Vizex mouse click operations

In Vizex, you can perform a number of edit operations using the mouse, or using the mouse in combination with the keyboard. You can also right-click a display object and select an option from the right-click menu. See: Vizex right-click menus.

If you want to edit a display layer interactively, i.e. to create new strings, you need to set that display layer as the Active Layer.

Select

To select objects in the display:

• Click the Select tool on the View toolbar.

• Click on an object to select it.
• Hold down the CTRL key to select more than one object at a time.
• In the case of strings, you can also use the mouse to select only a part of a string.

• Clicking in an empty portion of the display will cancel the current selection.
• Pressing DELETE will delete what is currently selected.
• Press CTRL + DELETE will delete the points but leave the string intact. Use Edit | Undo to recover from an inadvertent deletion.

The following mouse shortcuts work on the selected string, point, or outline.

Move Point

To move a point, simply click on the point and hold the mouse button down. The cursor will change to an open square surrounded by four arrowheads.

Drag the point to a new location and release the mouse button.

Copy Point

To copy a point, hold down the CTRL key as you use the mouse to click on the target point and drag the copied point to its new location.

Move String

To move a string, simply click on a string segment and hold the mouse button down. The cursor shape changes to four arrows. Drag the string to a new location.

You can also move a string by selecting Copy/Move String from the right-click menu. See: Copy, move, or replicate a string

If you are unable to select a string segment with the mouse, pressing the SHIFT key will override the Move Point operation and revert to a Move String operation.

Nudge Strings or Points

In Vizex, you can use the keyboard arrow keys to nudge selected strings or points in the plane of the screen, by a specified increment, or by a specified increment and multiplier.

The Up and Down arrows move the selected strings or points in a positive and negative Y direction. The Right and Left arrows move the selected strings or points in a positive and negative X direction.

The CTRL or SHIFT keys can be used in combination with the arrow keys to modify the increment:

• CTRL will move by increment / multiplier.
• SHIFT will move by increment * multiplier.

Nudge increment and multiplier values are defined in Tools | Options | Vizex - String Editor. The nudge increment defaults to 1.0. The nudge increment multiplier defaults to 10.

Copy String

To copy a string, press the CTRL key while the mouse is over a string segment. The cursor shape changes to four arrows with a plus (+) sign.

Dragging the cursor will move a copy of the selected string.

You can also move a string by selecting Copy/Move String from the right-click menu. To copy multiple strings quickly and easily, refer to the Replicate String function.

Snapping Mode

To toggle the current Snap mode* on and off use the S shortcut key. To change the Snap Mode, select an option from the drop-down tool menu, or use the SHIFT + S key to cycle through the snapping options.

When Snap Mode is enabled, the snap cursor will move to the nearest point (line, grid, or intersection) from any snappable layer, independent of the mouse cursor. Whenever the snap cursor is active, the rubber band line changes to a DASH style and the snapped point is enlarged. Clicking the mouse button will create a point at the snapped location.

*Snap mode only applies to those display layers that have a 'Snappable' Snap status.

Follow String

If Snap Mode is enabled, you can follow one or more strings when digitising a new string or polygon:

1. Enable Snapping mode and select the New String or New Polygon tool.

Alternatively, enable Snap Mode while digitising a new string or polygon.

2. Move the mouse close to the string or polygon you wish to follow so that the snap cursor becomes active.

3. Hold down the left mouse button and drag along the string. As you move the mouse along the string or polygon, it will snap to the points on that object. As you follow the object, the position of each successive point is highlighted.

You may only follow a string or polygon with the snapping mode set to Snap to Point, Snap to Line, or Snap to Object. Follow actions are ignored in the other snapping modes.

When digitising a new string in snap to object mode you can click and drag to follow either of the intersecting strings when snapping to an intersection point.

4. To follow a different string or polygon, release the mouse button, move towards the next string or polygon, and then hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse along that string.
5. Finally, right-click to complete the new string or polygon.

Delete Point

Hold down the CTRL key while you click on a point. The cursor shape changes to a cross.

Click the mouse to delete the point.

Delete String

To delete a string or string segment, click on the string to select it. The points of the string will be highlighted. Click the Delete String button on the String Tools toolbar (or press the Delete key on the keyboard).

To delete part of a string, or delete the points on a string, see: Pick partial string

Properties

Double-click on a string, outline or point object to toggle the display of properties on and off. You can use the Property Window to display and edit object attributes. If multiple objects are selected you may still edit the attributes of those objects.

See Also