File menu

Edit menu

Attributes menu

Create menu

Options menu

Window menu

Help menu

The File menu is used to open and close files, export data, print graphics, and generate PV-WAVE code. This menu contains the following commands:

Restore—Opens a file tool that you can use to restore a previously saved VDA Tool.

Save—Saves the current view in a file. The current state of the VDA Tool is saved, including the data that is plotted. If a save file was not previously created, a file tool dialog box appears where you can specify a filename. By default, save files have a .sav extension.

Save As—Opens a file tool that you can use to specify a file in which to save the current graphics view. The current state of the VDA Tool is saved, including the data that is plotted. By default, save files have a .sav extension.

Save Template As—Opens a file tool used to save a template. By default, template files have a .tpl extension.

Export As Pixmap—Exports the currently displayed graphics as a pixmap stored in a variable. Pixmaps can be stored sequentially in a variable and used with the WzAnimate Tool, or stored separately and used as bitmap graphical elements.

Export Selected Data—Allows you to export subsetted data to another VDA Tool and/or store subsetted data in a variable.

Import Variable(s)—Allows you to import a variable into the Image Tool.

Print—Prints the current view. To specify the printer name, use the Print Setup command.

Print Setup—Opens a setup dialog box used to specify printer options, including the name of the printer.

Generate Code—Opens a file tool that you can use to specify a file in which to save the PV-WAVE commands used by the VDA Tool to generate graphics, import data, or perform some other action specific to the Tool. By default, generated code files have a .pro extension.

Close—Exits the VDA Tool.

The Edit menu contains functions for editing graphical elements and selecting data. This menu contains the following commands:

Cut—Cuts the selected graphical element.

Copy—Copies the selected graphical element to the clipboard.

Paste—Pastes the contents of the clipboard in the plot window.

Delete—Removes the selected graphical element from the plot window and redraws the view.

Select All—Selects all graphical elements in the graphics view area.

Deselect All—Deselects all graphical elements in the graphics view area.

Redraw—Redraws the current view.

Group—Groups the selected graphical elements. Grouped items can be cut, copied, pasted, deleted, and moved as one unit.

Ungroup—Ungroups grouped graphical elements.

Front—Pops the selected graphical element or group to the front of the view.

Back—Pops the selected text, graphics, or group to the back of the view.

Data Select—Lets you select a subset of the data that is plotted in the view window. Use the mouse to select a point or draw a rectangle around the data you want to select. Selected data can be exported to another VDA Tool with the File=>Export Selected Data command. Information about the selected data is printed in the Message Area.

Irregular Data Select—Lets you draw an irregular boundary around a specific region of interest in your data. Press and drag the left mouse button to define the irregular region. The region closes when you release the mouse button. Selected data can be exported to another VDA Tool with the File=>Export Selected Data command.

Object Select—Lets you select graphical elements in the plot using the mouse. Graphics elements include text, lines, rectangles, ellipses, legends, and axes. Selected graphics elements can be cut, copied, pasted, deleted, or grouped. For more information on selecting graphical elements, click here.

Zoom In—Lets you zoom in on a selected portion of your data. To select data, click the Data Selection button and use the mouse to draw a rectangle around the region of interest. Alternatively, you can select Edit=>Data Select and then draw the rectangle.

Zoom Out—Restores a view to its original perspective after zooming in.

The Attributes menu is used to modify the attributes of graphical elements and plotted data. This menu contains the following commands:

Selected Object—Opens the Line, Box, Legend, Text, Axis, or Bitmap Attributes dialog box. This dialog lets you change the attributes of a selected graphical element.

Variable—Opens the Variable Attributes dialog box. This dialog box lets you change the line color, linestyle, symbol color, and symbol.

View Attributes—Opens the View Attributes dialog box. This dialog lets you set the default attributes for the graphics window. Attributes include background color, selection color (the color used for highlighting selected objects), and other preferences. Some attributes are specific to the type of VDA Tool you are using.

Defaults=>Text Object—Opens the Text Attributes dialog box. This dialog lets you change the text color, size, thickness, and font. You can also change the coordinate system used to position text.

Defaults=>Line Object—Opens the Line Attributes dialog box. This dialog lets you set the default attributes for lines. Attributes include line color, line thickness, linestyle, and arrow terminators. You can also change the coordinate system used to position lines.

Defaults=>Box Object—Opens the Rectangle Attributes dialog box. This dialog lets you set the default attributes for rectangles. Attributes include fill color, line color, line thickness, and linestyle. You can also change the coordinate system used to position rectangles.

Defaults=>Ellipse Object—Opens the Ellipse Attributes dialog box. This dialog lets you set the default attributes for ellipses. Attributes include fill color, line color, line thickness, and linestyle. You can also change the coordinate system used to position ellipses.

Defaults=>Axis Object—Opens the Axis Attributes dialog box. This dialog lets you set the default attributes for axes. Attributes include title, color, variable, linestyle, font, character size, thickness, and position, You can also set the tick intervals.

Defaults=>Legend Object—Opens the Legend Attributes dialog box. This dialog lets you set the default attributes for legends. Attributes include title, title font, title color, label font, label color, fill color, line color, linestyle, line thickness, and bounding box. You can also change the coordinate system used to position legends.

The Create menu is used to create graphical elements in the graphics window. This menu contains the following commands.

Text Object—Add words and phrases to accentuate important trends and differentiate features of the view. Use MB1 to pick a starting point for the text, then enter the text. Press <Return> when you are finished entering text.

Line Object—Add a line to the display area to emphasize a particular value or to visually connect text to some feature of interest elsewhere in the view. Press and drag MB1 to define the line. Press and drag <Control>-MB1 to constrain the line to be horizontal or vertical.

Box Object—Add a box to the display area to delineate a region of special interest. Press and drag MB1 to define the corners of the rectangle. Press and drag <Control>-MB1 to create a square.

Ellipse Object—Add an ellipse to the display area to enclose a region of special interest. Press and drag MB1 to define the bounding box of the ellipse. Press and drag <Control>-MB1 to create a circle.

Axis Object—Select this command to add an axis to the top, bottom, right, or left edge of your plot.

Legend Object—Add a legend to identify the colors, linestyles, and marker styles used to represent the different variables in a 2D Line window. Press and drag MB1 to define the corners of the legend.

Bitmap Object—Add a bitmap to the drawing area. A bitmap can be any 2D array.

The Options menu lets you hide or show portions of a VDA Tool window.

Select a menu item to show the corresponding area of the window, deselect a menu item to hide an area.

Button Bar—Show or hide the button bar.

Controls Area—Show or hide the controls area.

Message Area—Show or hide the message area.

The Help menu lets you access online help information. This menu contains the following commands.

On Window—Displays online Help table of contents for the VDA Tool.

On PV-WAVE—Brings up the Table of Contents for PV-WAVE online help. This is the full PV-WAVE reference.

On Help—Brings up information about how to use the online Help system.

On Version—Displays information on the current version of PV-WAVE.

Lists the names of all of the currently open VDA Tools. To pop a VDA Tool to the front, select its name from this menu.