independent.

Modify text

The command asks for the input of a new text through the Strings window; it initially offers the text of the currently selected dimension in order to be modified.

The position of '#' character in a dimension text indicates the effective value of the dimension. The '#' character can be followed and preceded by other characters; it can be missing as well.

Block commands

Explode

Disaggregates the selected block into its components.

There are no commands for the insertion of blocks, but the blocks may have been inserted with the planimetry in DWG format.