Elements 2D - window

The Elements 2D window, together with element list and the element editor provide the central front end of the application used for data input of a modelled building construction component. Pressing the right mouse button exposes the context menu offering all element editing functions .

The Element 2D window shows graphically the list of all input elements (or elements of the active 3D-layer ) in the specific order of overlapping.

Remark: This window has its primary use for 2D- and 3D-layered models only. For pure 3D models it will only show the Z-view onto the model - thus it is advised to use the Elements 23 window to process pure 3D models.

On one hand the window provides an instant graphical view onto the component under construction. On the other it is used as an interactive input device together with the mouse as a tool to edit current construction. Graphical sizing of elements is supported with the snapping grid. From this window one can select elements for processing, add new elements, change the overlapping order (promote or relegate) of elements or delete them.
The 2D view can be copied onto the clipboard to be pasted later into another application (e.g. Word) from the clipboard - for example for the purpose of integrating this view into some user's report. The image can be saved to a picture file also.

Remark: Functions offered in this window are by far comparable to those offered by Element selection (browser) window , because both windows show the same list of elements , but in two different representations - graphical and textual.

Element graph	Graphical representation of all elements input (or elements of the active layer ) in the specific order of overlapping.
New	Inserts a new element (of type "Empty") to the end of the element list .
Duplicate	Inserts a copy of currently selected element(s) into the element list . Further details on duplicate function are provided in the description of the context menu of element editing functions .
Delete	Deletes selected element(s) from the list. After deleting one selected element the selection move to the one before the deleted. When first element has been deleted the one becoming first after deletion is selected. If more then one element are selected actual deletion is executed if additionally confirmed by the user. See also: Cut elements to clipboard
Undo (Ctrl-Z)	Undoes (reverts) the latest action(s) in the given editing context .
Redo (Ctrl-Y)	Redoes (reapplies) the action lately undone in the given editing context.
	Selects an element which is first, previous to the currently selected, next to it or last in the element list.
Relegate to Backmost	Reorders selected element(s) in the element list to the "backmost" position. The element is then located at the beginning of the list thus now being potentially overlapped by all other elements. If more elements are selected then each one is relegated by the same distance as the backmost selected one. This action is inhibited if the chosen element does already occupy the first (backmost) location in the list.
Relegate	Reorders selected element(s) in the element list one position "backwards". The element is then located earlier in the list thus now being potentially overlapped by another element which have thus been promoted to the location of the element relegated. If more elements are selected then each one is relegated by one position in the list order. This action is inhibited if the chosen element does already occupy the first (backmost) location in the list.
Promote	Reorders selected element(s) in the element list one position "towards front". The element is then located later in the list thus now potentially overlapping another element which have thus been relegated to the location of the element promoted. If more elements are selected then each one is promoted by one position in the list order. This action is inhibited if the chosen element does already occupy the last (front most) location in the list.
Promote to Frontmost	Reorders selected element(s) in the element list to the "frontmost" position. The element is then located at the end of the list thus now potentially overlapping all other elements. If more elements are selected then each one is promoted by the same distance as the frontmost selected one. This action is inhibited if the chosen element does already occupy the last (front most) location in the list.
Click right mouse button	Exposes the context menu of element editing functions
Click left mouse button	Selection of an element in the element list for further processing.
Turning the mouse wheel	The view will be "scaled" - displayed area will be zoomed. Remark: The scaling operation focuses around the mouse pointer. This allows zooming of the area of interest directly followed by ability to pan the view with the mouse. Remark: If one of the scrollbars has focus, then turning the mouse wheel will result in scrolling (instead of zoom). Remark: During drag operations of the editing mark the function of scaling by the wheel mouse turns is suspended
Fit	The position (scroll) and scaling (zoom) of the view will be adjusted to display the whole component in the window. Remark: If there is an underlay registered and visible its bound will be taken into account also.
Drag with left mouse button depressed (not on the edit marker)	The view will be „scrolled“ - displayed area is panned following the mouse. Remark: You can use scroll bars to pan the view also.
Drag with left mouse button depressed (on the edit marker)	Translates the element or changes the position of element's side or its corner. Remark: If snapping grid is active, translations are adjusted to valid snapping grid line positions also.
Double-click left mouse button	Selection of an element in the element list and exposing the Element editor window for that selected element.
Click CTRL+left mouse button	Extend the selection with the one element clicked or removes the element clicked from the current selection
Drag SHIFT+left mouse button	Selection of element(s) with a lasso
Drag SHIFT+CTRL+left mouse button	Extending the selection of element(s) with a lasso
CTRL+C, CTRL+X, CTRL+V	Copy or Cut selected elements to the clipboard or Paste elements from the clipboard.
Copy Image	Allows saving of the image to a picture file (PNG, TIF, JPG, BMP, GIF) and places the image onto the clipboard. See also: application setting "clipboard image Save-To-File option"

The graphical display

The window displays a 2-dimensional slice through the building component. Elements are drawn in the order of their appearance in the element list . This results possibly (and as desired) in the effect of overlapping of elements being immediately visible on the screen.

When the mouse pointer hovers over one element the properties of the element under the pointer are shown in a tooltip (small informational popup window). The information shown applies to the visible (i.e. not overlapped) element. The tooltip text disappears after 5 seconds or on any mouse movement or click.

Each element is displayed differently depending on its element type and defined colouring:

• material elements are shown filled in their defined colour
• empty elements are shown as edge line surrounding the „empty area“ and with two diagonal lines
• space elements are filled with waved lines
• power source elements are filled with a fine net of lines and coloured in red

Due to the overlapping effect (which is also desired) one or more elements might be fully obscured and thus not visible at all. Such (fully obscured) elements are emphasized with a selection marker only if they are selected in the element list.

Selected elements are emphasized with selection markers. When only one element is selected a editing marker is shown instead and can be used to size or move that one element.

Remark: Line representation used to show elements with zero extent might be too thin at smaller view scaling and not visible. Such elements are visible only when selected.

The display can be adjusted according to users needs as required:

• Scrollbars allow panning of the view (which is also possibly by simply dragging the view with the mouse).
• Turning the mouse wheel will scale the view around the point below the mouse pointer (enlarged or shrunken).
• The fitting function adjusts the position and scaling in such way, that the whole construction is visible within the window.
• The colour of the background (which is by default set to black) can be changed within the application setting "Background 2D-colour" .
• A registered image can be displayed as an underlay or as partly transparent overlay for better orientation during creation of the model.

Element selection

One or more elements in the element list can be selected. Selection can also be performed within the graphic view in this window:

• by using the lasso function one can select many elements for further processing
• a mouse click while the mouse pointer rests over one element will select that element which then will be emphasized with an editing marker .
  Remark: If there are more elements stacked below the mouse pointer, each next mouse click will select the one behind the one currently selected (i.e. in the opposite order to the overlapping sequence).
• a mouse click while the control key (CTRL) is depressed will add the element below the mouse pointer to the list of selected elements.
• by element selection buttons to select single elements from the element list.

Lasso

The lasso provides the function for selecting elements for further processing.

The lasso function will be activated when the shift-key (SHIFT) is held depressed together with left mouse button typically followed by dragging the mouse.

All elements fully inside of the lasso will be selected when the mouse button is returned to its resting position.

When the control key (CTRL) is also held depressed (SHIFT+CTRL+left mouse button) the selection will then be extended with elements matched with lasso.

To cancel the lasso selection process (i.e. to keep the last selection active) simply free the SHIFT key while the mouse button is still kept depressed.

Moving of multiple elements

Holding down the Ctrl key, the left mouse button and dragging the mouse triggers the movement of multiple elements.

Element processing

A double click with the mouse over an element will open the processing window designed for elements - the element editor.

When the right mouse button is depressed in the graphical window, the context menu of element processing is exposed offering extensive list of element processing functions for choice.

Elements can be selected with a single mouse click or with the lasso function .

If there is only one element selected its position can be changed by dragging the editing marker with the mouse.

Functions of the context menu

Many further functions of this context menu are common to all element processing windows and are described separately .

Editing marker

The editing marker is used for adjusting the position of one element. It is displayed as rectangle emphasized with a thick coloured edges.

Dragging an edge with the mouse will translate (move) the complete edit marker (and thus the element will also move). If however edge centres or corners are dragged (these are emphasized with small rectangles) only the particular edge or corner will change its position.
By pressing the ESC-key the change initiated by dragging the mouse can be reset to its original state at any moment.

Remark: If snapping to grid is active, changes to the position are restricted to current snapping grid lines.

Remark: When mouse pointer hovers over edges lines of the editing marker the properties of the element edited are shown in a tool-tip. The information shown applies to the edited element. The tool-tip text disappears after 5 seconds or on any mouse movement or click.

A double-click over the edge of the marker will expose the Element editor window.

Snapping grid

The snapping grid, if active, restricts coordinate values which can be reached by moving the editing marker.

The snapping grid can be set up in such a way that only integral coordinates are allowed (each 1 mm) or only coordinates in integral multiplies of ten (each 10 mm) - etc. The setting of snapping grid can be adjusted from main menu via Edit→Snap to Grid params... . Activation and deactivation of snapping grid is also possible in the context menu .

When the function of snapping grid is turned off movements of editing marker will result in coordinate values calculated by the inverse transform of pixel coordinates at the mouse position. This transformation can result in numbers with large number of decimal places which, in most cases, will not correspond to desired element coordinates.

See also: Element Editor, Element selection (browser) window , Editing (input) windows), Context menu of element processing , Snapping grind parameters, Coordinate system , Export Image 2D , Copy Image 2D