There are a number of different Sketch tools in a Sketch Toolset. Except in PLE and PLE Plus, the actual toolset that appears at the top of the Sketch Editor can be modified using the Tools>Sketch Toolset commands, as described in Tools. The toolset is made up of tools from the Pointer, Variable, Arrow, Rate, Existing Variable, Merge, Sketch Comment, Input Output Object, Magic Wand, Delete and Equations tool classes. The tool classes are described in more detail below. Within a tool class, tools can be configured to give different default appearances and behavior. You change the configuration of a tool on the toolset by clicking on it with the right mouse button or by Control-clicking on it (Ctrl + Click).
Default toolset:
Legacy toolset (available in Tools>Options>Toolbars):
The default Sketch Toolset shown above contains one or two tools from each Sketch tool class. From left to right, the tools of the default Sketch Toolset are:
| · | Lock Pointer - used for variable selection no movement is possible. |
| · | Movement Pointer - used for movement and selection. |
| · | Variable - used to add variables to the sketch and edit the names of existing variables. |
| · | Level - used to add variables with a box shape to the sketch. |
| · | Arrow - used to add arrows to the sketch. |
| · | Rate - used to add rate constructs consisting of perpendicular arrows, a valve and, if necessary, sources and sinks. |
| · | Model Variable - used to add existing model variables to the sketch. |
| · | Shadow Variable - used to add existing variables to the sketch without adding their causes. |
| · | Merge - used to merge two distinct variables into a single variable. |
| · | Input Output Object - used to add input sliders or output graphs and tables to a sketch. |
| · | Sketch Comment - used to add comments to the sketch. |
| · | Unhide Magic Wand- used to un-hide words and arrows |
| · | Hide Magic Wand - used to hide words and arrows. |
| · | Delete - used to delete comments from a sketch and variables from the model and all sketches. |
Select one of these tools by clicking on its icon. When you do, the mouse pointer will change shape and the tool button you clicked on will appear indented. The selected tool remains active until you choose another tool. When you position the mouse over the tool for a brief time without clicking any buttons, a short description of the tool appears below it. You can then see descriptions of all the tools by moving the mouse across the toolbar. This is helpful if you forget the exact meaning of a tool's icon.
Tools can also be selected using the number keys (1,2,3 and so on as well as the QWERTYUIOP keys if there are more than 10 available choices.
Clicking on a tool makes a permanent change to the tool in use. You can also select a tool for a single use by pressing the mouse button on the tool and releasing the mouse button at the point you want to apply the tool (where you would click after first clicking on the tool in permanent selection mode).
NOTEWhen you have the Variable List visible and you click on a variable in it, the selected tool is suspended until you place the variable in the current view, or cancel variable placement by selecting a new tool, pressing the Esc key, or clicking on the Status Bar. If you are using the Delete tool or the Magic Wand tool, when you add a variable, the Lock Pointer, described below, will be selected when you have finished adding the variable.
The selected tool is indicated by the shape of the mouse pointer. The shapes correspond to the icons for the different actions, as described below.
