OpenBuildings™ Designer Help

Customize Dialog, Tools Tab

Contains controls to add, organize, delete, and assign properties to custom toolboxes and custom tools. Custom tools are grouped into toolboxes.



Tools tab of the Customize dialog, with a custom tool selected

The following controls can be used only in the open DGN file (below the blue V8 icon), unless otherwise noted. For more information, see Customizations in DGN libraries.

Note: If the open DGN file is not a configured DGN library, you will be unable to use the features on the Tools tab while that DGN file is open.
SettingDescription
New Toolbox


Adds a new toolbox into which you place tools. The toolbox is added below your insertion point in the left pane. The toolbox's name must be unique to the DGN file, it can be of any length, and it cannot contain the backslash (\) character.
New Tool


Adds a new tool. The tool is added below your insertion point in the left pane. The tool's name must be unique to the toolbox, it can be of any length, and it cannot contain the backslash (\) character.
Separator


Adds a vertical line which is used to separate tools (or groups of tools) in a toolbox. The separator is added below your insertion point.
Cut


Cuts the selected toolbox, tool, or separator.
Copy


Copies the selected toolbox, tool, or separator. When you paste the copied item you can change its name. This icon can be used to copy toolboxes and tools from a DGN library (below the gray V8 icon)
Paste


Pastes the cut or copied toolbox, tool, or separator below your insertion point.
Move Up


Moves the selected toolbox, tool, or separator up one position in the hierarchy. This can occur only if the toolbox is not already the first one in the DGN file, or if the tool or separator is not already the first one in the toolbox.
Tip: You also can use the drag-and-drop functionality to move up items.
Move Down


Moves the selected toolbox, tool, or separator down one position in the hierarchy. This can occur only if the toolbox is not already the last one in the DGN file, or if the tool or separator is not already the last one in the toolbox.
Tip: You also can use the drag-and-drop functionality to move down items.
Delete


Deletes the selected toolbox, tool, or separator.
User Tools, open DGN file


The toolboxes and tools in the open DGN file appear in the left pane below the User Tools icon, the blue V8 icon, and the name of the open DGN file.
Pop-up menu for the open DGN file Right-clicking the open DGN file presents a list of actions that you can perform on the open DGN file.
  • New Toolbox — The effect is the same as clicking the New Toolbox icon.
  • New Tool — The effect is the same as clicking the New Tool icon.
  • New Tool Separator — The effect is the same as clicking the Separator icon.
  • Cut — The effect is the same as clicking the Cut icon.
  • Copy — The effect is the same as clicking the Copy icon. This menu item also can be used with toolboxes from a DGN library (below the gray V8 icon).
  • Paste — The effect is the same as clicking the Paste icon. It is available if a toolbox, tool, or separator has been cut or copied.
  • Sort Children — Sorts alphabetically by name the toolboxes in the open DGN file.
Pop-up menu for toolboxes Right-clicking a toolbox presents a list of actions that you can perform on the selected toolbox.
  • New Toolbox — The effect is the same as clicking the New Toolbox icon.
  • New Tool — The effect is the same as clicking the New Tool icon.
  • New Tool Separator — The effect is the same as clicking the Separator icon.
  • Open Toolbox — Opens the selected toolbox. This menu item also can be used with toolboxes from a DGN library (below the gray V8 icon). See the key-in below.
  • Cut — The effect is the same as clicking the Cut icon.
  • Copy — The effect is the same as clicking the Copy icon. This menu item also can be used with toolboxes from a DGN library (below the gray V8 icon).
  • Paste — The effect is the same as clicking the Paste icon.
  • Move Up — The effect is the same as clicking the Move Up icon.
  • Move Down — The effect is the same as clicking the Move Down icon.
  • Sort Children — Sorts alphabetically by name the tools in the toolbox.
  • Delete — The effect is the same as clicking the Delete icon.
  • Rename — Allows you to type a new name for the selected toolbox.
CUSTOMIZE OPEN TOOLBOX [ toolbox_name ]
DIALOG TOOLBOX [ path\tool_name\ ] [ ON | OFF | TOGGLE | ATCURSOR ]
Tip: The DIALOG TOOLBOX key-in, with the path and tool name, can be used to open and close custom toolboxes.
Pop-up menu for tools in toolboxes Right-clicking a tool presents a list of actions that you can perform on the selected tool.
  • Add — Presents a list of properties that can be added to the selected tool. Once properties are added to a tool they appear in the Properties pane when the tool is selected.
  • New Toolbox — The effect is the same as clicking the New Toolbox icon.
  • New Tool — The effect is the same as clicking the New Tool icon.
  • New Tool Separator — The effect is the same as clicking the Separator icon.
  • Cut — The effect is the same as clicking the Cut icon.
  • Copy — The effect is the same as clicking the Copy icon. This menu item also can be used with tools from a DGN library (below the gray V8 icon).
  • Paste — The effect is the same as clicking the Paste icon.
  • Move Up — The effect is the same as clicking the Move Up icon.
  • Move Down — The effect is the same as clicking the Move Down icon.
  • Delete — The effect is the same as clicking the Delete icon.
  • Rename — Allows you to type a new name for the selected tool. This menu item is available only for tools in toolboxes, in the left pane.
User Tools, available DGN libraries


Toolboxes and tools available in other DGN libraries (specified by the MS_GUIDGNLIBLIST and _USTN_SYSTEM_GUIDGNLIBLIST configuration variables) appear in the left pane below the User Tools icon with gray V8 icons to the left of them. They can be copied to the open DGN file.
Application Tools


Toolboxes and tools available in OpenBuildings Designer appear in the left pane below the Application Tools icon. These toolboxes can be opened as a toolbox. Toolboxes and tools can be copied to the open DGN file.
Properties Properties of toolboxes and tools appear in the Properties pane when they are selected.

When you are working with tools, right-clicking in the gray area below the existing properties presents the Add pop-up menu, which allows you to add more properties to the selected tool. This has the same effect as right-clicking a tool and selecting Add from the pop-up menu.

To change a tool's Icon property, use the Define Icon for Tool dialog.