Interacting With the Graphics Window

Once a layout has been displayed on the screen there are a number of options available to the user through mouse interaction.

Zooming In

When displaying large plots, WinDisp scales the layout so that it can be displayed within the graphics window. This can make it difficult to discern small items such as text in the layout. The user may zoom in on the graphics window to view particular areas of the layout in more detail by pressing and holding the left mouse button at one corner of the area of interest, dragging the mouse (while still holding the left mouse button down) to the opposite corner of the area of interest, and then releasing the mouse button. While dragging a black rectangle connecting the first corner to the current mouse location will be displayed. Once the mouse button is released, the graphics window will be cleared and the section of the layout contained in the selected zooming window will be displayed.

Zoom In mode can also be initiated by clicking on the Zoom In button on the toolbar (). Once Zoom In mode has been started, the display will remain in this mode until another button on the toolbar is selected or the layout is changed or redisplayed. A single click with the Zoom enabled zooms the display by a factor of 2.

Zooming Out

Once the user has finished viewing the layout in the zoomed window, the view may be zoomed out to a window of twice the current windows limits centred on the current mouse location by clicking once using the right mouse button. Once the mouse button is clicked, the graphics window will be cleared and the section of the layout contained in the selected zooming window will be displayed.

Zoom Out mode can also be initiated by clicking on the Zoom Out button on the toolbar (). Once Zoom Out mode has been started, the display will remain in this mode until another button on the toolbar is selected, the layout is changed or redisplayed, or the view is zoomed out beyond the actual current plot limits. 

Redisplaying Full Layout

Once the user has finished viewing the layout in the zoomed window, the view may be zoomed out to the limits of the complete layout by double clicking anywhere in the graphics window using the left mouse button. Once the left mouse button is double clicked, the graphics window will be cleared and the full layout will be displayed.

Panning the current display

If the current display has been zoomed in, the user can pan the current view by clicking anywhere on the display with the right mouse button and dragging the display in the required direction. Pan mode may also be initiated using the Pan button ()on the toolbar.

Interrupting Layout Display

When displaying a layout using either the Display! menu item or while zooming or redisplaying the current layout, the user may interrupt the drawing of the layout by pressing the escape key, or by clicking on the red status box at the lower left corner of the screen. The status box is coloured green while no display action is currently occurring, red while an interruptable display or processing action is under way (eg while Displaying Image), and black while a non-interruptable action is under way (eg while Reading Grid). If a Display! action is interrupted, the current layout will be incomplete and the user will be warned of this if the Print menu item is selected. In such a case, the user is presented with the options of regenerating the layout (which takes place in the background and is generally faster than redisplaying it on the screen), printing the incomplete layout, or cancelling the print request.

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Last modified: April 10, 2012