Essentials Course.book

Lesson 1
Introduction
SolidWorks 2006 Training Manual
Unselectable
Icons
To Pre-select or
Not?
The SolidWorks
User Interface
At times you will notice commands, icons, and menu options that are
grayed out and unselectable. This is because you may not be working in
the proper environment to access those options. For example, if you are
working in a sketch (Edit Sketch mode), you have full access to all the
sketch tools. However, you cannot select the icons such as fillet or
chamfer on the Features toolbar. Likewise, when you are working in
the Edit Part mode, you can access these icons but the sketch tools are
grayed out and unselectable. This design helps the inexperienced user
by limiting the choices to only those that are appropriate, graying out
the inappropriate ones.
As a rule, the SolidWorks software does not require you to pre-select
objects before opening a menu or dialog box. For example, if you want
to add some fillets to the edges of your model, you have complete
freedom – you can select the edges first and then click the Fillet tool or
you can click the Fillet tool and then select the edges. The choice is
yours.
The SolidWorks user interface is a native Windows interface, and as
such behaves in the same manner as other Windows applications. Some
of the more important aspects of the interface are identified below.
Pull down Menus
Document Window
Graphics Area
FeatureManager
design tree Task Pane
Status Area
Toolbars
Pre-Release
Do not copy or distribute
Reference Triad
10 The SolidWorks User Interface