(A) Application button

Displays the Application menu, which provides access to all document level functions, such as creating, opening, saving, and managing documents.

You can use the Solid Edge Options button, located at bottom-right of the Application menu, to open the Solid Edge Options dialog box. The Solid Edge Options dialog box contains the user settings for all aspects of your session, including user profile, views, file locations, colors, and dimension styles.

(B) Quick Access toolbar

Displays frequently used commands. Use the Customize Quick Access Toolbar arrow at right to display additional resources:

• Add or remove standard document-level commands.

• Fully customize the Quick Access toolbar using the Customize dialog box.

• Control the placement of the command ribbon. For example, you can use the Customize Quick Access Toolbar→Minimize The Ribbon command to reduce the real estate occupied by the command ribbon.

(C), (D) ribbon with commands grouped on tabs

The ribbon is the area that contains all application commands. The commands are organized into functional groups on tabs. Some tabs are available only in certain contexts.

Some command buttons contain split buttons, corner buttons, check boxes, and other controls that display submenus and palettes.

• Manipulate the command ribbon

• Customize the command ribbon

• Restore the command ribbon to default settings

(E) command bar

When working in the synchronous or ordered environment, a contextual productivity tool called the command bar displays command options and data entry fields for the Select command or for any command in progress.

The command bar appearance is controlled on the Helpers tab in the Solid Edge Options dialog box. It is either a floating horizontal bar or a vertical docking window.

• Using the command bar

• Manipulate the command bar

(F) PathFinder

PathFinder contains all elements in the active document. You can select elements in PathFinder and control their display.

PathFinder can be docked or floating. The default form of the PathFinder window is transparent. The Helpers tab in the Solid Edge Options dialog box controls the appearance of PathFinder.

• PathFinder (F) at the top of this page shows the floating, transparent option.

• The following image of PathFinder shows the docked option with the white background:

  

  Tip:

  The following settings on the Helpers tab control the appearance of PathFinder:

  • Show PathFinder in the document view

  • PathFinder appearance

• Manipulate docking windows

• Reposition a window using docking stickers

• Using PathFinder in a part model

(G) graphics window

Displays the graphics associated with the 3D model document or a 2D drawing.

(H) PromptBar

A scroll-able, movable docking window that displays prompts and messages related to a command that you select. You now can control the font size of prompt text, collapse the prompt display area, and relocate and re-size PromptBar itself.

At the right side of the PromptBar window are controls for text display.

• You can change the prompt font size by clicking the Grow Font and Shrink Font buttons.

• You can expand and collapse the number of lines available to display information by clicking the Multi-line arrow.

• You can use the Auto Hide feature to gain more graphics window working area, yet still benefit from prompting. Auto Hide collapses the window to a tab state until you move your cursor over it.

Manipulate PromptBar

(I) status bar

The status bar:

• Displays messages related to the application itself.

• Provides fast access to view-control commands--zoom, fit, pan, rotate, view styles, and saved views.

  Zoom in or out

• Houses Command Finder, a valuable tool you can use to locate a command in the user interface.

  Find a command with Command Finder

  Tip:

  If you are familiar with another CAD system, you can find the equivalent Solid Edge command using Command Finder.

Selecting objects and elements

The command bar provides direct access to frequently used operations based on your current selection. The handle or cursor that you see is determined by the 3D object or 2D element that you point to.

For more information about selection, refer to the following:

• Handles overview

• Cursors overview

• Element and object selection