Difference between revisions of "System Panel"
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*by holding down the shift key and then clicking on a number of items, one after the other; | *by holding down the shift key and then clicking on a number of items, one after the other; | ||
*by left-clicking the mouse button and dragging over the items. | *by left-clicking the mouse button and dragging over the items. | ||
| − | + | [[File:group_icon.jpg|thumb|50px|right|Group]] | |
They can then be grouped: | They can then be grouped: | ||
| − | *by clicking on the ‘group’ icon | + | *by clicking on the ‘group’ icon. |
*by selecting the ‘Group’ option from the ‘Selection’ option which appears when you click the right-hand mouse button. | *by selecting the ‘Group’ option from the ‘Selection’ option which appears when you click the right-hand mouse button. | ||
In this way, complex structures can be assembled from a number of parts. | In this way, complex structures can be assembled from a number of parts. | ||
To ungroup, select the object and then click on the same icon. | To ungroup, select the object and then click on the same icon. | ||
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=== The controls === | === The controls === | ||
Revision as of 10:51, 14 May 2013
The System Panel provides a real-world framework on which to load Flowcode components. It then shows how these components perform during simulation of the current program. It can be customised by adding different background layouts, grids, images etc.
Overview
The System Panel is opened by selecting it in the View menu.
When it opens, you see a central coloured square, called the Table top, set against a coloured background. The colours of both are set in the General Options area
This area also allows you to add shadow to the Table top and to objects to make them look more realistic, and to set the size of the Table top.
The Table top provides a 'surface' on which components are placed. It is a flat plane that objects can be placed on. When locked to the Table top, all objects sit on top of it and interact as solid objects. It is also useful as a surface for shadows, giving a sense of depth.
Electronic devices can be added to the System Panel from the Components Toolbar. Then, input devices like switches can be operated to control the progress of the simulation, while output devices, like LEDs show the result.
The 'camera' (viewpoint) can be panned or rotated around different axes using the three icons shown.
These work in conjunction with the Ctrl key and the 'handles' that appear on an object when it is selected, and with the three coloured arrow heads that show the camera orientation.
- Camera controls
- Cam pan icon.jpg
- Cam rot1 icon.jpg
- Cam rot2 icon.jpg
For example, clicking on the blue arrow gives a top-down view – looking down the ‘Z’ axis.
Clicking on one of the other coloured arrows rotates the object about that axis. Pressing the Ctrl key reveals a viewpoint icon.Clicking the mouse on one of the 'handles', or on one of the arrow heads, now rotates the camera rather than the object.
There is also a zoom facility, operated by pressing the Ctrl key and moving the cursor over the viewpoint icon. Clicking the mouse button and dragging downwards causes the view to zoom out. Dragging upwards causes the view to zoom in.
The coordinates of the cursor are shown in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. Using this information can help you to position objects.
First of all, move the cursor to the desired position, to find its coordinates. Then enter these into the 'Position' properties of the object in the Properties Panel.
Multiple items can be selected:
- by holding down the shift key and then clicking on a number of items, one after the other;
- by left-clicking the mouse button and dragging over the items.
They can then be grouped:
- by clicking on the ‘group’ icon.
- by selecting the ‘Group’ option from the ‘Selection’ option which appears when you click the right-hand mouse button.
In this way, complex structures can be assembled from a number of parts. To ungroup, select the object and then click on the same icon.
The controls
The System Panel has a Shapes toolbar running vertically down the left-hand side, and a Controls toolbar running horizontally across the top.
Shapes toolbar
- At the top is a colour selector, which sets the colour of any shape added to the work area. By clicking on the down-arrow, one of a wide range of colours can be selected.
- Below it is the text icon,used to 'drag and drop' a single row of alphanumeric characters onto the work area. Afterwards, you can select it, by clicking on it, and configure it using the Properties Panel. In particular, when added, it is displayed as “Please change caption.” You can edit the text displayed using the bottom ‘Text’ control on the Properties Panel.
- The next fifteen icons allow you to add a variety of shapes - some two-dimensional, others three-dimensional, to the work area. Each takes the colour chosen in the colour selector at the top. Each one can be configured using the Properties Panel, to determine the position, size and rotation of the shape, for example.
- Mesh...
Controls toolbar
The first four controls operate on the size, position and rotation of the component.
- The left-hand end control (show icon) allows you to move the selected object around the work area.
- Moving to the right, the next control (show icon) allows you to re-position a single point on an item. When you select an object and click on this control, pink ‘handles’ appear on the object. Selecting one of these allows it to be moved to a new position on the work area. The effect is to change the appearance, size or rotation of the object.
- The next control (show icon) allows you to change the size of the object. After selecting an object and clicking on this control, a number of blue ‘handles’ appear on the object. Any of these can be ‘grabbed’ and moved to re-size that particular dimension of the object. (Handles at the corners affect size in two dimensions.)
- The fourth control (show icon) allows you to rotate an object. After selecting it and clicking on this control, a number of yellow ‘handles’ appear on the object. These allow the object to be rotated around different axes.
The next three controls determine the camera (viewpoint) behavior.
- The first allows the camera to pan left / right / up / down.
- The second allows the camera to rotate around a vertical axis.
- The third allows the camera to rotate about a horizontal axis.
The next control (show icon) determines what happens when two objects ‘collide‘. The options are that they move through, move around or move over each other.
The next control(show icon)is used to align the camera with the selected object.
The next two controls are used to set properties for the whole panel. The first (show icon) allows you to lock movement of objects:
- to the grid,
- to other objects,
- to the table-top.
- The grid can be re-sized and made visible in a range of colors via this control.
The second, (show icon), is used to:
- set the number of views, allowing, for example, plan and elevation views of a component;
- set the resolution, ‘level of detail’, of the display.
Exercises
- Exercise 4.1 - Setting up the System Panel
- Exercise 4.2 - Adding electronic devices
- Exercise 4.3 - Adding shapes
- Exercise 4.4 - Grouping components
- Exercise 4.5 - Moving a component
- Lateral movement
- Rotation
- Exercise 4.6 - Adding labels
- Exercise 4.7 - Controlling collisions
- Exercise 4.8 - 2D or 3D?
- Exercise 4.9 - Adjusting the camera
- Zooming in and out
- Panning the camera
- Rotating the camera
- Exercise 4.10 - Configuring the System Panel
