Table of Contents

Navigating the User Interface ............................................................................................. 1

Navigating the User Interface: Introduction ....................................................... 1

The Screen Appearance ................................................................................... 1

The Menu Bar.................................................................................................... 3

File ................................................................................................................. 3

Edit ................................................................................................................ 3

View ............................................................................................................... 4

Insert .............................................................................................................. 4

Operation ....................................................................................................... 4

Window .......................................................................................................... 5

Help ............................................................................................................... 5

The Toolbar Area .............................................................................................. 5

The Graphic Display Window ............................................................................ 6

The Status Bar .................................................................................................. 6

Dialog Box Description ...................................................................................... 7

Edit Box ......................................................................................................... 9

List Box ........................................................................................................ 10

Option Buttons ............................................................................................. 12

Check Boxes................................................................................................ 12

Command Buttons ....................................................................................... 13

Dialog Box Tabs .......................................................................................... 16

Drop Down List Box ..................................................................................... 16

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 Table of Contents

Accessing Dialog Boxes Options ................................................................. 16

Scrolling the Edit Window ............................................................................ 17

Moving Dialog Boxes ................................................................................... 17

Customizing the User Interface ....................................................................... 17

Restoring the Default User Interface............................................................ 18

Customizing User Interface Fonts................................................................ 18

Customizing Menus ..................................................................................... 19

Customizing Toolbars .................................................................................. 23

Customizing Shortcut Keys .......................................................................... 26

Docking and Undocking User Interface Elements ........................................... 27

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Navigating the User
Interface
Navigating the User Interface: Introduction
This section provides an introduction to using PC-DMIS. It documents the fundamental actions
needed to operate the software. To fully exercise the capabilities of PC-DMIS and make your
measurement routine programming as easy as possible, please read through this entire section
and follow along on your computer.

This section also highlights ways to customize some of PC-DMIS's graphical options to best meet
individual needs. (Additional information on these available options can be found in the "Editing
the CAD Display: Introduction" section.)

Each topic listed below illustrates a specific feature of the interface. The following are covered in
this section:

• The Screen Appearance

• The Menu Bar
• The Toolbar Area
• The Graphic Display Window
• The Status Bar
• Dialog Box Description
• Customizing the User Interface

PC-DMIS provides the flexibility of using the mouse or keyboard to enter commands or select
options. Shortcut menus and shortcut keys have been assigned to frequently used commands.
See the "Using Shortcut Keys and Shortcut Menus: Introduction" section.

The Screen Appearance

PC-DMIS presents a consistent screen appearance to the user.

The screen is divided into several distinct areas, each of which fulfills a specific function or
supplies needed information. A brief description of each screen area is listed below. (Additional
information is located throughout the documentation as indicated.)

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Screen Appearance of the PC-DMIS User Interface

1. The Title bar provides the following:

• Displays version information.
• Displays the currently loaded measurement routine
• Displays if PC-DMIS is in Administrator mode

• Contains the standard Windows Minimize, Maximize and Close buttons

2. The Menu bar contains the menus and menu items available from the PC-DMIS
application. For information, see "The Menu Bar".
3. The Toolbar area contains toolbars with frequently used commands. These toolbars are
easily accessible by right-clicking on the Toolbar area. See "The Toolbar Area".
4. The Graphic Display window presents graphic representations of the part (the top view is
shown in the illustration). The size of this area remains constant. However, the display
area can be divided into as many as four different views of the part. For information, see
"The Graphic Display Window".

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5. Dialog boxes are the main communication channels between Planner and the user.
Available features appear in the dialog box, and most input data is entered through it. For
information, see "Dialog Box Description".
6. The Edit window displays the measurement routine. This window allows you to access
specific commands within the measurement routine and make changes to meet individual
specifications. See the "Editing a Measurement Routine: Introduction" and "Using the Edit
Window: Introduction" chapters for fully documented operations of the Edit window.
7. The Status Bar displays information important to the current operation. This includes
information such as the probe's current position, the probe calibration data, standard
deviation of the last feature measured, the number of hits, and other information. It also
contains a message area to display prompts and pertinent information about the
operation in progress. For more information, see "The Status Bar".

The Menu Bar

This topics below give a brief description of each menu. For additional information, see the
appropriate chapter as needed. PC-DMIS also provides a variety of shortcut menus. These are
discussed in the "Using Shortcut Keys and Shortcut Menus: Introduction" chapter.

To get help on specific menu items, hover over the menu item and press F1.

File
The File menu lets you open, save, and print files, access the Edit window, run measurement
routines with the Execute Mode, and exit out of current measurement routines. See the "Using
Basic File Options: Introduction" and "Using Advanced File Options: Introduction" chapters for
more information.

Edit
The Edit menu allows you to edit your measurement routine preferences, your measurement
routine, or the CAD display.

• To edit your preferences, see the "Setting Your Preferences: Introduction" chapter for
complete information.
• To edit your measurement routine via the Edit window, see the "Editing a Measurement
Routine: Introduction" and "Using the Edit Window: Introduction" chapters for complete
information.
• To edit the display of the CAD drawing, see the "Editing the CAD Display: Introduction"
chapter for complete information.

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View
The view menu allows you to access all the windows, editors, and toolbars available to PC-DMIS.
See the "Using Other Windows, Editors, and Tools: Overview" chapter for complete information.

Insert
The bulk of a measurement routine's commands can be accessed from the Insert menu.

Most of the chapters comprising this documentation come from the options and submenus
displayed on this menu.

• Options on the Hardware Definition submenu are discussed in the "Defining

Hardware" chapter.
• Options on the Feature submenu are discussed in these chapters: "Creating Auto
Features", "Creating Measured Features", "Constructing New Features from Existing
Features", "Creating Generic Features".
• Options on the Alignment submenu are discussed in the "Creating and Using
Alignments" chapter.
• Options on the Dimension submenu are discussed in the "Using Legacy
Dimensions" chapter.
• Options on the Scan submenu are discussed in the "Scanning your Part" chapter.
• Options on the Move submenu are discussed in the "Inserting Move
Commands" chapter.
• Options on the Flow Control Command submenu are discussed in the "Branching by
Using Flow Control" chapter.
• Options on the Statistics Command submenu are discussed in the "Tracking Statistical
Data" chapter.
• Options on the Report Command submenu, including the ability to add Diminfo and
Pointinfo boxes onto your CAD display and into your measurement routine, are discussed
in the "Inserting Report Commands" chapter.
• Options on the File I/O Command submenu are discussed in the "Using File Input /
Output" chapter.
• Options on the Modules submenu represent the toolkit modules installed with PC-DMIS.
• The remaining options on the Insert menu are discussed in the "Using Expressions and
Variables " chapter and the "Adding External Elements" chapter.

Operation
The items on the Operation menu are discussed in various topics of the documentation.

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Window
The Window menu allows you to manage the display of all open measurement routines. See the
"Navigating and Displaying Multiple Windows" chapter.

Help
The Help menu provides comprehensive information about PC-DMIS commands, dialog boxes,
menu items, messages, and so on. To activate the PC-DMIS Help file, select any of the items on
the Help menu or press F1 at any time. PC-DMIS will launch the PC-DMIS Help file. See the
"Using the Online Help" chapter.

It also provides information about your version of PC-DMIS and provides options for automatically
updating the PC-DMIS software. See "Updating the Software" in the "Getting Started:Overview"
chapter.

Selecting Options from the Menu Bar with the Keyboard

To open a menu and browse through the options using the keyboard, press the ALT key followed
by the underlined letter in the name of the menu to be opened.

For example: To open the View menu using the keyboard, press ALT and V (the underlined
letter). Options can be selected from the menu in a similar manner. Simply press the underlined
letter to the corresponding option (i.e., Cut: press the T key).

Menus also can be opened using the arrow keys.

To do this:

1. Press the ALT key to switch to the menu bar.

2. Use the LEFT/RIGHT ARROW keys to move to the desired menu.
3. Use the UP/DOWN ARROW keys to select an option.
4. When the desired option is highlighted, press the ENTER key.

Shortcut keys also have been assigned to many of the options. The shortcut key is shown to the
right of the command or option.

See the "Using Shortcut Keys and Menus" chapter for more information.

The Toolbar Area

PC-DMIS provides you with a variety of toolbars composed of frequently used commands. These
toolbars can be accessed in one of these two ways.

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1. Select the View | Toolbars submenu and select a toolbar from the menu provided.
2. Right-click on PC-DMIS's Toolbar area and select a toolbar from the shortcut menu
provided.

Once you have a toolbar in the toolbar area, you can move the toolbar by first clicking on the
space between the left or right edge and a button and then dragging the toolbar to a different
location.

For in-depth information on all of PC-DMIS's toolbars, see the "Using Toolbars" chapter.

The Graphic Display Window

The Graphic Display window, quite simply, displays graphics. This window is opened by default
when you create or access a measurement routine. To hide or view this window, select the View |
Graphic Display Window menu option.

• It displays a multi-paned graphical representation of an imported CAD part, the probe,

and any simulated machines or fixtures.
• It shows measured, auto, and constructed features and their ID labels.
• It displays scans, dimensions, GD&T callouts, and text box displays.

The Graphic Display window is an integral part of PC-DMIS. For information on editing the
Graphic Display window, and altering the screen display, see "Editing the CAD Display" chapter.

The Status Bar

The status bar displays the following:

1. Message Box: The left-most box displays instructions and other information regarding
the current procedure or command.
2. X, Y, and Z boxes: These boxes show the X, Y, and Z position of the probe. Clicking on
any of the three coordinate displays within the status bar will cause the Auto Move Point

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dialog box to appear. (See "Inserting a Move Point Command" in the "Inserting Move
Commands" chapter for additional information regarding DCC Move Point.)
3. W: Angle of Rotary Table:
4. SD: This shows the standard deviation of the last feature measured.
5. # of Hits: This shows the number of hits currently taken.
6. IN/MM: This shows the current unit of measurement used for the measurement routine.
7. INS/OVR: - This box indicates the current editing function of the Edit report. It will display
INS (for INSERT, meaning it inserts text at the cursor) or OVR (for OVERWRITE,
meaning it overwrites any text encountered by the cursor).
8. Line: This box displays a number that indicates the current line where the cursor is
located in the Edit report. Col: This box displays a number that indicates the current
column where the cursor is located in the Edit report.

Status Bar Manipulations

• To increase the size of the status bar, select View | Status Bar | Large. Due to its
increased size, this large status bar will only display the Message and the XYZ boxes.

• To put the status bar back to its normal size, select View | Status Bar | Normal.
• To hide or show the status bar, select View | Status Bar | Hide Status Bar(s).

Dialog Box Description

A dialog box provides various boxes and buttons (called controls) that can be selected to tell PC-
DMIS how to carry out a command. Sometimes a dialog box shows default settings already
selected, which if satisfactory can be left as they are. After all the controls in the dialog box have
been set, select OK to carry out the command. To cancel the command and close the dialog box,
click the Cancel button.

The graphics illustrate some features common to most dialog boxes in PC-DMIS.

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A - Edit Boxes or Fields

B - List Box

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C - Drop Down List Box

D - Check Boxes

E - Command Buttons

F - Tabs

Edit Box

An edit box allows you to type in a desired value or name. In this documentation, edit boxes are
simply referred to as "boxes". Edit boxes common to many of PC-DMIS's dialog boxes are listed
here:

ID= [Feature]

This box shows the Feature or Dimension identification or name for the features or dimensions to
be created.

To change the ID:

1. Select the previous ID.

2. Type a new ID.
3. Press the TAB key.

For a Dimension ID:

• You can change only the number portion of the ID and reset the dimension counter to a
desired count.
• You can change the text portion of the ID and set it as the default text for subsequent
dimensions. (See the ID Setup tab of the Setup Options dialog box in the "Setting Your
Preferences" chapter.)

Search ID

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In the Search ID box you can type the feature (or dimension) IDs to use in the current operation.
You can use this box to search using meta-character search options. The feature or dimension
IDs will be highlighted in the appropriate Feature List box (or Dimension List box).

If you type a feature's ID in the Search ID box and press ENTER, PC-DMIS selects that feature
from the Feature List or Dimension List box.

Select Last #

In the Select Last # box, you can select the last of a certain number of features (or dimensions).
For example, if you wanted to select the last four features that were created, simply type 4 and
press the TAB key. PC-DMIS will highlight the features selected in the Feature List box.

List Box

A list box is similar to an edit box; however, changes cannot be made to the listed values. This
documentation refers to either "list" or "box" for the list box. Lists common to many of PC-DMIS's
dialog boxes are listed here:

Feature List box

Feature List box

The Feature List box contains a list of the available features within a measurement routine. PC-
DMIS uses selected features to define alignments, construct new features, create dimensions,
and other such tasks. You can select features by following the instructions given in the "Selecting
Features Using the Graphic Display window" topic in the "Editing the CAD display" chapter.

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A feature displayed in red text with an asterisk (*) to the left of it represents a feature that has
been skipped during measurement routine execution.

Selected (highlighted) features can be deselected using the Clear or Clear List button.

If you are attaching an external measurement routine (see "Attaching an External Measurement
Routine" in the "Adding External Elements" chapter), PC-DMIS also lists the variable (or pointer)
used to reference the attached measurement routine. A plus sign (+) appears to the left of the
pointer. Clicking this plus sign expands or collapses a view of all the features in the attached
measurement routine.

Sorting the Features

Clicking the drop-down arrow button located at the top of the Feature List box displays the
various sorting methods available as shown below.

Feature List Sort menu

Once a selection is made, the list is automatically sorted based on the selected option. As new
items are added to the list, clicking on the Sort button will re-sort the list based on the currently
sorted options shown on the button. Re-clicking the button will sort the list in reverse as shown be
the up or down arrow to the right of the displayed sorting method.

Sorting options defined

• ID - Sorts the list alphabetically based on feature ID.
• Type - Sorts by feature type. In this case, the feature's ID is used as a secondary sort
criteria.
• Routine - Sorts the list based on the order the feature appears in the measurement
routine.
• Time - Sorts the list based on the times the features were last measured.

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Dimension List box

The Dimension List box contains a list of all the dimensions that were created within a
measurement routine. You can edit or analyze a dimension by selecting the desired dimension in
the list box and selecting the desired changes or options in the associated dialog box. You select
multiple dimensions at a time by holding down Ctrl or Shift and clicking on another dimension.

Inside the Edit Dimension Info dialog box, if the dimension already has a Dimension Info box
associated with it, PC-DMIS shows an asterisk (*) symbol next to the dimension ID in the list. If
the dimension info is hidden in all current views, it adds a number sign (#) symbol next to the ID.

For example, suppose you have a roundness dimension named RND1 for a circle named CIR4. If
the roundness dimension already had a DIMINFO box associated with it, yet that DIMINFO box
was hidden from all views in the Graphic Display window, the ID in the list would look like this:

Example of asterisk and number sign symbols

Option Buttons
The area containing option buttons displays available choices for the dialog box. You can switch
between available choices by clicking on the desired button. When an option is chosen, a black
dot appears to the left of the selected option and all other options are cleared. You can only
select one option button in that area.

Check Boxes
Click on check boxes to turn options on or off. The option is considered "on" when a check mark
appears inside the box. You can select multiple check boxes.

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Command Buttons

A command button carries out an action. The command buttons common to most dialog boxes in
PC-DMIS are listed here:

Apply

The Apply button applies your selections to the dialog box but keeps the dialog box open for
further changes.

OK

The OK button saves and applies the changes and closes the dialog box. On some dialog boxes,
clicking the OK button inserts commands into the Edit window.

Cancel

The Cancel button ignores any changes and closes the dialog box.

Delete

The Delete button removes items (such as created features, dimensions, probe files, alignment
information, and so on) from certain list boxes.

In the Delete CAD dialog box, the Delete command button deletes selected nominal features.
See "Deleting CAD".

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Last

The Last button selects the last item in the associated list box.

Last Two

The Last Two button selects the last two items in the associated list box.

Select All

The Select All button selects all the items in the associated list box.

Default

Use the Default button to update the default settings of several parameters. When you create a
new measurement routine, it will reflect any changes that are stored as the default values.

The default values are stored in the system registry. You can update these parameters through
the appropriate dialog box or by editing the registry itself by using the PC-DMIS Settings Editor.
This application is included with your PC-DMIS install set. For more information, see "Modifying
Registry Entries".

• If you click the OK button without clicking the Default button, the defined parameters will
apply only to the active measurement routine and will not affect the registry entries.
• If you change a parameter and then click the Default button, PC-DMIS will update the
registry entries, redefining the default to the current entry.

The Default button allows you to store and apply new default values to new measurement
routines created later on.

Recall

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You can use the Recall button to call back the original factory settings as long as the original
values haven't changed through clicking the Default button. In that case, PC-DMIS returns the
stored values in the registry.

For information on using the Machine Options dialog box to restore original factory settings by
reading them from the controller, see "Setting Up the Machine Interface" in the "Setting Your
Preferences" chapter.

Create

The Create button applies changes made in certain dialog boxes and creates features,
dimensions, scans, and so on. It then places the created item into the Edit window and the
Graphic Display window.

The Create button won't close the dialog box. Only clicking the Close button closes the dialog
box.

Close

The Close button closes the dialog box. With some dialog boxes (where you may want to select
further options) just pressing the OK, Apply, or the Create button doesn't automatically close the
dialog box.

Clear

Use the Clear command button to clear the highlight of any selected item from the list boxes. In
some cases, the Clear button completely removes items from certain list boxes (such as the AB
positions from the New Angles List box).

In some dialog boxes and tabs, the Clear button clears any values that were entered or changed
before either the Apply or the OK button was clicked, and restores the "built in" values in PC-
DMIS. If you have used the Default button to store default values, then PC-DMIS restores those
values.

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Undo

The Undo button reverses changes made using the Apply button (or the Generate button in
DCC scans). It cannot reverse changes made once the OK button is clicked.

Help

The Help button opens the online help topic associated with the current dialog box.

Dialog Box Tabs

Some dialog boxes contain tabs. These tabs act as identifying markers much like a folder's name
in a filing cabinet would. Click on a tab to bring a desired window or options in front of the other
tabs. Any options or commands associated with that tab are then displayed.

Drop Down List Box

A drop-down list box works like menus. Click on the drop-down arrow icon to the right of the
current choice, or press ALT and the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW key on the keyboard
consecutively. Pressing F4 will also display the available options. Press the key(s) again to close
the list. The current choice is shown in the highlighted box.

Accessing Dialog Boxes Options

The mouse or keyboard can be used to access options within the dialog box. To access an option
using the mouse, simply point to the desired option and click.

The keyboard offers a variety of ways to move between available options:

• Press the Tab key to move to the next available option.

• Press Shift + Tab to move to the previous available option.
• Press the Arrow key to display a current drop-down list.
• Press the Enter key to select the current command.
• Press the Space Bar to select the current check box or button.

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Scrolling the Edit Window

The Edit window can be moved in the same manner as a dialog box. See "Moving Dialog Boxes"

The Edit window has scroll bars for viewing additional data in the window.

To scroll:

1. Place the mouse pointer on one of the scroll arrows.

2. Click or hold the left mouse button.

PC-DMIS scrolls the text in the scroll arrow's pointed direction. For example, to scroll down,
select the down scroll arrow with the pointer and click the left mouse button.

See the chapters "Editing a Measurement Routine" and "Using the Edit Window" for complete
information regarding the Edit window.

Moving Dialog Boxes

You can use the mouse to move a dialog box or window.

To move a dialog box or window:

1. Place the mouse pointer over the title bar.

2. Hold down the left mouse button.
3. Drag the dialog box or window to the desired position in the Graphic Display window.
4. Release the mouse button.

PC-DMIS moves the dialog box or window to its new location.

You can dock some dialog boxes and other interface elements inside the rest of the user
interface. You may need to undock these items before you move them. For details on how to
dock and undock UI elements, see "Docking and Undocking User Interface Elements".

Customizing the User Interface

You can reorganize menus, add your own programs to menus, or create new menus and options
altogether. PC-DMIS also allows you to link commands native to PC-DMIS and customized
commands to toolbars. Instructions on how to modify the user interface are in the following topics:

• Restoring the Default User Interface

• Customizing User Interface Fonts
• Customizing Menus

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• Customizing Toolbars
• Customizing Shortcut Keys

Note: The organization of this documentation is based on the default user interface shipped with
this version PC-DMIS. Be aware that customizing the user interface may make existing
documentation difficult to follow.

Restoring the Default User Interface

If you want to restore PC-DMIS's appearance to the default user interface shipped with this
version of PC-DMIS, follow this procedure:

1. Close PC-DMIS.
2. Navigate to the directory where you installed PC-DMIS.
3. Access the directory that corresponds to your Windows user profile.
4. Delete the file named menu_xxx.dat where xxx refers to the three letter code for the
language you're running. For English, delete menu_eng.dat.
5. Restart PC-DMIS. It will use the default user interface.

Customizing User Interface Fonts

Change all the fonts dialog box

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To modify font attributes, access the Font Setup dialog box by selecting the Edit | Preferences |
Fonts menu option. Using this dialog box, you can change font attributes - including font, size,
and style - for the main user interface, for the Graphic Display window, and for the Edit window.

To change the font:

1. Click one of these option buttons to open a standard Font dialog box:

• Application Font - This changes the font of the main application. This includes
the lists on the Settings toolbar, the Preview window, the Readout window, the
status bar, message boxes, and so on.
• Graphic Font - This changes the font for text in the Graphic Display window.
This affects feature labels, Dimension Info and Point Info text boxes, and so on.

Note: For Graphic Font, only text boxes support the Underline and Strike-out
characteristics.

• Edit Window Font - This changes the font for the Edit window. For a
recommended font for the Edit window, see the note below.
3. From the Font dialog box, use the lists and select your font changes.
4. Click OK to close the Font dialog box.
5. From the Font Setup dialog box, click OK to accept your change.

Important: You can use any font available on your computer system; however, some fonts don't
have a uniform spacing. This can make some components more difficult to read. For the Edit
window text, we recommend that you use a monospace, fixed-width font, such as the Courier
New font. Otherwise, characters, lines, and headings may not line up as expected.

CAD GD&T Font size

This slider scales the size of any GD&T CAD elements that appear in the Graphic Display
window. The font size changes dynamically as you adjust the slider. Click OK to keep the
changed font size.

Customizing Menus

To customize the menus on the menu bar:

1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option.
2. Select the Menu tab.

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Customize dialog box – Menu tab

You can use this tab to add new menu items, move existing menu items, or remove menu items
from the menu bar altogether.

You can use the Use large menus check box to show all menu items in a larger font. PC-DMIS
will need to restart to apply the large menu sizes.

To Move a Menu Item

To move a menu item to a new location on the menu bar:

1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option, and click the Menu tab.
2. Navigate to the menu item you want to move on PC-DMIS's actual menu bar (not the tree
view menu list in the Menu tab).
3. Select the desired menu item.
4. Drag it to the new position. As you drag the item through the menu structure, a small red
arrow appears, indicating where you want to add the item.
5. Release the mouse button. The menu item is moved from its original location to the new
location.
6. Click OK to accept your changes and close the Customize dialog box.

To Remove/Restore a Menu Item

To Remove a Menu Item from the Menu Bar:
1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option, and click the Menu tab.

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2. Navigate to the menu item you want to remove on PC-DMIS's actual menu bar (not the
tree view menu list in the Menu tab).
3. Select the desired menu item.
4. Drag it off of the menu bar area.
5. Release the mouse button, and the menu item is removed from the menu.
6. Click OK to accept your changes and close the Customize dialog box.

To Restore a Removed Menu Item:

1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option, and click the Menu tab.
2. Navigate in the Menu tree view list to the menu item you want to restore.
3. Select the menu item and drag it up onto PC-DMIS's actual menu bar. As you drag the
item through the menu structure, a small red arrow will appear indicating where the
item will be added when you release the mouse button.
4. Release the mouse button to insert the menu item.

To Edit an Existing Menu Item

You can edit existing menu items, including menu item names, descriptions, and ToolTips. To do
this:

1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option.
2. With the dialog box open, click on PC-DMIS's menu bar.
3. Select a menu and then right-click on the menu item you want to change on PC-DMIS's
actual menu bar (not the tree view menu list in the Menu tab). The Edit Menu Item
dialog box appears.

Edit Menu Item dialog box

4. Modify the menu item using this dialog box and then click OK.
5. Click OK on the Customize dialog box.
6. Verify your change.

Note: In the Menu Text box, the letter that follows the ampersand sign (&) indicates that the letter
is used with the Alt key to quickly select that menu item (for example selecting Alt + F + N
accesses the New menu item from the File menu).

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To Add a New Menu Item

You can create your own custom menu item and tie an external program or batch file to it. To do
this:

1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option, and select the Menu tab.
2. Click the Create Item button. The Custom Wizard / Script / Tool dialog box appears.
3. Click the ‘…’ button. An Open dialog box appears.
4. From the Files of Type list, select the type of file you to insert.
5. Navigate to the directory containing the custom application, batch file, BASIC script, and
so forth.
6. Select the file to insert, and click Open. The Open dialog box closes and the Custom
Wizard / Script / Tool dialog box displays the default information associated with the
custom program you selected.

Custom Wizard / Script / Tool dialog box showing a sample application

Command File:
This box shows the pathway to the command.

Menu Text:
This box allows you to specify the name used on the menu for this item.

Help Desc:
This box allows you to define information that PC-DMIS displays in the status bar when
you move your mouse over the item.

Tool Tip:
This box allows you to specify the tooltip text displayed for this item when you hover your
mouse over it. This only works if the custom item is added to a toolbar, not a menu.

Function:
This box remains unavailable for selection unless you are using a custom BASIC script.
Once the box becomes enabled, you can use it to define the function or subroutine that
runs from the loaded .bas file. Type the routine name without parenthesis. For example,
typing "TestFunction" launches the TestFunction routine when the BASIC script is
executed.

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Change Icon:
This button allows you to change the icons displayed for this menu item.

7. Make any additional changes to this dialog box.

8. Click OK to accept your changes. PC-DMIS inserts the newly created command into the
User Defined Commands tree view list in the Menu tab of the Customize dialog box.
9. Expand User Defined Commands tree view list.
10. Select the newly created command and drag it up onto PC-DMIS's actual menu bar. As
you drag the item through the menu structure, a small red arrow will appear indicating
where the item will be added when you release the mouse button.
11. Release the mouse button to insert the command.
12. Close the Customize dialog box. The newly inserted menu item now resides in your
menu bar.

Customizing Toolbars

To customize the toolbars that appear on the toolbar menu:

1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option.
2. Select the Toolbars tab.

Customize dialog box – Toolbar tab

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You can use this tab to add new toolbars and new toolbar icons, add new pulldown toolbars,
remove custom toolbars, remove toolbar icons, and reorder toolbar icons on existing toolbars.

You can use the Use large toolbars check box to show all toolbar icons in a larger size. This
change happens automatically when you click OK or Apply. PC-DMIS does not need to restart.

To Modify an Existing Toolbar

You can modify existing toolbars in a number of ways as described below. First, access the
Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu option, and click the
Toolbars tab.

To add a menu item to a toolbar:

1. Select the toolbar from the Toolbar definition list.
2. Find the item you want to add in the Available items list.
3. Select it, and click the Add button. The item appears on the desired toolbar.
4. Click Apply and then OK to accept your changes.

To remove a toolbar icon:

1. Select the toolbar from the Toolbar definition list.
2. Find the item in the list to remove (right side of dialog).
3. Select it and click the Remove button.
4. Click Apply and then OK to accept your changes.

Note: Existing toolbars must have at least one icon on them. If you remove the last icon
and click Apply or OK, the icon still remains on the toolbar.

To erase any changes:

Click the Reset button. As long as the OK or Apply buttons haven't been clicked, the toolbar
reverts to its previous state.

To remove all customized toolbars and restore the layout shipped with this version:
Click the Default button.

To create a new toolbar item:

Click New. The Custom Wizard / Script / Tool dialog box appears. Select item to add.

This documentation covers the process of adding custom items in the "To Add a New Menu Item"
topic above.

To rearrange the item order on a toolbar:

1. Select the toolbar from the Toolbar definition list.
2. Select the item you wish to move.

3. Click the up arrow or down arrow button to move the item up or down
respectively among the other toolbar icons in the list.

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To rename a toolbar:
1. Select the toolbar from the Toolbar definition list.
2. Click Rename. A New Toolbar Name box appears.
3. Type a name in the box and click OK.

PC-DMIS also allows another way to rearrange or delete items from any custom toolbar on the
fly. This is by using the Shift key. Consider the following:

To delete or rearrange a toolbar's icons:

1. Press and hold the Shift key.
2. Click and drag an icon. The icon becomes movable.
3. If rearranging the icon, drag it to a new spot on the toolbar.
4. If deleting the icon, drag it outside of the toolbar's boundaries.
5. Release the mouse button. The change is made.

Note: Since existing toolbars must have at least one icon on them, if you remove the last icon in
this fashion, it only remains removed until you restart PC-DMIS. After restarting, the icon
reappears.

To add a separator:
1. Press and hold the Shift key.
2. Click and drag an icon. The icon becomes movable.
3. Drag it a small distance to the right (not far enough to rearrange its position).
4. Release the mouse button. The separator appears at its left.

To delete a separator:
1. Press and hold the Shift key.
2. Click and drag the icon to the right of the separator. The icon becomes movable.
3. Drag it on top of the separator to its left.
4. Release the mouse button.

To Create a Custom Toolbar

1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option, and select the Toolbars tab.
2. Click New and select Toolbar. An input box appears requesting a toolbar name.
3. Type the name of the toolbar and click OK. Your new toolbar now appears in the Toolbar
Definition list. You can now modify the toolbar to accept new toolbar icons (see "To
Modify an Existing Toolbar").

To Delete a Custom Toolbar

1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option, and select the Toolbars tab.

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2. Select the toolbar from the Toolbar Definition list.

3. Click the Delete button.
4. Click Apply to apply your changes.

Customizing Shortcut Keys

To customize the shortcut keys used for menu items and commands in PC-DMIS:

1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option.
2. Select the Keyboard tab.

Customize dialog box – Keyboard tab

You can use this tab to modify the shortcut keys used to call commands within PC-DMIS and add
new shortcut keys for custom menu and toolbar items.

To Add Shortcut Keys to a Command

1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option, and select the Keyboard tab.
2. Select the command you want to modify by using the Category and Menu Selection
lists. Once you have selected a command in the Commands list, the current shortcut
key(s), if any are assigned to that command, will be displayed in the Current Shortcuts
box.
3. Highlight the command for which you will assign new shortcut keys.
4. Click in the New Shortcut box.
5. Type the keys you want to assign to this command. The keys you pressed appear as you
type them.

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6. Click the Assign button, and the new shortcut keys appear in the Current Shortcuts box
with any other shortcut keys currently assigned to the command.
7. Click Apply to accept your changes.

Note: As in the other tabs, you can use the Create button to first create a command and tie it to a
custom program. You can then select this command by clicking on User Defined from the Menu
Selection list. All user-defined commands appear in the Commands list.

To Remove Shortcut Keys from a Command

1. Access the Customize dialog box by selecting the View | Toolbars | Customize menu
option, and click the Keyboard tab.
2. Select the command you wish to modify by using the Category and Menu Selection
lists. Once you have selected a command in the Commands list, the current shortcut key
or keys, if any are assigned to that command, are displayed in Current Shortcuts box.
3. Select the command from which you want to remove the shortcut keys.
4. Select the shortcut key to remove.
5. Click the Remove button.
6. Click Apply to accept your changes.

Docking and Undocking User Interface Elements

Some user interface elements (such as toolbars and some dialog boxes) can dock themselves
into the Edit window or the toolbar area when you drag and drop the item on top of one of those
areas. If you don't want this, hold down the Ctrl key while you release the mouse button. The
toolbar or dialog box then hovers over the dockable background instead.

Some items, such as the Edit window, contain a right-click menu item (Docking View) that allows
you to dock or undock that item. If the right-click menu item is not selectable, close any open
dialog boxes and try again.

You may need to cascade (Window | Cascade) or tile (Window | Tile Horizontally or Window |
Tile Vertically) your windows and then click and drag a window's title bar to float one over
another.

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