Interface Components

When the Surface Manager is started, an application window that is composed of various window elements is shown.

Figure 3:1. Default layout of the application window

Application Frame

The application frame groups all other application windows into a single integrated unit. All windows can be moved around and arranged freely within the application frame.

Graphics Window

The graphics window is used to present the contents of the current scene. The navigation tools, that are included in the toolbar to the right, can be used to manipulate the viewed models in the window.

Figure 3:2. Surface displayed in graphics window

When a BREP model is presented in the graphics window, the internal structure of the model is also shown. Faces are drawn as shaded surfaces and the bounding edges as yellow or blue lines. Edges that bounds exactly two faces are coloured yellow and the remaining edges are coloured blue. A blue edge inside a surface indicates that the bounded faces are unconnected. The most common reason for this is that the faces are unconnected in the file they are coming from or that the gaps between the faces are too big. Unconnected edges can be sewed together, either by just connecting then if the gaps are small or by slightly increasing the internal tolerance and then connecting them. Small black symbols are used to show the position of the vertices.

Workspace Explorer

The workspace explorer window includes two tabbed tree views that are used to explorer scenes and imported models. This window is by default docked to the left side of the application frame.

Model View

The model view is the basic tool to examine imported models and also the structure of these models. Models can be added to the current scene, and thereby presented in the graphic window, by selecting, and then dragging them to the graphics window. Functions can also be invoked from this view by right-clicking on a node and then selecting an appropriate function from the appearing pop-up menu.

Figure 3:3. Example of a model tree

The model tree is divided into two main areas, Hull Surfaces and Primitive Assemblies. Both areas can be used in a similar way, but the Hull Surfaces area is most suited to be used for surfaces to be released to a design project and the Primitive Assemblies area for more general models. The assembly tree structure is flattened out when models are imported to the Hull Surfaces area, but retained when the same model is imported to the Primitive Assemblies area.

Scenes View

The scenes view is used to explore created scenes and the model drops that are included in each scene. Context sensitive menus are available to create, make current, delete or change the properties of a scene.

Message Window

The message window is docked at the bottom of the application frame and used to present output from the execution of tools. Error or informational messages are also written to this window.

Auxiliary Model View

An auxiliary model tree window function has been made available in order to give you the possibility to split the ordinary model tree anywhere in the tree structure.

This tool is particularly useful when checking the details in one tree and still having the overview in another tree.