** File: Base0.hlp
** Index: 10

** TechPlot Interface Basic (0)


    TechPlot is built around Polysoft's
GraphVision graphical user interface
(GUI).  It is completely in graphics mode
and obeys the common Microsoft Windows
GUI conventions. 

    On your screen, there are three
visible components of GraphVision: the
menu bar at the top, the window area in
the middle, and the status line at the
bottom.  Many menu items also offer
dialog boxes.  Before we describe each
menu item in the program, we will explain
these generic GraphVision components.


Û  The menu bar and menus

    The menu bar lists the available
menus.  A menu contains a list of commands
or actions that you can carry out with
TechPlot.  In TechPlot, there are three
views.  All of them have a File menu and a
Help menu in addition to their own menu
system.

Û  Basic actions

    All TechPlot commands are listed on
menus.  You select (highlight) a menu and
then choose a command from that menu to
carry out an action.  You can access menus
either from the Keyboard or from a Mouse.

  þ Selecting  a menu

    If you have a mouse, use the mouse
  pointer to point to the name of the menu
  on the menu bar, and click the mouse
  button.  This opens the menu.  To move
  directly to a menu item, you can drag
  the selection cursor down the menu until
  the menu item is highlighted, and then
  release the mouse button.

    From keyboard, you first press <Alt>
  or <F10> to select (highlight) the menu
  bar, then use the arrow keys to move the
  highlight to a menu you want.  Press
  <Enter> to open the selected menu.

    Note:  If a name in the menu bar has
  an underlined letter, you can press <Alt>
  and type that letter to open the menu.
  For example, to open the File Menu, you
  press <Alt-F>.

  þ Closing  a menu

    To close a menu, click the menu name or
  click anywhere outside the menu or press
  <Esc>.

  þ Choosing a menu command

    To choose a command from a menu, you can
  use a mouse or press a key combination.
  To choose menu commands using a mouse,
  point to the menu bar and drag to a menu
  item you want to select, and then click
  the mouse button.  You can also use the
  keyboard to choose commands.  Type the
  letter that is underline in the menu and
  press <Enter>.  Then use the arrow keys
  to move highlight until you reach the
  item you want to select, and then press
  <Enter>.

    Tip:  To cancel an action, press <Esc>.

