KEYS AND BUTTONS

This lists the use of keyboard keys and mouse buttons in Istar.


TO DO WITH SPACING, ZOOMING, ETC.

(I might have got f3/4 or f9/10 wrong way round.)

#  Zoom in, so boxes are smaller, so you can see more of the net:  F10 key 
when mouse is placed where you want centre of KB diagram to be.

#  Zoom out, so boxes are larger, so you see less of the net:  F9 key when 
mouse is placed where you want centre of KB diagram to be.

#  Move KB as a whole, up, down, left, right:  Hit the cursor arrow keys 
situated between main and numeric keyboard.  The amount of movement is 1 
inch by default, as set in the Prefs panel.

#  Create space in the net, a vertical column:  F3 key, and all boxes to 
right of where mouse happens to be will be moved to right by 1 inch.  All 
arrows are modified to follow the boxes as necessary.

#  Create space in the net, a horizontal row:  F4 key, and all boxes below 
where mouse happens to be will be moved down by 1 inch.  All arrows are 
modified to follow the boxes as necessary.


TO DO WITH HIDING AND SHOWING PARTS OF NET

Most of these use the numeric keypad by default.

#  To show all parts of net (after hiding some):  'Enter' key at bottom 
right of numeric keypad.  (NOT the return key).

#  To show the attributes connected to the one over which mouse is resting: 
'+' (Plus) key on numeric keypad.

#  To show the attributes that are antecedent to the one over which the 
mouse is resting:  '*' key on numeric keypad.  With this you can find which 
input information is relevant to a given attribute.

#  To hide all, prior to showing topics:  '0' key on numeric keypad.

#  To show the attributes or items linked to a given topic:  (First hide 
all with '0' key) then hit the topic number 1..9 on numeric keypad.  These 
are accumulative, in that if you hit 0 (to clear) and then 1 and 4 you will 
see those things that are linked to either topic 1 or topic 4 or both.


TO DO THINGS TO OR WITH ITEMS OR RELATIONSHIPS

#  To get information click right mouse button: over box to bring up either 
attribute or item details panel, over arrow to bring up relationship 
details panel.

#  To perform action click left mouse button: over box to bring up 
attribute action panel.  At present, items and relationships have no 
action.

#  To select item/attribute type to be similar to a given one:  hit 'T' key 
(for 'type') when mouse is over the item or attribute box of type wanted.

#  To set link weight to negative or positive while drawing:  hit '-' or 
'+' key on main keyboard (NOT numeric keypad) while you are in the process 
of drawing.

#  To bend a link while drawing it:  hit space bar when end of line being 
drawn is at position for bend.

#  To delete a vertex (bend point) of a line:  hit 'Del' key (next to 
'help') while you are moving the vertex.


SUMMARY OF KEYS

F3:  Create vertical space
F4:  Create horizontal space
F9:  Zoom
F10: Zoom
- (main kbd):  negative link
+ (main kbd):  positive link
+ (num kpd):  Show all connected one step
Del: Delete vertex of arrow
* (num kpd):  Show the antecedent net of an attribute
0 (num kpd):  Hide all
1..9 (num kpd):  Show those linked to topics 1..9
Enter (num kpd):  Show all
T (main kbd):  Select same Type as indicated box
Space bar:  Insert bend in link being drawn
Cursor arrow keys:  Move whole diagram


Copyright (c) Andrew Basden, 1996
