Drawing in the Simulator
To add shapes you can select the appropriate shape from the shape buttons
on the left side of the editor. It is possible to add lines, rectangles, ovals
and text objects in this way. The button column also contains tools for
selection of elements and filling objects with colows. Below is a brief
description of what each button from top to bottom does.
- Add line - To add a line click on this button. Then move the
mouse to the location where the line's starting point should be. Press
and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse cursor to the ending
point of the line. Finally release the mouse button.
- Add rectangle - To add a rectangle click on this button. Then
specify two opposite edges for the rectangle by pressing and holding the
left mouse button in the draw area and dragging the mouse.
- Add oval - Click on this button to draw an oval. Ovals are drawn
in a similar way as lines and rectangles.
- Add text - Click on this button to insert a text object into the
model. Then click on the point which should be the upper left corner of
the created object. A dialog window will appear where you can specify
the added text.
- Select elements - To select multiple objects first click on this
button. Then drag a box around a group of objects in the editor. Now you
can move the whole set of objects by dragging one of them.
- Fill shape - This button is for filling
shapes with colours. To fill a shape click on the Fill shape button
in the button panel. A dialog window will appear where you can choose the
colour. Finally click on the empty space inside a shape in the editor to
fill it with the selected colour. Note that only rectangles
and ovals contain empty space and can be filled.
- Undo - click on this button to undo the previously made change
in the simulation model. You can undo the ten lateset modifications. The
keyboard shortcut is CTRL-Z.
- Redo - clicking on this button redoes the latest undone change.
All undone changes can be redone unless other modifications have been made.
The keyboard shortcut is CTRL-Y.
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All of the above mentioned actions except the Fill shape action can
be found also in the Edit menu where they work the same way except that
you first click on the appropriate menu item instead of the button in the button
panel.
Manipulating elements in the draw area
After drawing an elements such as a rectangle, oval or line you can still
edit its properties:
- To move an element press and hold the left mouse button on it. Then
drag the element to its new location. Finally release the mouse button.
- Elements can also be resized.
- To resize rectangles and ovals move the mouse cursor over its border.
The mouse cursor will change shape indicating whether the element will be
resized in the x or y direction. Rectangles can also be resized in the x
and y directions simultaneously if the cursor is placed over one of the
corners. The element can be resized by moving
the mouse with the left button pressed i.e. by dragging.
- To resize lines move the mouse cursor over one of its ending points.
You can now drag the ending point to a new location. The line will be
resized accordingly.
Elements can also be manipulated by editing their properties in the
Properties window.
Removing elements
Elements can be removed by selecting them and then clicking on the
Remove button in the Properties window or the Delete
key on the keyboard. A dialog will appear where you can confirm or cancel
the deletion command.
Note that elements cannot be edited when the
Animator is open. Once the
Animator window is closed the controls for manipulating the simulation model
become enabled and the Properties window can be opened again.