Ribbons

The ribbon allows you to quickly access tools and standard functions, and is located along the top of Virtual Wind Tunnel for ultraFluidX. Click on an icon to open the related tool. Hovering over a group of icons may reveal additional tools.

Tip: Individual ribbons can be turned on or off from the View menu or by right-clicking in empty space in a ribbon.

Virtual Wind Tunnel for ultraFluidX Ribbons

Virtual Wind Tunnel for ultraFluidX ribbons are designed to help you quickly and easily access the tools you need to accomplish your tasks.

Tools on the ribbon are grouped logically and organized by tabs, which appear along the top of the ribbon. When you click on any of the tabs, the set of tools on the ribbon will change to reflect the working context.

Ribbons provide a more efficient and clean workflow. The following image is an example of the Geometry ribbon in Virtual Wind Tunnel for ultraFluidX.


Figure 1.

Layout of a Ribbon

Although ribbons provide a variety of tool sets that change depending on the application, ribbon layout remains the same. All ribbons are organized by tab, related tools are grouped together with separators appearing between groups, and each icon group is labeled.

The ribbon is comprised of two sections: Application-specific tabs and Tool groups.

Application-specific tabs are the group headings that appear across the top of the ribbon. When you click on an application-specific tab, the tools displayed on the ribbon will change to reflect the working context. Tab names vary depending on which application you are working in.

Tool groups are the icons you see on the ribbon itself. They are organized by task and may contain sub-groups of tools that are accessible by clicking on the down-arrow next to the name of the group.

Layout of a Tool Icon

In Virtual Wind Tunnel for ultraFluidX, tool icons can have different states when you hover your mouse over them, allowing you to perform multiple tasks from a single tool icon. The blue highlighted areas are called pick targets. Satellite icons only appear on mouse-over and generally provide access to functions of lesser importance.

Multi-State Tool Icons

Conventional icons consist of a single image which, when clicked on, usually perform a single function. In Virtual Wind Tunnel for ultraFluidX however, some icons provide access to multiple functions depending on the cursor hover state. The tool icon in the following image is an example of this multiple-state behavior.


Figure 2.
Notice in the above images that the blue highlighting around various parts of the icon changes depending on where the mouse is pointing. From left to right:
  • The first image (far left) shows the tool icon in its unselected state
  • The second image highlights the piece of paper pick target, which allows you to create a new model
  • The third image highlights the folder pick target, which allows you to open an existing model
  • The last image (far right) highlights the disk pick target, which allows you to save your work

Satellite Tool Icons

Satellite icons provide additional functionality to a tool when moused over. The following image shows an icon in its unselected state and when moused over.


Figure 3.

In the images above, the Systems tool on the left is not moused over. The image on the right shows the mouse-over state and displays a satellite icon. Satellite icons differ from multi-state icons in that the additional tools are not readily visible on a satellite icon. Also, the additional functionality they provide is generally with lesser used tasks.

Hover your mouse cursor over different parts of the tools you use most to discover additional functionality.

Secondary Ribbons

Secondary ribbons appear below the main ribbon and provide access to subsets of tools that are related to tools on the main ribbon. These tools are frequently used in conjunction with the main tool and only appear after you click on the tool icon on the main ribbon.

For example, when you click on the Identify Parts tool in Virtual Wind Tunnel for ultraFluidX, you see the secondary ribbon displayed in the following image.


Figure 4.

Secondary ribbons extend the versatility of the main ribbon without cluttering the working interface. You can close secondary ribbons by clicking on the main tool again, or by clicking on a different tool on the main ribbon.