KOMPAS-3D v23

The cursor is the main tool when working with KOMPAS-3D. Using the cursor you invoke commands from menus or by clicking buttons, create and edit objects, and perform many other actions.

The cursor appearance depends on the type of the active document and the operation being performed.

The standard appearance of the cursor when it is located in a graphic document or model document field is a square "trap". The cursor parameters (size, outline, labels near the cursor, etc.) can be configured by the user. The configuration is made in the dialog invoked by the Settings — Parameters... — System — Graphic Editor — Cursor command.

You can control the cursor using the following methods.

•Using the mouse. It is the main method which is available in documents of all types.

•Using the keyboard. You can move the cursor using arrow keys on the main or extended keyboard. In this case the movement will be not arbitrary, as when using the mouse, but discrete.

In text documents and BOMs (when entering the text part of the objects) pressing an arrow key moves the cursor by one character or one row.

In graphic documents the minimum cursor movement when pressing an arrow key depends on the configured cursor pitch. To set the pitch value, use the field Current cursor pitch on the Quick Access Panel. You can select the pitch value in the field from the list or enter it from the keyboard. The list of pitches and the default pitch can be set in the cursor settings dialog.

•Specifying cursor coordinates. When working with graphic documents, you can enter the coordinates of the point where you want to place the cursor in the fields Cursor Coordinates on the Quick Access Toolbar.

•Cursor fixation. In graphic documents and model documents, after setting the cursor to the desired point, it needs to be fixed — confirm that this point should be used specifically for the creation of the object. Fixing is done by clicking the left mouse button or pressing <Enter>.

For example, to plot a line segment you need to specify and fix its starting and ending points, when plotting a hole in a model you can change the default position of the hole, by specifying and fixing the new snap point position.