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Graphic Tools Button Bar

The Graphic Tools Button Bar contains the tools necessary to create and edit a graphic’s component objects. The drawing tools are the main tools through which graphics are created and edited in the Editing window. The drawing tools include the following:

Selector

The Selector is a pointing device that allows you to select one or more objects of a graphic. It also allows you to move, size, and shape all graphic objects.

How to move an object:

1. Click on the Selector button.
2. Drag the object to the desired location.

How to size or shape an object:

1. Click on the Selector button from the button bar.
2. Select the desired object.
3. Drag the sizing points. The arrow will turn into a cross-hair when it approaches the sizing points.

Text

Text may be placed anywhere in the graphic by using the Text tool.

How to place text in a graphic:

1. Select the Text tool from the button bar.
2. Click where the text is to appear. The Text dialog box will open.

3. Enter the desired text in the Text dialog box below. Set the desired options for the text. When finished, click the OK button.

How to edit text already in the graphic:

• Double click on the text.

Lines

Lines may consist of several segments and are drawn using the line tool.

How to draw lines in the graphic editor:

1. Select the Line tool.
2. Click the left mouse button where the line is to begin.
3. Move the mouse to the end of the line segment.
4. Click the left mouse button to create a joint and begin the next segment.
5. Double click the left mouse button or click the right mouse button to end the line.

Please Note: Lines can be drawn at 15 degree increments by holding the shift key while moving the end of a line segment.

Arcs

Arcs are drawn using the Arc tool.

How to draw an arc in the graphic editor:

1. Select the Arc tool from the Tools window.
2. Select the Arc tool from the Tools window.
3. Drag the mouse to the other end of the arc and release the left mouse button.

Please Note: To have the arc bow left, start the arc from the top and drag down. To have the arc bow right, start the arc from the bottom and drag up.

Triangles

Triangles are drawn using the Triangle tool.

How to draw a triangle in the graphic editor:

1. Select the Triangle tool from the Tools button bar.
2. Press the left mouse button where the center of the base of the triangle is to be located.
3. Drag the mouse until the triangle’s base is the desired size, but do not release the mouse button.
4. Press the shift key and move the mouse to adjust the size of the other two sides. Release the mouse button when done.

Squares and Rectangles

Squares and rectangles may be drawn using the regular rectangle tool, the rounded rectangle tool, or the raised rectangle tool.

How to draw a rectangle in the graphic editor:

1. Select either the regular, rounded, or raised rectangle tool from the Tools window.
2. Press the left mouse button at the top left corner of the desired rectangle.
3. Drag the mouse to the lower right corner of the rectangle and release the mouse button.

How to draw a square in the graphic editor:

• Hold the shift key while drawing or editing a rectangle.

Circles and Ellipses

Circles and ellipses may be drawn using the ellipse tool.

How to draw an ellipse in the graphic editor:

1. Select the ellipse tool from the Tools window.
2. Press the left mouse button at one end of the desired ellipse.
3. Drag the mouse to the other end of the ellipse and release.

How to draw a circle in the graphic editor:

• Hold the shift key while drawing or editing an ellipse.

Chords and Pies

Chords and pies are drawn using the Chord tool and Pie tool.

How to draw a chord or pie in the graphic editor:

1. Select the chord tool or pie tool from the tools menu.
2. Press the left mouse button at one end of the desired chord or pie.
3. Drag the mouse to the other end of the chord or pie and release the left mouse button.

How to draw a circular chord or pie in the graphic editor:

• Hold the shift key while drawing a chord or pie.

How to adjust the size of the “slice” in the chord or pie after the graphic has been drawn:

1. Select a corner of the "slice" on the graphic.
2. Press the left mouse button at the corner of the "slice."
3. Drag the mouse to the desired position of the "slice" and release the left mouse button.

Polygons

Polygons are drawn using the Polygon tool.

How to draw a polygon in the graphic editor:

1. Select the Polygon tool from the Tools window.
2. Click the left mouse button to begin the first point of the polygon.
3. Click the left mouse button at each successive point of the polygon.
4. Click the right mouse button or double-click the left mouse button to end the polygon.

Please Note: The sides of a polygon may be drawn at 15 degree increments by holding down the shift key while moving the mouse to the next vertex.

Positioning Spot

A positioning spot controls the positioning of an entity on a location, resource, or path. It also controls the positioning of an entity or resource on a path. There are two types of positioning spots: entity spots and alignment spots.

Entity spots can be defined for a graphic in either the Graphic Editor or in the Locations module. Alignment spots can only be defined for a graphic in the Graphic Editor. In the Graphic Editor, the button showing the red circle with the white X represents the positioning spot. The default type is entity spot. To change the type, the user may double click on the spot to display the Spot Type dialog. This allows the user to define the type of positioning spot.

A graphic may have any number of entity spots. A graphic may also have any number of alignment spots. However, only the first alignment spot defined will be used. An entity or alignment spot is ignored if it is inapplicable for the model element it is used to represent. The following definitions explain uses of the entity and alignment spots for locations, entities, and resources.

How to place a positioning spot on an icon:

1. Select the positioning spot tool from the button bar.
2. Click on the icon where the entity is to appear.

Location Graphics May only use entity spots. Whenever an entity arrives at the location, the entity graphic will be placed on the first entity spot defined for the location. The next arriving entity will use the entity spot defined second, and so forth. If entity spots are defined for a location graphic in the Locations module, they are used ahead of any entity spots defined in the Graphic Editor. If no entity spot is defined for the location graphic, no entity is shown on the location.

Entity Graphics Use only alignment spots. When an alignment spot is defined for an entity graphic, the entity graphic will be positioned so the alignment spot of the entity graphic and the entity spot for the location or resource graphic are aligned. If the entity is traveling along a path, the entity graphic will move along the path with the alignment spot and the path segment or node aligned. If no alignment spot is placed on an entity graphic, the center of the entity graphic is used for alignment.

Resource Graphics May use both entity spots and alignment spots. An entity spot on a resource graphic may be used to locate an entity a resource is carrying. An alignment spot can be placed on a resource graphic so that when the resource travels along a path, the resource graphic will move along the path with the alignment spot and the path segment or node aligned. If no alignment spot is placed on a resource graphic, the center of the graphic is used for alignment.

Status Lights

A status light is a circle that changes color depending on the status of a location. A status light can be placed anywhere relative to a location to show the status or current state of the location. At run time, a window can be displayed showing what status each color represents.

How to place a status light on an icon:

1. Select the Status Light tool from the button bar.
2. Click on the icon where the status light is to appear.

Please Note: Status lights for location graphics may also be defined in the Locations Editor.

Flip and Rotate

Objects may be flipped about the horizontal axis and vertical axis or rotated by 90 degrees using the flip and rotation tools from the Tools button bar.

How to flip or rotate an object:

1. Select the desired object(s).
2. Click on the Flip Horizontal, Flip Vertical, or Rotate buttons.

Using the flip and rotate buttons is the same as choosing flip and rotate options under the Graphics menu.

The figure below shows an object that has been flipped horizontally, vertically, and rotated through all phases.

Cut, Copy, and Paste

To speed the development of complex graphics, you may cut, copy, and paste objects from one area of the workspace to another. Each of these buttons works exactly the same as the corresponding item from the Edit menu.

How to cut an object:

1. Select the desired object(s) using the Selector.
2. Click the Cut button. The object is removed from the Edit window but remains in the Graphic Editor’s internal clipboard.

How to copy an object:

1. Select the desired object(s) using the Selector.
2. Click the Copy button. The original object remains on the screen and a copy is placed on the Graphic Editor’s internal clipboard.

How to paste an object:

1. Click on the Paste button. The contents of the internal clipboard are pasted next to the last object cut or copied.
2. Move the new object to the desired location using the Selector.

Step Back and Step Front

You can move an object behind or in front of another object. The Step Back option allows you to move a selected object behind another object. The Step Front option allows you to move a selected object in front of another object.

For example, suppose you have five graphic objects displayed and you want to move the top object to the third object. You can use the Step Back or Step Front option.

How to move an object behind or in front of another object:

1. Select the object to move using the Selector.
2. Click on the Step Back or Step Front tool from the button bar.
3. Continue to press the Step Back or Step Front button until the selected object is behind the desired object.

Please Note: If you would like to move an object behind or in front of all objects, use the Move to Back or Move to Front option in the Graphics Menu. Alternatively, use the Page Up or Page Down keys.

Line and Fill Color

An object’s line and fill colors can be chosen using the Line tool and the Fill tool. You may use one of the predefined colors or create your own custom color. Each tool’s color changes according to the color chosen.

How to define the line color or fill color:

1. Select the object(s) to change using the Selector.
2. Click on the Line or Fill tool from the button bar.
3. Choose the desired color. The tool will change to the color specified.

Please Note: The line color and fill color can also be defined in the Graphic Editor Options menu.