Graphical user interface (GUI)

This chapter describes all the functions of the send2cnc user interface (GUI – Graphical User Interface) to help you work efficiently.

General GUI elements

Quick info

Quick infos are small blue info icons (a small 'i' in a circle). If you move the mouse over an info icon, a short description appears. Clicking on the info icon will take you to the detailed explanation in the manual. You can choose between the online and the local manual.

Tooltips

Tooltips are seamlessly integrated into the program and appear when the mouse pointer hovers over icons, labels, titles and other common GUI elements. They provide a brief explanation of the function or meaning of the respective element. For more information, the nearest quick info icon will take you to the relevant chapter in the manual.

Numeric input fields

Numeric input fields can be used to enter both direct numerical values and simple mathematical formulas.

A numerical value can be increased or decreased by moving the mouse up or down while holding down the left mouse button. Alternatively, the arrow and scroll keys can be used.

Press [Enter], [F5] or leave the input field to accept the value or formula.

GUI element 'status bar'

The send2cnc status bar displays general information such as mouse coordinates and other information.

On the right side, there is a bar that displays information and the progress of a running calculation. Clicking on 'Cancel' stops the calculation.

'Positioning' tab

Positioning tools

Use the positioning tools and references to position and align objects in 3D space.

Reference list

A selected reference influences the behaviour of the positioning tools and allows an object to be linked to a reference object using snap points.

Local: The object moves and rotates along its own axes.
Global: The object moves and rotates along its global axes.
Reference: The object moves and rotates along the reference object's axes.

When a reference object is selected and then moved or rotated, the target object is not tied to the selected reference. Its position and orientation remain unchanged if the reference is changed or removed. An exception to this is when the object is linked to the reference object via snap points.

Special references are described in the general chapter for reference lists

Activate snap points

Displays a table with possible snap points for the reference.

For more information on snap points and how to use them, see the section 'Snap points'.

Reset position

Resets the object's position to the global origin.

All previous positioning is discarded. The object's rotation is retained.

Reset Rotation

Resets the object's rotation to the global orientation.

The previous orientation is discarded. The object's position is retained.

Rotate

Rotates the object around the specified number of degrees around the axes of the selected reference. Right-clicking on the desired axis allows you to rotate the object in the opposite direction.

The behaviour depends on the selected reference.

Local: The object rotates around its own axis orientation.
Global: The object rotates around the global axis orientation of the 3D space.
Reference object: The object rotates around the axis orientation of the reference

The orientation of the target object is not bound to the reference and remains unchanged if the reference object changes or no longer exists.

Align rotation

Aligns the rotation of the object to the reference.

The behaviour depends on the selected reference:

Local: no effect
Global:The object is reset to the global orientation.
Reference object:The orientation is taken from the reference object - the target object points in the same direction as the reference.

The target object is not bound to the reference and remains unchanged if the reference object changes or no longer exists.

Move

Moves the object relatively by the specified value along the selected axis of the reference. Right-clicking on the desired axis allows the object to be moved in the opposite direction.

The behaviour depends on the selected reference:

Local: the object moves along its own axis orientation
Global: the object moves along the global axis orientation of the 3D space
Reference object: the object moves along the axis orientation of the reference object

The target object's position is not bound to the reference and remains unchanged if the reference object changes or no longer exists.

Align Position

Sets the object's position to the reference's position.

The behaviour depends on the selected reference:

Local: no effect
Global: the object is set to the position of the global origin
Reference object: The position of the target object is set to the position of the reference object.

The position of the target object is not linked to the reference and remains unchanged if the reference object changes or no longer exists.

Place object

Activates selection mode and sets the object to the target point selected in the render window. You can select an alternative source origin by holding down the Ctrl key.

Press the Esc key to cancel the selection and exit pick mode.

Snap points

The snap point table can be used to set the object origin at a snap point of an imaginary box surrounding the reference object.

Three values are available for each of the three axes (X, Y and Z): the minimum (Min) of the box, the center (Center) of the box and the maximum (Max) of the box.

Box orientation:

Reference: The box is oriented to the selected reference.
Local: The box is oriented to the object to be positioned.

Tab 'Display'

Display

Controls the appearance of the object in the render window.

Not every object has access to all of the options listed here.

Render Mode

Determines how the object is displayed.

Style	Description
Exact	The light on the object surfaces is refracted exactly and the edges are displayed very precisely.
Smooth	The surface of the object is smoothed to achieve a more realistic refraction of light (this has no influence on the geometry itself, but only on the appearance of the object).
Normal map	Shows a colour representation of the smoothed surface orientation.

Boundary box

Surrounds the model with a wireframe box.

Line style

Controls the line style of the object.

Style	Description
Line	Lines are displayed as continuous lines.
Dots	A point is displayed at the start and end of each line segment. The line itself is hidden.
Line + Points	The two modes, line and points, are displayed together.

Model color

Colors the model geometry with the specified color.

Colors can be managed using the color library

Tool cutting edge

Highlights the tool cutting edge with the set color.

Rapid color

All rapid movements in the calculated tool path are displayed in this color.

Feed color

All segments in the calculated tool path with milling feed are displayed in this color.

Accent color

Highlights special features of the object.

Simulation Color of the Model

Specifies the color of the resulting blank as well as the color of the blank used in the simulation.

Reference lists

The figure shows a reference list in the user interface with the special reference "#model02" selected.

References are used in send2cnc to create various object dependencies.

Special references

In addition to the predefined objects in the reference list, special references can be created by manual entry.

An object name that does not exist in the project tree can be entered as a special reference. This is sometimes required for template projects.

Otherwise, special references always start with the symbol '#', followed by a type and optionally a sequence number.

Special references are particularly useful in jobs and templates. For example, the reference '#hmp01' can be used to ensure that the first Heightmap Model is always selected, regardless of the object name.

Special reference	Description
#model01 #model02 ...	Searches the model directory of the project tree and selects the model according to the sequence number. (takes heightmaps and native 3D models into account).
#hmp01 #hmp02 ...	behaves like #model[id], but ignores all native 3D models.
#3D01 #3D02 ...	behaves like #model[id], but ignores all heightmaps.
#tool01 #tool02 ...	Searches the project tree's tool directory and selects the object according to the sequence number.
#ncorigin01 #ncorigin02 ...	Searches the NC directory of the project tree and selects the workpiece origin according to the sequence number.
#blank01 #blank02 ...	Searches the NC directory of the project tree and selects the blank according to the sequence number.
#childblank	Selects the first blank within the parent element (e.g. to place an workpiece origin on the included blank using a snap point).
#pic01 #pic02 ...	Scans the entire project tree and selects the object based on the sequence number. Only objects generated from an image file are counted (e.g. heightmaps with 'Reshape' generation mode are ignored).