Tools Form Introduction

The Tools Form contains all of the tools you'll use to build and modify objects in a scene. It consists of a number of tabs used to group the tools by function. These tabs are (click on the tab's name to go to its documentation):

• Create - Build and duplicate brushes, entities and shapes.
• Modify - Modify existing objects
• User - Third-party plug-in tools
• Prefab - Prefabricated objects
• View - Manipulate the world's reference plane

Form Menu

The Tools Form has a number of custom menu items under the Form's menu in the upper left beside the Form's title. These are used to change the look and information presented by the Tools Form. When a Layout is saved the settings of the Form's menu are also saved.

Tab Location Menu

The Tab Location menu allows the user to change the position of the tabs around the Form. Valid positions are vertical left, vertical right and horizontal along the top.

User Plug-in Style Menu

The User Plug-in Style menu allows the user to change how the list of third-party tool plug-ins under the User tab are displayed. Selecting Icon will show only the tool's icon while selecting List will display the tool's icon to the left with its name to the right.

Prefab Style Menu

The Prefab Style menu allows the user to change how the list of prefabricated objects under the Prefab tab are displayed. Selecting Icon will show only the prefab's icon while selecting List will display the prefab's icon to the left with its name to the right.

Types of Tools

Constructor currently supports three different types of tools:

• Tools that use the Tool Properties Form to allow the user to modify its parameters.
• Tools that pop up a Tool Properties dialog to allow the user to modify its parameters.
• Tools that execute immediately without asking the user to modify any parameters.

Tool Properties Form

Very often when a tool is activated it has a number of parameters that may be modified by the user prior to the tool completing its action. These parameters are set within the Tool Properties Form.

In addition to the usual GUI controls within the Form to modify the tool, there are a number of optional buttons that may be displayed at the top of the Form.

Activate [ALT-A]

This button will turn on the tool with the existing parameters. For example: if you had previously drawn out and made a cube, reactivating the same tool and clicking on the Activate button will draw a new cube with the existing parameters and allow you to continue to edit it.

Reset [ALT-R]

This button will reset the current tool to its default parameters.

Make [Return or Q]

This button will perform the tool's action and then deactivate the tool. For example: after drawing out and sizing a cylinder you would click on the Make button (or use of of the keyboard shortcuts) to add a cylindrical brush to the scene.

Make & Cont [SHIFT-Return or SHIFT-Q]

This button will perform the tool's action like the Make button but keeps the tool active. For example: after drawing out and sizing a ramp, clicking on the Make & Cont button will add a ramp brush to the scene and allow you to continue to resize or reposition the tool and add another ramp.

Tools->Deactivate [Escape]

While not a button on the Tool Properties Form you may cancel a tool's operation at any time by pressing the Escape key or using the Tools->Deactivate menu.

From the two examples pictures above you may see that the buttons available depend on the active tool.

Each of these operations is also available under the Tools menu:

Tool Properties Dialog

If a tools has modifiable parameters but otherwise doesn't need to interact with the user then it may open a Tool Properties Dialog. An example is the Center 1D tool under the Modify tab.

Once the appropriate parameters have been set the tool is executed by clicking the OK button. Clicking the Cancel button will deactivate the tool without it performing its operation.

Immediate Execution

Some tools don't have modifiable parameters and don't need to otherwise interact with the user. These tools run once by the user clicking on the tool icon or pressing its keyboard shortcut. And example is the Rest on Ground tool under the Modify tab that will modify the position of all selected items when its icon is clicked.