2.4 Exploring a Model

Navigating the Graphics View

To rotate the view, click anywhere in an open area of the graphics view with the left mouse button and hold it down. By dragging the mouse left and right you can rotate the view to the left or to the right. Similarly, by dragging the mouse up and down you rotate the model up and down. Panning works similarly as rotating, except you use the middle mouse button instead of the left. Hold down the middle mouse button and drag the mouse to pan the view. You can zoom in or out by holding down the right mouse button. Drag the mouse up to zoom in and move it down to zoom out. See section Navigating the GUI for an overview of the different methods of changing the view.

Selecting objects

Selection is another important aspect for interacting with the model. Selection requires a selection context, which tells FEBioStudio what type of entity you would like to select. The current selection context is highlighted on the main toolbar and can be changed by clicking on the corresponding selection button. For instance, to select an object, first click the “Select Object” button on the main toolbar (i.e. the button with the green ball). With the button selected, you can now select any object in the model by clicking on it with the left mouse button. Selecting another object will automatically unselect the first selected object. To add an object to the current selection, hold down the shift key when you select the object. Similarly, you can remove an object from the current selection by holding down the ctrl key when clicking on the object.

To select several objects with one motion, first choose a selection method from the main toolbar. There are three selection methods: rectangle, circle, and free form. For example, select the rectangle selection method. Now, hold down the shift key and then click and hold down the left mouse button on an empty part of the screen. With the shift key and left mouse button down, drag the mouse to draw a rectangle around the objects you wish the select. Once you let go of the left mouse button, all objects that are inside or intersect the rectangle will be selected. You can also use this procedure to unselect several objects at once. Just repeat the procedure but hold down the ctrl key instead of the shift key. The other selection methods work similarly.

Transforming an object

Once an object is selected you can transform it, which means you can translate, rotate, or scale it. To apply a particular transformation, make sure one of more objects are selected. Then click on one of the transform buttons on the toolbar. For example, to translate an object click on the translate toolbar button (i.e. the button with the crossed arrows). A triad appears on the selected object(s). The triad is positioned at the current pivot point, which is the center from which the transformation is applied. The triad consists of three colored arms and three colored planes. When you move the mouse over one of the arms or planes, it becomes highlighted. A highlighted arm or plane can be selected and when you drag the mouse, you can move the object in the corresponding direction.

For more precise modeling you can also enter the transformation numerically using the Transform dialog which is accessible from the Edit menu (Edit → Transform... ).

If you accidentally moved an object, you can undo your action by selecting the Edit → Undo menu (shortcut ctrl\(+z)\). The Edit → Redo menu option allows you to redo your last undone action. Note that you have a virtually unlimited undo-redo stack so you rarely have to worry about making mistakes. However, for large models the undo stack may consume a lot of memory. The undo stack is cleared each time you save your model.