3.2 GUI Control Elements

GAMBIT allows you to control program operation by means of GUI control elements. The following table depicts the GAMBIT GUI control elements.

The following sections describe the purpose and operation of each of the control elements shown above.

3.2.1 Command Buttons

Command buttons allow you to execute program actions. There are two types of command buttons: toolpad and form. The following table shows examples of each type of command button.

Toolpad command buttons are located on the Operation toolpad and Global Control toolpad; form command buttons are located on GAMBIT forms (for example, specification forms). To execute the action associated with any command button, left-click the button.

Toolpad Command Buttons

Toolpad command buttons allow you to execute program commands that are related to building, meshing, assigning zone types, or viewing the model and working with the GUI. Some toolpad command buttons cause a direct action to occur; others open specification forms.

Each toolpad command button contains a symbol representing the function of the button. Any button that performs more than one function (multifunction command buttons) contains a small, downward-pointing arrowhead in the lower left corner of the button. For example, the Stitch Faces command button shown above also performs the following functions:

• Sweep Real Face
• Revolve Real Faces
• Form Real Volume From Wireframe

To execute the command represented by the symbol currently displayed on a multifunction command button, left-click the button. To change the function of a command button, right-click it to open a list of available functions, and left-click the desired function to select it from the list.

Form Command Buttons

Form command buttons allow you to execute actions related to GAMBIT forms. Each button contains only a title (for example, Apply, Reset, or Close). To execute the action indicated by the title of a form command button, left-click the button.

3.2.2 Option Buttons

Option buttons allow you to select from a hidden menu of related, mutually exclusive options. They appear only on specification forms and are distinguished by a small, raised rectangle on the button face. The title displayed on the face of an option button represents the option currently selected from its hidden menu.

To open the hidden menu of options associated with any option button, left-click or right-click the button. To select an option from the menu, left-click its title in the menu list.

3.2.3 Radio Buttons

Radio buttons allow you to select from among a displayed group of related, mutually exclusive options. They appear as small, round or diamond-shaped buttons located on forms, and they always exist in groups of two or more. The title of each option in a group is shown immediately to the right of its associated radio button.

To select a particular option from a displayed group of mutually exclusive options, left-click its radio button. The selected option is identified by a small, colored dot or diamond in the center of the button.

3.2.4 Check Boxes

Check boxes allow you to specify non-mutually exclusive options for program operations. They are located on forms and can appear alone or in groups of two or more. The title of each option is shown immediately to the right of its check box.

To select a particular check-box option, left-click its check box. When you select a check-box option, the check box turns color and, on some systems, a check mark appears in the box to indicate that the option has been selected.

3.2.5 Text Boxes

Text boxes allow you to input alphanumeric data. They are located on forms and appear as indented rectangles. The title of any text box appears immediately to its left.

The following bullet points summarize the use of GAMBIT text boxes.

• To enter data by means of a text box, left-click in the box to enable it for user input, then input the data from the keyboard.
• To scroll text that overflows the text box, left-click the text and left-drag the mouse past the right or left edge of the box.
• To delete one or more characters in the box, left-click and drag the mouse pointer to highlight the character(s), then press Delete or Backspace, or enter data to replace the character(s) being deleted.
• To highlight all of the text in a text box, double-click the text box.

3.2.6 List Boxes

List boxes allow you to select from lists of items-for example, a list of face entities-that currently exist in the model. Each list box takes the form of a text box with a pick-list button located immediately to the right of the box. (NOTE:The pick-list button is a small, rectangular button with an upward-pointing arrowhead on its face.)

When you click the pick-list button, GAMBIT opens the pick-list form associated with the list-box item type. For example, if you click the pick-list button associated with a list box titled Vertices, GAMBIT opens a Vertex List pick-list form. While the pick-list form is open, the upward-pointing arrow on the pick-list button is replaced by a downward-pointing arrow, indicating that the button closes, rather than opens, the pick-list form. For a general description of pick-list forms and their use, see Section 3.2.8, below.

3.2.7 Text Windows

Text windows appear on forms that contain lines of text-such as parameter lists or text files. When the size of the displayed text exceeds the size of the text window, GAMBIT displays scroll bars on the right side and/or bottom of the text window. To display text that exists beyond the current limits of the text window, either resize the form to resize the window, left-drag the horizontal or vertical scroll bar, or left-click the appropriate scroll arrow located at the end of a scroll bar.

3.2.8 Pick-List Forms

Pick-list forms allow you to select one or more items, such as topological entities, from a list of available items. For example, if you click the Edges pick-list button on the Create Face From Wireframe form (see the GAMBIT Modeling Guide, Section 2.4.1), GAMBIT opens an Edge List pick-list form, such as that shown in Figure 3-11. The Edge List pick-list form allows you to specify existing edges to be used in the creation of a face.

Figure 3-11: Example Vertex List pick-list form

NOTE: You can also specify the edges by using the mouse to pick them from the graphics window (see "Picking Entities," in Section 3.3.2) or by inputting their labels in the Edges text box on the Create Face From Wireframe form.

The following sections describe the basic components of pick-list forms.

Form Components

Each pick-list form includes the following components:

• Title bar
• Available scroll list
• Picked scroll list
• Transfer command buttons
• Filter option button

Title Bar

The title bar displays a title that describes the function of the form. The title includes the following subcomponents:

• Item type
• Number of items

The item type describes the type of item listed on the form-for example, Vertex List or Face List. The number-of-items subcomponent describes the number of items that are to be picked by means of the form. It always appears on the right side of the title bar and is bracketed by parentheses. There are three number-of-items designations, each of which indicates how many items can be picked from those listed in the Available scroll list on the form.

• Single—indicates that you must pick only one item.
• Double—indicates that you must pick two of the items.
• Multiple—indicates that you can pick one or more items.

Available Scroll List

The Available scroll list displays all currently existing items of the type associated with the form. (NOTE: If you right-click the Available scroll list, GAMBIT opens a hidden menu of options that allow you to sort, toggle the select state of, or deselect all items in the Available list (see below).)

Picked Scroll List

The Picked scroll list displays all currently picked items of the type associated with the form. (NOTE: If you right-click the Picked scroll list, GAMBIT opens a hidden menu containing a single option that allows you to deselect all items in the Picked list (see below).)

Transfer Command Buttons

The transfer command buttons allow you to transfer individual items to or from the Picked scroll list (see below).

Filter Option Button

The filter option button allows you to specify filtering characteristics for items that are to be transferred by means of the All transfer command buttons. The filter options are as follows:

• No filter
• Real
• Nonreal
• Meshed
• Unmeshed
• Size func
• No size func

Using a Pick List Form

Pick-list forms, such as that shown in Figure 3-11, above, include the following options and specifications.

NOTE (1): GAMBIT allows you to add items to pick lists by means of mouse operations in the graphics window. For a description of the mouse operations that are related to picking items, see "Picking Entities," in Section 3.3.2, below.

NOTE (2): You can close the pick-list form either by clicking the Close button on the form or by clicking the pick-list button (with the downward-pointing arrow) on the associated list box.

3.2.9 Query-List Forms

Query-list forms display a comprehensive list of entities-such as faces or edges-that currently exist in the model. They always appear as individual forms, titled "Query" and displaying the entity type that is associated with the form. Each query-list form includes a scroll list of entity names as well as Reset and Close command buttons.

To select a single entity from a query list, left-click (highlight) the name of the entity in the scroll list. To unselect a highlighted entity, left-click its highlighted name. To unselect all highlighted entities, click Reset.

Figure 3-12: Example Query Vertices query-list form

Using Query-List Forms

To open a query-list form such as that shown in Figure 3-12, above, click the Query toolpad command button on one of the Geometry subpads. For a description of the use of Query forms, see "Query Vertices" in Section 2.2 of the GAMBIT Modeling Guide.

All query-list forms include the following specifications.

3.2.10 Slider Bars

Slider bars allow you to adjust settings in a continuous manner across a specified range of values. They are located on display-related specification forms and on boundary-layer specification forms, and they appear as horizontal bars containing a small, gray rectangle with a vertical line in its center (the slider box).

You can adjust a slider bar setting in the following ways:

• Click the slider box and drag it to its new location (continuous movement)
• Click in the area on either side of the slider (incremental movement)

© Fluent, Inc. 10/30/01