2.3. Graphics Toolbar

The Graphics toolbar sets the selection/manipulation mode for the cursor in the Geometry window. The toolbar also provides commands for modifying a selection or for modifying the viewpoint. You can turn this toolbar on and off using the Graphics Toolbar option in the Manage option's drop-down menu located in the Layout group on the Home tab.

You can add or remove options from this toolbar using the Customization Menu shown below. You access this menu using the down-arrow drop-down menu at the far end of the toolbar.

Customization Menu	Option	Description
	Previous/Next	To return to the last view displayed in the Geometry window, click the Previous View button on the toolbar. By continuously clicking you can see the previous views in consecutive order. After displaying previous views in the Geometry window, click the Next View button on the toolbar to scroll forward to the original view.
	Shaded Exteriors and Edges	Displays the model in the Geometry window with shaded exteriors and distinct edges. This option cannot be used in combination with either the Shaded Exterior or Wireframe views.
	Shaded Exteriors	Displays the model in the Geometry window with shaded exteriors only. This option cannot be used in combination with either the Shaded Exterior and Edges or Wireframe views.
	Wireframe	Enable the Wireframe display mode. The model displays in the Geometry window with a wireframe display rather than a shaded (recommended for seeing gaps in surface bodies) display. The Wireframe option not only applies to geometry, mesh, or named selections displayed as a mesh, but extends to probes, results, and variable loads to enable a better understanding of regions of interest. When set, just the exterior faces of the meshed models are shown, not the interior elements. Selecting any of the edges options on contour results automatically closes Wireframe mode. Note: When active, green scoping is not drawn on probes. Also, elements are shown on probes and results, whereas the outline of the mesh is shown on isoline contour results.
	Show Mesh	Display the model's mesh. Enabling this option displays the model’s mesh regardless of the selected tree object. When enabled, to make sure that Annotations display properly, also turn on Wireframe mode. See Note below.
	Rotate	Activates the model Rotate feature. Free rotation is the default behavior. Also see the Manipulating the Model in the Geometry Window section. Note: This button offers a drop-down menu to switch between free and axis-based rotation. Switching between these menu options also defines the default behavior in the Options dialog.
	Pan	Reposition your model laterally and vertically in the Geometry window.
	Zoom	Displays a closer view of the body by dragging the mouse cursor vertically toward the top of the Geometry window, or displays a more distant view of the body by dragging the mouse cursor vertically toward the bottom of the Geometry window. Note: If you zoom in on a model at an extreme factor (over 10⁵), you may see the graphical display of geometry edges or mesh element edges appear distorted. These display distortions are due to the limitations of the computer’s architecture (precision of storing data) and the display screen resolution.
	Zoom To Fit	Fit the entire model in the Geometry window.
	Zoom To Selection	Zoom in on the currently selected item in the Geometry window.
	Toggle Magnifier Window On/Off	Displays a Magnifier Window, which is a shaded box that functions as a magnifying glass, enabling you to zoom in on portions of the model. When you toggle the Magnifier Window on, you can: Pan the Magnifier Window across the model by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the mouse. Increase the zoom of the Magnifier Window by adjusting the mouse wheel, or by holding down the middle mouse button and dragging the mouse upward. Recenter or resize the Magnifier Window using a right mouse button click and choosing an option from the context menu. Recenter the window by choosing Reset Magnifier. Resizing options include Small Magnifier, Medium Magnifier, and Large Magnifier for preset sizes, and Dynamic Magnifier Size On/Off for gradual size control accomplished by adjusting the mouse wheel. Standard model zooming, rotating, and picking are disabled when you use the Magnifier Window.
	Select	Label only.
	Mode	Display a drop-down menu of options that define how geometry, node, or element selections are made: Single Select Box Select Box Volume Select Lasso Select Lasso Volume Select These options are used in conjunction with the selection filters (Vertex, Edge, Face, Body, Node, Element) Note: Selection shortcuts: When you place your cursor within the Geometry window, you can change your selection mode from Single Select to Box Select by holding the right mouse button and then clicking the left mouse button. When you place your cursor within the Geometry window, and given a generated mesh, and the Node or Element selection option is active, holding the right mouse button and then clicking the left mouse button scrolls through the available selection options (single section, box selection, box volume, lasso, lasso volume).
	Smart Select	For Single Select mode, use this option to select or highlight vertices, edges, and faces on the model without needing to specify a selection filter (Vertex, Edge, or Face). Use the [Ctrl] key or hold down the left-mouse button to select multiple entities. When you make a selection, an icon displays that enables you to select the parent body for the current selection(s). This option supports the Select All, Zoom To Selection, and Mini Selection Toolbar features. This option does not currently support depth picking.
	Vertex	Activate Vertex geometry selection option.
	Edge	Activate Edge geometry selection option.
	Face	Activate Face geometry selection option.
	Body	Activate Body geometry selection option.
	Node	Activate Node mesh selection option.
	Element Face	Activate Element Face mesh selection option.
	Element	Activate Element mesh selection option.
	Hit Point Coordinate	Available only if you are setting a location, for example, a local coordinate system. This option enables the exterior coordinates of the model to display adjacent to the cursor and updates the coordinate display as the cursor is moved across the model. If you click with the cursor on the model, a label displays the coordinates of that location. This feature is functional on faces only. It is not functional on edges or line bodies. Note: You can change the default display settings for the font (size, style, color) used with this feature by changing the settings of the Probe Tool and Hit Point Coordinate preference in the Graphics category of the Options dialog.
	Label	Select and drag and drop an annotation label anywhere on the corresponding scoping. Not all objects support this option.
	Imported Data Highlight	For certain data imported through the External Model system, this option enables you to highlight the graphical representation of the data in the Geometry window. This option behaves just like you were selecting a row in the Worksheet for the imported data. See the User Interface Options topic in the Importing Mesh-Based Databases section for more information.
	Direction	Chooses a direction by selecting a single face, two vertices, or a single edge (enabled only when Direction field in the Details view has focus). See Pointer Modes.
	All	Select all geometric entities of your model based on the current selection filter type (vertex, edge, face, or body). Ctrl+A also performs this action.
	Invert	Automatically select entities of the same type (face, edge, etc.) that are not currently selected. Any selection made before selecting this option is removed.
	Display Graph	Display the content of the Graph window in the Geometry window.
	Clipboard Information	To help you keep track of what is contained in the Clipboard, once you make selections (or add or change) the Clipboard menu displays the current number of entities contained in the Clipboard, such as 1 Body, as illustrated above. When no selections are contained in the Clipboard, this field contains the text string "Empty." Also note that the status bar displays active Geometry window selections.
	Extend	Adds adjacent faces (or edges) within angle tolerance, to the currently selected face (or edge) set, or adds tangent faces (or edges) within angle tolerance, to the currently selected face (or edge) set. See the Extend Selection Menu topic for additional information about these options.
	Select By	Display a drop-down menu of selection options. See the Select group topic in the Selection Tab section for more information.
	Convert	Display a drop-down menu of options to change your currently selected geometric entity or mesh item to a different geometric entity or mesh item. See the Convert To group topic in the Selection Tab section for more information.
	Viewports	Split the Geometry window into multiple windows.
	Sync Viewports	Synchronize the Viewports display in each window to reorient/move (pan, zoom, rotate) your model in each window simultaneously.
	Front/Back/Right/Left/Top/Bottom	These options reorient the display of your model.
	Accelerated Display	Improve the display time for mesh and result objects.
	Reset Toolbar	Reset the Graphics Toolbar to the default display configuration.

Note: As illustrated below, annotations may not always display properly when the Show Mesh option is activated. Turning on Wireframe mode accurately displays annotations when Show Mesh is selected.