Datasheet

TAKING A GUIDED TOUR

The Dashboard

The menu bar provides most of the commands you need in a format that most Windows users will

find easy to understand, and many users are more comfortable using the menu bar. If you prefer

using toolbars with their graphic icons, you can start to use the Dashboard. The Dashboard offers

many of the same commands as the menu bar but in a more compact format that is quicker to access.

The Dashboard is a collection of lists, buttons, and tools that invoke commands. These tools are

grouped into eight

control panels

, each with an icon that shows its function (see Figure 1.7). In typical

Windows fashion, each tool offers a

ToolTip

that provides a short description, which helps you under-

stand what the icons represent.

Figure 1.7

The control panels of

the Dashboard

NOTE

If the Dashboard doesn’t appear on the screen, you can choose Tools 

Palettes 

Dash-

board to restore it to the window.

If you move the arrow cursor onto one of the control-panel tools and leave it there for a moment,

you’ll see a ToolTip appear just below the cursor. As a new user, you’ll find these ToolTips helpful

because they show you the name of the tool. In addition, when I ask you to select a tool, I’ll use the name

shown in the ToolTip. For example, if you hover over the icon in the upper-left corner of the Dashboard,

you’ll see a ToolTip appear with the name of the control panel, 2D Draw.

Layers

2D Draw

Annotation Scale

Dimensions

Text

Multileaders

Tables

2D Navigate

3738x.book Page 13 Monday, June 25, 2007 11:37 PM