Geometry Menus: (Part 2)

This section discusses changes and enhancements that have been made to the various overwrite and flyout menus for the GEOMETRY tools.

ELEC. BR. Overwrite Menu

ELECTRIC BRANCH Main Flyout Menu




Special Features:

• The ELECTRIC BRANCH button, which was hidden under the Architect module's MORE button on the PARAMETRIC ROUTINES pop-up menu, was relocated to the DRAW menu to make it easy to locate and use.
  
  
• For consistency, the ELECTRIC BRANCH pop-up menu was replaced with the standard overwrite menu seen above.
  
  
• Created a new ELECTRIC BRANCH flyout menu as there is none in standard ARRIS.
  
  
• Previously there was no way to tell to what values the WIRE COUNT or CONDUIT PAIRS were set. The new overwrite menu was designed to constantly display these values.
  
  
• A new ELECTRIC BRANCH status menu was created to also display the current values of the relevant parameters.

  WIDTH=500 HEIGHT=25
   ELECTRIC BRANCH Status Menu
  
  

• The SWITCH option applies only to WIRE COUNT mode and is not used in CONDUIT PAIRS mode. To make this clear, the new overwrite and status menus were designed to highlight the active parameter(s). In the images above, CONDUIT PAIRS mode is shown as being active. Clicking on SWITCH or WIRE COUNT switches to WIRE COUNT mode as can be seen below.

  WIDTH=130 HEIGHT=126
   ELEC BR: WIRE MODE
  
  

STAIRS Overwrite Menu

STAIRS Main Flyout Menu




Special Features:

• The STAIRS menu layout was revised to add more functionality.
  
  
• Created a new STAIRS flyout menu as there is none in standard ARRIS.
  
  
• The three SCHEMATIC STAIRS were moved from a pop-up menu onto the STAIRS menu to make them easier to use.
  
  
• Snap flyout menus were added as right-click options for the PLACE STAIR and 2D HANDRAIL PLACE commands.
  
  
• A number of convenience routines for 2D and 3D handrails were added to the menu. These tools use the current parameters which are accessed by selecting the appropriate SETUP button.
  
  
• The following tools were added to the STAIRS menu:
  
  

  New Menu Button	Right-Click Function
  2D RAIL: PLACE	Display SNAP Flyout Menu
  2D RAIL: ERASE	Same
  2D RAIL: CHG PEN/COL	Same
  3D RAIL: MAKE RAILING	Same
  3D RAIL: MAKE UPRIGHT - SINGLE	3D RAIL: MAKE UPRIGHT - AREA IN
  3D RAIL: SWAP UPRIGHT	Same

  
  
  
• Note: A button for the stair SECTION generator has been added to the menu. This is a feature planned for the next official release of ARRIS and is not currently implemented. Clicking on this button will simply result in an error message.

WALLS Overwrite Menu

WALLS Main Flyout Menu




Special Features:

• The WALLS menu layout was revised to create separate drawing and editing sections and many icons were revised to more closely match the designs on the LINES menu as well as systemwide graphic standards. Drawing and editing functions similar to those on the LINES menu were placed in the same positions to make locating them more predictable.
  
  
• Snap flyout menus were added as right-click options for most wall placement commands.
  
  
• The WALLS flyout menu was redesigned and significantly expanded.
  
  
• Circular walls are drawn as faceted polygons. The sigmac command to do this was enhanced and renamed from :mn_pol to :mn_pol2. This command now prompts for the polygon construction mode and accepts either inscribed or circumscribed, providing greated flexibility and control over how circular walls (polygons) are created.
  
  
• Right-clicking on the TYPE box on the walls status menu will now immediately display the WALL SELECT menu for choosing a new wall type. This shortcut eliminates the two-step process of having to click once and then select the MENU option.
  
  
• The following tools were added to the WALLS menu:
  
  

  New Menu Button	Right-Click Function
  DROP PERPENDICULAR WALL	Display SNAP Flyout Menu
  INSERT WALL	Display SNAP Flyout Menu
  DRAW OFFSET WALL	Same
  DRAW PARALLEL WALL	Same
  TRIM/EXTEND: ENTITY	TRIM/EXTEND: DISTANCE
  GAP WALL	Same
  ALIGN WALL FACES	Same
  INSERT INTERSECTION	INSERT SINGLE POINT
  DISPLAY ALL VISIBLE WALL POINTS	PROMPT TO DISPLAY WALL POINTS
  FLIP WALL POLARITY	Same

  
  
  
• Various commands were moved from the WALL TOOLS menu onto the WALLS overwrite menu. The PARTIAL ELLIPSE and EXTRUDE WALLS functions were considered less commonly used and moved onto the WALL TOOLS menu. This menu was then redesigned.

  WIDTH=447 HEIGHT=245
   WALL TOOLS Menu
  
  

• The following tools were added to the WALL TOOLS menu:
  
  

  New Menu Button	Right-Click Function
  HEAL BROKEN WALL	Same
  PARTIAL ELLIPSE	Same
  FULL ELLIPSE	Same
  ARC TANGENT TO 2 WALLS	Same
  2 ARCS TANGENT TO 2 WALLS	Same
  ARC TANGENT TO END OF WALL	Same
  EXTRUDE WALLS	Same

  
  
  
• Note: A button for the REGENERATE WALL tool has been added to the menu. This is a feature planned for the next official release of ARRIS and is not currently implemented. Clicking on this button will simply result in an error message.

OPENINGS Overwrite Menu

OPENINGS Main Flyout Menu




Special Features:

• In ARRIS 2001, separate overwrite menus were created for doors and windows which consumed a lot of menu real estate and require the user to do considerably more menu flipping to accomplish work. In ARRIS++ the doors and windows were recombined into the single, unified OPENINGS menu seen above.
  
  
• Created a new OPENINGS flyout menu as there is none in standard ARRIS.
  
  
• A snap flyout menu was added as a right-click options for the PLACE SINGLE command.
  
  
• The CHANGE LABEL command was renamed CHANGE STRING.
  
  
• Selecting the door or window icon at the top of the menu sets the current entity type. Right-clicking on either of these boxes sets the entity type and then automatically displays the corresponding SELECT pop-up menu.
  
  
• For backwards compatibility, buttons labeled DOOR and WINDOW were added under the SCHEDULES section to provide access to the original ARRIS door and window scheduling utilities.
  
  
• The following tools were added to the OPENINGS menu:
  
  

  New Menu Button	Right-Click Function
  FLIP DR/WIN: SINGLE	FLIP DR/WIN: AREA IN
  CHANGE DISPLAY: SINGLE	CHANGE DISPLAY: AREA IN
  DOOR	Same
  WINDOW	Same
  CHANGE OPENING ORIENTATION	Same

STRUCTURAL Overwrite Menu

STRUCTURAL Main Flyout Menu




Special Features:

• The STRUCTURAL menu layout was significantly revised to add more functionality, and new icons were created for the column placement tools.
  
  
• Created a new STRUCTURAL flyout menu as there is none in standard ARRIS.
  
  
• A snap flyout menu was added as a right-click option for the column PLACE SINGLE tool.
  
  
• The following tools were added to the STRUCTURAL menu:
  
  

  New Menu Button	Right-Click Function
  COLUMN QUERY	Same
  COLUMN REPORT	Same
  ERASE SINGLE	Same
  FREEZE SINGLE	Same
  TOGGLE CLOSURE	Same
  REMAKE COLUMNS	Same
  CHANGE COLUMN HEIGHT	Same
  REGENERATE COLUMNS	Same

ROOFS Overwrite Menu

ROOFS Main Flyout Menu




Special Features:

• Made cosmetic changes to ROOFS menu to conform with systemwide standards. This included the use of new icons for RUNNING EAVE and SETUP.
  
  
• Snap flyout menus were added as right-click options for all EAVE PERIMETER placement commands.
  
  
• Created a new ROOFS flyout menu as there is none in standard ARRIS.

See Also:

• Geometry Menus (Part 1)
• Notation Menus
• Main Menus