General Tips:
- Any point or line in a blast design is defined by its 3D coordinates and you can use the mouse to identify the 3D coordinates of any object or any position in the main edit window by placing the cursor on the object or point of interest and reading its coordinates in the status bar. Alternatively, you can click on the object and in its dialogue window its coordinates are displayed.
- Information is displayed in layers, and these layers can be managed through the layer manager and the visibility manager. This will allow you to view as much or as little information on your screen as you need and each object on these layers is characterized by its 3D coordinates.
Mouse Tips:
- The mouse is your main tool for working with SHOTPlus. It is used to select tools in the toolbar, draw objects and lay down points on the main edit window. It is used for moving objects, manipulating the 2D and 3D view of your blast design and to select single and multiple objects.
- If the select tool icon in the toolbar is activated (the default operating mode for the application when no other tool is activated), the mouse automatically acts as a select tool as well. It will instantly go into select mode if you left-click anywhere in the empty space of the main edit window. The mouse cursor will then draw out a dotted line (or lasso) that you can use to draw around objects to select them.
- Selecting a group of objects with the mouse: With the mouse select tool draw a lasso around all the objects you want to include into the group. This is done by holding the left mouse button and starting to draw a dotted line around the objects. Each time you want to change direction with the dotted line, let go of the left mouse button and then left click again and move the mouse, with the left button pressed, into the new direction until you have drawn a line around all the objects. To close the selection lasso, simply draw the line across a previous part of the line and left-click. This will select all visible objects within the lasso.
- Stretch and object: To stretch an object or a polygon, click on a grip of the object with the left mouse button, and with the mouse button held down, drag the grip into the direction in which you want the object to stretch and let go when the object has reached the desired shape.
- Turn an an object: To turn an object into a different direction, select the object and with the left mouse button held down, move one of the grips to turn the object into the direction you want it to turn.
- Move an object: To move an object it must be selected first. Click on the object and with the left mouse button held down, move it to a new position. If it does not move, you most likely need to first unlock the layer the object is on. To do this, click on the object with the left mouse button first to select it, then with the right mouse button, bring up the associated menu. Click on unlock selected layers. This unlocks the object from its position in the layer and you can now move it.
- If you move a polygon or a line, you need to place the cursor in the middle of a line, not on one of the grips.
- 3D Coordinates box: To bring up the 3D coordinates box of an object, double-click on the object and that will bring up the appropriate 3D box.
Keyboard Tips:
- h-key for drawing a horizontal line: The h-key can be used for drawing a horizontal line. Using the polyline, polygon or arrow tool tools, click first on the main edit window where you want the line to start, then hold down the h-key and move the mouse in the direction you want the line to end. At the end point, double click to finish the line.
- v-key for drawing a vertical line: The v-key can be used for drawing a vertical line. Using the polyline, polygon or arrow tool tools, click first on the main edit window where you want the line to start, then hold down the v-key and move the mouse in the direction you want the line to end. At the end point, double click to finish the line.
- Cancelling a two point operation: To cancel a multiple point operation, such a drawing an arrow or a polygon, without having to close, press the escape key.
- Control key: The control key has 3 functions:
- If the select tool is activates, if you click the left mouse button on the empty space in the main edit window, all objects in it are deselected.
- If you left-click on one object with the control key pressed then it deselects all other objects and selects that object only.
- If you left-click on an object you can select further objects by clicking on each one whilst holding the control key. This will keep the other selected objects selected and adds selection status to the other objects.
- Shift key: If you want to draw a line and do not want it to snap to another object, you need to press the shift key whilst drawing the line towards the other object's grip. This object still needs to be selected so that you can see its grips and place the end point of the line you are drawing close to the grip.